Josiah wrote: http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-ideas/2007-May/000835.html Josiah, you are correct about all the following, and I apologize for any incorrect paraphrase: 1) I am proposing to add a mini-language within Python. 2) I want relational data processing tasks to be easier within Python. 3) I want rowexpr to acquire names from the passed first argument (with sensible scoping rules, of course). 4) Point #4 essentially amounts to free enclosing scope goodies. 5) My proposal does indeed smell of magic. 6) I do want the code to be easier to read for me (with the full caveat that YMMV). 7) I want the small clarity win. 8) I think the only way to achieve this particular clarity win is to add syntax. You may be incorrect about the following, or I may just be understanding your points, but I'm not wrong about any of these, since I'm just characterizing my own feelings: 1) I don't want rowexpr to be pretty much an alias for lambda; I actually want it to be more powerful. 2) I'm not sweating performance here; I'm already using an interpreted language. I don't want Python to be faster for my day-to-day tasks; I want it to be more expressive. I even--and I'll dare say--want the language to be BIGGER. 3) I'm not ignorant of the resistance to macro expansions in Python, but I do think a year-2010 Python interpreter could compile SQL syntax directly into bytecode. ____________________________________________________________________________________Be a better Globetrotter. Get better travel answers from someone who knows. Yahoo! Answers - Check it out. http://answers.yahoo.com/dir/?link=list&sid=396545469