diff --git a/externals/coda-oss/modules/c++/net/include/net/URL.h b/externals/coda-oss/modules/c++/net/include/net/URL.h
index ea9b4f8fe7..60e914e795 100644
--- a/externals/coda-oss/modules/c++/net/include/net/URL.h
+++ b/externals/coda-oss/modules/c++/net/include/net/URL.h
@@ -113,6 +113,13 @@ class URL
     std::string mFragment;
 
 };
+
+inline std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& os, const URL& url)
+{
+   os << url.toString();
+   return os;
+}
+
 }
 #endif
 
diff --git a/externals/coda-oss/modules/c++/str/include/str/Format.h b/externals/coda-oss/modules/c++/str/include/str/Format.h
index 20df7a024c..3ecb9e81a9 100644
--- a/externals/coda-oss/modules/c++/str/include/str/Format.h
+++ b/externals/coda-oss/modules/c++/str/include/str/Format.h
@@ -35,18 +35,8 @@
 
 namespace str
 {
-struct CODA_OSS_API Format final
-{
-    Format(const char* format, ...);
-
-    operator std::string() const
-    {
-        return mString;
-    }
-
-private:
-    std::string mString;
-};
+    CODA_OSS_API std::string Format(const char* format, ...);
+}
 
 /*!
  *  \param format  The format
@@ -54,89 +44,125 @@ struct CODA_OSS_API Format final
  */
 //CODA_OSS_API std::string format(const char* format, ...);
 
-inline std::string format(const char* format)
+inline auto FmtX(const char* format)
 {
-    return Format(format);
+    return str::Format(format);
 }
 
-inline std::string format(const char* format, const char* pStr)
+inline auto FmtX(const char* format, const char* pStr)
+{
+    return str::Format(format, pStr);
+}
+inline auto FmtX(const char* format, const std::string& s)
 {
-    return Format(format, pStr);
+    return str::Format(format, s.c_str());
 }
-inline std::string format(const char* format, const std::string& s)
+inline auto FmtX(const char* format, int i)
 {
-    return Format(format, s.c_str());
+    return str::Format(format, i);
 }
-inline std::string format(const char* format, int i)
+inline auto FmtX(const char* format, uint32_t i)
 {
-    return Format(format, i);
+    return str::Format(format, i);
 }
-inline std::string format(const char* format, uint32_t i)
+inline auto FmtX(const char* format, ptrdiff_t l)
 {
-    return Format(format, i);
+    return str::Format(format, l);
 }
-inline std::string format(const char* format, ptrdiff_t l)
+inline auto FmtX(const char* format, size_t ul)
 {
-    return Format(format, l);
+    return str::Format(format, ul);
 }
-inline std::string format(const char* format, size_t ul)
+inline auto FmtX(const char* format, float f)
 {
-    return Format(format, ul);
+    return str::Format(format, f);
 }
-inline std::string format(const char* format, float f)
+inline auto FmtX(const char* format, double d)
 {
-    return Format(format, f);
+    return str::Format(format, d);
 }
 
-inline std::string format(const char* format, char ch, const char* pStr)
+inline auto FmtX(const char* format, char ch, const char* pStr)
 {
-    return Format(format, ch, pStr);
+    return str::Format(format, ch, pStr);
 }
-inline std::string format(const char* format, char ch, const std::string& s)
+inline auto FmtX(const char* format, char ch, const std::string& s)
 {
-    return Format(format, ch, s.c_str());
+    return str::Format(format, ch, s.c_str());
 }
-inline std::string format(const char* format, const std::string& s1, const std::string& s2)
+inline auto FmtX(const char* format, const std::string& s1, const std::string& s2)
 {
-    return Format(format, s1.c_str(), s2.c_str());
+    return str::Format(format, s1.c_str(), s2.c_str());
 }
-inline std::string format(const char* format, const std::string& s, size_t ul)
+inline auto FmtX(const char* format, const std::string& s, size_t ul)
 {
-    return Format(format, s.c_str(), ul);
+    return str::Format(format, s.c_str(), ul);
 }
-inline std::string format(const char* format, char ch1, char ch2)
+inline auto FmtX(const char* format, char ch1, char ch2)
 {
-    return Format(format, ch1, ch2);
+    return str::Format(format, ch1, ch2);
 }
-inline std::string format(const char* format, size_t ul1, size_t ul2)
+inline auto FmtX(const char* format, long l1, long l2)
 {
-    return Format(format, ul1, ul2);
+    return str::Format(format, l1, l2);
 }
-inline std::string format(const char* format, int i, const std::string& s)
+inline auto FmtX(const char* format, size_t ul1, size_t ul2)
 {
-    return Format(format, i, s.c_str());
+    return str::Format(format, ul1, ul2);
 }
-inline std::string format(const char* format, int i, const char* pStr)
+inline auto FmtX(const char* format, double d1, double d2)
 {
-    return Format(format, i, pStr);
+    return str::Format(format, d1, d2);
+}
+inline auto FmtX(const char* format, int i, const char* pStr)
+{
+    return str::Format(format, i, pStr);
+}
+inline auto FmtX(const char* fmt, int i, const std::string& s)
+{
+    return FmtX(fmt, i, s.c_str());
 }
 
