title: How do I retrieve the locale-specific date format string in Flex / ActionScript 3?
body: <p>How do I retrieve the locale-specific date format string in Flex / ActionScript 3?  I am unable to find a method to return the actual format string (that which specifies the date format) based on the current locale.  I am asking this question because I was hoping to find a way to convert a String to a Date based on the current SHORT date format for the locale.  Java allows one to call:</p>
  
  <pre><code>DateFormat format = DateFormat.getDateInstance(DateFormat.SHORT, locale)
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>to retrieve an instance of DateFormat that formats according to the SHORT format based on the locale.</p>
  
  <p>Does similar functionality exist in Adobe Flex (ActionScript 3) 3?  If not, is there a reliable third party library that exists for this?</p>