<td class="m1234Bottom" style="width:35%;">
    <span id="ABC123" class="Datetime">
    <div class="dateElement" id="ABC188c">
        <input name="ABC$123ccc"
           type="text">
        <a class="date"></a>
        <a style="display: none;" class="time"></a>
    </div>
    </span>
</td>

<td class="m1234Bottom" style="width:35%;">
    <span id="ABC123">
        12/23/2012
    </span>
</td>

$("input[name*='123ccc']".each(function() {
    var outv= $(this).val();
    alert(outv);
});

var span = $('#ABC123');

//check if span has input child
if (span.find('input').length > 0) {
    //get value from input field
    var date = span.find('input').val();
}
else {
    //get text date from the span
    var date = span.text();
}

$(function() {
    $('#ABC123').find('input').length > 0 ? value = $('#ABC123').find('input').val() : value = $('#ABC123').text();
    console.log(value);
});​

function retrieveValue()
{
    // Retrieve the element (not guess yet)
    var spanOrInput = $("#ABCD123");

    // Try to guess if its an input or a span
    var type = spanOrInput.attr('type');
    if (typeof type == "undefined" || !type)
        return spanOrInput.val();
    else
        return spanOrInput.html();
}

<input type="hidden" id="hidtype" />

$(function(){
     if ($('#hidtype').val() == '1') {   //or what ever you use to set state
     // code here for that mode
     }
     else{
    // code for other type of mode
     }
 });

if( $('#ABC123 input').length ) {
//this means the input exists - handle from here
}