-inline std::string format(const char* format, char ch1, char ch2, const std::string& s)
+inline auto FmtX(const char* format, char ch1, char ch2, const std::string& s)
+{
+    return str::Format(format, ch1, ch2, s.c_str());
+}
+inline auto FmtX(const char* format, int i1, int i2, unsigned long ul)
+{
+    return str::Format(format, i1, i2, ul);
+}
+inline auto FmtX(const char* format, int i1, int i2, int i3)
 {
-    return Format(format, ch1, ch2, s.c_str());
+    return str::Format(format, i1, i2, i3);
 }
-inline std::string format(const char* format, int i1, int i2, unsigned long ul)
+inline auto FmtX(const char* format, float f1, float f2, float f3)
 {
-    return Format(format, i1, i2, ul);
+    return str::Format(format, f1, f2, f3);
 }
-inline std::string format(const char* format, int i1, int i2, int i3)
+inline std::string FmtX(const char* format, const std::string& s1, int i2, int i3)
 {
-    return Format(format, i1, i2, i3);
+    return str::Format(format, s1.c_str(), i2, i3);
 }
-inline std::string format(const char* format, const std::string& s1, const std::string& s2, uint32_t ui)
+inline auto FmtX(const char* format, const std::string& s1, const std::string& s2, uint32_t ui)
 {
-    return Format(format, s1.c_str(), s2.c_str(), ui);
+    return str::Format(format, s1.c_str(), s2.c_str(), ui);
+}
+inline auto FmtX(const char* format, const std::string& s1, const std::string& s2, const std::string& s3)
+{
+    return str::Format(format, s1.c_str(), s2.c_str(), s3.c_str());
 }
 
+inline auto FmtX(const char* format, int i1, int i2, int i3, int i4)
+{
+    return str::Format(format, i1, i2, i3, i4);
 }
-#endif  // CODA_OSS_str_Format_h_INCLUDED_
\ No newline at end of file
+inline auto FmtX(const char* format, const char* pStr1, const std::string& s2, const char* pStr3, const std::string& s4)
+{
+    return str::Format(format, pStr1, s2.c_str(), pStr3, s4.c_str());
+}
+inline auto FmtX(const char* format, const std::string& s1, int i2, const std::string& s3, int i4)
+{
+    return str::Format(format, s1.c_str(), i2, s3.c_str(), i4);
+}
+
+#endif  // CODA_OSS_str_Format_h_INCLUDED_
diff --git a/externals/coda-oss/modules/c++/str/source/Format.cpp b/externals/coda-oss/modules/c++/str/source/Format.cpp
index 1117ced91d..8fc1205c70 100644
--- a/externals/coda-oss/modules/c++/str/source/Format.cpp
+++ b/externals/coda-oss/modules/c++/str/source/Format.cpp
@@ -51,20 +51,11 @@ inline void va_end_(va_list& args)
     CODA_OSS_disable_warning_pop
 }
 
