diff --git a/tests/basics/string-format.py b/tests/basics/string-format.py
index 0a9764bf25..290030a9e3 100644
--- a/tests/basics/string-format.py
+++ b/tests/basics/string-format.py
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+# Change the following to True to get a much more comprehensive set of tests
+# to run, albeit, which take considerably longer.
+
+full_tests = False
+
 def test(fmt, *args):
     print('{:8s}'.format(fmt) + '>' +  fmt.format(*args) + '<')
 
@@ -6,10 +11,63 @@ test("{0}-{1}", 1, [4, 5])
 test("{1}-{0}", 1, [4, 5])
 test("{:x}", 1)
 test("{!r}", 2)
-test("{1}-{0}", 1, [4, 5])
 test("{:x}", 0x10)
 test("{!r}", "foo")
 test("{!s}", "foo")
+test("{0!r:>10s} {0!s:>10s}", "foo")
+
+test("{:4b}", 10)
+test("{:4c}", 48)
+test("{:4d}", 123)
+test("{:4n}", 123)
+test("{:4o}", 123)
+test("{:4x}", 123)
+test("{:4X}", 123)
+
+test("{:#4b}", 10)
+test("{:#4o}", 123)
+test("{:#4x}", 123)
+test("{:#4X}", 123)
+
+test("{:<6s}", "ab")
+test("{:>6s}", "ab")
+test("{:^6s}", "ab")
+
+test("{: <6d}", 123)
+test("{: <6d}", -123)
+test("{:0<6d}", 123)
+test("{:0<6d}", -123)
+test("{:@<6d}", 123)
+test("{:@<6d}", -123)
+
+test("{:@< 6d}", 123)
+test("{:@< 6d}", -123)
+test("{:@<+6d}", 123)
+test("{:@<+6d}", -123)
+test("{:@<-6d}", 123)
+test("{:@<-6d}", -123)
+
+test("{:@>6d}",  -123)
+test("{:@<6d}",  -123)
+test("{:@=6d}",  -123)
+test("{:06d}",  -123)
+
+test("{:10.4e}", 123.456)
+test("{:10.4e}", -123.456)
+test("{:10.4f}", 123.456)
+test("{:10.4f}", -123.456)
+test("{:10.4g}", 123.456)
+test("{:10.4g}", -123.456)
+
+test("{:10.4E}", 123.456)
+test("{:10.4E}", -123.456)
+test("{:10.4F}", 123.456)
+test("{:10.4F}", -123.456)
+test("{:10.4G}", 123.456)
+test("{:10.4G}", -123.456)
+
+# The following fails right now
+#test("{:10.1}", 0.0)
 
 def test_fmt(conv, fill, alignment, sign, prefix, width, precision, type, arg):
     fmt = '{'
@@ -44,7 +102,7 @@ def test_fmt(conv, fill, alignment, sign, prefix, width, precision, type, arg):
 int_nums = (-1234, -123, -12, -1, 0, 1, 12, 123, 1234, True, False)
 int_nums2 = (-12, -1, 0, 1, 12, True, False)
 
-if True:
+if full_tests:
     for type in ('', 'b', 'd', 'o', 'x', 'X'):
         for width in ('', '1', '3', '5', '7'):
             for alignment in ('', '<', '>', '=', '^'):
@@ -54,13 +112,13 @@ if True:
                             for num in int_nums:
                                 test_fmt('', fill, alignment, sign, prefix, width, '', type, num)
 
-if True:
+if full_tests:
     for width in ('', '1', '2'):
         for alignment in ('', '<', '>', '^'):
             for fill in ('', ' ', '0', '@'):
                 test_fmt('', fill, alignment, '', '', width, '', 'c', 48)
 
-if True:
+if full_tests:
     for conv in ('', 'r', 's'):
         for width in ('', '1', '4', '10'):
             for alignment in ('', '<', '>', '^'):
@@ -76,7 +134,7 @@ eg_nums = (0.0, -0.0, 0.1, 1.234, 12.3459, 1.23456789, 123456789.0, -0.0,
     -1.23456e8, -1.23456e7, -1.23456e6, -1.23456e5, -1.23456e4, -1.23456e3, -1.23456e2, -1.23456e1, -1.23456e0,
     -1.23456e-1, -1.23456e-2, -1.23456e-3, -1.23456e-4, -1.23456e-5, -1.23456e-6, -1.23456e-7, -1.23456e-8)
 
-if True:
+if full_tests:
     for type in ('e', 'E', 'g', 'G', 'n'):
         for width in ('', '4', '6', '8', '10'):
             for alignment in ('', '<', '>', '=', '^'):
@@ -94,7 +152,7 @@ f_nums = (0.0, -0.0, 0.0001, 0.001, 0.01, 0.1, 1.0, 10.0,
     -0.0001, -0.001,  -0.01,   -0.1,      -1.0, -10.0,
     -0.0012, -0.0123, -0.1234, -1.23459, -12.3456)
 
-if True:
+if full_tests:
     for type in ('f', 'F'):
         for width in ('', '4', '6', '8', '10'):
             for alignment in ('', '<', '>', '=', '^'):
@@ -114,7 +172,7 @@ if True:
 pct_nums1 = (0.1, 0.58, 0.99, -0.1, -0.58, -0.99)
 pct_nums2 = (True, False, 1, 0, -1)
 
-if True:
+if full_tests:
     type = '%'
     for width in ('', '4', '6', '8', '10'):
         for alignment in ('', '<', '>', '=', '^'):