diff --git a/bshell.runtime/format/format.c b/bshell.runtime/format/format.c
index ae56da4..e94d480 100644
--- a/bshell.runtime/format/format.c
+++ b/bshell.runtime/format/format.c
@@ -21,17 +21,10 @@ static void format_value_fallback(const fx_value *value, fx_stream *dest)
 
 enum bshell_status format_value_default(const fx_value *value, fx_stream *dest)
 {
-	if (fx_type_is_value_type(value->v_type)) {
-		format_value_fallback(value, dest);
-		return BSHELL_SUCCESS;
-	}
-
-	fx_object *object = NULL;
-	fx_value_get_object(value, &object);
-	enum bshell_status status = format_object_table(object, dest);
-	if (status != BSHELL_SUCCESS) {
-		format_value_fallback(value, dest);
-	}
+	struct bshell_value_writer writer;
+	bshell_value_writer_init(&writer, dest);
+	bshell_value_writer_write(&writer, value);
+	bshell_value_writer_cleanup(&writer);
 
 	return BSHELL_SUCCESS;
 }
diff --git a/bshell.runtime/format/value-writer.c b/bshell.runtime/format/value-writer.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b626779
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bshell.runtime/format/value-writer.c
@@ -0,0 +1,85 @@
+#include <bshell/format.h>
+#include <fx/collections/array.h>
+#include <fx/string.h>
+#include <fx/type.h>
+#include <fx/value-type.h>
+
+static void initialise_table(
+	struct bshell_value_writer *w,
+	const fx_value *first_record)
+{
+	bshell_table_ctx_init(&w->w_table_ctx, w->w_dest);
+	const fx_type *ty = fx_type_get_by_id(first_record->v_type);
+	bshell_table_ctx_prepare_columns_from_format(&w->w_table_ctx, ty, NULL);
+	bshell_table_ctx_print_headers(&w->w_table_ctx);
+	w->w_table_initialised = true;
+}
+
+static void write_iterable(struct bshell_value_writer *w, const fx_value *value)
+{
+	fx_array *array = NULL;
+	fx_value_get_object(value, &array);
+
+	const fx_iterator *it = fx_iterator_begin(array);
+	fx_foreach(v, it)
+	{
+		bshell_value_writer_write(w, v);
+	}
+	fx_iterator_unref(it);
+}
+
+static void write_string(struct bshell_value_writer *w, const fx_value *value)
+{
+	const char *str = NULL;
+	fx_value_get_cstr(value, &str);
+	fx_stream_write_cstr(w->w_dest, str, NULL);
+	fx_stream_write_char(w->w_dest, '\n');
+}
+
+static void write_value(struct bshell_value_writer *w, const fx_value *value)
+{
+	const fx_type *ty = fx_type_get_by_id(value->v_type);
+	if (fx_value_is_type(value, FX_TYPE_STRING)) {
+		write_string(w, value);
+		return;
+	}
+
+	if (fx_type_get_interface(ty, FX_TYPE_ITERABLE)) {
+		write_iterable(w, value);
+		return;
+	}
+
+	if (fx_type_is_value_type(value->v_type)) {
+		fx_value_to_string(value, w->w_dest, NULL);
+		fx_stream_write_char(w->w_dest, '\n');
+		return;
+	}
+
+	if (!w->w_table_initialised) {
+		initialise_table(w, value);
+	}
+
+	bshell_table_ctx_print_record(&w->w_table_ctx, value);
+}
+
+void bshell_value_writer_init(struct bshell_value_writer *w, fx_stream *dest)
+{
+	memset(w, 0x00, sizeof *w);
+	w->w_dest = dest;
+}
+
+void bshell_value_writer_write(
+	struct bshell_value_writer *w,
+	const fx_value *value)
+{
+	write_value(w, value);
+}
+
+void bshell_value_writer_cleanup(struct bshell_value_writer *w)
+{
+	if (w->w_table_initialised) {
+		bshell_table_ctx_cleanup(&w->w_table_ctx);
+	}
+
+	w->w_table_initialised = false;
+}
diff --git a/bshell.runtime/include/bshell/format.h b/bshell.runtime/include/bshell/format.h
index 929eca0..bb450f2 100644
--- a/bshell.runtime/include/bshell/format.h
+++ b/bshell.runtime/include/bshell/format.h
@@ -47,6 +47,12 @@ struct bshell_table_ctx {
 	fx_stream *ctx_out;
 };
 
