code: @Override
    public String format(Object date)
    {
      if(date == null) {
        return "";
      }
      dateFormat = createDateFormat(locale);
      dateFormat.setTimeZone(timeZone);
      return dateFormat.format(date);
    }
docs: Format date object accordingly concrete date time formatter implementation. Formatting process occurs in three
  steps:
  <ol>
  <li>create date time formatter instance with current locale, see {@link #createDateFormat(Locale)},
  <li>set current time zone to newly created formatter instance,
  <li>invoke {@link Format#format(Object)} on formatter instance.
  </ol>
  <p>
  Returns empty string if given date instance is null.
  
  @param date date object.
  @return string format for <code>date</code> argument or empty string if <code>date</code> is null.