Making sure that DateTime properties return DateTimeKind.Utc

Question

Is it possible to define DateTime properties in entity objects that are of Kind == DateTimeKind.Utc by using either the .edmx file, or a t4 template?

W

Answer 1

For our case it was impractical to always specify the DateTimeKind as stated previously:

DateTime utcDateTime = DateTime.SpecifyKind(databaseDateTime, DateTimeKind.Utc);

If you want to force all DateTime objects coming out of the database to be specified as UTC you'll need to add a T4 transform file and add additional logic for all DateTime and nullable DateTime objects such that they get initialized as DateTimeKind.Utc

I have a blog post which explains this step by step: http://www.aaroncoleman.net/post/2011/06/16/Forcing-Entity-Framework-to-mark-DateTime-fields-at-UTC.aspx

In short:

1) Create the .tt file for your .edmx model

2) Open the .tt file and find the "WritePrimitiveTypeProperty" method.

3) Replace the existing setter code. This is everything between the ReportPropertyChanging and the ReportPropertyChanged method callbacks with the following:

<#+ if( ((PrimitiveType)primitiveProperty.TypeUsage.EdmType).PrimitiveTypeKind == PrimitiveTypeKind.DateTime)
            {
#>
        if(<#=code.FieldName(primitiveProperty)#> == new DateTime())
        {
            <#=code.FieldName(primitiveProperty)#> = StructuralObject.SetValidValue(value<#=OptionalNullableParameterForSetValidValue(primitiveProperty, code)#>);
<#+ 
            if(ef.IsNullable(primitiveProperty))
            {  
#>              
            if(value != null)
                <#=code.FieldName(primitiveProperty)#> = DateTime.SpecifyKind(<#=code.FieldName(primitiveProperty)#>.Value, DateTimeKind.Utc);
<#+             } 
            else
            {#>
            <#=code.FieldName(primitiveProperty)#> = DateTime.SpecifyKind(<#=code.FieldName(primitiveProperty)#>, DateTimeKind.Utc);                
<#+ 
            } 
#>
        }
        else
        {
            <#=code.FieldName(primitiveProperty)#> = StructuralObject.SetValidValue(value<#=OptionalNullableParameterForSetValidValue(primitiveProperty, code)#>);
        }
<#+ 
        }
        else
        {
#>
    <#=code.FieldName(primitiveProperty)#> = StructuralObject.SetValidValue(value<#=OptionalNullableParameterForSetValidValue(primitiveProperty, code)#>);
<#+ 
        }
#>