Date formatting using bindings in Silverlight DataForm

I had fun today trying to work out why I could not get the date column of a data form grid to be formatted correctly. Listed below is some xaml markup of the dataform..

   1: <df:DataForm x:Name="Form1" ItemsSource="{Binding Mode=OneWay}" AutoGenerateFields="True"

   2:                 AutoEdit="True" AutoCommit="False"

   3:                 CommitButtonContent="Save"

   4:                 CancelButtonContent="Cancel"               

   5:                 CommandButtonsVisibility="Commit"

   6:                 LabelPosition="Top" ScrollViewer.VerticalScrollBarVisibility="Disabled"

   7:                 EditEnded="NoteForm_EditEnded"> 

   8:         <df:DataForm.EditTemplate>

   9:             <DataTemplate>                    

  10:                 <StackPanel>

  11:                     <df:DataField>

  12:                         <TextBox Text="{Binding Title, Mode=TwoWay}"/>

  13:                     </df:DataField>

  14:  

  15:                     <df:DataField>

  16:                         <TextBox Text="{Binding Description, Mode=TwoWay}" AcceptsReturn="True" HorizontalScrollBarVisibility="Auto"

  17:                                  VerticalScrollBarVisibility="Auto" Height="" TextWrapping="Wrap" SizeChanged="TextBox_SizeChanged"/>                        

  18:                     </df:DataField>

  19:  

  20:                     <df:DataField>

  21:                         <TextBlock Text="{Binding Username}"/>

  22:                     </df:DataField>

  23:  

  24:                     <df:DataField>

  25:                         <TextBlock Text="{Binding DateCreated}"/>

  26:                     </df:DataField>

  27:                 </StackPanel>

  28:             </DataTemplate>

  29:         </df:DataForm.EditTemplate>

  30:     </df:DataForm>

The problem with this is no matter what format parameter I put on the annotation

   1: /// <summary>

   2: /// Gets or sets the date created of the noteannotation

   3: /// </summary>

   4: [Display(Name="Date Created")]

   5: [Editable(false)]

   6: [DisplayFormat(DataFormatString = "{0:u}", ApplyFormatInEditMode = true)]

   7: public DateTime DateCreated { get; set; }

it was being displayed as 4/6/2010 10:02:15 AM

This is the default binding format on the dataform. To solve this a convertor needed to be added to the datafield in question.

   1: <df:DataField>

   2:     <TextBlock Text="{Binding DateCreated, Converter={StaticResource DateConverter}}"/>

   3: </df:DataField>

The DateConverter is just a class than implements the IValueConverter interface. Example below shows the date time format I needed..

   1: /// <summary>

   2: /// Date time formatter - for short dates for data bound items

   3: /// </summary>

   4: public class DateConverter : IValueConverter

   5: {

   6:     #region Public Methods

   7:  

   8:     #region IValueConvertor Members

   9:  

  10:     /// <summary>

  11:     /// Convert data item to a short date

  12:     /// </summary>

  13:     /// <param name="value">Value</param>

  14:     /// <param name="targetType">Target type</param>

  15:     /// <param name="parameter">Paramter</param>

  16:     /// <param name="culture">Culture</param>

  17:     /// <returns>Converted object</returns>

  18:     public object Convert(object value, Type targetType, object parameter, System.Globalization.CultureInfo culture)

  19:     {

  20:         var date = (DateTime)value;

  21:         return (date.ToString("dd/MM/yyyy HH:mm:ss"));

  22:     }

  23:  

  24:     /// <summary>

  25:     /// Convert back data item to a short date

  26:     /// </summary>

  27:     /// <param name="value">Value</param>

  28:     /// <param name="targetType">Target type</param>

  29:     /// <param name="parameter">Paramter</param>

  30:     /// <param name="culture">Culture</param>

  31:     /// <returns>Converted object</returns>

  32:     public object ConvertBack(object value, Type targetType, object parameter, System.Globalization.CultureInfo culture)

  33:     {

  34:         var s = (string)value;

  35:         return (DateTime.Parse(s));

  36:     }

  37:  

  38:     #endregion IValueConvertor Members

  39:  

  40:     #endregion Public Methods

  41: }

This works like a treat - could be improved with some null checking! :)