Format Date/Time strings in PHP < version 5.3

functions.php

<?php

/* 
 * VARIABLE FORMATS:
 * $e_date     	 = '02/10/2012' 	(string)
 * $e_time 		 = '7:00 pm' 		(string)
 * $e_end  		 = '11:00 pm' 		(string)
 * $format_short = true 			(boolean)
 */

function format_date_time($e_date, $e_time, $e_end = null, $format_short = null) {
	$e_date_time = strtotime($e_date . ' ' . $e_time);
	if ($e_end != null && $e_end != false) {
		$e_date_time_formatted = date('l, F j | g:i', $e_date_time);
	} else {
		$e_date_time_formatted = date('l, F j | g:i a', $e_date_time);
	}
	if ($format_short != null) {
		if ($e_end != null && $e_end != false) {
			$e_date_time_formatted = date('l, M j | g:i', $e_date_time);
		} else {
			$e_date_time_formatted = date('l, M j | g:i a', $e_date_time);
		}
	}
	if ($e_end != null && $e_end != false) {
		$e_end_time_formatted = date('g:i a', strtotime($e_date . ' ' . $e_end));
		$e_date_time_formatted = $e_date_time_formatted . "&ndash;" . $e_end_time_formatted;
	}
	$s = array(' am', ' AM', ' pm', ' PM');
	$r = array(' a.m.', ' A.M.', ' p.m.', ' P.M.');
	return str_replace($s, $r, $e_date_time_formatted);
	
	/* OLD FUNCTION FOR PHP >= 5.3
	$e_date_time = date_create_from_format('m/d/Y g:i a', $e_date . " " . $e_time);
	$e_date_time_formatted = date_format($e_date_time, 'l, F j | g:i a');
	if ($format_short != null) $e_date_time_formatted = date_format($e_date_time, 'l, M j | g:i a'); //'D m/d/Y | g:i a'
	if ($e_end != null) {
		$e_end_time = date_create_from_format('g:i a', $e_end);
		$e_end_time_formatted = date_format($e_end_time, 'g:i a');
		$e_date_time_formatted = $e_date_time_formatted . "&ndash;" . $e_end_time_formatted;
	}
	$s = array(' am', ' AM', ' pm', ' PM');
	$r = array(' a.m.', ' A.M.', ' p.m.', ' P.M.');
	return str_replace($s, $r, $e_date_time_formatted);
	*/
}