Index: trunk/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/tools/date/DateUtils.java
===================================================================
--- trunk/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/tools/date/DateUtils.java	(revision 10132)
+++ trunk/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/tools/date/DateUtils.java	(revision 10133)
@@ -30,5 +30,5 @@
 public final class DateUtils {
 
-    private DateUtils() {
+    protected DateUtils() {
         // Hide default constructor for utils classes
     }
@@ -170,10 +170,13 @@
 
     private static boolean checkLayout(String text, String pattern) {
-        if (text.length() != pattern.length()) return false;
+        if (text.length() != pattern.length())
+            return false;
         for (int i = 0; i < pattern.length(); i++) {
             char pc = pattern.charAt(i);
             char tc = text.charAt(i);
-            if (pc == 'x' && tc >= '0' && tc <= '9') continue;
-            else if (pc == 'x' || pc != tc) return false;
+            if (pc == 'x' && Character.isDigit(tc))
+                continue;
+            else if (pc == 'x' || pc != tc)
+                return false;
         }
         return true;