diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 0a71337e..0953200c 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 - im_filename_suffix() includes "." in suffix
 - merge back into trunk for 7.15.1
 - remove im_ispng(), im_png2vips_header() etc. & friends
+- add "vips --list formats"
 
 7/3/08 started 7.15.0
 - MAGIC constants should be tagged as unsigned
diff --git a/TODO b/TODO
index 628c4523..ebbf1d4d 100644
--- a/TODO
+++ b/TODO
@@ -1,6 +1,4 @@
-- check man pages for im_isjpeg(), im_jpeg2vips_header() etc.
-
-- write man pages for im_format api
+- needs docs in vips manual for format stuff I guess
 
 - operations and jesper's types should all use the new register/unregister
   model
@@ -11,10 +9,20 @@
   have new structs with new fields under new names? eg. jesper wants something 
   to write to a string
 
+  though we have to pass (almost) the same structs to UIs argh and we can't
+  change them
+
+  jesper wants to add another field to im_type_desc ... so, keep im_type_desc
+  as is and define a new struct im_type_t with the extra fields
+
+  when we load a package, call im_type_register with the known fields
+
   check other use cases eg. nip2, python, c++, vips.c
 
-- add new type names, eg. im_region_t, im_image_t etc. and deprecate old
-  names?
+  reread the plugin section in the vipsmanual and think about compat
+
+
+- junk package system?
 
 
 
@@ -25,19 +33,6 @@
   null for success, or errormsg
 
 
-- something in vips.c to list the available formats, like 
-
-	vips --list packages
-
-  perhaps
-
-	vips --list formats
-
-- add API to add operations and formats, can be used by plugins in module init
-  to register stuff
-
-- deprecate the current plugin init system
-
 - more cleanups to the handling of vips format images, esp. we have vips write
   spread across many files atm
 
@@ -51,6 +46,11 @@
   should im_format become im_format_t? what's the current naming convention?
   should be add _t variants for all types?
 
+  add new type names, eg. im_region_t, im_image_t etc. and deprecate old
+  names?
+
+  sigh or maybe VipsRegion, VipsImage
+
 
 
 - when we open with a mmap window and later do im_incheck(), do we remap the
diff --git a/src/iofuncs/vips.c b/src/iofuncs/vips.c
index 62bf60fa..767e76c9 100644
--- a/src/iofuncs/vips.c
+++ b/src/iofuncs/vips.c
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@
  * 	- add --list packages
  * 26/2/07
  * 	- add input *VEC arg types to C++ binding
+ * 17/8/08
+ * 	- add --list formats
  */
 
 /*
@@ -148,7 +150,7 @@ map_name( const char *name, map_name_fn fn )
 static void *
 list_package( im_package *pack )
 {
-	printf( "%-18s - %d operations\n", pack->name, pack->nfuncs );
+	printf( "%-20s - %d operations\n", pack->name, pack->nfuncs );
 	
 	return( NULL );
 }
@@ -156,7 +158,37 @@ list_package( im_package *pack )
 static void *
 list_function( im_function *func )
 {
-	printf( "%-18s - %s\n", func->name, _( func->desc ) );
+	printf( "%-20s - %s\n", func->name, _( func->desc ) );
+	
+	return( NULL );
+}
+
+static void *
+list_format( im_format_t *format )
+{
+	const char **p;
+
+	printf( "%-20s - ", format->name_user );
+
+	printf( "(" );
+	for( p = format->suffs; *p; p++ ) {
+		printf( "%s", *p );
+		if( p[1] )
+			printf( ", " );
+	}
+	printf( ") " );
+
+	if( format->is_a )
+		printf( "is_a " );
+	if( format->header )
+		printf( "header " );
+	if( format->load )
+		printf( "load " );
+	if( format->save )
+		printf( "save " );
+	if( format->flags )
+		printf( "flags " );
+	printf( "\n" );
 	
 	return( NULL );
 }
@@ -166,6 +198,8 @@ print_list( const char *name )
 {
 	if( strcmp( name, "packages" ) == 0 ) 
 		im_map_packages( (VSListMap2Fn) list_package, NULL );
+	else if( strcmp( name, "formats" ) == 0 ) 
+		im_format_map( (VSListMap2Fn) list_format, NULL, NULL );
 	else {
 		if( map_name( name, list_function ) )
 			error_exit( "unknown package \"%s\"", name );