diff --git a/heatclient/common/format_utils.py b/heatclient/common/format_utils.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2b02fc93
--- /dev/null
+++ b/heatclient/common/format_utils.py
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+#   Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may
+#   not use this file except in compliance with the License. You may obtain
+#   a copy of the License at
+#
+#        http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+#   Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+#   distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT
+#   WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the
+#   License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations
+#   under the License.
+#
+#   Copyright 2015 IBM Corp.
+
+from cliff import show
+
+
+class RawFormat(show.ShowOne):
+
+    def produce_output(self, parsed_args, column_names, data):
+        if data is None:
+            return
+
+        self.formatter.emit_one(column_names, data,
+                                self.app.stdout, parsed_args)
+
+
+class JsonFormat(RawFormat):
+
+    @property
+    def formatter_default(self):
+        return 'json'
+
+
+class YamlFormat(RawFormat):
+
+    @property
+    def formatter_default(self):
+        return 'yaml'
+
+
+class ShellFormat(RawFormat):
+
+    @property
+    def formatter_default(self):
+        return 'shell'
+
+
+class ValueFormat(RawFormat):
+
+    @property
+    def formatter_default(self):
+        return 'value'
diff --git a/heatclient/tests/unit/test_format_utils.py b/heatclient/tests/unit/test_format_utils.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8e948ce2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/heatclient/tests/unit/test_format_utils.py
@@ -0,0 +1,91 @@
+#   Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may
+#   not use this file except in compliance with the License. You may obtain
+#   a copy of the License at
+#
+#        http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+#   Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+#   distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT
+#   WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the
+#   License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations
+#   under the License.
+#
+#   Copyright 2015 IBM Corp.
+
+import json
+import yaml
+
+from heatclient.common import format_utils
+from heatclient.tests.unit.osc import utils
+
+
+columns = ['col1', 'col2', 'col3']
+data = ['abcde', ['fg', 'hi', 'jk'], {'lmnop': 'qrstu'}]
+
+
+class ShowJson(format_utils.JsonFormat):
+    def take_action(self, parsed_args):
+        return columns, data
+
+
+class ShowYaml(format_utils.YamlFormat):
+    def take_action(self, parsed_args):
+        return columns, data
+
+
+class ShowShell(format_utils.ShellFormat):
+    def take_action(self, parsed_args):
+        return columns, data
+
+
+class ShowValue(format_utils.ValueFormat):
+    def take_action(self, parsed_args):
+        return columns, data
+
+
+class TestFormats(utils.TestCommand):
+
+    def test_json_format(self):
+        self.cmd = ShowJson(self.app, None)
+        parsed_args = self.check_parser(self.cmd, [], [])
+        expected = json.dumps(dict(zip(columns, data)), indent=2)
+
+        self.cmd.run(parsed_args)
+
+        self.assertEqual(expected, self.app.stdout.make_string())
+
+    def test_yaml_format(self):
+        self.cmd = ShowYaml(self.app, None)
+        parsed_args = self.check_parser(self.cmd, [], [])
+        expected = yaml.safe_dump(dict(zip(columns, data)),
+                                  default_flow_style=False)
+
+        self.cmd.run(parsed_args)
+
+        self.assertEqual(expected, self.app.stdout.make_string())
+
+    def test_shell_format(self):
+        self.cmd = ShowShell(self.app, None)
+        parsed_args = self.check_parser(self.cmd, [], [])
+        expected = '''\
+col1="abcde"
+col2="['fg', 'hi', 'jk']"
+col3="{'lmnop': 'qrstu'}"
+'''
+
+        self.cmd.run(parsed_args)
+
+        self.assertEqual(expected, self.app.stdout.make_string())
+
+    def test_value_format(self):
+        self.cmd = ShowValue(self.app, None)
+        parsed_args = self.check_parser(self.cmd, [], [])
+        expected = '''\
+abcde
+['fg', 'hi', 'jk']
+{'lmnop': 'qrstu'}
+'''
+
+        self.cmd.run(parsed_args)
+
+        self.assertEqual(expected, self.app.stdout.make_string())