--- a/TypeConverter.st	Wed Oct 08 16:10:08 2003 +0200
+++ b/TypeConverter.st	Thu Oct 09 21:52:59 2003 +0200
@@ -393,32 +393,20 @@
      and vice versa. Invalid dates are converted to nil; likewise,
      a nil date is converted to an empty string."
 
-    self
-        getBlock:[:model |
-                |date|
-
-                (date := model value) isNil ifTrue:[
-                    ''
-                ] ifFalse:[
-                    date printString
-                ]]
-
-        putBlock:
-                [:model :string |
+    ^ self dateWithFormat:nil orDefault:nil
+!
 
-                |value|
+dateOrNilWithFormat:aFormatString
+    "setup the converter to convert from a string to a date
+     and vice versa. Invalid dates are converted to nil; likewise,
+     a nil date is converted to an empty string.
+     The format string must have one of the forms:
+        'mm/dd/yyyy'      (for VW-backward compatibility)
+     or:
+        '%m %d %y'
+    "
 
-                string isEmpty ifTrue:[
-                    value := nil
-                ] ifFalse:[
-                    value := Date readFrom:string onError:nil
-                ].
-                model value:value]
-
-        updateBlock: [:m :a :p | true]
-
-    "Created: / 4.3.1997 / 11:56:36 / cg"
-    "Modified: / 26.10.1997 / 13:51:06 / cg"
+    ^ self dateWithFormat:aFormatString orDefault:nil
 !
 
 dateToText
@@ -426,32 +414,7 @@
      and vice versa. Nil is converted to todays date-string,
      likewise, an empty string is converted back to todays date."
 
-    self
-        getBlock:[:model |
-                |date|
-
-                (date := model value) isNil ifTrue:[
-                    Date today printString
-                ] ifFalse:[
-                    date printString
-                ]]
-
-        putBlock:
-                [:model :string |
-
-                |value|
-
-                string isEmpty ifTrue:[
-                    value := Date today
-                ] ifFalse:[
-                    value := Date readFrom:string onError:Date today
-                ].
-                model value:value]
-
-        updateBlock: [:m :a :p | true]
-
-    "Created: / 4.3.1997 / 12:32:19 / cg"
-    "Modified: / 26.10.1997 / 13:52:00 / cg"
+    ^ self dateWithFormat:nil orDefault:Date today
 !
 
 dateToTextFormattedBy: printFormat
@@ -460,26 +423,107 @@
      likewise, an empty string is converted back to todays date.
      Uses the old, obsolete ST80 printFormat (see Date printFormat:)"
 
+    ^ self dateWithFormat:printFormat orDefault:Date today
+!
+
+dateWithFormat:aFormatString
+    "setup the converter to convert from a string to a date
+     and vice versa. Invalid dates are converted to nil; likewise,
+     a nil date is converted to an empty string.
+     The format string must have one of the forms:
+        'mm/dd/yyyy'      (for VW-backward compatibility)
+     or:
+        '%m %d %y'
+    "
+
+    ^ self dateWithFormat:aFormatString orDefault:Date today
+!
+
+dateWithFormat:aFormatString orDefault:defaultValue
+    "setup the converter to convert from a string to a date
+     and vice versa. Invalid dates are converted to nil; likewise,
+     a nil date is converted to an empty string.
+     The format string must have one of the forms:
+        'mm/dd/yyyy'      (for VW-backward compatibility)
+     or:
+        '%m %d %y'
+    "
+
+    |in out stxFormat c nDigits|
+
+    aFormatString notNil ifTrue:[
+        (aFormatString includes:$%) ifTrue:[
+            "/ a new (ST/X) formatString
+            stxFormat := aFormatString
+        ] ifFalse:[
+            "/ an old (VW) formatString
+            out := '' writeStream.
+            in := aFormatString readStream.
+            [in atEnd] whileFalse:[
+                c := in next.
+                nDigits := 1.
+                c == $m ifTrue:[
+                    [in peek == $m] whileTrue:[ nDigits := nDigits + 1. in next ].
+                    nDigits == 1 ifTrue:[
+                        out nextPutAll:'%M'.    "/ unpadded
+                    ] ifFalse:[
+                        out nextPutAll:'%m'.
+                    ].
+                ] ifFalse:[
+                    c == $d ifTrue:[
+                        [in peek == $d] whileTrue:[ nDigits := nDigits + 1. in next ].
+                        nDigits == 1 ifTrue:[
+                            out nextPutAll:'%D'.    "/ unpadded
+                        ] ifFalse:[
+                            out nextPutAll:'%d'.
+                        ].
+                    ] ifFalse:[
+                        c == $y ifTrue:[
+                            [in peek == $y] whileTrue:[ nDigits := nDigits + 1. in next ].
+                            nDigits == 2 ifTrue:[
+                                out nextPutAll:'%Y'.    "/ 2 digits only
+                            ] ifFalse:[
+                                out nextPutAll:'%y'.
+                            ].
+                        ] ifFalse:[
+                            out nextPut:c.
+                        ].
+                    ].
+                ].
+            ].
+            stxFormat := out contents.
+        ].
+    ].
+
     self
         getBlock:[:model |
-                    |date|
+                |date|
 
-                    date := model value.
-                    date isNil ifTrue:[
-                        date := Date today.
-                    ].
-                    date printFormat:printFormat
-                ]
+                (date := model value) isNil ifTrue:[
+                    date := defaultValue
+                ].
+                date isNil ifTrue:[
+                    ''
+                ] ifFalse:[
+                    stxFormat isNil ifTrue:[
+                        date printString
+                    ] ifFalse:[
+                        date printStringFormat:stxFormat
+                ]]]
 
         putBlock:
                 [:model :string |
 
                 |value|
 
-                string isEmpty ifTrue:[  
-                    value := Date today
-                ] ifFalse:[                      
-                    value := Date readFrom:string printFormat:printFormat onError:[Date today]
+                string isEmpty ifTrue:[
+                    value := defaultValue
+                ] ifFalse:[
+                    stxFormat isNil ifTrue:[
+                        value := Date readFrom:string onError:defaultValue
+                    ] ifFalse:[
+                        value := Date readFrom:string printFormat:stxFormat onError:defaultValue
+                    ]
                 ].
                 model value:value]
 
@@ -1272,5 +1316,5 @@
 !TypeConverter class methodsFor:'documentation'!
 
 version
-    ^ '$Header: /cvs/stx/stx/libview2/TypeConverter.st,v 1.45 2003-08-19 10:02:05 cg Exp $'
+    ^ '$Header: /cvs/stx/stx/libview2/TypeConverter.st,v 1.46 2003-10-09 19:52:59 cg Exp $'
 ! !