Javascript serialization of DateTime in asp.net is not giving a javascript date object?

Question

When I parse a DateTime to json in .Net it returns a string (i.e. \"\\/Date(1249335194272)\\/\"). How do I make it return a js Date object constructor not wrap

Answer 1

With a little string manipulation and an eval you can create a Date object

var dteNow = "\/Date(1249335477787)\/";
var dteObj = eval("new " + dteNow.replace(/\//g,""));

Answer 2

jsonDateNow = String.Format("Date({0},{1},{2})", Date().Now.getYear(), Date().Now.getMonth() -1, Date().Now.getDay());

Answer 3

This seems to work (Thanks Chris S for the idea). In the C# do a replace to remove the string wrapper from around the date object;

    using System.Collections.Generic;
        using System.Linq;
        using System.Web;
        using System.Web.UI;
        using System.Web.Script.Serialization;
        using System.Web.Script.Services;
        using System.Web.Services;
        using System.Web.UI.WebControls;

        namespace test
        {
            [ScriptService]
            public partial class testing: System.Web.UI.Page
            {
                protected string strCaseID;
                protected string jsonCase;

                protected void Page_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
                {
                    if (!IsPostBack)
                    {
                        strCaseID =Tools.GetQueryObject("id");
                        // get a complex object with dates, string, arrays etc.
                        jsonESHACase = new JavaScriptSerializer().Serialize(objCase.Get(strCaseID ))
                            .Replace("\"\\/Date(", "new Date(").Replace(")\\/\"", ")");
                    }
                }
            }
        }

..and after removing the quotes and adding the new prefix to Date this js now works. Hooray!

testCase= <%= jsonESHACase %>;
    if (testCase) {
        document.write(testCase["ClosingDate"].format("MM dd yyyy"));
    }

Answer 4

Simple javascript manipulation like this:

function(param){
  var date = new Date(parseInt(param.substr(6)));
  return date;
}

Pass in JSON date as param to the function and it will return a javascript date.