diff --git a/ox/format.py b/ox/format.py
index a06c311..73cc829 100644
--- a/ox/format.py
+++ b/ox/format.py
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@ def toAZ(num):
         az = digits[r] + az
     return az
 
+encode_base26=toAZ
+
 def fromAZ(num):
     """
     Converts a bijective base 26 string to an integer
@@ -71,6 +73,8 @@ def to26(q):
         converted.insert(0, l)
     return "".join(converted) or 'A'
 
+decode_base26=toAZ
+
 def from26(q):
     """
     Converts an base 26 string to an integer
@@ -402,6 +406,43 @@ def format_duration(ms, verbosity=0, years=True, hours=True, milliseconds=True):
         duration = ' '.join(durations)
     return duration
 
+def format_timecode(seconds):
+    '''
+    >>> format_timecode(60 * 60 * 24 * 366)
+    '1:001:00:00:00.000'
+    >>> format_timecode(30)
+    '00:30:00'
+    '''
+    seconds = float(seconds)
+    d = int(seconds / 86400)
+    h = int(seconds % 86400 / 3600)
+    m = int(seconds % 36000 / 60)
+    s = float(seconds % 60)
+    duration = "%02d:%02d:%06.3f" % (h, m, s)
+    if d:
+        duration = '%d:'%d + duration
+    while duration.startswith('00:'):
+        duration = duration[3:]
+    return duration
+
+def parse_timecode(string):
+    '''
+    Takes a formatted timecode, returns seconds
+
+    >> parse_timecode('1:02:03:04.05')
+    93784.05
+    >> parse_timecode('3')
+    3.0
+    >> parse_timecode('2:')
+    120
+    >> parse_timecode('1::')
+    3600.0
+    '''
+    timecode = 0
+    for i, v in enumerate(list(reversed(string.split(':')))[:4]):
+        timecode += float(v) * ( 86400 if i == 3 else pow(60, i))
+    return timecode
+
 def ms2runtime(ms, shortenLong=False):
     # deprecated - use format_duration
     '''