Rider Debugger DateTimeOffset Watch Window Time Zone Display Configuration

Current Behavior

Rider's debugger watch window displays DateTime values converted to the local system time zone, but DateTimeOffset values retain their original UTC offset without conversion. The existing "Date and Time format string" preference (Editor → General → Date and Time) controls only the textual format (e.g., "yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss"), not time-zone translation.

No documented setting exists to force DateTimeOffset into the local zone. JetBrains has not published a toggle for this behavior, and user reports indicate the discrepancy persists across Rider 2023.x and 2024.x releases. Operating-system time-zone changes may not propagate to a running Rider instance until it is restarted.

Should a Toggle Be Added?

Yes, if the goal is parity with DateTime display. Many developers expect all date-time types in the watch window to reflect the local zone for quick readability. A toggle would let teams choose between:

• Raw offset (current default) — preserves the exact offset stored in the object, useful when debugging offset-sensitive logic.
• Local zone — converts to the machine's current zone, matching DateTime behavior and reducing mental conversion during inspection.

Because DateTimeOffset explicitly carries an offset, converting it to local time is a lossless operation (DateTimeOffset.ToLocalTime()), so the toggle does not discard information.

Interaction with the Existing Format String

The format string should continue to govern only the textual representation (separators, precision, 12/24-hour clock). The new toggle would control the time-zone basis before formatting:

1. Apply zone conversion (or not) based on the toggle.
2. Format the resulting DateTimeOffset using the configured pattern.

This keeps the two concerns orthogonal and avoids surprising users who have customized the format string.

Recommended Version for Introduction

Target the next major 2024.x release (e.g., 2024.3) rather than a patch update. Rationale:

• Behavior change in the debugger watch window is user-visible and may affect muscle memory; a major release signals intentional change.
• Allows time for a preview/EAP cycle to gather feedback on default state (raw offset vs. local zone).
• Aligns with JetBrains' typical feature cadence for debugger enhancements.

One Diagnostic Detail Needed

If you are evaluating this for a specific team, confirm whether any debuggers or custom visualizers in your workflow already convert DateTimeOffset for display. That would change whether the toggle should default to local zone or raw offset.