------------------------------------------------------------------ getDateFromFormat( date_string , format_string )  This function takes a date string and a format string. It matches If the date string matches the format string, it returns the getTime() of the date. If it does not match, it returns 0. ------------------------------------------------------------------
function getDateFromFormat(val,format) {
    val=val+'';
    format=format+'';
    var i_val=0;
    var i_format=0;
    var c='';
    var token='';
    var token2='';
    var x,y;
    var now=new Date(0);
    var year=now.getYear();
    var month=now.getMonth()+1;
    var date=1;
    var hh=now.getHours();
    var mm=now.getMinutes();
    var ss=now.getSeconds();
    var ampm='';

    while (i_format < format.length) {
        // Get next token from format string
        c=format.charAt(i_format);
        token='';

        while ((format.charAt(i_format)===c) && (i_format < format.length)) {
            token += format.charAt(i_format++);
        }
        // Extract contents of value based on format token
        if (token==='yyyy' || token==='yy' || token==='y') {
            if (token==='yyyy') { x=4;y=4; }
            if (token==='yy')   { x=2;y=2; }
            if (token==='y')    { x=2;y=4; }
            year=_getInt(val,i_val,x,y);
            if (year==null) { return now; }
            i_val += year.length;
            if (year.length===2) {
                if (year > 70) { year=1900+(year-0); }
                else { year=2000+(year-0); }
            }
        }
        else if (token==='MMM'||token==='NNN'){
            month=0;
            for (var i=0; i<MONTH_NAMES.length; i++) {
                var month_name=MONTH_NAMES[i];
                if (val.substring(i_val,i_val+month_name.length).toLowerCase()===month_name.toLowerCase()) {
                    if (token==='MMM'||(token==='NNN'&&i>11)) {
                        month=i+1;
                        if (month>12) { month -= 12; }
                        i_val += month_name.length;
                        break;
                    }
                }
            }
            if ((month < 1)||(month>12)){return now;}
        }
        else if (token==='EE'||token==='E'){
            for (var i=0; i<DAY_NAMES.length; i++) {
                var day_name=DAY_NAMES[i];
                if (val.substring(i_val,i_val+day_name.length).toLowerCase()===day_name.toLowerCase()) {
                    i_val += day_name.length;
                    break;
                }
            }
        }
        else if (token==='MM'||token==='M') {
            month=_getInt(val,i_val,token.length,2);
            if(month==null||(month<1)||(month>12)){return now;}
            i_val+=month.length;}
        else if (token==='dd'||token==='d') {
            date=_getInt(val,i_val,token.length,2);
            if(date==null||(date<1)||(date>31)){return now;}
            i_val+=date.length;}
        else if (token==='hh'||token==='h') {
            hh=_getInt(val,i_val,token.length,2);
            if(hh==null||(hh<1)||(hh>12)){return now;}
            i_val+=hh.length;}
        else if (token==='HH'||token==='H') {
            hh=_getInt(val,i_val,token.length,2);
            if(hh==null||(hh<0)||(hh>23)){return now;}
            i_val+=hh.length;}
        else if (token==='KK'||token==='K') {
            hh=_getInt(val,i_val,token.length,2);
            if(hh==null||(hh<0)||(hh>11)){return now;}
            i_val+=hh.length;}
        else if (token==='kk'||token==='k') {
            hh=_getInt(val,i_val,token.length,2);
            if(hh==null||(hh<1)||(hh>24)){return now;}
            i_val+=hh.length;hh--;}
        else if (token==='mm'||token==='m') {
            mm=_getInt(val,i_val,token.length,2);
            if(mm==null||(mm<0)||(mm>59)){return now;}
            i_val+=mm.length;}
        else if (token==='ss'||token==='s') {
            ss=_getInt(val,i_val,token.length,2);
            if(ss==null||(ss<0)||(ss>59)){return now;}
            i_val+=ss.length;}
        else if (token==='a') {
            if (val.substring(i_val,i_val+2).toLowerCase()==='am') {ampm='AM';}
            else if (val.substring(i_val,i_val+2).toLowerCase()==='pm') {ampm='PM';}
            else {return now;}
            i_val+=2;}
        else {
            if (val.substring(i_val,i_val+token.length)!==token) {return now;}
            else {i_val+=token.length;}
        }
    }

    // If there are any trailing characters left in the value, it doesn't match
    if (i_val !== val.length) { return now; }
    // Is date valid for month?
    if (month===2) {
        // Check for leap year
        if ( ( (year%4===0)&&(year%100 !== 0) ) || (year%400===0) ) { // leap year
            if (date > 29){ return now; }
        }
        else { if (date > 28) { return now; } }
    }
    if ((month===4)||(month===6)||(month===9)||(month===11)) {
        if (date > 30) { return now; }
    }

    // Correct hours value
    if (hh<12 && ampm==='PM') { hh=hh-0+12; }
    else if (hh>11 && ampm==='AM') { hh-=12; }
    var newdate=new Date(year,month-1,date,hh,mm,ss);
    return newdate;
}