Why can't I check if a 'DateTime' is 'Nothing'?

This is one of the biggest sources of confusion with VB.Net, IMO.

Nothing in VB.Net is the equivalent of default(T) in C#: the default value for the given type.

• For value types, this is essentially the equivalent of 'zero': 0 for Integer, False for Boolean, DateTime.MinValue for DateTime, ...
• For reference types, it is the null value (a reference that refers to, well, nothing).

The statement d Is Nothing is therefore equivalent to d Is DateTime.MinValue, which obviously does not compile.

Solutions: as others have said

• Either use DateTime? (i.e. Nullable(Of DateTime)). This is my preferred solution.
• Or use d = DateTime.MinValue or equivalently d = Nothing

In the context of the original code, you could use:

Dim d As DateTime? = Nothing
Dim boolNotSet As Boolean = d.HasValue

A more comprehensive explanation can be found on Anthony D. Green's blog

DateTime is a value type, which is why it can't be null. You can check for it to be equal to DateTime.MinValue, or you can use Nullable(Of DateTime) instead.

VB sometimes "helpfully" makes you think it's doing something it's not. When it lets you set a Date to Nothing, it's really setting it to some other value, maybe MinValue.

See this question for an extensive discussion of value types vs. reference types.

DateTime is a value type, which means it always has some value.

It's like an integer - it can be 0, or 1, or less than zero, but it can never be "nothing".

If you want a DateTime that can take the value Nothing, use a Nullable DateTime.

Some examples on working with nullable DateTime values.

(See Nullable Value Types (Visual Basic) for more.)

'
' An ordinary DateTime declaration. It is *not* nullable. Setting it to
' 'Nothing' actually results in a non-null value.
'
Dim d1 As DateTime = Nothing
Console.WriteLine(String.Format("d1 = [{0}]\n", d1))
' Output:  d1 = [1/1/0001 12:00:00 AM]

' Console.WriteLine(String.Format("d1 is Nothing? [{0}]\n", (d1 Is Nothing)))
'
'   Compilation error on above expression '(d1 Is Nothing)':
'
'      'Is' operator does not accept operands of type 'Date'.
'       Operands must be reference or nullable types.

'
' Three different but equivalent ways to declare a DateTime
' nullable:
'
Dim d2? As DateTime = Nothing
Console.WriteLine(String.Format("d2 = [{0}][{1}]\n", d2, (d2 Is Nothing)))
' Output:  d2 = [][True]

Dim d3 As DateTime? = Nothing
Console.WriteLine(String.Format("d3 = [{0}][{1}]\n", d3, (d3 Is Nothing)))
' Output:  d3 = [][True]

Dim d4 As Nullable(Of DateTime) = Nothing
Console.WriteLine(String.Format("d4 = [{0}][{1}]\n", d4, (d4 Is Nothing)))
' Output:  d4 = [][True]

Also, on how to check whether a variable is null (from Nothing (Visual Basic)):

When checking whether a reference (or nullable value type) variable is null, do not use = Nothing or <> Nothing. Always use Is Nothing or IsNot Nothing.