How to change the Joomla date format

When Joomla is installed, it shows dates in a European format.

For example, look at the date in the screen shot below:

ss_date_1.gif

Depending on where in the world you are, you may want the dates to be in a different format. Joomla can format them any way you want, but the date format is "hidden" in the "language file."

Here's how to change it. Let's change the date to an American format: December 25, 2008

First of all, go to the Joomla Language Manager.

ss_date_2.gif

Select your language: English (probably)

ss_date_3.gif

Thsi will load the language file in your editor. Joomla uses this file to keep the words and phrases that it uses, but it also keeps the date codes in there, too.



Scroll down until you see these lines:

ss_date_4.gif

You want to change the line to look like this:

ss_date_5.gif

Note that I changed the %B (which writes the full month name) to be before the %d (the day date). Save that and then check your site.

You will see that the date format has changed to an American format.