original_string: public function getStartDate()
      {
          if (isset($this->_gemsData['gec_startdate']) && $this->_gemsData['gec_startdate']) {
              if (! $this->_gemsData['gec_startdate'] instanceof \MUtil_Date) {
                  $this->_gemsData['gec_startdate'] =
                          new \MUtil_Date($this->_gemsData['gec_startdate'], \Gems_Tracker::DB_DATE_FORMAT);
              }
              return $this->_gemsData['gec_startdate'];
          }
      }
code: public function getStartDate()
      {
          if (isset($this->_gemsData['gec_startdate']) && $this->_gemsData['gec_startdate']) {
              if (! $this->_gemsData['gec_startdate'] instanceof \MUtil_Date) {
                  $this->_gemsData['gec_startdate'] =
                          new \MUtil_Date($this->_gemsData['gec_startdate'], \Gems_Tracker::DB_DATE_FORMAT);
              }
              return $this->_gemsData['gec_startdate'];
          }
      }
code_tokens: public function getStartDate ( ) { if ( isset ( $ this -> _gemsData [ 'gec_startdate' ] ) && $ this -> _gemsData [ 'gec_startdate' ] ) { if ( ! $ this -> _gemsData [ 'gec_startdate' ] instanceof \ MUtil_Date ) { $ this -> _gemsData [ 'gec_startdate' ] = new \ MUtil_Date ( $ this -> _gemsData [ 'gec_startdate' ] , \ Gems_Tracker :: DB_DATE_FORMAT ) ; } return $ this -> _gemsData [ 'gec_startdate' ] ; } }
docstring: Return the start date
  
  @return \MUtil_Date Start date as a date or null
docstring_tokens: Return the start date