Yeah thanks Alan - I am currently using something similar..

extract(day from COLLECT_DELIVER_DATE)||'/'||extract(month from COLLECT_DELIVER_DATE)||'/'||extract(year from COLLECT_DELIVER_DATE)  as COLLECT_DELIVER_DATE

Just a bit "wordy" / "verbose" and a bit shocked that you have to go to those lengths to simply format a date field tbh

As Helen suggests, I will ask in the PhP forum(s) and see if there is not some magic switch / setting that I am missing to do this "out of the box" or alternatively  - a custom library perhaps (though I am loathe to introduce custom DLL;s as it complicates installation.)

Thanks for the feedback..

Cheers!