What is the "right" JSON date format?
javascript, json
Solution
JSON itself does not specify how dates should be represented, but JavaScript does.
You should use the format emitted by `Date`'s `toJSON` method:
`2012-04-23T18:25:43.511Z`
Here's why:
It's human readable but also succinct
It sorts correctly
It includes fractional seconds, which can help re-establish chronology
It conforms to ISO 8601
ISO 8601 has been well-established internationally for more than a decade
ISO 8601 is endorsed by W3C, RFC3339, and XKCD
That being said, every date library ever written can understand "milliseconds since 1970". So for easy portability, ThiefMaster is right.
Problem
I've seen so many different standards for the JSON date format: ``` "\"\\/Date(1335205592410)\\/\"" .NET JavaScriptSerializer "\"\\/Date(1335205592410-0500)\\/\"" .NET DataContractJsonSerializer "2012-04-23T18:25:43.511Z" JavaScript built-in JSON object "2012-04-21T18:25:43-05:00" ISO 8601 ``` Which one is the right one? Or best? Is there any sort of standard on this?