code: public String createDateString(Date date) {
          if (date == null) {
              if (tc.isDebugEnabled()) {
                  Tr.debug(tc, "Null Date object provided; returning null");
              }
              return null;
          }
          if (tc.isDebugEnabled()) {
              Tr.debug(tc, "Creating date string based on date: " + date);
          }
          String formatted = simpleDateFormat.format(date);
          return formatted;
      }
docs: Creates a date string in the format specified for this instance of the class.
  
  @param date
  @return