How to generate xs:Date in WCF OperationContract parameter

Question

For parameters to an OperationContract that represent a date only (no time component or timezone designator), it is desirable to use xs:Date, to avoid any ambiguity or problems with timezone conversion between client and server.

WCF currently only supports xs:DateTime for serializing DateTime parameters.

What is the easiest way to generate an OperationContract with a parameter that will be serialized as xs:Date?

I'm thinking of having a custom .NET Type "public struct DateOnly" or similar, with implicit casting to/from a standard DateTime, that will somehow automatically generate wsdl as xs:Date.

Is this possible, and how would I go about implementing it?

If it is possible, I suspect the solution might involve using XmlSchemaProviderAttribute on the custom type, but any documentation I've found on this attribute seems a bit opaque.

Update

I find it difficult to believe it will increase the probablity of getting a solution, but I'll follow the site's advice and start a bounty.

For clarity's sake, the condition for the bounty is to provide all the information necessary to construct a solution so that a parameter to a WCF OperationContract can be:

• serialized as ws:Date and described as such in the generated WSDL.

• is either a System.DateTime value or can be cast implicitly to/from DateTime.

Answer 1

Unfortunately WCF doesn't support the xs:Date type. You'd have to create your own "DateOnly" struct, like:

<DataContract()> _
public struct DateOnly
   <DataMember()> public Month as Integer
   <DataMember()> public Day as Integer
   <DataMember()> public Year as Integer
end struct

Answer 2

WCF's defaut serializer (DataContractSerializer) does not support it. But XmlSerializer supports it.

1 - Add the [XmlSerializerFormat] attribute to your contract...

[XmlSerializerFormat]
[ServiceContract]
public interface IMyContract
{
   MyType GetData();
}

2 - In the DataContract type, add the [XmlElement(DataType = "date")] to the member.

public class MyType
{
     [XmlElement(DataType = "date")]
     public DateTime BirthDate {get; set;}
}

Hope this helps

Answer 3

Now that this has come to my attention, I have created a new Suggestion in Connect, at Please Fully Support xs:Date for Date-Only Parameters and DataMembers. I rated this with four stars (important).

If anyone reading this feels this is important (or else disagrees), then please use Connect to vote on it or comment on it.

Answer 4

You specified a requirement to have xs:Date as a parameter in the operation. The thing is, there's a formal way to specify such requirements: WSDL. If I were doing this I would use a WSDL First approach. Start with a WSDL that defines the contract you want, including an xs:date in the interface, wherever it is you want it. Then generate the service stub using svcutil.exe. Remember to pass in /serializer:xmlSerializer .