+struct bshell_value_writer {
+	struct bshell_table_ctx w_table_ctx;
+	bool w_table_initialised;
+	fx_stream *w_dest;
+};
+
 extern enum bshell_status bshell_table_init(void);
 extern const struct bshell_table *bshell_table_get_for_type(const fx_type *ty);
 extern enum bshell_status format_object_table(
@@ -74,4 +80,12 @@ extern enum bshell_status bshell_table_ctx_print_record(
 	struct bshell_table_ctx *ctx,
 	const fx_value *record);
 
+extern void bshell_value_writer_init(
+	struct bshell_value_writer *w,
+	fx_stream *dest);
+extern void bshell_value_writer_write(
+	struct bshell_value_writer *w,
+	const fx_value *value);
+extern void bshell_value_writer_cleanup(struct bshell_value_writer *w);
+
 #endif
diff --git a/bshell.runtime/include/bshell/runtime/runtime.h b/bshell.runtime/include/bshell/runtime/runtime.h
index 16c6284..1bb6aee 100644
--- a/bshell.runtime/include/bshell/runtime/runtime.h
+++ b/bshell.runtime/include/bshell/runtime/runtime.h
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 
 #include <bshell/command/command.h>
 #include <bshell/command/function.h>
+#include <bshell/format.h>
 #include <bshell/runtime/script-block.h>
 #include <bshell/runtime/var.h>
 #include <fx/collections/hashtable.h>
@@ -15,6 +16,7 @@ struct bshell_runtime {
 	struct bshell_runtime_scope *rt_global;
 	fx_hashtable *rt_aliases;
 	fx_queue rt_scope;
+	struct bshell_value_writer rt_writer;
 };
 
 extern struct bshell_runtime *bshell_runtime_create(void);
@@ -53,4 +55,10 @@ extern struct bshell_runtime_scope *bshell_runtime_get_parent_scope(
 	struct bshell_runtime *rt,
 	struct bshell_runtime_scope *scope);
 
+extern void bshell_runtime_begin_output(struct bshell_runtime *rt);
+extern void bshell_runtime_output_value(
+	struct bshell_runtime *rt,
+	const fx_value *value);
+extern void bshell_runtime_end_output(struct bshell_runtime *rt);
+
 #endif
diff --git a/bshell.runtime/runtime/eval.c b/bshell.runtime/runtime/eval.c
index 7415cbb..d10b707 100644
--- a/bshell.runtime/runtime/eval.c
+++ b/bshell.runtime/runtime/eval.c
@@ -353,10 +353,8 @@ static enum bshell_status eval_instruction(
 		}
 
 		int end_of_data = 0;
-		bool columns_initialised = false;
 		fx_value record = FX_VALUE_EMPTY;
-		struct bshell_table_ctx table_ctx;
-		bshell_table_ctx_init(&table_ctx, fx_stdout);
+		bshell_runtime_begin_output(rt);
 		while (1) {
 			bstatus = bshell_pipeline_pump_record(
 				pipeline,
@@ -371,22 +369,11 @@ static enum bshell_status eval_instruction(
 				continue;
 			}
 
-			if (!columns_initialised) {
-				const fx_type *ty
-					= fx_type_get_by_id(record.v_type);
-				bshell_table_ctx_prepare_columns_from_format(
-					&table_ctx,
-					ty,
-					NULL);
-				bshell_table_ctx_print_headers(&table_ctx);
-				columns_initialised = true;
-			}
-
-			bshell_table_ctx_print_record(&table_ctx, &record);
+			bshell_runtime_output_value(rt, &record);
 			fx_value_unset(&record);
 		}
 
-		bshell_table_ctx_cleanup(&table_ctx);
+		bshell_runtime_end_output(rt);
 		bshell_pipeline_unref(pipeline);
 		break;
 	}
diff --git a/bshell.runtime/runtime/output.c b/bshell.runtime/runtime/output.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b0b8c2a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bshell.runtime/runtime/output.c
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+#include <bshell/runtime/runtime.h>
+#include <fx/type.h>
+#include <fx/value-type.h>
+
+void bshell_runtime_begin_output(struct bshell_runtime *rt)
+{
+	bshell_value_writer_init(&rt->rt_writer, fx_stdout);
+}
+
+void bshell_runtime_output_value(
+	struct bshell_runtime *rt,
+	const fx_value *value)
+{
+	bshell_value_writer_write(&rt->rt_writer, value);
+}
+
+void bshell_runtime_end_output(struct bshell_runtime *rt)
+{
+	bshell_value_writer_cleanup(&rt->rt_writer);
+}