TryParse

TryParse is a pattern and set of methods used to safely convert strings to a value by attempting the conversion and returning a success indicator rather than throwing an exception on invalid input. It is most closely associated with the .NET family of languages, including C#, VB.NET, and F#, but the concept appears in other ecosystems as well.

In .NET, TryParse methods generally have the signature bool TryParse(string s, out T result). They return true if parsing succeeds and assign the parsed value to result. If parsing fails, they return false and assign a default value to result (for example, 0 for integers or DateTime.MinValue for DateTime). Many types provide multiple overloads that accept culture information or number styles to tailor the parsing behavior.

Common targets include integers, floating-point numbers, booleans, DateTime, TimeSpan, and GUIDs. Overloads often allow specifying an IFormatProvider or NumberStyles to handle locale-specific formats. DateTime also provides TryParse and TryParseExact variants to control how strictly the input must match a format.

Example: int value; if (int.TryParse(userInput, out value)) { // use value } else { // handle invalid input }

Benefits and considerations: TryParse avoids the overhead of exceptions for invalid input and supports straightforward input validation. Developers should note that the out parameter is assigned a default value on failure, and parsing can be culture-sensitive, requiring appropriate providers or explicit formats when necessary.