Lets say your SQL database contains both date_published and date_updated columns. When navigating to www.example.com/App/Details/1, the page should display the values of the date_published and date_updated columns from SQL. This can be accomplished by adding the following markup to the /Models/Example.cs file.

[Required]
public DateTime date_published { get; set; }

[Required]
public DateTime date_updated { get; set; }

Ensure the /View/Example/Details file has the following HTML helpers.

@Html.DisplayFor(model => model.date_published)
@Html.DisplayFor(model => model.date_updated)

By default, the www.example.com/App/Details/1 page will display both the date and time, such as 01/01/2016 12:00 AM. To modify the format of the DateTime, add using System.ComponentModel.DataAnnotations; to the very beginning of the /Models/Example.cs file

using System.ComponentModel.DataAnnotations;

Also add [DisplayFormat(DataFormatString = "{0:MM/dd/yyyy}", ApplyFormatInEditMode = true)] before the public DateTime class. This will display only the Date, such as 01/01/2016.

[Required]
[DisplayFormat(DataFormatString = "{0:MM/dd/yyyy}", ApplyFormatInEditMode = true)]
public DateTime date_published { get; set; }

[Required]
[DisplayFormat(DataFormatString = "{0:MM/dd/yyyy}", ApplyFormatInEditMode = true)]
public DateTime date_updated { get; set; }

When navigating to www.example.com/App/Edit/1, editing the record may update date_published and date_updated to be 01-01-0001. We want date_published to retain the DateTime in SQL, and we want date_updated to be updated to the current DateTime when the record is updated. We can add a HiddenFor HTML helper to the /View/Example/Edit file in MVC for the date_published and date_updated columns. We set the value of the date_updated to System.DateTime.Now.

@Html.HiddenFor(model => model.date_published)
@Html.HiddenFor(model => model.date_updated, new { @Value=System.DateTime.Now })

Viewing the source of www.example.com/App/Edit/1 will include hidden HTML tags for both the date_published and date_updated columns. This is kind of a messy solution, as both hidden tags contain a value for the DateTime from SQL. Only the date_updated tag contains 2 values, one for the DateTime from SQL and another for the System.DateTime.Now. Although this is a messy solution, it achieves the goal. The date_published will retain the DateTime from SQL, and date_updated will update to the current DateTime.

<input id="date_published" name="date_published" type="hidden" value="7/01/2016 1:23:27 PM" />
<input Value="08/13/2016 13:50:42" id="date_updated" name="date_updated" type="hidden" value="7/01/2016 1:23:27 AM" />

It is also possible to change the behavior of date_published and date_updated in the /Controllers/Example.cs file.

• private DateTime _date; creates a private DateTime class named _date
• In the public DateTime date_updated class, set contains _date = DateTime.Now updates date_updated to the current date when a record is displayed and updated.

private DateTime _date;

[Required]
[DisplayFormat(DataFormatString = "{0:MM/dd/yyyy}", ApplyFormatInEditMode = true)]
public DateTime date_published { get; set; }

[Required]
[DisplayFormat(DataFormatString = "{0:MM/dd/yyyy}", ApplyFormatInEditMode = true)]
public DateTime date_updated {
    get {
         return _date;
        }
    set {
         _date = DateTime.Now;
        }
    }