<p>Given a UTC time string like this:</p>

<pre><code>2005-11-01T00:00:00-04:00
</code></pre>

<p>What is the best way to convert it to a DateTime using a Crystal Reports formula?</p>

<p>My best solution is posted below.</p>

<p>I hope someone out there can blow me away with a one-liner...</p>

Here is my best solution, with comments:
```
```
//assume a date stored as a string in this format:
//2005-11-01T00:00:00-04:00
//return a DateTime value
StringVar fieldValue;
StringVar datePortion;
StringVar timePortion;
NumberVar yearPortion;
NumberVar monthPortion;
NumberVar dayPortion;
NumberVar hourPortion;
NumberVar minutePortion;
NumberVar secondPortion;

//store the field locally so i can easily copy-paste into another formula
//(where the field name will be different)
//Crystal formulas do not use a powerful language.
fieldValue := {PACT.ReferralDate};

//break up the date & time parts.
//ignore the -04:00 offset part of the time.
datePortion := Split (fieldValue,"T")[1];
timePortion := Split(Split (fieldValue,"T")[2],"-")[1];

yearPortion := ToNumber(Split(datePortion,"-")[1]);
monthPortion := ToNumber(Split(datePortion,"-")[2]);
dayPortion := ToNumber(Split(datePortion,"-")[3]);

hourPortion := ToNumber(Split(timePortion,":")[1]);
minutePortion := ToNumber(Split(timePortion,":")[2]);
secondPortion := ToNumber(Split(timePortion,":")[3]);

//finally, return the result as a date-time
DateTime(yearPortion,monthPortion,dayPortion,hourPortion,minutePortion,secondPortion);
```
```