diff --git a/tsg_util/preferencesForm.m b/tsg_util/preferencesForm.m
index 2ad7c94054fd874f35fead51b816c17e49a71ce4..c5bf21bfb6db85a204d48c2b2a44840eb285f8b7 100644
--- a/tsg_util/preferencesForm.m
+++ b/tsg_util/preferencesForm.m
@@ -492,6 +492,79 @@ if bottom < .1
   left = left + inc_x;
 end
 
+% display format for dates  TITLE
+% -------------------------------
+uicontrol(...
+  'Parent', hPreferencesFig, ...
+  'Units', 'normalized', ...
+  'Style', 'Text', 'Fontsize', tsg.fontSize, 'FontWeight', 'bold',...
+  'HorizontalAlignment', 'Left', ...
+  'Position',[left, bottom, 2*length, height], ...
+  'String', 'Formats used for date');
+
+bottom = bottom - inc_y - height;
+if bottom < .1
+  bottom = 0.95;
+  left = left + inc_x;
+end
+
+% display date format for variable text
+% -------------------------------------
+uicontrol(...
+  'Parent', hPreferencesFig, ...
+  'Units', 'normalized', ...
+  'Style', 'Text','Fontsize', tsg.fontSize-1,'HorizontalAlignment', 'left', ...
+  'Position',[left, bottom, length, height], ...
+  'TooltipString', 'Format is not available for change', ...
+  'String', 'Date format for variable:');
+
+% display date format for variable uicontrol
+% ------------------------------------------
+uicontrol(...
+  'Parent', hPreferencesFig, ...
+  'Units', 'normalized', 'Style', 'Edit', 'BackgroundColor', 'w', ...
+  'Fontsize', tsg.fontSize-2, 'HorizontalAlignment', 'right', ...
+  'Position', [left + length, bottom, length, height], ...
+  'Enable', 'inactive',...
+  'TooltipString', 'Format is not available for change', ...
+  'String', tsg.preference.date_format_variable, ... 
+  'Tag', 'PREFERENCE_DATE_FORMAT_VARIABLE');
+
+bottom = bottom - inc_y - height;
+if bottom < .1
+  bottom = 0.95;
+  left = left + inc_x;
+end
+
+% display date format for attribute min text
+% ------------------------------------------
+uicontrol(...
+  'Parent', hPreferencesFig, ...
+  'Units', 'normalized', ...
+  'Style', 'Text', 'Fontsize', tsg.fontSize-1, 'HorizontalAlignment', 'left', ...
+  'Position',[left, bottom, length, height], ...
+  'TooltipString', 'Format is not available for change', ...
+  'String', 'Date format for attibute');
+
+% display date format for attribute uicontrol
+% -------------------------------------------
+uicontrol(...
+  'Parent', hPreferencesFig, ...
+  'Units', 'normalized', 'Style', 'Edit', ...
+  'Fontsize', tsg.fontSize-2, 'BackgroundColor', 'w', ...
+  'HorizontalAlignment', 'right', ...
+  'Position', [left + length, bottom, length, height], ...
+  'Enable', 'inactive',...
+  'TooltipString', 'Format is not available for change', ...
+  'String', tsg.preference.date_format_attribute, ...
+  'Tag', 'PREFERENCES_DATE_FORMAT_ATTRIBUTE');
+
+bottom = bottom - inc_y - height;
+if bottom < .1
+  bottom = 0.95;
+  left = left + inc_x;
+end
+
 % CONTINUE PUSH BUTTON
 % --------------------
 % The Continue (valid)  button
diff --git a/tsg_util/tsg_preferences.m b/tsg_util/tsg_preferences.m
index dda0bacdca4b03c866f7742432b65a7fce3d7e48..b7b2dbe921ba7fa626202669ef0aa5c6d4d66e9c 100644
--- a/tsg_util/tsg_preferences.m
+++ b/tsg_util/tsg_preferences.m
@@ -153,6 +153,8 @@ set(hTsgGUI,'Pointer','arrow');
     preference.ssjt_max_string       = {'40'};
     preference.sstp_min_string       = {'-3'};
     preference.sstp_max_string       = {'40'};
+    preference.date_format_variable  = {'yyyyMMddHHmmss'};
+    preference.date_format_attribute = {'yyyy-MM-ddTHH:mm:ssZ'};
     
     % save preference struct to 'prefdir.mat' file
     % ---------------------------------------------