diff --git a/reference/datetime/functions/getdate.xml b/reference/datetime/functions/getdate.xml
index d1bab19001..8301be5418 100644
--- a/reference/datetime/functions/getdate.xml
+++ b/reference/datetime/functions/getdate.xml
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="iso-8859-1"?>
-<!-- $Revision: 1.2 $ -->
+<!-- $Revision: 1.3 $ -->
 <!-- splitted from ./en/functions/datetime.xml, last change in rev 1.2 -->
   <refentry id="function.getdate">
    <refnamediv>
@@ -15,71 +15,90 @@
     <para>
      Returns an associative array containing the date information of
      the <parameter>timestamp</parameter>, or the current local time if
-     no timestamp is given, as the following array
+     no timestamp is given, as the following associative array
      elements:
-     <itemizedlist>
-      <listitem>
-       <simpara>
-        "seconds" - seconds
-       </simpara>
-      </listitem>
-      <listitem>
-       <simpara>
-        "minutes" - minutes
-       </simpara>
-      </listitem>
-      <listitem>
-       <simpara>
-        "hours" - hours
-       </simpara>
-      </listitem>
-      <listitem>
-       <simpara>
-        "mday" - day of the month
-       </simpara>
-      </listitem>
-      <listitem>
-       <simpara>
-        "wday" - day of the week, numeric : from 0 as Sunday up to 6 as Saturday
-       </simpara>
-      </listitem>
-      <listitem>
-       <simpara>
-        "mon" - month, numeric
-       </simpara>
-      </listitem>
-      <listitem>
-       <simpara>
-        "year" - year, numeric
-       </simpara>
-      </listitem>
-      <listitem>
-       <simpara>
-        "yday" - day of the year, numeric; i.e. "299"
-       </simpara>
-      </listitem>
-      <listitem>
-       <simpara>
-        "weekday" - day of the week, textual, full; i.e. "Friday"
-       </simpara>
-      </listitem>
-      <listitem>
-       <simpara>
-        "month" - month, textual, full; i.e. "January"
-       </simpara>
-      </listitem>
-     </itemizedlist>
+    </para>
+    <para>
+     <table>
+      <title>The following characters are recognized in the 
+      <parameter>format</parameter> parameter string</title>
+      <tgroup cols="">
+       <thead>
+        <row>
+         <entry>Key</entry>
+         <entry>Description</entry>
+         <entry>Example returned values</entry>
+        </row>
+       </thead>
+       <tbody>
+        <row>
+         <entry><literal>"seconds"</literal></entry>
+         <entry>Numeric representation of seconds</entry>
+         <entry><literal>0</literal> to <literal>59</literal></entry>
+        </row>
+        <row>
+         <entry><literal>"minutes"</literal></entry>
+         <entry>Numeric representation of minutes</entry>
+         <entry><literal>0</literal> to <literal>59</literal></entry>
+        </row>
+        <row>
+         <entry><literal>"hours"</literal></entry>
+         <entry>Numeric representation of hours</entry>
+         <entry><literal>0</literal> to <literal>23</literal></entry>
+        </row>
+        <row>
+         <entry><literal>"mday"</literal></entry>
+         <entry>Numeric representation of the day of the month</entry>
+         <entry><literal>1</literal> to <literal>31</literal></entry>
+        </row>
+        <row>
+         <entry><literal>"wday"</literal></entry>
+         <entry>Numeric representation of the day of the week</entry>
+         <entry><literal>0</literal> (for Sunday) through <literal>6</literal> (for Saturday)</literal></entry>
+        </row>
+        <row>
+         <entry><literal>"mon"</literal></entry>
+         <entry>Numeric representation of a month</entry>
+         <entry><literal>1</literal> through <literal>12</literal></entry>
+        </row>
+        <row>
+         <entry><literal>"year"</literal></entry>
+         <entry>A full numeric representation of a year, 4 digits</entry>
+         <entry>Examples: <literal>1999</literal> or <literal>2003</literal></entry>
+        </row>
+        <row>
+         <entry><literal>"yday"</literal></entry>
+         <entry>Numeric representation of the day of the year</entry>
+         <entry><literal>0</literal> through <literal>366</literal></entry>
+        </row>
+        <row>
+         <entry><literal>"weekday"</literal></entry>
+         <entry>A full textual representation of the day of the week</entry>
+         <entry><literal>Sunday</literal> through <literal>Saturday</literal></entry>
+        </row>
+        <row>
+         <entry><literal>"month"</literal></entry>
+         <entry>A full textual representation of a month, such as January or March</entry>
+         <entry><literal>January></literal> through <literal>December</literal></entry>
+        </row>
+       </tbody>
+      </tgroup>
+     </table>
+    </para>
+    <para>
      <example>
       <title>
        <function>getdate</function> example
       </title>
       <programlisting role="php">
 <![CDATA[
+<?php
 $today = getdate(); 
 $month = $today['month']; 
 $mday = $today['mday']; 
 $year = $today['year']; 
 echo "$month $mday, $year";
+?>
 ]]>
       </programlisting>
      </example>