A single Time_Image routine that takes a bunch of formatting parameters is quite nice because you can just declare your own, with your own preferred parameters, as a renaming. eg function RFC822_Date(Time : Ada.Calendar.Time Date_Format : ... := ... Date_Separator : Character := '/'; Day_Of_Week_Format : ... := ... ... ) return String renames Time_Image; and then Ada.Text_IO.Put_Line(RFC822_Date(Now)); * See smplsrvr on www.adapower.com for an example