def fmt_date(
    self: GTSelf,
    columns: SelectExpr = None,
    rows: int | list[int] | None = None,
    date_style: DateStyle = "iso",
    pattern: str = "{x}",
    locale: str | None = None,
) -> GTSelf:
    """
    Format values as dates.

    Format input values to time values using one of 17 preset date styles. Input can be in the form
    of `date` type or as a ISO-8601 string (in the form of `YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS` or `YYYY-MM-DD`).

    Parameters
    ----------
    columns
        The columns to target. Can either be a single column name or a series of column names
        provided in a list.
    rows
        In conjunction with `columns=`, we can specify which of their rows should undergo
        formatting. The default is all rows, resulting in all rows in targeted columns being
        formatted. Alternatively, we can supply a list of row indices.
    date_style
        The date style to use. By default this is the short name `"iso"` which corresponds to
        ISO 8601 date formatting. There are 41 date styles in total.
    pattern
        A formatting pattern that allows for decoration of the formatted value. The formatted value
        is represented by the `{x}` (which can be used multiple times, if needed) and all other
        characters will be interpreted as string literals.
    locale
        An optional locale identifier that can be used for formatting values according the locale's
        rules. Examples include `"en"` for English (United States) and `"fr"` for French (France).

    Formatting with the `date_style=` argument
    -----------------------------------------
    We need to supply a preset date style to the `date_style=` argument. The date styles are
    numerous and can handle localization to any supported locale. The following table provides a
    listing of all date styles and their output values (corresponding to an input date of
    `2000-02-29`).

    |    | Date Style            | Output                  |
    |----|-----------------------|-------------------------|
    | 1  | `"iso"`               | `"2000-02-29"`          |
    | 2  | `"wday_month_day_year"`| `"Tuesday, February 29, 2000"`  |
    | 3  | `"wd_m_day_year"`     | `"Tue, Feb 29, 2000"`   |
    | 4  | `"wday_day_month_year"`| `"Tuesday 29 February 2000"`    |
    | 5  | `"month_day_year"`    | `"February 29, 2000"`   |
    | 6  | `"m_day_year"`        | `"Feb 29, 2000"`        |
    | 7  | `"day_m_year"`        | `"29 Feb 2000"`         |
    | 8  | `"day_month_year"`    | `"29 February 2000"`    |
    | 9  | `"day_month"`         | `"29 February"`         |
    | 10 | `"day_m"`             | `"29 Feb"`              |
    | 11 | `"year"`              | `"2000"`                |
    | 12 | `"month"`             | `"February"`            |
    | 13 | `"day"`               | `"29"`                  |
    | 14 | `"year.mn.day"`       | `"2000/02/29"`          |
    | 15 | `"y.mn.day"`          | `"00/02/29"`            |
    | 16 | `"year_week"`         | `"2000-W09"`            |
    | 17 | `"year_quarter"`      | `"2000-Q1"`             |

    Returns
    -------
    GT
        The GT object is returned. This is the same object that the method is called on so that we
        can facilitate method chaining.

    Adapting output to a specific `locale`
    --------------------------------------
    This formatting method can adapt outputs according to a provided `locale` value. Examples
    include `"en"` for English (United States) and `"fr"` for French (France). Note that a `locale`
    value provided here will override any global locale setting performed in
    [`GT()`](`great_tables.GT`)'s own `locale` argument (it is settable there as a value received by
    all other methods that have a `locale` argument).

    Examples
    --------
    Let's use the `exibble` dataset to create a simple, two-column table (keeping only the `date`
    and `time` columns). With the `fmt_date()` method, we'll format the `date` column to display
    dates formatted with the `"month_day_year"` date style.

    ```{python}
    from great_tables import GT, exibble

    exibble_mini = exibble[["date", "time"]]

    (
        GT(exibble_mini)
        .fmt_date(columns="date", date_style="month_day_year")
    )
    ```

    See Also
    --------
    The functional version of this method,
    [`val_fmt_date()`](`great_tables._formats_vals.val_fmt_date`), allows you to format a single
    numerical value (or a list of them).
    """

    locale = _resolve_locale(self, locale=locale)

    # Get the date format string based on the `date_style` value
    date_format_str = _get_date_format(date_style=date_style)

    pf_format = partial(
        fmt_date_context,
        data=self,
        date_format_str=date_format_str,
        pattern=pattern,
        locale=locale,
    )

    return fmt_by_context(self, pf_format=pf_format, columns=columns, rows=rows)

    Format values as dates.

