Change Date Format

[Bruce1952]

Hi all,

Setting up a local copy of version 2.1.0 zencart and just wanting to now how I change the date format from US to UK date format.

I tried to change three files which are replaced with:

admin /includes/languages/lang.english.php

@setlocale(LC_TIME, ['en_AU', 'en_AU.utf8', 'en', 'English_Australia.1252']);


/includes/languages/lang.english.php

global $locales;
$locales = ['en_AU', 'en_AU.utf8', 'en', 'English_Australia.1252'];
@setlocale(LC_TIME, $locales);


/includes/extra_configures/set_time_zone.php

$TZ = time zone = 'Australia/Brisbane';

Could anyone tell me what I have done wrong because the dates are still US format.

[OldNGrey]

In admin you should have the file "includes/extra_configures/use_catalog_time_zone.php" which has one active line

include (DIR_FS_CATALOG . '/includes/extra_configures/set_time_zone.php');

In the catalog you should have the file "includes/extra_configures/set_time_zone.php" which will have the first active line as

  $TZ = 'Australia/Brisbane';

In language definitions for your template eg in "\includes\languages\english\extra_definitions\bmh_bootstrap_377" you should have a "lang.english.php" file for any overides of default language definitions. So I have

 
global $locales;
$locales = ['en_AU', 'en_AU.utf8mb4', 'en', 'English_Australia.1252'];


@setlocale(LC_TIME, $locales);

$define = [
    'DATE_FORMAT' => 'd/m/Y', // 
    'DATE_FORMAT_LONG' => '%A %d %B, %Y', //  
    'DOB_FORMAT_STRING' => 'dd/mm/yyyy',  //  
    'ENTRY_DATE_OF_BIRTH_ERROR' => 'Is your birth date correct? Our system requires the date in this format: DD/MM/YYYY (eg 21/05/1970) or this format: YYYY-MM-DD (eg 1970-05-21)', //
    'ENTRY_DATE_OF_BIRTH_TEXT' => '* (eg. 21/05/1970 or 1970-05-21)', // 
    'LANGUAGE_CURRENCY' => 'AUD', // BMH

(this is only a part of the file contents)

[Bruce1952]

Hi OldNGrey,

Thans for that but I am unable to locate this one file you quoted in the location stated.

In language definitions for your template eg in "\includes\languages\english\extra_definitions\bmh_bootstrap_377" you should have a "lang.english.php" file for any overides of default language definitions. So I have

The file "\includes\languages\lang.english.php was the only one that I could locate but when changed the front page went blank.

Note that this is a clean install of 2.1.0 and at this stage I only have a couple of issues which is the time format and the numinix module.

Once these are corrected I should be able to go live and then find out what else is wrong but so fare no majour issues.

[Bruce1952]

Erro message that I am getting after the two files are changed:
[01-Nov-2025 22:45:39 Australia/Sydney] PHP Parse error: syntax error, unexpected token ";", expecting "]" in C:\xampp\htdocs\outdoorking.com\includes\languages\lang.english.php on line 542

[01-Nov-2025 22:45:39 Australia/Sydney] Request URI: /outdoorking.com/, IP address: 127.0.0.1
--> PHP Parse error: syntax error, unexpected token ";", expecting "]" in C:\xampp\htdocs\outdoorking.com\includes\languages\lang.english.php on line 542.

[01-Nov-2025 22:45:39 Australia/Sydney] Request URI: /outdoorking.com/, IP address: 127.0.0.1
--> PHP Parse error: syntax error, unexpected token ";", expecting "]" in C:\xampp\htdocs\outdoorking.com\includes\languages\lang.english.php on line 542.

[lat9]

Erro message that I am getting after the two files are changed:
[01-Nov-2025 22:45:39 Australia/Sydney] PHP Parse error: syntax error, unexpected token ";", expecting "]" in C:\xampp\htdocs\outdoorking.com\includes\languages\lang.english.php on line 542

[01-Nov-2025 22:45:39 Australia/Sydney] Request URI: /outdoorking.com/, IP address: 127.0.0.1
--> PHP Parse error: syntax error, unexpected token ";", expecting "]" in C:\xampp\htdocs\outdoorking.com\includes\languages\lang.english.php on line 542.

[01-Nov-2025 22:45:39 Australia/Sydney] Request URI: /outdoorking.com/, IP address: 127.0.0.1
--> PHP Parse error: syntax error, unexpected token ";", expecting "]" in C:\xampp\htdocs\outdoorking.com\includes\languages\lang.english.php on line 542.

Some update you made has borked /includes/languages/lang.english.php (a core file, which you should have overridden with a template override, anyway). Look at line 542 of that file to see where you've made that error.

