How pass datetime parameter from query?

Question

User647458646 posted

I am trying to get my datetime from database, into the variable datetime "dat", however, the current code throws a compiling error of ---> Use of unassigned local variable 'dat'

  public static string content()
        {
            string xml = "";
            string title = "";
            string content = "";
            DateTime dat = new DateTime();
       
            SqlConnection con = new SqlConnection(ConfigurationManager.ConnectionStrings["#######"].ConnectionString);
            string commandtext = "###########";
            SqlCommand command = new SqlCommand(commandtext, con);
            con.Open();
            command.Parameters.Add(new SqlParameter("title", title));
            command.Parameters.Add(new SqlParameter("Body", content));
            command.Parameters.Add(new SqlParameter("ACTIVEDATE", dat));

            SqlDataReader reader = command.ExecuteReader();

            dat.ToString("dd-MM-yyyy");

			//XElement code
			
            while (reader.Read())
            {
                string top = reader.GetString(0);
                string dtt = reader.GetString(1);
                string body = reader.GetString(2);

                var result = top + "<br />" + dtt + "<br />" + body + "<br />";

                string data = result.ToString();
          
                xeSendTo1.Add(new XElement("value", (new XCData(data))));
     
            }
			con.Close();
                       
            return xml = xDoc.ToString(); 
        }

I tried changing the assignment statement to the following, but they further resulted in more compiling errors.

DateTime dat = new DateTime();

DateTime.TryParseExact(...)

is their a correct approach to declare the Datetime variable, for the sqlParameter. 

Please advice. 

Many thanks