    Format input values to time values using one of 17 preset date styles. Input can be in the form
    of `date` type or as a ISO-8601 string (in the form of `YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS` or `YYYY-MM-DD`).

    Parameters
    ----------
    columns
        The columns to target. Can either be a single column name or a series of column names
        provided in a list.
    rows
        In conjunction with `columns=`, we can specify which of their rows should undergo
        formatting. The default is all rows, resulting in all rows in targeted columns being
        formatted. Alternatively, we can supply a list of row indices.
    date_style
        The date style to use. By default this is the short name `"iso"` which corresponds to
        ISO 8601 date formatting. There are 41 date styles in total.
    pattern
        A formatting pattern that allows for decoration of the formatted value. The formatted value
        is represented by the `{x}` (which can be used multiple times, if needed) and all other
        characters will be interpreted as string literals.
    locale
        An optional locale identifier that can be used for formatting values according the locale's
        rules. Examples include `"en"` for English (United States) and `"fr"` for French (France).

    Formatting with the `date_style=` argument
    -----------------------------------------
    We need to supply a preset date style to the `date_style=` argument. The date styles are
    numerous and can handle localization to any supported locale. The following table provides a
    listing of all date styles and their output values (corresponding to an input date of
    `2000-02-29`).

    |    | Date Style            | Output                  |
    |----|-----------------------|-------------------------|
    | 1  | `"iso"`               | `"2000-02-29"`          |
    | 2  | `"wday_month_day_year"`| `"Tuesday, February 29, 2000"`  |
    | 3  | `"wd_m_day_year"`     | `"Tue, Feb 29, 2000"`   |
    | 4  | `"wday_day_month_year"`| `"Tuesday 29 February 2000"`    |
    | 5  | `"month_day_year"`    | `"February 29, 2000"`   |
    | 6  | `"m_day_year"`        | `"Feb 29, 2000"`        |
    | 7  | `"day_m_year"`        | `"29 Feb 2000"`         |
    | 8  | `"day_month_year"`    | `"29 February 2000"`    |
    | 9  | `"day_month"`         | `"29 February"`         |
    | 10 | `"day_m"`             | `"29 Feb"`              |
    | 11 | `"year"`              | `"2000"`                |
    | 12 | `"month"`             | `"February"`            |
    | 13 | `"day"`               | `"29"`                  |
    | 14 | `"year.mn.day"`       | `"2000/02/29"`          |
    | 15 | `"y.mn.day"`          | `"00/02/29"`            |
    | 16 | `"year_week"`         | `"2000-W09"`            |
    | 17 | `"year_quarter"`      | `"2000-Q1"`             |

    Returns
    -------
    GT
        The GT object is returned. This is the same object that the method is called on so that we
        can facilitate method chaining.

    Adapting output to a specific `locale`
    --------------------------------------
    This formatting method can adapt outputs according to a provided `locale` value. Examples
    include `"en"` for English (United States) and `"fr"` for French (France). Note that a `locale`
    value provided here will override any global locale setting performed in
    [`GT()`](`great_tables.GT`)'s own `locale` argument (it is settable there as a value received by
    all other methods that have a `locale` argument).

    Examples
    --------
    Let's use the `exibble` dataset to create a simple, two-column table (keeping only the `date`
    and `time` columns). With the `fmt_date()` method, we'll format the `date` column to display
    dates formatted with the `"month_day_year"` date style.

    ```{python}
    from great_tables import GT, exibble

    exibble_mini = exibble[["date", "time"]]

    (
        GT(exibble_mini)
        .fmt_date(columns="date", date_style="month_day_year")
    )
    ```

    See Also
    --------
    The functional version of this method,
    [`val_fmt_date()`](`great_tables._formats_vals.val_fmt_date`), allows you to format a single
    numerical value (or a list of them).
    
great_tables/_formats.py