[Bruce1952]

Some update you made has borked /includes/languages/lang.english.php (a core file, which you should have overridden with a template override, anyway). Look at line 542 of that file to see where you've made that error.

This is what is in the file from line 530 to line 546
'TEXT_TOTAL_AMOUNT' => '  Amount: ',
'TEXT_TOTAL_ITEMS' => 'Total Items: ',
'TEXT_TOTAL_WEIGHT' => '  Weight: ',
'TEXT_UNKNOWN_TAX_RATE' => 'Sales Tax',
'TEXT_VALID_COUPON' => 'Congratulations you have redeemed the Discount Coupon',
'TEXT_WORDS_FREE' => ' Word(s) free ',
'TEXT_YOUR_IP_ADDRESS' => 'Your IP Address is: ',
'TYPE_BELOW' => 'Type a choice below ...',
'WARNING_COULD_NOT_LOCATE_LANG_FILE' => 'WARNING: Could not locate language file: ',
'WARNING_NO_FILE_UPLOADED' => 'Warning: no file uploaded.',
'WARNING_PRODUCT_QUANTITY_ADJUSTED' => 'Quantity has been adjusted to what is in stock. ',
'WARNING_SHOPPING_CART_COMBINED' => 'NOTICE: For your convenience, your current shopping cart has been combined with your shopping cart from your last visit. Please review your shopping cart before checking out.',
];

// Definitions that require references to other definitions
$define['ATTRIBUTES_QTY_PRICE_SYMBOL'] = zen_image(DIR_WS_TEMPLATE_ICONS . 'icon_status_green.gif', $define['TEXT_ATTRIBUTES_QTY_PRICE_HELP_LINK'], 10, 10) . ' ';
$define['BOX_HEADING_GIFT_VOUCHER'] = $define['TEXT_GV_NAME'] . ' Account';

Also the begining of the file line 7 to 22

global $locales;
$locales = ['en_AU', 'en_AU.utf8mb4', 'en', 'English_Australia.1252'];


@setlocale(LC_TIME, $locales);

$define = [
'DATE_FORMAT' => 'd/m/Y', //
'DATE_FORMAT_LONG' => '%A %d %B, %Y', //
'DOB_FORMAT_STRING' => 'dd/mm/yyyy', //
'ENTRY_DATE_OF_BIRTH_ERROR' => 'Is your birth date correct? Our system requires the date in this format: DD/MM/YYYY (eg 21/05/1970) or this format: YYYY-MM-DD (eg 1970-05-21)', //
'ENTRY_DATE_OF_BIRTH_TEXT' => '* (eg. 21/05/1970 or 1970-05-21)', //
'LANGUAGE_CURRENCY' => 'AUD', // BMH


$define = [

[barco57]

from what you posted, why is there a

$define = [

at what I assume is line 22?

[Bruce1952]

Hi Barco57,

Thanks for the reply.

Are you saying that I should remove $define = [
to see if that fixes the issue or do you want more information regarding the code.

[barco57]

attach the entire file

[Bruce1952]

attach the entire file

set_time_zone.php
<?php
/**
* @copyright Copyright 2003-2024 Zen Cart Development Team
* @license http://www.zen-cart.com/license/2_0.txt GNU Public License V2.0
* @version $Id: DrByte 2023 Aug 27 Modified in v2.0.0-alpha1 $
*/
/*
* Set time zone
*/
// put your timezone here. Refer to http://www.php.net/manual/en/timezones.php
$TZ = 'Australia/Sydney';



/**
* MAKE NO CHANGES BELOW THIS LINE
*
* The following will take the timezone you specified above and apply it in your store.
* If you didn't specify one, it will try to use the setting from your server's PHP configuration
*/
if (empty($TZ)) {
$TZ = date_default_timezone_get();
} else {
putenv('TZ=' . $TZ);
@date_default_timezone_set($TZ);
}

// Now incorporate TZ change into log filenames
zen_set_error_logging_filename();

Lang.english.php
<?php
// -----
// Since the languages are now loaded via classes, the $locales definition
// needs to be globalized for use in payment-methods (e.g. paypalwpp) and
// other processing.
//
global $locales;
$locales = ['en_US', 'en_US.utf8', 'en', 'English_United States.1252'];
@setlocale(LC_TIME, $locales);

$define = [
'ARIA_DELETE_ITEM_FROM_CART' => 'Delete this item from the cart',
'ARIA_EDIT_QTY_IN_CART' => 'Edit quantity in cart',
'ARIA_PAGINATION_' => '',
'ARIA_PAGINATION_CURRENTLY_ON' => ', now on page %s',
'ARIA_PAGINATION_CURRENT_PAGE' => 'Current Page',

Unbale to upload the complete file here.