diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index cafbc41e8..9902be40c 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@ Babej).
 - Removed obsolete script 'context'.
 - Fix "project" verbosity info not showing without "footnote" being manually
 enabled.
+- Internal plumbing:  Use variadic templates for format(), reducing code bloat
+and enabling more flexible use of the function.
 
 ------ current release ---------------------------
 
diff --git a/src/TDB2.cpp b/src/TDB2.cpp
index 405934b53..a7c2f99bd 100644
--- a/src/TDB2.cpp
+++ b/src/TDB2.cpp
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ TF2::TF2 ()
 TF2::~TF2 ()
 {
   if (_dirty && context.verbose ("debug"))
-    std::cout << format (STRING_TDB2_DIRTY_EXIT, _file)
+    std::cout << format (STRING_TDB2_DIRTY_EXIT, std::string (_file))
               << "\n";
 }
 
diff --git a/src/Task.cpp b/src/Task.cpp
index 6d7863477..b1339f8b7 100644
--- a/src/Task.cpp
+++ b/src/Task.cpp
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 #include <sstream>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <assert.h>
+#include <string>
 #ifdef PRODUCT_TASKWARRIOR
 #include <math.h>
 #include <cfloat>
@@ -1961,7 +1962,7 @@ void Task::modify (modType type, bool text_required /* = false */)
             // If v is duration, add 'now' to it, else store as date.
             if (v.type () == Variant::type_duration)
             {
-              context.debug (label + name + " <-- '" + format ("{1}", v.get_duration ()) + "' <-- '" + (std::string) v + "' <-- '" + value + "'");
+              context.debug (label + name + " <-- '" + format ("{1}", std::to_string (v.get_duration ())) + "' <-- '" + (std::string) v + "' <-- '" + value + "'");
               Variant now;
               if (namedDates ("now", now))
                 v += now;
diff --git a/src/commands/CmdUrgency.cpp b/src/commands/CmdUrgency.cpp
index da59ad920..68d5bf027 100644
--- a/src/commands/CmdUrgency.cpp
+++ b/src/commands/CmdUrgency.cpp
@@ -67,14 +67,14 @@ int CmdUrgency::execute (std::string& output)
     if (task.id)
     {
       out << format (STRING_CMD_URGENCY_RESULT,
-                     task.id, task.urgency ())
+                     task.id, trim (format (task.urgency (), 6, 3)))
           << "\n";
     }
     else
     {
       out << format (STRING_CMD_URGENCY_RESULT,
                      task.get ("uuid"),
-                     task.urgency ())
+                     trim (format (task.urgency (), 6, 3)))
           << "\n";
     }
   }
diff --git a/src/text.cpp b/src/text.cpp
index 0ed87a1c4..eb717ad71 100644
--- a/src/text.cpp
+++ b/src/text.cpp
@@ -45,8 +45,6 @@ extern Context context;
 static const char* newline = "\n";
 static const char* noline  = "";
 
-static void replace_positional (std::string&, const std::string&, const std::string&);
-
 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 void wrapText (
   std::vector <std::string>& lines,
@@ -675,6 +673,19 @@ const std::string obfuscateText (const std::string& input)
   return output.str ();
 }
 
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+const std::string format (std::string& value)
+{
+  return value;
+}
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+const std::string format (const char* value)
+{
+  std::string s (value);
+  return s;
+}
+
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 const std::string format (char value)
 {
@@ -691,6 +702,30 @@ const std::string format (int value)
   return s.str ();
 }
 
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+const std::string format (unsigned int value)
+{
+  std::stringstream s;
+  s << value;
+  return s.str ();
+}
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+const std::string format (unsigned long value)
+{
+  std::stringstream s;
+  s << value;
+  return s.str ();
+}
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+const std::string format (long value)
+{
+  std::stringstream s;
+  s << value;
+  return s.str ();
+}
+
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 const std::string formatHex (int value)
 {
@@ -747,7 +782,7 @@ const std::string format (double value)
 }
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-static void replace_positional (
+void replace_positional (
   std::string& fmt,
   const std::string& from,
   const std::string& to)
@@ -760,202 +795,6 @@ static void replace_positional (
   }
 }
 
