diff --git a/packages/python/examples/tut.pl b/packages/python/examples/tut.pl
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..cfbd75158
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/python/examples/tut.pl
@@ -0,0 +1,131 @@
+
+:- use_module(library(python)).
+
+:- initialization(main).
+
+main :- 
+	ex(X),
+	flush_output,
+	fail.
+main.
+
+%
+% strings are atoms in the interface
+% with usual properties
+%
+% variables must be used with $
+%
+% UNICODE is supposed to work (does in Linux).
+%
+ex(currency) :-
+	(
+	    currency := '€',
+	    O := ord($currency),
+	    X := $currency,
+	    L := len($currency),
+	    format('currency=~a ~d/~d~n',[X, O, L])
+	->
+	    true
+	;
+	    failed(currency)
+	).
+
+ex(home) :-
+	(
+	    filename := os:environ:get('HOME')
+	->
+	    X := $filename,
+	    format('HOME=~a~n',[X])
+	;
+	    true
+	).
+
+ex(site) :-
+	X := site:getusersitepackages,
+	format('site packages=~a~n',[X]).
+
+ex(arith) :-
+	A := 2+2,
+	B := (50-5*6)/4,
+	C := 7/3,
+	width := 20,
+	height := 5*9,
+	D := $width* $height,
+	format('arith=~d ~d ~d ~d~n',[A,B,C,D]).
+
+ex(undefined) :-
+	format('undefined variable~n', []),
+	X := $n,
+	format('undefined=~d',[X]).
+
+ex(fp) :-
+	X := 3 * 3.75 / 1.5,
+	Y := 7.0 / 2,
+	format('fp=~f ~f~n',[X,Y]).
+
+ex(complex) :-
+	A := complex(0,1) * complex(0,1),
+	B := complex(3,1)*3,
+	a := complex(1.5,0.5),
+	R := $a:real,
+	I := $a:imag,
+	format('complex=~w ~w ~w+~wj~n',[A,B,R,I]).
+
+ex(floatint) :-
+	A := float(22000),
+	B := int(3.1),
+	C := long(15000000.5),
+	format('cast=~w ~w ~w~n',[A,B,C]).
+
+ex(strings) :-
+	S1 := 'spam eggs',
+	S2 := 'doesn\'t',
+	S3 := '"Yes," he said.',
+	S4 := '"Isn\'t," she said.',
+	format('s=~a ~a ~a ~a~n',[S1,S2,S3,S4]),
+	hello := 'This is a rather long string containing\n\
+several lines of text just as you would do in C.\n\
+    Note that whitespace at the beginning of the line is\
+ significant.',
+	python_command('print hello'),
+	X := $hello,
+	format('s=~a~n',[X]).
+
+ex(strings2) :-
+	word := 'Help' + 'A',
+	X := '<' + $word*5 + '>',
+	Y := (str:strip) + ing,
+	A1 := $word^[4],
+	A2 := $word^[0:2],
+	A3 := $word^[2:4],
+	format('concat=~a ~a ~a ~a ~a~n',[X,Y,A1,A2,A3]).
+
+ex(slices) :-
+	s := 'supercalifragilisticexpialidocious',
+	L := len($s),
+	S1 := $s^[1:6],
+	S2 := $s^[-6: -1],
+	S3 := $s^[_:6],
+	S4 := $s^[-6:_],
+	format('slices=~d ~a ~a ~a ~a~n',[L,S1,S2,S3,S4]).
+
+
+ex(lists) :-
+	a := [66.25, 333, 333, 1, 1234.5],
+        A1 := $a:count(333), A2 := $a:count(66.25), A3 := $a:count('x'),
+	format('counts=~d ~d ~d~n',[A1,A2,A3]),
+	:= $a:insert(2, -1),
+	:= $a:append(333),
+	A := $a,
+	format('a=~w~n', [A]),
+	I := $a:index(333),
+	:= $a:remove(333),
+	B := $a,
+	format('a=~w~n', [B]),
+	:= $a:reverse,
+	C := $a,
+	format('a=~w~n', [C]),
+	:= $a:sort,
+	D := $a,
+	format('a=~w~n', [D]).
+
diff --git a/packages/python/python.c b/packages/python/python.c
index 1495bd0a3..49753b0c2 100644
--- a/packages/python/python.c
+++ b/packages/python/python.c
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 #include <assert.h>
 
 static atom_t ATOM_true,
+  ATOM_colon,
   ATOM_false,
   ATOM_t;
 
@@ -16,6 +17,9 @@ static functor_t FUNCTOR_dollar1,
   FUNCTOR_any1, 
   FUNCTOR_bin1, 
   FUNCTOR_dir1, 
+  FUNCTOR_float1, 
+  FUNCTOR_int1, 
+  FUNCTOR_long1, 
   FUNCTOR_iter1, 
   FUNCTOR_len1, 
   FUNCTOR_curly1,
@@ -185,6 +189,66 @@ bip_bin(term_t t)
 }
 
