<doc>

<legacy_id>1500</legacy_id>

<name>dateFormat</name>

<type>function</type>

<syntax>

<example>the [ long | abbr[rev[iated]] | short ] [ english | system ] dateFormat</example>

</syntax>

<library></library>

<objects>

</objects>

<synonyms>

</synonyms>

<classification>

<category>Math, Logic, &amp; Dates</category>

</classification>

<references>

<keyword tag="abbreviated">abbreviated Keyword</keyword>

<command tag="convert">convert Command</command>

<function tag="date">date Function</function>

<keyword tag="english">english Keyword</keyword>

<keyword tag="long">long Keyword</keyword>

<function tag="monthNames">monthNames Function</function>

<keyword tag="short">short Keyword</keyword>

<keyword tag="system">system Keyword</keyword>

<property tag="useSystemDate">useSystemDate Property</property>

<function tag="weekdayNames">weekdayNames Function</function>

</references>

<history>

<introduced version="1.1">Added.</introduced>

</history>

<platforms>

<mac/>

<windows/>

<linux/>

<ios/>

<android/>

</platforms>

<classes>

<desktop/>

<server/>

<web/>

<mobile/>

</classes>

<security>

</security>

<summary><glossary tag="return">Returns</glossary> a <keyword tag="string">string</keyword> describing a given date format using the syntax described below.</summary>

<examples>

<example>put the long dateFormat into stringToParse</example>

</examples>

<description>

<p>Use the <b>dateFormat</b> <control_st tag="function">function</control_st> to obtain the general format of the date for further processing.</p><p/><p><b>Value:</b></p><p>The <b>dateFormat</b> <control_st tag="function">function</control_st> <glossary tag="return">returns</glossary> a string.</p><p/><p><b>Comments:</b></p><p>The <b>dateFormat</b> <control_st tag="function">function</control_st> returns a <keyword tag="string">string</keyword> containing one or more formatting incantations, each of which describes a part of the requested date <function tag="format">format</function>. The possible incantations are as follows:</p><p/><p>%a</p><p><b>Abbreviated weekday name:</b> the abbreviated day of the week, as reported by the <function tag="weekdayNames">weekdayNames</function> function</p><p/><p>%A</p><p><b>Full weekday name:</b> the full day of the week, as reported by the weekdayNames function</p><p/><p>%b</p><p><b>Abbreviated month name:</b> the abbreviated month name, as reported by the monthNames function</p><p/><p>%B</p><p><b>Full month name:</b> the full month name, as reported by the monthNames function</p><p/><p>%d</p><p><b>Day of the month:</b> the day of the month as a number</p><p/><p>%m</p><p><b>Month number:</b> the number of the month</p><p/><p>%y</p><p><b>Two-digit year:</b> the year as a two-digit number</p><p/><p>%Y</p><p><b>Four-digit year:</b> This incantation indicates the year as a four-digit number (including the century)</p><p/><p>%w</p><p><b>Day of the week: </b> A number between 1 and 7</p><p/><p><b>Note:</b> The <b>dateFormat</b> differs from other date/time functionality in that the default is to return information relative to the system locale. i.e. the dateFormat is equivalent to the system dateFormat</p>

</description>

</doc>