-////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-const std::string format (
-  const std::string& fmt,
-  const std::string& arg1)
-{
-  std::string output = fmt;
-  replace_positional (output, "{1}", arg1);
-  return output;
-}
-
-////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-const std::string format (
-  const std::string& fmt,
-  int arg1)
-{
-  std::string output = fmt;
-  replace_positional (output, "{1}", format (arg1));
-  return output;
-}
-
-////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-const std::string format (
-  const std::string& fmt,
-  const std::string& arg1,
-  const std::string& arg2)
-{
-  std::string output = fmt;
-  replace_positional (output, "{1}", arg1);
-  replace_positional (output, "{2}", arg2);
-  return output;
-}
-
-////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-const std::string format (
-  const std::string& fmt,
-  const std::string& arg1,
-  int arg2)
-{
-  std::string output = fmt;
-  replace_positional (output, "{1}", arg1);
-  replace_positional (output, "{2}", format (arg2));
-  return output;
-}
-
-////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-const std::string format (
-  const std::string& fmt,
-  const std::string& arg1,
-  double arg2)
-{
-  std::string output = fmt;
-  replace_positional (output, "{1}", arg1);
-  replace_positional (output, "{2}", trim (format (arg2, 6, 3)));
-  return output;
-}
-
-////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-const std::string format (
-  const std::string& fmt,
-  int arg1,
-  int arg2,
-  const std::string& arg3)
-{
-  std::string output = fmt;
-  replace_positional (output, "{1}", format (arg1));
-  replace_positional (output, "{2}", format (arg2));
-  replace_positional (output, "{3}", arg3);
-  return output;
-}
-
-////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-const std::string format (
-  const std::string& fmt,
-  int arg1,
-  const std::string& arg2)
-{
-  std::string output = fmt;
-  replace_positional (output, "{1}", format (arg1));
-  replace_positional (output, "{2}", arg2);
-  return output;
-}
-
-////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-const std::string format (
-  const std::string& fmt,
-  int arg1,
-  const std::string& arg2,
-  const std::string& arg3)
-{
-  std::string output = fmt;
-  replace_positional (output, "{1}", format (arg1));
-  replace_positional (output, "{2}", arg2);
-  replace_positional (output, "{3}", arg3);
-  return output;
-}
-
-////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-const std::string format (
-  const std::string& fmt,
-  int arg1,
-  const std::string& arg2,
-  const std::string& arg3,
-  const std::string& arg4)
-{
-  std::string output = fmt;
-  replace_positional (output, "{1}", format (arg1));
-  replace_positional (output, "{2}", arg2);
-  replace_positional (output, "{3}", arg3);
-  replace_positional (output, "{4}", arg4);
-  return output;
-}
-
-////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-const std::string format (
-  const std::string& fmt,
-  int arg1,
-  int arg2)
-{
-  std::string output = fmt;
-  replace_positional (output, "{1}", format (arg1));
-  replace_positional (output, "{2}", format (arg2));
-  return output;
-}
-
-////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-const std::string format (
-  const std::string& fmt,
-  int arg1,
-  int arg2,
-  int arg3)
-{
-  std::string output = fmt;
-  replace_positional (output, "{1}", format (arg1));
-  replace_positional (output, "{2}", format (arg2));
-  replace_positional (output, "{3}", format (arg3));
-  return output;
-}
-
-////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-const std::string format (
-  const std::string& fmt,
-  int arg1,
-  int arg2,
-  int arg3,
-  int arg4)
-{
-  std::string output = fmt;
-  replace_positional (output, "{1}", format (arg1));
-  replace_positional (output, "{2}", format (arg2));
-  replace_positional (output, "{3}", format (arg3));
-  replace_positional (output, "{4}", format (arg4));
-  return output;
-}
-
-////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-const std::string format (
-  const std::string& fmt,
-  int arg1,
-  double arg2)
-{
-  std::string output = fmt;
-  replace_positional (output, "{1}", format (arg1));
-  replace_positional (output, "{2}", trim (format (arg2, 6, 3)));
-  return output;
-}
-
-////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-const std::string format (
-  const std::string& fmt,
-  const std::string& arg1,
-  const std::string& arg2,
-  const std::string& arg3)
-{
-  std::string output = fmt;
-  replace_positional (output, "{1}", arg1);
-  replace_positional (output, "{2}", arg2);
-  replace_positional (output, "{3}", arg3);
-  return output;
-}
-
-////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-const std::string format (
-  const std::string& fmt,
-  const std::string& arg1,
-  const std::string& arg2,
-  const std::string& arg3,
-  const std::string& arg4)
-{
-  std::string output = fmt;
-  replace_positional (output, "{1}", arg1);
-  replace_positional (output, "{2}", arg2);
-  replace_positional (output, "{3}", arg3);
-  replace_positional (output, "{4}", arg4);
-  return output;
-}
-
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 std::string leftJustify (const int input, const int width)
 {
diff --git a/src/text.h b/src/text.h
index b0f79f780..12fcd23be 100644
--- a/src/text.h
+++ b/src/text.h
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 #define INCLUDED_TEXT
 
