If you have a string variable that should specify a date (asked in input to the user, for example), you can parse the string and get a Date variable by using the Date.Parse method. If the input string is not in a valid format, this method throws an exception though. Follows a routine that parses a string and sets a Date variable passed in input by reference, or returns False if the input string could not recognized as a valid date:
' Set the input Date variable by parsing the input string' Return true if the input string is not in a valid format' Example:' Dim testDate As Date' If String2Date(testDate, "12/25/2002") = True Then' MessageBox.Show(testDate.ToLongDateString())' Else' MessageBox.Show("Invalid input date string")' End If' If String2Date(testDate, "12/35/2002") = True Then' MessageBox.Show(testDate.ToLongDateString())' Else' MessageBox.Show("Invalid input date string")' End IfFunction String2Date(ByRef retDate As Date, ByVal value As String) As Boolean Try retDate = Date.Parse(value) Return True Catch e As Exception Return False End TryEnd FunctionYou can write similar functions for other data types of course.
