x = new Date();

then the command alert(x.toLocaleString()) will look like:

Sunday, 05 March, 2000 12:05:43 AM

Notice how the format is as specified in the Region Settings above.

When printing a number, the format is determined by the Number tab:

x = 1234.56789

Then the simple printout alert(x.toLocaleString()) yields the following string:

1,234.57

Notice how the settings in the Number tab above are reflected in the printout. The specification of the number of digits after the decimal place (2) is a good example.

Let's see now how arrays are printed out. Suppose we have the following JavaScript statement that defines an array:

x= new Array("a", "b", "c");

The statement alert(x.toLocaleString()) generates the following string:

a, b, c

Notice how the elements are separated by commas, as specified in the Number tab above. Let's change the separator character to a $ sign. The alert box will look like this:

a$ b$ c

Read more about IE 5.5 in Column 59, IE 5.5: Formatting, URIs, and Stack Operations.

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