diff --git a/AUTHORS b/AUTHORS
index 30242211031..4538512c06e 100644
--- a/AUTHORS
+++ b/AUTHORS
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ answer newbie questions, and generally made Django that much better:
Matt Croydon
This post was last updated at {% format_time blog_entry.date_updated "%Y-%m-%d %I:%M %p" %}.
+ +Initially, ``token.split_contents()`` will return three values: + + 1. The tag name ``format_time``. + 2. The string "blog_entry.date_updated" (without the surrounding quotes). + 3. The formatting string "%Y-%m-%d %I:%M %p". The return value from + ``split_contents()`` will include the leading and trailing quotes for + string literals like this. + +Now your tag should begin to look like this:: + + from django import template + def do_format_time(parser, token): + try: + # split_contents() knows not to split quoted strings. + tag_name, date_to_format, format_string = token.split_contents() + except ValueError: + raise template.TemplateSyntaxError, "%r tag requires exactly two arguments" % token.contents[0] + if not (format_string[0] == format_string[-1] and format_string[0] in ('"', "'")): + raise template.TemplateSyntaxError, "%r tag's argument should be in quotes" % tag_name + return FormatTimeNode(date_to_format, format_string[1:-1]) + +You also have to change the renderer to retrieve the actual contents of the +``date_updated`` property of the ``blog_entry`` object. This can be +accomplished by using the ``resolve_variable()`` function in +``django.template``. You pass ``resolve_variable()`` the variable name and the +current context, available in the ``render`` method:: + + from django import template + from django.template import resolve_variable + import datetime + class FormatTimeNode(template.Node): + def __init__(self, date_to_format, format_string): + self.date_to_format = date_to_format + self.format_string = format_string + + def render(self, context): + try: + actual_date = resolve_variable(self.date_to_format, context) + return actual_date.strftime(self.format_string) + except VariableDoesNotExist: + return '' + +``resolve_variable`` will try to resolve ``blog_entry.date_updated`` and then +format it accordingly. + +.. note:: + The ``resolve_variable()`` function will throw a ``VariableDoesNotExist`` + exception if it cannot resolve the string passed to it in the current + context of the page. + Shortcut for simple tags ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~