WCF Javascript Date Helper Class

I got tired of dealing with this issue, and I didn’t want to use any third party libraries so I wrote a quick little helper class to help you deal with this date formatting issue.

This “formatJSONDateLocal” method will convert from UTC Time to the clients local time.  This is very handy when working with services storing time as UTC.  If I improve it I will update this post.

You can modify the formatJSONDateLocal to get the format you are looking for.

The CLASS:

var ViviScapeWCFDateHelper = {

formatJSONDate: function (jsondate) {
var sdate = new Date(parseInt(jsondate.substr(6)));
var formattedsdate = sdate.getFullYear() + "-" + ("0" + (sdate.getMonth() + 1)).slice(-2) + "-" + ("0" + sdate.getDate()).slice(-2);

return formattedsdate;
},
formatJSONDateLocal: function (jsondate) {
var odate = new Date(parseInt(jsondate.substr(6)));
var today= new Date();
var offset = today.getTime() + (today.getTimezoneOffset() * 60000);
var sdate = new Date(odate + (3600000 * offset));

var realhour = (sdate.getHours() > 12) ? sdate.getHours() - 12 : sdate.getHours();
var ampm = (sdate.getHours() >= 12) ? "PM" : "AM";
var formattedsdate = sdate.getFullYear() + "-" + ("0" + (sdate.getMonth() + 1)).slice(-2) + "-" + ("0" + sdate.getDate()).slice(-2) + " " + realhour + ":" + sdate.getMinutes() + ampm;

return formattedsdate;
}

}

This is how you use it:

//Convert WCF JSON DATE to Date
ViviScapeWCFDateHelper.formatJSONDate(wcfjsondate);

//Convert WCF JSON UTC DateTime to local datetime
ViviScapeWCFDateHelper.formatJSONDateLocal(wcfjsondate);

JavaScript WCF Date Formats

Here is a little cheat sheet to help you see the output of the function used when parsing a WCF JSON Formatted Response.

#”result” is the return object from the web service.

var sdate = new Date(parseInt(result.mydate.substr(6)));

#You can handle formatting the response with any of function below.

dateAsFromServerSide:/Date(1403028945777)/
parsedDate: Tue Jun 17 2014 14:15:45 GMT-0400 (Eastern Daylight Time)
sdate.getDay(): 2
sdate.getDate(): 17
sdate.getFullYear(): 2014
sdate.getHours(): 14
sdate.getMilliseconds(): 777
sdate.getMinutes(): 15
sdate.getMonth(): 5
sdate.getSeconds(): 45
sdate.getTime():1403028945777
sdate.getTimezoneOffset(): 240
sdate.getUTCDate(): 17
sdate.getUTCDay(): 2
sdate.getUTCFullYear(): 2014
sdate.getUTCHours(): 18
sdate.getUTCMilliseconds(): 777
sdate.getUTCMinutes(): 15
sdate.getUTCMonth(): 5
sdate.getUTCSeconds(): 45
sdate.getYear(): 114

Hope this was useful, Enjoy!

Find out how to handle WCF JSON Date Response with HTML5

 

WCF JSON Date Format to Javascript Nightmare

I wanted to share this little snippet that has saved my life many of time.  Those of you that run into this will appreciate this short line of javascript code that will make your dreams come true.

I am using the JQuery library for the service call, then handling the results with a little magic.

*Not your can handle the formatting on your service side, but If you don’t have access to the service this is an alternative method to accomplish the job.

Code Begin:

$.ajax({

url: yourservicesaddress.svc/test,

data: {testid: _mytestid}//variables

}).done(function(result)

{

var sdate = new Date(parseInt(result.mydatefield.substr(6)))
var formattedsdate = sdate.getFullYear() + “-” + (“0” + (sdate.getMonth() + 1)).slice(-2) + “-” + (“0” + sdate.getDate()).slice(-2);

//Then here you can use formatted date in a HTML 5 Date formatted text box.  Pretty //simple.

 

});

If you want to know about how you can integrate services check us out at ViviScape.  We provide custom software engineering solutions to make your life easier.

 

 

 

jQuery Include Example

This is an example of something that  jQuery developers commonly used.  I wanted to share this for people new to jQuery.  It may be able to save them time, and may allow them to accomplish incredible things.

I have listed the download the project files below:

http://bit.ly/1eJI45V

Google Maps V3 Example With Custom Marker Points

For all of you code monkeys, or people just wanting to integrate a little Googlization to your site.

I created utilizing the Google Maps V3 API, on your website or mobile solution. This demonstration is looking up the longitude and latitudes based on address to identify points within Google maps, then observing the points to evaluate the appropriate zoom level of the map. I have expanded it to create custom “Info Windows”. This example uses the jQuery library along with a custom JSON array as its data source.

