Export DateTime Value

Updated on Jul 17, 2026

PROBLEM

1. When exporting DateTime values without a specified DataFormatString to Excel, the values appear as numbers as shown in the below image:

Exporting DateTime values without specified DataFormatString

2. When exporting DateTime values with specified DataFormatString to Excel, the values appear as strings as shown in the next image:

Exporting DateTime values with specified DataFormatString

CAUSE

1. In most modern programming environments, dates are stored as real numbers. The integer part of the number is the number of days since some agreed-upon date in the past, called the epoch. In Excel, June 16, 2006, for example, is stored as 38884, counting days where January 1st, 1900 is 1.

2. When a DataFormatString has been specified for a given column, RadGridView exports the string representation of the values in that column.

SOLUTIONs

Export via the Built-In RadGridView Export Methods

When an element is exported through the ExportToXlsx, ExportToPdf or ExportToWorkbook or methods, the arguments of the ElementExportingToDocument event can be used to modify the visual appearance of the exported values and specify how they should be formatted in Excel. This is achieved through the VisualParameters property of the GridViewCellExportingEventArgs.

Exporting DateTime Values to Excel

C#

	this.radGridView.ElementExportingToDocument += (s, e) =>
	{
	    if (e.Element == ExportElement.Cell)
	    {
	        var cellExportingArgs = e as GridViewCellExportingEventArgs;
	        if ((cellExportingArgs.Column as GridViewDataColumn) == this.radGridView.Columns[1])
	        {
	            var parameters = cellExportingArgs.VisualParameters as GridViewDocumentVisualExportParameters;
	            parameters.Style = new CellSelectionStyle()
	            {
	                Format = new CellValueFormat("m/d/yyyy")
	            };
	        }
	    }
	};

VB.NET

	AddHandler Me.radGridView.ElementExportingToDocument, Sub(s, e)
	                                                          If e.Element = ExportElement.Cell Then
	                                                              Dim cellExportingArgs = TryCast(e, GridViewCellExportingEventArgs)
	                                                              If (TryCast(cellExportingArgs.Column, GridViewDataColumn)) Is Me.radGridView.Columns(1) Then
	                                                                  Dim parameters = TryCast(cellExportingArgs.VisualParameters, GridViewDocumentVisualExportParameters)
	                                                                  parameters.Style = New CellSelectionStyle() With {.Format = New CellValueFormat("m/d/yyyy")}
	                                                              End If
	                                                          End If
	                                                      End Sub 

Exporting DateTime values with ElementExportingToDocument

Export via the GridViewSpreadStreamExport Class

When exporting the RadGridView with the GridViewSpreadStreamExport class, the event arguments of ElementExportingToDocument event will be of the type of GridViewSpreadStreamElementExportingEventArgs. To format the number value, create a new SpreadCellFormat instance and set the NumberFormat property. To apply the formatting, create a new SpreadStreamCellStyle instance, set the created SpreadCellFormat to its CellFormat property, and apply it to the e.Style property of the event arguments.

Specify a format when exporting with the GridViewSpreadStreamExport class

C#

	private static void SpreadStreamExport_ElementExportingToDocument(object sender, GridViewSpreadStreamElementExportingEventArgs e)
	{
		if (e.Element == SpreadStreamExportElement.Cell && e.Value is DateTime)
		{
			e.Style = new SpreadStreamCellStyle()
			{
				CellFormat = new SpreadCellFormat()
				{
					NumberFormat = BuiltInNumberFormats.GetDayMonthLongYear() + " " + BuiltInNumberFormats.GetHourMinuteSecondAMPM()
				}
			};
		}
	}

VB.NET

	Private Shared Sub SpreadStreamExport_ElementExportingToDocument(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As GridViewSpreadStreamElementExportingEventArgs)
	    If e.Element = SpreadStreamExportElement.Cell AndAlso TypeOf e.Value Is DateTime Then
	        e.Style = New SpreadStreamCellStyle() With {
	            .CellFormat = New SpreadCellFormat() With {
	                .NumberFormat = BuiltInNumberFormats.GetDayMonthLongYear() & " " + BuiltInNumberFormats.GetHourMinuteSecondAMPM()
	            }
	        }
	    End If
	End Sub

See Also

• Export String Value

• Export Numeric Value

• Format Codes

• Number Formatting