-//std::string str::format(const char *format, ...)
-//{
-//    va_list args;
-//    va_start(args, format);
-//    auto retval = vformat(format, args);
-//    va_end_(args);
-//    return retval;
-//}
-
-str::Format::Format(const char* format, ...)
+std::string str::Format(const char* format, ...)
 {
     va_list args;
     va_start(args, format);
     auto result = vformat(format, args);
     va_end_(args);
-    mString = std::move(result);
+    return result;
 }
diff --git a/externals/coda-oss/modules/c++/str/tests/VersionTest.cpp b/externals/coda-oss/modules/c++/str/tests/VersionTest.cpp
index a3e5503682..6b2c00b6d4 100644
--- a/externals/coda-oss/modules/c++/str/tests/VersionTest.cpp
+++ b/externals/coda-oss/modules/c++/str/tests/VersionTest.cpp
@@ -23,11 +23,7 @@
 #include <iostream>
 #include <import/str.h>
 
-#if defined(TEST_FUNTOR)
-#   define FORMAT_FUNC (std::string)str::Format
-#else
-#   define FORMAT_FUNC str::format
-#endif
+#define FORMAT_FUNC str::Format
 
 int main()
 {
diff --git a/externals/coda-oss/modules/c++/sys/include/sys/Conf.h b/externals/coda-oss/modules/c++/sys/include/sys/Conf.h
index 45cf7da292..6dd45ea28d 100644
--- a/externals/coda-oss/modules/c++/sys/include/sys/Conf.h
+++ b/externals/coda-oss/modules/c++/sys/include/sys/Conf.h
@@ -156,8 +156,6 @@ namespace sys
 
 #include "except/Exception.h"
 
-#define FmtX str::format
-
 #define SYS_FUNC NativeLayer_func__
 
 #define Ctxt(MESSAGE) except::Context(__FILE__, __LINE__, SYS_FUNC, \
diff --git a/externals/nitro/modules/c++/nitf/include/nitf/Object.hpp b/externals/nitro/modules/c++/nitf/include/nitf/Object.hpp
index 3a264b0c42..9547c6b7d7 100644
--- a/externals/nitro/modules/c++/nitf/include/nitf/Object.hpp
+++ b/externals/nitro/modules/c++/nitf/include/nitf/Object.hpp
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ class NITRO_NITFCPP_API Object
      */
     std::string getObjectID() const
     {
-        return FmtX("%p", getNative());
+        return str::Format("%p", getNative());
     }
 
     bool isManaged() const noexcept { return isValid() && mHandle->isManaged(); }
diff --git a/externals/nitro/modules/c++/nitf/tests/test_j2k_nitf_read_region.cpp b/externals/nitro/modules/c++/nitf/tests/test_j2k_nitf_read_region.cpp
index 37f247fc07..d99d6b5c15 100644
--- a/externals/nitro/modules/c++/nitf/tests/test_j2k_nitf_read_region.cpp
+++ b/externals/nitro/modules/c++/nitf/tests/test_j2k_nitf_read_region.cpp
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
                 const auto result_ = j2kReader.readRegion(0, 0, width, height, buf);
                 const std::span<const uint8_t> result(result_.data(), result_.size());
 
-                const auto namePrefix = str::format("image-%d", (i + 1));
+                const auto namePrefix = FmtX("image-%d", (i + 1));
                 // TODO: Update write to only output tiles in read region
                 writeFile(0, 0, width, height, result, namePrefix);
                 writeJ2K(0, 0, width, height, result, container, namePrefix);
diff --git a/externals/nitro/modules/c++/nitf/unittests/test_j2k_loading++.cpp b/externals/nitro/modules/c++/nitf/unittests/test_j2k_loading++.cpp
index d0ffa52433..ec6692e31b 100644
--- a/externals/nitro/modules/c++/nitf/unittests/test_j2k_loading++.cpp
+++ b/externals/nitro/modules/c++/nitf/unittests/test_j2k_loading++.cpp
@@ -271,7 +271,7 @@ void test_j2k_nitf_read_region_(const std::string& testName,
         const auto result_ = j2kReader.readRegion(0, 0, width, height, buf);
         const auto result = sys::make_const_span(result_);
 
-        const auto namePrefix = str::format("image-%d", (i + 1));
+        const auto namePrefix = FmtX("image-%d", (i + 1));
         // TODO: Update write to only output tiles in read region
         writeFile(0, 0, width, height, result, namePrefix);
         writeJ2K(0, 0, width, height, result, container, namePrefix);