diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 70c4c7a9a..ea22cb4a2 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,12 @@
+2004-11-08  Don Allingham  <dallingham@users.sourceforge.net>
+	* src/DateHandler.py: add handlers for fr_FR
+	* src/DateParser.py: add parser for french
+	* src/DateDisplay.py: add displayer for french
+
+2004-11-08  Steve Swales  <Steve.Swales@sun.com>
+	* src/gramps.py: Better way of setting locale
+	* src/DateHandler.py: Better locate settings
+
 2004-11-08 Alex Roitman  <shura@alex.neuro.umn.edu>
 	* src/data/Makefile.am: Remove gramps.desktop from
         dist_pkgdata_DATA which was causing it to get installed
diff --git a/src/DateDisplay.py b/src/DateDisplay.py
index e30762180..44c9856a8 100644
--- a/src/DateDisplay.py
+++ b/src/DateDisplay.py
@@ -296,3 +296,39 @@ class DateDisplay:
     def _display_islamic(self,date_val):
         return self._display_calendar(date_val,self._islamic)
 
+class DateDisplayFR(DateDisplay):
+
+    calendar = (
+        u"", u" (Julien)", u" (H\xe9breu)", 
+        u" (R\xe9volutionnaire)", u" (Perse)", u" (Islamique)"
+        )
+
+    _mod_str = (u"",u"avant ",u"apr\xe8s ",u"vers ",u"",u"",u"")
+    
+    def display(self,date):
+        """
+        Returns a text string representing the date.
+        """
+        mod = date.get_modifier()
+        cal = date.get_calendar()
+        qual = date.get_quality()
+        start = date.get_start_date()
+
+        qual_str = self._qual_str[qual]
+        
+        if mod == Date.MOD_TEXTONLY:
+            return date.get_text()
+        elif start == Date.EMPTY:
+            return u""
+        elif mod == Date.MOD_SPAN:
+            d1 = self.display_cal[cal](start)
+            d2 = self.display_cal[cal](date.get_stop_date())
+            return u"%sde %s \xe0 %s%s" % (qual_str,d1,d2,self.calendar[cal])
+        elif mod == Date.MOD_RANGE:
+            d1 = self.display_cal[cal](start)
+            d2 = self.display_cal[cal](date.get_stop_date())
+            return u"%sentre %s et %s%s" % (qual_str,d1,d2,self.calendar[cal])
+        else:
+            text = self.display_cal[date.get_calendar()](start)
+            return u"%s%s%s%s" % (qual_str,self._mod_str[mod],text,self.calendar[cal])
+    
diff --git a/src/DateHandler.py b/src/DateHandler.py
index 422ed23f8..622029d4a 100644
--- a/src/DateHandler.py
+++ b/src/DateHandler.py
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ Class handling language-specific selection for date parser and displayer.
 #
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 import os
+import locale
 
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 #
@@ -45,11 +46,11 @@ import DateDisplay
 # Constants 
 #
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------
-_lang = os.environ.get('LANG','C').split('.')[0]
-    
+_lang = locale.getlocale(locale.LC_TIME)[0]
 
 _lang_to_parser = {
     'C'      : DateParser.DateParser,
+    'fr_FR'  : DateParser.DateParserFR,
     'en_US'  : DateParser.DateParser,
     'en_GB'  : DateParser.DateParser,
     'en_AU'  : DateParser.DateParser,
@@ -60,6 +61,7 @@ _lang_to_parser = {
 
 _lang_to_display = {
     'C'      : DateDisplay.DateDisplay,
+    'fr_FR'  : DateDisplay.DateDisplayFR,
     'en_US'  : DateDisplay.DateDisplay,
     'en_GB'  : DateDisplay.DateDisplay,
     'en_AU'  : DateDisplay.DateDisplay,
diff --git a/src/DateParser.py b/src/DateParser.py
index f2e4f6bf8..6e59c8d16 100644
--- a/src/DateParser.py
+++ b/src/DateParser.py
@@ -486,6 +486,53 @@ class DateParser:
         self.set_date(new_date,text)
         return new_date
 
+class DateParserFR(DateParser):
+
+    modifier_to_int = {
+        u'avant'    : Date.MOD_BEFORE, 
+        u'av.'      : Date.MOD_BEFORE, 
+        u'av'       : Date.MOD_BEFORE, 
+        u'apr\xe8s' : Date.MOD_AFTER,
+        u'ap.'    : Date.MOD_AFTER,
+        u'ap'     : Date.MOD_AFTER,
+        u'env.'   : Date.MOD_ABOUT,
+        u'env'    : Date.MOD_ABOUT,
+        u'circa'  : Date.MOD_ABOUT,
+        u'c.'     : Date.MOD_ABOUT,
+        u'vers'   : Date.MOD_ABOUT,
+        }
+
+    calendar_to_int = {
+        u'gr\xe9gorien'      : Date.CAL_GREGORIAN,
+        u'g'                 : Date.CAL_GREGORIAN,
+        u'julien'            : Date.CAL_JULIAN,
+        u'j'                 : Date.CAL_JULIAN,
+        u'h\xe9breu'         : Date.CAL_HEBREW,
+        u'h'                 : Date.CAL_HEBREW,
+        u'islamique'         : Date.CAL_ISLAMIC,
+        u'i'                 : Date.CAL_ISLAMIC,
+        u'r\xe9volutionnaire': Date.CAL_FRENCH,
+        u'r'                 : Date.CAL_FRENCH,
+        u'perse'             : Date.CAL_PERSIAN,
+        u'p'                 : Date.CAL_PERSIAN,
+        }
+
+    quality_to_int = {
+        u'estimated'  : Date.QUAL_ESTIMATED,
+        u'est.'       : Date.QUAL_ESTIMATED,
+        u'est'        : Date.QUAL_ESTIMATED,
+        u'calc.'      : Date.QUAL_CALCULATED,
+        u'calc'       : Date.QUAL_CALCULATED,
+        u'calculated' : Date.QUAL_CALCULATED,
+        }
+
+    _span     = re.compile("de\s+(.+)\s+\xe0\s+(.+)",
+                           re.IGNORECASE)
+    _range    = re.compile("(ent.|ent|entre)\s+(.+)\s+et\s+(.+)",
+                           re.IGNORECASE)
+
+
+
 _max_days = [ 31, 29, 31, 30, 31, 30, 31, 31, 30, 31, 30, 31 ]
 
 def gregorian_valid(date_tuple):
@@ -497,3 +544,4 @@ def gregorian_valid(date_tuple):
     elif day > _max_days[month]:
         valid = False
     return valid
+
diff --git a/src/gramps.py b/src/gramps.py
index 6c5dd68cd..1f8decfce 100755
--- a/src/gramps.py
+++ b/src/gramps.py
@@ -55,8 +55,8 @@ else:
     loc = "/usr/share/locale"
 
 try:
+    locale.setlocale(locale.LC_ALL,'C')
     locale.setlocale(locale.LC_ALL,'')
-    locale.setlocale(locale.LC_TIME,os.environ.get('LANG','C'))
 except locale.Error:
     pass
 except ValueError: