Index: modules/node/node.module
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/drupal/drupal/modules/node/node.module,v
retrieving revision 1.1082
diff -u -r1.1082 node.module
--- modules/node/node.module	10 Jul 2009 05:58:13 -0000	1.1082
+++ modules/node/node.module	15 Jul 2009 03:08:11 -0000
@@ -879,11 +879,6 @@
       // are dealing with an anonymous user we set the user ID to 0.
       form_set_error('name', t('The username %name does not exist.', array('%name' => $node->name)));
     }
-
-    // Validate the "authored on" field.
-    if (!empty($node->date) && strtotime($node->date) === FALSE) {
-      form_set_error('date', t('You have to specify a valid date.'));
-    }
   }
 
   // Do node-type-specific validation checks.
@@ -909,7 +904,6 @@
       $node->uid = 0;
     }
   }
-  $node->created = !empty($node->date) ? strtotime($node->date) : REQUEST_TIME;
   $node->validated = TRUE;
 
   return $node;
Index: modules/node/node.pages.inc
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/drupal/drupal/modules/node/node.pages.inc,v
retrieving revision 1.70
diff -u -r1.70 node.pages.inc
--- modules/node/node.pages.inc	22 Jun 2009 09:10:05 -0000	1.70
+++ modules/node/node.pages.inc	15 Jul 2009 03:08:11 -0000
@@ -206,17 +206,13 @@
     '#weight' => -1,
     '#description' => t('Leave blank for %anonymous.', array('%anonymous' => variable_get('anonymous', t('Anonymous')))),
   );
-  $form['author']['date'] = array(
-    '#type' => 'textfield',
+  $form['author']['created'] = array(
+    '#type' => 'datetime',
     '#title' => t('Authored on'),
-    '#maxlength' => 25,
     '#description' => t('Format: %time. The date format is YYYY-MM-DD and %timezone is the timezone offset from UTC. Leave blank to use the time of form submission.', array('%time' => !empty($node->date) ? $node->date : format_date($node->created, 'custom', 'Y-m-d H:i:s O'), '%timezone' => !empty($node->date) ? $node->date : format_date($node->created, 'custom', 'O'))),
+    '#default_value' => isset($node->created) ? $node->created : '',
   );
 
-  if (isset($node->date)) {
-    $form['author']['date']['#default_value'] = $node->date;
-  }
-
   // Node options for administrators
   $form['options'] = array(
     '#type' => 'fieldset',
Index: includes/form.inc
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/drupal/drupal/includes/form.inc,v
retrieving revision 1.350
diff -u -r1.350 form.inc
--- includes/form.inc	14 Jul 2009 10:22:15 -0000	1.350
+++ includes/form.inc	15 Jul 2009 03:08:11 -0000
@@ -1305,6 +1305,33 @@
 }
 
 /**
+ * Helper function to determine the value for a datetime form element.
+ *
+ * @param $form
+ *   The form element whose value is being populated.
+*  @param $input
+ *   The incoming input to populate the form element. If this is FALSE,
+ *   the element's default value should be returned.
+ * @return
+ *   The data that will appear in the $element_state['values'] collection
+ *   for this element. Return nothing to use the default.
+ */
+function form_type_datetime_value($element, $input = FALSE) {
+  if ($input !== FALSE) {
+    if (is_array($input) && isset($input['datetime'])) {
+      $time = strtotime($input['datetime']);
+      return $time !== FALSE ? $time : REQUEST_TIME;
+    }
+    else {
+      return REQUEST_TIME;
+    }
+  }
+  else {
+    return format_date($element['#default_value'], 'custom', 'Y-m-d H:i:s O');
+  }
+}
+
+/**
  * Helper function to determine the value for a password_confirm form
  * element.
  *
@@ -1754,6 +1781,27 @@
 }
 
 /**
+ * Roll out a single date/time element.
+ */
+function form_process_datetime($element) {
+  // Default to current date.
+  if (empty($element['#value'])) {
+    $element['#value'] = REQUEST_TIME;
+  }
+  $element['#tree'] = TRUE;
+
+  // Display the textfield for the date/time input.
+  $element['datetime'] = array(
+    '#type' => 'textfield',
+    '#value' => $element['#value'],
+    '#attributes' => $element['#attributes'],
+    '#maxlength' => 25,
+  );
+
+  return $element;
+}
+
+/**
  * Validates the date type to stop dates like February 30, 2006.
  */
 function date_validate($form) {
@@ -1763,6 +1811,15 @@
 }
 
 /**
+ * Validates a date/time element to make sure it has a valid date and time.
+ */
+function datetime_validate($form) {
+  if (!empty($form['#value']) && strtotime($form['#value']) === FALSE) {
+    form_error($form, t('You have to specify a valid date and time.'));
+  }
+}
+
+/**
  * Helper function for usage with drupal_map_assoc to display month names.
  */
 function map_month($month) {
Index: modules/system/system.module
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/drupal/drupal/modules/system/system.module,v
retrieving revision 1.722
diff -u -r1.722 system.module
--- modules/system/system.module	5 Jul 2009 18:00:10 -0000	1.722
+++ modules/system/system.module	15 Jul 2009 03:08:11 -0000
@@ -395,6 +395,14 @@
     '#theme_wrapper' => 'form_element',
   );
 
+  $type['datetime'] = array(
+    '#input' => TRUE,
+    '#element_validate' => array('datetime_validate'),
+    '#process' => array('form_process_datetime'),
+    '#theme' => 'date',
+    '#theme_wrapper' => 'form_element',
+  );
+
   $type['file'] = array(
     '#input' => TRUE,
     '#size' => 60,