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DateToStr

function DateToStr(D: TDateTime): string;

Example​

procedure ScriptEvent(var Value: variant);
begin
  Value := DateToStr(EncodeDate(2026, 7, 18));
  // Exact text depends on the Velox process format settings.
end;

Usage​

DateToStr formats the date portion of a TDateTime value with the process-wide Velox short-date settings.

Parameters

NameTypeDescription
DTDateTimeValue whose date portion is formatted. Its time is ignored by the short-date pattern.

Returns

A locale-sensitive string produced from the current global FormatSettings.ShortDateFormat, its date separator and any names referenced by that pattern.

Behaviour

The result follows the Velox process's active Velox format settings. Numeric field order, separator, leading zeros and textual month/day elements can differ between hosts or after the process settings change.

Errors

Valid dates normally format without exception. Unsupported raw values or a concurrent invalid mutation of global format data can propagate a Velox formatting exception; the binding does not catch it.

Usage notes

Do not parse this output elsewhere unless both sides deliberately share the same locale contract. An explicit numeric format is safer for machine-to-machine values.

Additional Technical Info​

DateToStr formats the calendar-date portion of a TDateTime using Delphi's process-wide short-date format settings. It is appropriate for locale-facing display, not for a stable interchange format.

The example is fictional and source-reviewed. It was not executed because its exact output is intentionally configuration-dependent.

Implementation

The modified PascalScript runtime registers the script function directly to the one-argument System.SysUtils.DateToStr. In Delphi 37.0 that overload delegates to DateToStr(DateTime, FormatSettings), then calls DateTimeToString with AFormatSettings.ShortDateFormat. Velox does not supply an explicit format-settings object for this entry.

Edge cases and quirks

  • The function is locale-sensitive and therefore unsuitable as a canonical file, database, API or EDI date representation unless the receiving contract explicitly requires that same format.
  • The time component does not appear in the result and no timezone conversion occurs before formatting.
  • A value of 0.0 formats as the valid Delphi epoch date (30 December 1899), not as blank or failure.
  • This entry uses Delphi's shared FormatSettings, unlike Velox vxDateToStr/conversion wrappers that construct a Windows system-locale settings record for a call.
  • Free Pascal documents the same ShortDateFormat concept, but its Unix localisation activation and global settings model do not define Velox behaviour.

Side effects

No state is changed. The function reads process-wide mutable format state.

Performance and concurrency

Formatting allocates the result string. Concurrent reads are inexpensive, but concurrent writes to Delphi global FormatSettings are not coordinated by this function and can produce inconsistent output. Prefer an explicit-format routine for deterministic integration data.

Related entries

  • Date obtains the current local date before formatting.
  • DateOf removes time without converting the value to text.

External references

Created 2026-07-15