      *
      *  <pre>
      *  var myDate:Date = DateFormatter.parseDateString("2009-12-02 23:45:30"); </pre>
+	 * 
+	 *  The optional format property is use to work out which is likly to be encountered
+	 *  first a month or a date of the month for date where it may not be obvious which
+	 *  comes first.
      *  
      *  @see mx.formatters.DateBase
      * 


        if (value is String)
        {
            value = DateFormatter.parseDateString(String(value));
            if (!value)
            {
                error = defaultInvalidValueError;

                // assign num to year or month or day or sec.
                else if (punctuation.hasOwnProperty(letter) && punctuation[letter].date)
                {
					var monthFirst:Boolean = year != -1;
					
					if (format)
						monthFirst = monthFirst || format.search("M") < format.search("D");
							
					if (monthFirst && mon < 0)
                        mon = (num - 1);
					else if (day < 0)
						day = num;
					else if (!monthFirst && mon < 0)
						mon = (num -1);
					else if (sec < 0)
						sec = num;
					else if (milli < 0)