If your interested on you can expand this example using routing functionality such as finding direction and so forth  let me know.

For those interested I will expand within this thread.

If you have any question’s let me know.  You can find me at http://www.linkedin.com/in/arthicks.

Example of the map and the code:

http://bit.ly/16mGlyn

-Art

EnJoy!

Simple Problems Simple Solutions

Have you been faced with problems that seem to be way to complicated to deal with?  Common Sense tells us that simple problems have simple solutions.  I know your saying, “Art, speak for yourself.  You don’t know what I am going through”.  This is true, but you have already thought about different solutions to your problems.

You have the answer, but you choose to not do it.  There are reasons for this action not occurring, most them  are it is mentally to hard,  emotionally your scared, or you believe that is going to affect someone else.  All of these being natural human feelings.  If only life had a preview button to see what the outcome would be, before we acted on these easy solutions.

One step towards solving the problem, if you are having troubles dealing with the correct answer, is to write down all the answers without putting extra thought into it.  Then come back and write all of the consequences behind executing your solution.  If then choose the one that will solve the problem with least amount of impact.  Remember stress or skepticism is our perception of events that we encounter.  Don’t let your fears or lack of knowledge help you solve simple problems.

No Time to Think

Many of us face the challenge of “not having enough hours in a day”.  There is a simple common sense solution to all of your problems.  Don’t choose to take on battles you can not when in a few hours.   Use a similar strategy to the snow ball effect.  Small victories will result in tide changes towards winning the war.  

1. Start with sitting down, writing or typing out what you need to accomplish.
2. Start attacking the tasks that you complete in the shortest amount of time.
3. Notify parties where you need more information for the tasks where you may need more clarification.  Don’t start a project where you don’t know completely what the heck your doing.  You’ll end up wasting a ton of time.  Plus this put the ball back in their court.  Try not to have people waiting you.  All eyes can’t be on you if it isn’t your turn to dance.
4. Break your large tasks into phases or micro tasks.  By doing this you can move back to step 2 and do it again.

Pretty quick simple way of looking at juggling a crazy load of things to do.  

I am open to any other strategies that you have come up with to handle your crazy work load.

Microsoft Pi

This week I have presented myself with a challenge.  I have a newly purchased Raspberry PI that I looking incorporate into some of the software solutions I have developed.  Small problem, yes I am a .NET Developer.  This is not a problem, thanks to the Mono Project.  I will be looking at running WCF Web Service to create a WPAN (Wireless Personal Area Network) that can work natively with multiple technologies, including IOS, Android, and Windows.

Curious on how many people have attempted and the success rate of implementation.

Feel free to leave your thoughts and feedback.  I will be updating this post with my finding.

Cheers!

WCF Web Service Integration Introduction

Greetings,

It’s me again.  I have been running into a lot of new developers wanting to get into cloud service integration.  I have created a quick video playlist to show how to create a simple WCF Web Service with a custom class.

Then I took it to the next level and created two separate application consuming it’s resources.  This is the trick build your data connector one time, then consume it with multiple endpoints.

I have done this with not only Microsoft Technologies, but also using the same service across multiple technologies such as IOS, and Android.

They are quick and dirty video’s so let me know what you think.

Direct Link: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLr2KNsDPXzsgdSEXPT6WqfQnfwUK2uPip

Eliminating Aspnet WebForms Redundant Coding with Snippets

I know that Aspnet web form are kinda old school now a days with MVC 3 in the picture, but I wanted to share a way I have used in all my project to increase productivity.  There are .cs codebehind pages that you use in a every aspx file that you always have to deal with postback.

A great way to not waste time typing the same code over and over again is to use snippets in visual studios.

One that I use on just about every page that has code behind is this series of syntax:

protected void Page_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
{

if (!Page.IsPostBack)
{

}
}

protected void Page_Init(object sender, EventArgs e)
{

}

This handles postbacks in your page and sets up the on page initialize, in which you can use to wire up events for your buttons, dropdownlists, datagrids, dataviews, ect.

Here is my snippet to use at your own discretion, I asked that you please dont modify the author out of personal copyright credit.

Snippet:
http://bit.ly/yUzGBp

Just unzip snippet and drop it in the directory listed below.  Then when in your codebehind  (.cs file) simply type:

“pageload” then hit the TAB Key twice.

Installation path: “C:\Users\ahicksdev\Documents\Visual Studio 2010\Code Snippets\Visual C#\My Code Snippets”

Feel free to post any snippets that you have found useful in your development experience.

Thanks in advance for sharing!  🙂