--- loncom/localize/lonlocal.pm	2008/07/02 21:10:41	1.46
+++ loncom/localize/lonlocal.pm	2008/09/13 02:37:29	1.48
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # The LearningOnline Network with CAPA
 # Localization routines
 #
-# $Id: lonlocal.pm,v 1.46 2008/07/02 21:10:41 raeburn Exp $
+# $Id: lonlocal.pm,v 1.48 2008/09/13 02:37:29 raeburn Exp $
 #
 # Copyright Michigan State University Board of Trustees
 #
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ use DateTime::TimeZone;
 require Exporter;
 
 our @ISA = qw (Exporter);
-our @EXPORT = qw(mt mtn ns);
+our @EXPORT = qw(mt mtn ns mt_user);
 
 # ========================================================= The language handle
 
@@ -201,6 +201,27 @@ sub mt (@) {
     }
 }
 
+sub mt_user {
+    my ($user_lh,@what) = @_;
+    if ($user_lh) {
+        if ($what[0] eq '') {
+            if (wantarray) {
+                return @what;
+            } else {
+                return $what[0];
+            }
+        } else {
+            return $user_lh->maketext(@what);
+        }
+    } else {
+        if (wantarray) {
+            return @what;
+        } else {
+            return $what[0];
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 # ============================================================== What language?
 
 sub current_language {
@@ -293,6 +314,14 @@ sub locallocaltime {
     if (!defined($thistime) || $thistime eq '') {
 	return &mt('Never');
     }
+    if (($thistime < 0) || ($thistime eq 'NaN')) {
+        &Apache::lonnet::logthis("Unexpected time (negative or NaN) '$thistime' passed to lonlocal::locallocaltime");  
+        return &mt('Never');
+    }
+    if ($thistime !~ /^\d+$/) {
+        &Apache::lonnet::logthis("Unexpected non-numeric time '$thistime' passed to lonlocal::locallocaltime");
+        return &mt('Never');
+    }
 
     my $dt = DateTime->from_epoch(epoch => $thistime)
                      ->set_time_zone(&gettimezone());