diff --git a/lib/date_format.js b/lib/date_format.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..32fa13c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/date_format.js
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+exports.ISO8601_FORMAT = "yyyy-MM-dd hh:mm:ss.SSS";
+exports.ISO8601_WITH_TZ_OFFSET_FORMAT = "yyyy-MM-ddThh:mm:ssO";
+exports.DATETIME_FORMAT = "dd MM yyyy hh:mm:ss.SSS";
+exports.ABSOLUTETIME_FORMAT = "hh:mm:ss.SSS";
+
+exports.asString = function(/*format,*/ date) {
+    var format = exports.ISO8601_FORMAT;
+    if (typeof(date) === "string") {
+        format = arguments[0];
+        date = arguments[1];
+    }
+
+    var vDay = addZero(date.getDate());
+    var vMonth = addZero(date.getMonth()+1);
+    var vYearLong = addZero(date.getFullYear());
+    var vYearShort = addZero(date.getFullYear().toString().substring(3,4));
+    var vYear = (format.indexOf("yyyy") > -1 ? vYearLong : vYearShort);
+    var vHour  = addZero(date.getHours());
+    var vMinute = addZero(date.getMinutes());
+    var vSecond = addZero(date.getSeconds());
+    var vMillisecond = padWithZeros(date.getMilliseconds(), 3);
+    var vTimeZone = offset(date);
+    var formatted = format
+                      .replace(/dd/g, vDay)
+                      .replace(/MM/g, vMonth)
+                      .replace(/y{1,4}/g, vYear)
+                      .replace(/hh/g, vHour)
+                      .replace(/mm/g, vMinute)
+                      .replace(/ss/g, vSecond)
+                      .replace(/SSS/g, vMillisecond)
+                      .replace(/O/g, vTimeZone);
+    return formatted;
+
+    function padWithZeros(vNumber, width) {
+	var numAsString = vNumber + "";
+	while (numAsString.length < width) {
+	    numAsString = "0" + numAsString;
+	}
+	return numAsString;
+    }
+
+    function addZero(vNumber) {
+	return padWithZeros(vNumber, 2);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Formats the TimeOffest
+     * Thanks to http://www.svendtofte.com/code/date_format/
+     * @private
+     */
+    function offset(date) {
+	// Difference to Greenwich time (GMT) in hours
+	var os = Math.abs(date.getTimezoneOffset());
+	var h = String(Math.floor(os/60));
+	var m = String(os%60);
+	h.length == 1? h = "0"+h:1;
+	m.length == 1? m = "0"+m:1;
+	return date.getTimezoneOffset() < 0 ? "+"+h+m : "-"+h+m;
+    }
+};
diff --git a/test/date_format.js b/test/date_format.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d7a6b82
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/date_format.js
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+var vows = require('vows')
+, assert = require('assert')
+, dateFormat = require('../lib/date_format');
+
+vows.describe('date_format').addBatch({
+    'Date extensions': {
+        topic: function() {
+            return new Date(2010, 0, 11, 14, 31, 30, 5);
+        },
+        'should format a date as string using a pattern': function(date) {
+            assert.equal(
+                dateFormat.asString(dateFormat.DATETIME_FORMAT, date),
+                "11 01 2010 14:31:30.005"
+            );
+        },
+        'should default to the ISO8601 format': function(date) {
+            assert.equal(
+                dateFormat.asString(date),
+                '2010-01-11 14:31:30.005'
+            );
+        }
+    }
+}).export(module);