Index: includes/common.inc
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/drupal/drupal/includes/common.inc,v
retrieving revision 1.409
diff -u -F^f -r1.409 common.inc
--- includes/common.inc	1 Dec 2004 22:16:50 -0000	1.409
+++ includes/common.inc	3 Dec 2004 20:21:35 -0000
@@ -789,7 +789,9 @@ function format_interval($timestamp, $gr
  *   The format to use. Can be "small", "medium" or "large" for the preconfigured
  *   date formats. If "custom" is specified, then $format is required as well.
  * @param $format
- *   A PHP date format string as required by date().
+ *   A PHP date format string as required by date(). A backslash should be used
+ *   before a character to avoid interpreting the chatracter as part of a date
+ *   format.
  * @param $timezone
  *   Time zone offset in seconds; if omitted, the user's time zone is used.
  * @return
@@ -842,6 +844,9 @@ function format_date($timestamp, $type =
     else if ($c == 'Z') {
       $date .= $timezone;
     }
+    else if ($c == '\\') {
+      $date .= $format[++$i];
+    }
     else {
       $date .= $c;
     }