diff --git a/src/@dates/disp.m b/src/@dates/disp.m
index 9c012fea451cf02dd3ccd9234cb116fba74d43d8..ce3a9013a5dc15d2ad1270d0576eb0c2f5c798ba 100644
--- a/src/@dates/disp.m
+++ b/src/@dates/disp.m
@@ -1,15 +1,21 @@
-function disp(dd)
+function disp(o)
-% Copyright (C) 2013 Dynare Team
+% Overloads the disp function for dates object.
%
-% This file is part of Dynare.
+% INPUTS
+% - o [dates]
%
-% Dynare is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+% OUTPTS
+% None
+
+% Copyright (C) 2013-2014 Dynare Team
+%
+% This code is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
% it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
% the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
% (at your option) any later version.
%
-% Dynare is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+% Dynare dates submodule is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
% but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
% MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the
% GNU General Public License for more details.
@@ -17,33 +23,4 @@ function disp(dd)
% You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
% along with Dynare. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
-if isempty(dd)
- fprintf('Empty dates object.\n');
- return
-end
-
-max_displayed = 5;
-first_displayed = 2;
-
-fprintf('<dates: ');
-
-if dd.ndat<=max_displayed
- for i=1:dd.ndat
- fprintf(date2string(dd.time(i,:),dd.freq))
- if i<dd.ndat
- fprintf(', ')
- else
- fprintf('>\n')
- end
- end
-else
- for i=1:first_displayed
- fprintf(date2string(dd.time(i,:),dd.freq))
- fprintf(', ')
- end
- fprintf(' ..., ')
- fprintf(date2string(dd.time(dd.ndat-1,:),dd.freq))
- fprintf(', ')
- fprintf(date2string(dd.time(dd.ndat,:),dd.freq))
- fprintf('>\n')
-end
+fprintf(['\n' dates4display(o, inputname(1), Inf) '\n\n']);
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/@dates/display.m b/src/@dates/display.m
index 2d230dc8510fd4e828228f4b102b287699e81f52..bc896af58279c3cadb7ceba8ad077a6904ed9fc3 100644
--- a/src/@dates/display.m
+++ b/src/@dates/display.m
@@ -1,15 +1,21 @@
-function display(dd)
+function display(o)
-% Copyright (C) 2013 Dynare Team
+% Overloads display method for dates object.
%
-% This file is part of Dynare.
+% INPUTS
+% - o [dates]
%
-% Dynare is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+% OUTPTS
+% None
+
+% Copyright (C) 2013-2014 Dynare Team
+%
+% This code is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
% it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
% the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
% (at your option) any later version.
%
-% Dynare is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+% Dynare dates submodule is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
% but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
% MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the
% GNU General Public License for more details.
@@ -17,33 +23,4 @@ function display(dd)
% You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
% along with Dynare. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
-if isempty(dd)
- fprintf('%s is an empty dates object.\n', inputname(1));
- return
-end
-
-max_displayed = 5;
-first_displayed = 2;
-
-fprintf('%s = <dates: ', inputname(1));
-
-if dd.ndat<=max_displayed
- for i=1:dd.ndat
- fprintf(date2string(dd.time(i,:),dd.freq))
- if i<dd.ndat
- fprintf(', ')
- else
- fprintf('>\n')
- end
- end
-else
- for i=1:first_displayed
- fprintf(date2string(dd.time(i,:),dd.freq))
- fprintf(', ')
- end
- fprintf(' ..., ')
- fprintf(date2string(dd.time(dd.ndat-1,:),dd.freq))
- fprintf(', ')
- fprintf(date2string(dd.time(dd.ndat,:),dd.freq))
- fprintf('>\n')
-end
\ No newline at end of file
+fprintf(['\n' dates4display(o, inputname(1), 5) '\n\n']);
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/@dates/private/dates4display.m b/src/@dates/private/dates4display.m
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..7dc6109e2b9d7d9f326ccdfb0be21ebff59dfd6e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/@dates/private/dates4display.m
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+function str = dates4display(o, name, max_number_of_elements)
+
+% Converts a list object to a string.
+%
+% INPUTS
+% - o [list] A dates object to be displayed.
+% - name [string] Name of the dates object o.
+% - max_number_of_elements [integer] Maximum number of elements displayed.
+%
+% OUTPUTS
+% - str [string] Representation of the dates object as a string.
+
+% Copyright (C) 2014 Dynare Team
+%
+% This code is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+% it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+% the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+% (at your option) any later version.
+%
+% Dynare dates submodule is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+% but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+% MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the
+% GNU General Public License for more details.
+%
+% You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+% along with Dynare. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+if isempty(o)
+ str = sprintf('%s is an empty dates object.\n', name);
+ return
+end
+
+str = sprintf('%s = <dates: ', name);
+
+if o.length()<=max_number_of_elements
+ % All the elements are displayed
+ for i=1:length(o)-1
+ str = sprintf('%s%s, ', str, date2string(o.time(i,:),o.freq));
+ end
+else
+ % Only display four elements (two first and two last)
+ for i=1:2
+ str = sprintf('%s%s, ', str, date2string(o.time(i,:),o.freq));
+ end
+ str = sprintf('%s%s, ', str, '...');
+ str = sprintf('%s%s, ', str, date2string(o.time(o.length()-1,:),o.freq));
+end
+str = sprintf('%s%s>', str, date2string(o.time(o.length(),:),o.freq));
\ No newline at end of file