diff --git a/include/fmt/core.h b/include/fmt/core.h
index 92797da3..a8a33c10 100644
--- a/include/fmt/core.h
+++ b/include/fmt/core.h
@@ -568,8 +568,8 @@ class value {
   // iostreams.
   template <typename T>
   void set_pointer(T *p) {
-    using type = typename std::remove_const<T>::type;
-    static_assert(std::is_same<type, void>::value,
+    using nonconst_type = typename std::remove_const<T>::type;
+    static_assert(std::is_same<nonconst_type, void>::value,
                   "formatting of non-void pointers is disallowed");
     set<POINTER>(pointer, p);
   }
@@ -583,7 +583,7 @@ class value {
     typename Context::template formatter_type<T> f;
     auto &&parse_ctx = ctx.parse_context();
     parse_ctx.advance_to(f.parse(parse_ctx));
-    f.format(*static_cast<const T*>(arg), ctx);
+    ctx.advance_to(f.format(*static_cast<const T*>(arg), ctx));
   }
 };
 
@@ -710,6 +710,7 @@ inline typename std::enable_if<!IS_PACKED, basic_arg<Context>>::type
   return make_arg<Context>(value);
 }
 
+// A map from argument names to their values for named arguments.
 template <typename Context>
 class arg_map {
  private:
@@ -748,9 +749,13 @@ class arg_map {
 
 template <typename Range, typename Context>
 class context_base {
+ public:
+  using iterator = decltype(std::declval<Range>().begin());
+
  private:
   basic_parse_context<typename Range::value_type> parse_context_;
   Range range_;
+  iterator out_;
   basic_format_args<Context> args_;
 
  protected:
@@ -790,6 +795,12 @@ class context_base {
   void on_error(const char *message) { parse_context_.on_error(message); }
 
   Range range() { return range_; }
+
+  // Returns an iterator to the beginning of the output range.
+  iterator begin() { return out_; }
+
+  // Advances the begin iterator to ``it``.
+  void advance_to(iterator it) { out_ = it; }
 };
 
 // A range that can grow dynamically.
@@ -833,6 +844,8 @@ class basic_context :
   template <typename T>
   using formatter_type = formatter<T, char_type>;
 
+  using range_type = Range;
+
  private:
   internal::arg_map<basic_context> map_;
 
@@ -843,6 +856,8 @@ class basic_context :
   using base::get_arg;
 
  public:
+  using typename base::iterator;
+
   /**
    \rst
    Constructs a ``basic_context`` object. References to the arguments are
@@ -858,7 +873,7 @@ class basic_context :
   }
   format_arg get_arg(unsigned arg_id) { return this->do_get_arg(arg_id); }
 
-  // Checks if manual indexing is used and returns the argument with
+  // Checks if manual indexing is used and returns the argument with the
   // specified name.
   format_arg get_arg(basic_string_view<char_type> name);
 };
@@ -878,7 +893,7 @@ class arg_store {
     IS_PACKED, internal::value<Context>, basic_arg<Context>>::type;
 
   // If the arguments are not packed, add one more element to mark the end.
-  value_type data_[NUM_ARGS + (IS_PACKED ? 0 : 1)];
+  value_type data_[NUM_ARGS + (IS_PACKED && NUM_ARGS != 0 ? 0 : 1)];
 
  public:
   static const uint64_t TYPES = IS_PACKED ?
@@ -984,6 +999,8 @@ struct named_arg_base {
   // Serialized value<context>.
   mutable char data[sizeof(basic_arg<context>)];
 
+  named_arg_base(basic_string_view<Char> name) : name(name) {}
+
   template <typename Context>
   basic_arg<Context> deserialize() const {
     basic_arg<Context> arg;
@@ -997,7 +1014,7 @@ struct named_arg : named_arg_base<Char> {
   const T &value;
 
   named_arg(basic_string_view<Char> name, const T &val)
-    : named_arg_base<Char>{name}, value(val) {}
+    : named_arg_base<Char>(name), value(val) {}
 };
 }
 
diff --git a/include/fmt/format.h b/include/fmt/format.h
index f78294cc..47149cde 100644
--- a/include/fmt/format.h
+++ b/include/fmt/format.h
@@ -2789,14 +2789,16 @@ struct formatter<
     return pointer_from(it);
   }
 