 #include <set>
+#include <sstream>
 #include <string>
 #include <vector>
 
@@ -58,27 +59,39 @@ std::string::size_type find (const std::string&, const std::string&, bool sensit
 std::string::size_type find (const std::string&, const std::string&, std::string::size_type, bool sensitive = true);
 int strippedLength (const std::string&);
 const std::string obfuscateText (const std::string&);
+const std::string format (std::string&);
+const std::string format (const char*);
 const std::string format (char);
 const std::string format (int);
+const std::string format (unsigned int);
+const std::string format (long);
+const std::string format (unsigned long);
 const std::string formatHex (int);
 const std::string format (float, int, int);
 const std::string format (double, int, int);
 const std::string format (double);
-const std::string format (const std::string&, const std::string&);
-const std::string format (const std::string&, int);
-const std::string format (const std::string&, const std::string&, const std::string&);
-const std::string format (const std::string&, const std::string&, int);
-const std::string format (const std::string&, const std::string&, double);
-const std::string format (const std::string&, int, int, const std::string&);
-const std::string format (const std::string&, int, const std::string&);
-const std::string format (const std::string&, int, const std::string&, const std::string&);
-const std::string format (const std::string&, int, const std::string&, const std::string&, const std::string&);
-const std::string format (const std::string&, int, int);
-const std::string format (const std::string&, int, int, int);
-const std::string format (const std::string&, int, int, int, int);
-const std::string format (const std::string&, int, double);
-const std::string format (const std::string&, const std::string&, const std::string&, const std::string&);
-const std::string format (const std::string&, const std::string&, const std::string&, const std::string&, const std::string&);
+void replace_positional (std::string&, const std::string&, const std::string&);
+
+template<typename T>
+const std::string format (int fmt_num, const std::string& fmt, T arg)
+{
+    std::string output = fmt;
+    replace_positional (output, "{" + std::to_string(fmt_num) + "}", format (arg));
+    return output;
+}
+
+template<typename T, typename... Args>
+const std::string format (int fmt_num, const std::string& fmt, T arg, Args... args)
+{
+    const std::string fmt_replaced (format (fmt_num, fmt, arg));
+    return format (fmt_num+1, fmt_replaced, args...);
+}
+
+template<typename... Args>
+const std::string format (const std::string& fmt, Args... args)
+{
+    return format (1, fmt, args...);
+}
 
 std::string leftJustify (const int, const int);
 std::string leftJustify (const std::string&, const int);