diff --git a/icu4j/main/classes/core/src/com/ibm/icu/text/ChineseDateFormat.java b/icu4j/main/classes/core/src/com/ibm/icu/text/ChineseDateFormat.java
index 7986f7a75e..2601334933 100644
--- a/icu4j/main/classes/core/src/com/ibm/icu/text/ChineseDateFormat.java
+++ b/icu4j/main/classes/core/src/com/ibm/icu/text/ChineseDateFormat.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*********************************************************************
- * Copyright (C) 2000-2009, International Business Machines Corporation and
+ * Copyright (C) 2000-2010, International Business Machines Corporation and
  * others. All Rights Reserved.
  *********************************************************************
  */
@@ -71,10 +71,17 @@ public class ChineseDateFormat extends SimpleDateFormat {
     }
 
     /**
-     * Construct a ChineseDateFormat from a date format pattern and locale
+     * Construct a ChineseDateFormat from a date format pattern, numbering system override and locale
      * @param pattern the pattern
+     * @param override The override string.  A numbering system override string can take one of the following forms:
+     *     1). If just a numbering system name is specified, it applies to all numeric fields in the date format pattern.
+     *     2). To specify an alternate numbering system on a field by field basis, use the field letters from the pattern
+     *         followed by an = sign, followed by the numbering system name.  For example, to specify that just the year
+     *         be formatted using Hebrew digits, use the override "y=hebr".  Multiple overrides can be specified in a single
+     *         string by separating them with a semi-colon. For example, the override string "m=thai;y=deva" would format using
+     *         Thai digits for the month and Devanagari digits for the year.
      * @param locale the locale
-     * @stable ICU 3.2
+     * @draft ICU 4.2
      */
    public ChineseDateFormat(String pattern, String override, ULocale locale) {
        super(pattern, new ChineseDateFormatSymbols(locale), 
diff --git a/icu4j/main/classes/core/src/com/ibm/icu/text/SimpleDateFormat.java b/icu4j/main/classes/core/src/com/ibm/icu/text/SimpleDateFormat.java
index fa6e888ee8..ba21e984ea 100644
--- a/icu4j/main/classes/core/src/com/ibm/icu/text/SimpleDateFormat.java
+++ b/icu4j/main/classes/core/src/com/ibm/icu/text/SimpleDateFormat.java
@@ -407,6 +407,15 @@ public class SimpleDateFormat extends DateFormat {
 
     /**
      * Constructs a SimpleDateFormat using the given pattern , override and locale.
+     * @param pattern The pattern to be used
+     * @param override The override string.  A numbering system override string can take one of the following forms:
+     *     1). If just a numbering system name is specified, it applies to all numeric fields in the date format pattern.
+     *     2). To specify an alternate numbering system on a field by field basis, use the field letters from the pattern
+     *         followed by an = sign, followed by the numbering system name.  For example, to specify that just the year
+     *         be formatted using Hebrew digits, use the override "y=hebr".  Multiple overrides can be specified in a single
+     *         string by separating them with a semi-colon. For example, the override string "m=thai;y=deva" would format using
+     *         Thai digits for the month and Devanagari digits for the year.
+     * @param loc The locale to be used
      * @stable ICU 4.2
      */
     public SimpleDateFormat(String pattern, String override, ULocale loc)
diff --git a/icu4j/main/classes/core/src/com/ibm/icu/util/Calendar.java b/icu4j/main/classes/core/src/com/ibm/icu/util/Calendar.java
index fe9723c1af..29c401f617 100644
--- a/icu4j/main/classes/core/src/com/ibm/icu/util/Calendar.java
+++ b/icu4j/main/classes/core/src/com/ibm/icu/util/Calendar.java
@@ -3140,9 +3140,16 @@ public abstract class Calendar implements Serializable, Cloneable, Comparable<Ca
      * DateFormatSymbols objects as needed.
      * @param pattern the pattern, specific to the <code>DateFormat</code>
      * subclass
+     * @param override The override string.  A numbering system override string can take one of the following forms:
+     *     1). If just a numbering system name is specified, it applies to all numeric fields in the date format pattern.
+     *     2). To specify an alternate numbering system on a field by field basis, use the field letters from the pattern
+     *         followed by an = sign, followed by the numbering system name.  For example, to specify that just the year
+     *         be formatted using Hebrew digits, use the override "y=hebr".  Multiple overrides can be specified in a single
+     *         string by separating them with a semi-colon. For example, the override string "m=thai;y=deva" would format using
+     *         Thai digits for the month and Devanagari digits for the year.
      * @param locale the locale for which the symbols should be drawn
      * @return a <code>DateFormat</code> appropriate to this calendar
-     * @stable ICU 2.0
+     * @stable ICU 4.2
      */
     protected DateFormat handleGetDateFormat(String pattern, String override, Locale locale) {
         return handleGetDateFormat(pattern, override, ULocale.forLocale(locale));
diff --git a/icu4j/main/classes/core/src/com/ibm/icu/util/ChineseCalendar.java b/icu4j/main/classes/core/src/com/ibm/icu/util/ChineseCalendar.java
index 246dfb03af..ba45507fec 100644
--- a/icu4j/main/classes/core/src/com/ibm/icu/util/ChineseCalendar.java
+++ b/icu4j/main/classes/core/src/com/ibm/icu/util/ChineseCalendar.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*********************************************************************
- * Copyright (C) 2000-2009, International Business Machines
+ * Copyright (C) 2000-2010, International Business Machines
  * Corporation and others. All Rights Reserved.
  *********************************************************************
  */
@@ -402,7 +402,16 @@ public class ChineseCalendar extends Calendar {
      * using the the given pattern.  This method is responsible for
      * creating the calendar- specific DateFormat and DateFormatSymbols
      * objects as needed.
-     * @stable ICU 2.8
+     * @param pattern The date formatting pattern
+     * @param override The override string.  A numbering system override string can take one of the following forms:
+     *     1). If just a numbering system name is specified, it applies to all numeric fields in the date format pattern.
+     *     2). To specify an alternate numbering system on a field by field basis, use the field letters from the pattern
+     *         followed by an = sign, followed by the numbering system name.  For example, to specify that just the year
+     *         be formatted using Hebrew digits, use the override "y=hebr".  Multiple overrides can be specified in a single
+     *         string by separating them with a semi-colon. For example, the override string "m=thai;y=deva" would format using
+     *         Thai digits for the month and Devanagari digits for the year.
+     * @param locale The locale
+     * @stable ICU 4.2
      */
     protected DateFormat handleGetDateFormat(String pattern, String override, ULocale locale) {
         return new ChineseDateFormat(pattern, override, locale);