-  template <typename Range>
-  void format(const T &val, basic_context<Range> &ctx) {
+  template <typename FormatContext>
+  typename FormatContext::iterator format(const T &val, FormatContext &ctx) {
     internal::handle_dynamic_spec<internal::width_checker>(
       specs_.width_, specs_.width_ref, ctx);
     internal::handle_dynamic_spec<internal::precision_checker>(
       specs_.precision_, specs_.precision_ref, ctx);
-    visit(arg_formatter<Range>(ctx.range(), ctx, specs_),
-          internal::make_arg<basic_context<Range>>(val));
+    using range = typename FormatContext::range_type;
+    visit(arg_formatter<range>(ctx.range(), ctx, specs_),
+          internal::make_arg<FormatContext>(val));
+    return ctx.begin();
   }
 
  private:
@@ -2834,8 +2836,8 @@ struct dynamic_formatter {
     return pointer_from(it);
   }
 
-  template <typename Range, typename T>
-  void format(const T &val, basic_context<Range> &ctx) {
+  template <typename T, typename FormatContext>
+  auto format(const T &val, FormatContext &ctx) -> decltype(ctx.begin()) {
     handle_specs(ctx);
     struct null_handler : internal::error_handler {
       void on_align(alignment) {}
@@ -2861,8 +2863,10 @@ struct dynamic_formatter {
     }
     if (specs_.precision_ != -1)
       checker.end_precision();
-    visit(arg_formatter<Range>(ctx.range(), ctx, specs_),
-          internal::make_arg<basic_context<Range>>(val));
+    using range = typename FormatContext::range_type;
+    visit(arg_formatter<range>(ctx.range(), ctx, specs_),
+          internal::make_arg<FormatContext>(val));
+    return ctx.begin();
   }
 
  private:
diff --git a/include/fmt/ostream.h b/include/fmt/ostream.h
index 72b28a6f..6ed59801 100644
--- a/include/fmt/ostream.h
+++ b/include/fmt/ostream.h
@@ -103,11 +103,12 @@ struct formatter<T, Char,
     : formatter<basic_string_view<Char>, Char> {
 
   template <typename Context>
-  void format(const T &value, Context &ctx) {
+  auto format(const T &value, Context &ctx) -> decltype(ctx.begin()) {
     basic_memory_buffer<Char> buffer;
     internal::format_value(buffer, value);
     basic_string_view<Char> str(buffer.data(), buffer.size());
     formatter<basic_string_view<Char>, Char>::format(str, ctx);
+    return ctx.begin();
   }
 };
 
diff --git a/include/fmt/printf.h b/include/fmt/printf.h
index 24019082..eadcabea 100644
--- a/include/fmt/printf.h
+++ b/include/fmt/printf.h
@@ -285,11 +285,12 @@ class printf_arg_formatter : public internal::arg_formatter_base<Range> {
 template <typename T>
 struct printf_formatter {
   template <typename ParseContext>
-  auto parse(ParseContext& ctx) { return ctx.begin(); }
+  auto parse(ParseContext &ctx) { return ctx.begin(); }
 
-  template <typename Range>
-  void format(const T &value, basic_printf_context<Range> &ctx) {
+  template <typename FormatContext>
+  auto format(const T &value, FormatContext &ctx) -> decltype(ctx.begin()) {
     internal::format_value(ctx.range().container(), value);
+    return ctx.begin();
   }
 };
 
@@ -306,8 +307,8 @@ class basic_printf_context :
   using formatter_type = printf_formatter<T>;
 
  private:
-  typedef internal::context_base<Range, basic_printf_context> Base;
-  using format_arg = typename Base::format_arg;
+  using base = internal::context_base<Range, basic_printf_context>;
+  using format_arg = typename base::format_arg;
   using format_specs = basic_format_specs<char_type>;
   using iterator = internal::null_terminating_iterator<char_type>;
 
@@ -332,10 +333,12 @@ class basic_printf_context :
    */
   basic_printf_context(Range range, basic_string_view<char_type> format_str,
                        basic_format_args<basic_printf_context> args)
-    : Base(range, format_str, args) {}
+    : base(range, format_str, args) {}
 
-  using Base::parse_context;
-  using Base::range;
+  using base::parse_context;
+  using base::range;
+  using base::begin;
+  using base::advance_to;
 
