---
title: "Access Date and Datetime fields"
slug: "access-date-and-datetime-fields"
abstract: "How to access Date and Datetime fields using the Sitecore.Data.Fields.DateField class."
---
# Access Date and Datetime fields

You can use the `Sitecore.Data.Fields.DateField` class to access data template fields of type *Date* and *Datetime*. The `Sitecore.Data.Fields.DateField.Value` property contains the date and time as a string in the ISO format used by Sitecore (yyyyMMddTHHmmss).

> [!note]
> For more information about .NET date format patterns, see [http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/73ctwf33.aspx](http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/73ctwf33.aspx).

You can convert a value in the ISO format to a `System.DateTime` structure using the `Sitecore.DateUtil.IsoDateToDateTime` method. For example, to access the *Date* or *Datetime* field named *DateTimeField* in the */Sitecore/Content/Home* item in the *Master* database:

```csharp
Sitecore.Data.Database master = Sitecore.Configuration.Factory.GetDatabase("master");

Sitecore.Data.Items.Item home = master.GetItem("/sitecore/content/home");

Sitecore.Data.Fields.DateField dateTimeField = home.Fields["datetimefield"];

string dateTimeString = dateTimeField.Value;

DateTime dateTimeStruct = Sitecore.DateUtil.IsoDateToDateTime(dateTimeString);

```

Alternatively, you can access the `Sitecore.Data.Fields.DateField.DateTime` property, which contains a `System.DateTime` structure representing the same value. For example, to access the *Date* or *Datetime* field named `DateTimeField` in the */Sitecore/Content/Home* item in the Master database as a `System.DateTime` structure:

```csharp
Sitecore.Data.Database master = Sitecore.Configuration.Factory.GetDatabase("master");

Sitecore.Data.Items.Item home = master.GetItem("/sitecore/content/home");

Sitecore.Data.Fields.DateField dateTimeField = home.Fields["datefield"];

DateTime dateTimeStruct = dateTimeField.DateTime;

```

You can update the value of a *Date* or *Datetime* field by updating the `Sitecore.Data.Fields.DateField.Value` property to a string in the ISO format. You can use the `Sitecore.DateUtil.ToIsoDate` method to convert a `System.DateTime` structure to the ISO format. For example, to update the value of the Datetime field named `DateTimeField` in the */Sitecore/Content/Home* item in the Master database to the current system date:

```csharp
Sitecore.Data.Database master = Sitecore.Configuration.Factory.GetDatabase("master");

Sitecore.Data.Items.Item home = master.GetItem("/sitecore/content/home");

Sitecore.Data.Fields.DateField dateTimeField = home.Fields["datetimefield"];

if (dateTimeField != null)
{
    home.Editing.BeginEdit();
    dateTimeField.Value = Sitecore.DateUtil.ToIsoDate(DateTime.Now);
    home.Editing.EndEdit();
}

```

> [!note]
> If the user has not specified a value for a field of type *Date* or *Datetime*, then the `Sitecore.Data.Fields.DateField.Value` property contains an empty string and the `Sitecore.Data.Fields.DateField.DateTime` property contains `System.DateTime.MinValue`.

> [!tip]
> By default, a field of type *Date* contains a time value of midnight.