   /** Formats stored arguments and writes the output to the range. */
   FMT_API void format();
@@ -374,7 +377,7 @@ typename basic_printf_context<Range, AF>::format_arg
   (void)it;
   if (arg_index == std::numeric_limits<unsigned>::max())
     return this->do_get_arg(this->parse_context().next_arg_id());
-  return Base::get_arg(arg_index - 1);
+  return base::get_arg(arg_index - 1);
 }
 
 template <typename Range, typename AF>
diff --git a/include/fmt/time.h b/include/fmt/time.h
index f0faca46..12d9bd3a 100644
--- a/include/fmt/time.h
+++ b/include/fmt/time.h
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ struct formatter<std::tm> {
     return pointer_from(end);
   }
 
-  void format(const std::tm &tm, context &ctx) {
+  auto format(const std::tm &tm, context &ctx) -> decltype(ctx.begin()) {
     buffer &buf = ctx.range().container();
     std::size_t start = buf.size();
     for (;;) {
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ struct formatter<std::tm> {
       const std::size_t MIN_GROWTH = 10;
       buf.reserve(buf.capacity() + (size > MIN_GROWTH ? size : MIN_GROWTH));
     }
+    return ctx.begin();
   }
 
   memory_buffer tm_format;
diff --git a/test/format-test.cc b/test/format-test.cc
index f728faeb..6296ad61 100644
--- a/test/format-test.cc
+++ b/test/format-test.cc
@@ -1223,8 +1223,9 @@ struct formatter<Date> {
     return it;
   }
 
-  void format(const Date &d, context &ctx) {
+  auto format(const Date &d, context &ctx) {
     format_range(ctx.range(), "{}-{}-{}", d.year(), d.month(), d.day());
+    return ctx.begin();
   }
 };
 }
@@ -1240,8 +1241,8 @@ class Answer {};
 namespace fmt {
 template <>
 struct formatter<Answer> : formatter<int> {
-  void format(Answer, fmt::context &ctx) {
-    formatter<int>::format(42, ctx);
+  auto format(Answer, fmt::context &ctx) {
+    return formatter<int>::format(42, ctx);
   }
 };
 }
@@ -1534,11 +1535,10 @@ struct variant {
 namespace fmt {
 template <>
 struct formatter<variant> : dynamic_formatter<> {
-  void format(variant value, context& ctx) {
+  auto format(variant value, context& ctx) {
     if (value.type == variant::INT)
-      dynamic_formatter::format(42, ctx);
-    else
-      dynamic_formatter::format("foo", ctx);
+      return dynamic_formatter::format(42, ctx);
+    return dynamic_formatter::format("foo", ctx);
   }
 };
 }
diff --git a/test/util-test.cc b/test/util-test.cc
index 90904868..d23107ab 100644
--- a/test/util-test.cc
+++ b/test/util-test.cc
@@ -83,9 +83,9 @@ struct formatter<Test, Char> {
 
   using range = fmt::internal::dynamic_range<basic_buffer<Char>>;
 
-  void format(Test, basic_context<range> &ctx) {
+  auto format(Test, basic_context<range> &ctx) -> decltype(ctx.begin()) {
     const Char *test = "test";
-    ctx.range().container().append(test, test + std::strlen(test));
+    return std::copy_n(test, std::strlen(test), ctx.begin());
   }
 };
 }
@@ -434,7 +434,7 @@ TEST(UtilTest, FormatArgs) {
   EXPECT_FALSE(args[1]);
 }
 
-struct CustomContext {
+struct custom_context {
   using char_type = char;
 
   template <typename T>
@@ -444,20 +444,22 @@ struct CustomContext {
       return ctx.begin();
     }
 
-    void format(const T &, CustomContext& ctx) {
+    const char *format(const T &, custom_context& ctx) {
       ctx.called = true;
+      return 0;
     }
   };
 
   bool called;
 
   fmt::parse_context parse_context() { return fmt::parse_context(""); }
+  void advance_to(const char *) {}
 };
 
 TEST(UtilTest, MakeValueWithCustomFormatter) {
   ::Test t;
-  fmt::internal::value<CustomContext> arg(t);
-  CustomContext ctx = {false};
+  fmt::internal::value<custom_context> arg(t);
+  custom_context ctx = {false};
   arg.custom.format(&t, ctx);
   EXPECT_TRUE(ctx.called);
 }