 
+static PyObject *
+bip_float(term_t t)
+{
+  PyObject *pVal, *o;
+	
+  if (! PL_get_arg(1, t, t) )
+    return NULL;
+  pVal = term_to_python(t);
+  if (PyLong_Check(pVal)) {
+    o = PyFloat_FromDouble( PyLong_AsLong(pVal) );
+  } else if (PyInt_Check(pVal)) {
+    o =  PyFloat_FromDouble( PyInt_AsLong(pVal) );
+  } else if (PyFloat_Check(pVal)) {
+    return pVal;
+  } else
+    return NULL;
+  Py_DECREF(pVal);
+  return o;
+}
+
+static PyObject *
+bip_int(term_t t)
+{
+  PyObject *pVal, *o;
+	
+  if (! PL_get_arg(1, t, t) )
+    return NULL;
+  pVal = term_to_python(t);
+  if (PyLong_Check(pVal)) {
+    o = PyInt_FromLong( PyLong_AsLong(pVal) );
+  } else if (PyInt_Check(pVal)) {
+    return pVal;
+  } else if (PyFloat_Check(pVal)) {
+    o = PyInt_FromLong( PyFloat_AsDouble(pVal) );
+  } else
+    return NULL;
+  Py_DECREF(pVal);
+  return o;
+}
+
+static PyObject *
+bip_long(term_t t)
+{
+  PyObject *pVal, *o;
+	
+  if (! PL_get_arg(1, t, t) )
+    return NULL;
+  pVal = term_to_python(t);
+  if (PyLong_Check(pVal)) {
+    return pVal;
+  } else if (PyLong_Check(pVal)) {
+    o = PyLong_FromLong( PyInt_AsLong(pVal) );
+  } else if (PyFloat_Check(pVal)) {
+    o = PyLong_FromLong( PyFloat_AsDouble(pVal) );
+  } else
+    return NULL;
+  Py_DECREF(pVal);
+  return o;
+}
+
 static PyObject *
 bip_ord(term_t t)
 {
@@ -330,6 +394,12 @@ term_to_python(term_t t)
 	return bip_bin(t);
       } else if (fun == FUNCTOR_ord1) {
 	return bip_ord(t);
+      } else if (fun == FUNCTOR_int1) {
+	return bip_int(t);
+      } else if (fun == FUNCTOR_long1) {
+	return bip_long(t);
+      } else if (fun == FUNCTOR_float1) {
+	return bip_float(t);
       } else if (fun == FUNCTOR_len1) {
 	term_t targ = PL_new_term_ref();
 	PyObject *ptr;
@@ -755,9 +825,9 @@ python_import(term_t mname, term_t mod)
     return FALSE;
   }
   pModule = PyImport_Import(pName);
-  // PyErr_Print();
   Py_DECREF(pName);
   if (pModule == NULL) {
+    PyErr_Clear();
     return FALSE;
   }
   return python_to_term(pModule, mod);
@@ -788,6 +858,7 @@ python_f(term_t tmod, term_t fname, term_t tf)
     return FALSE;
   }
   pF = PyObject_GetAttrString(pModule, s);
+  PyErr_Print();
   Py_DECREF(pModule);
   if (pF == NULL || ! PyCallable_Check(pF)) {
     return FALSE;
@@ -867,6 +938,24 @@ python_apply(term_t tin, term_t targs, term_t tf)
   if (! PL_get_name_arity( targs, &aname, &arity) ) {
     return FALSE;
   }
+  /* follow chains of the form a.b.c.d.e() */
+  while (aname == ATOM_colon && arity == 2) {
+    term_t tleft = PL_new_term_ref();
+    PyObject *lhs;
+
+    if (! PL_get_arg(1, targs, tleft) )
+      return FALSE;
+    lhs = term_to_python(tleft);
+    if ((pF = PyObject_GetAttr(pF, lhs)) == NULL) {
+      PyErr_Print();
+      return FALSE;
+    }
+    if (! PL_get_arg(2, targs, targs) )
+      return FALSE;    
+    if (! PL_get_name_arity( targs, &aname, &arity) ) {
+      return FALSE;
+    }    
+  }
   if (PyFunction_Check(pF)) {
     int tuple_inited = FALSE;
     PyObject *pOpt = NULL;
@@ -916,14 +1005,16 @@ python_apply(term_t tin, term_t targs, term_t tf)
   }
   if (PyCallable_Check(pF)) {
     pValue = PyObject_CallObject(pF, pArgs);      
+    PyErr_Print();
   } else {
+    PyErr_Print();
     return FALSE;
   }
   PyErr_Print();
   Py_DECREF(pArgs);
+  Py_DECREF(pF);
   if (pValue == NULL)
       return FALSE;
-  out = 0;
   out =  python_to_term(pValue, tf);
   Py_DECREF(pValue);
   return out;
@@ -953,8 +1044,10 @@ python_access(term_t obj, term_t f, term_t out)
   if ( PL_is_atom(f) ) {
     if (!PL_get_atom_chars(f, &s))
       return FALSE;
-    if ((pValue = PyObject_GetAttrString(o, s)) == NULL)
+    if ((pValue = PyObject_GetAttrString(o, s)) == NULL) {
+      PyErr_Print();
       return FALSE;  
+    }
     if ( PyCallable_Check(pValue) )
       pValue = PyObject_CallObject(pValue, NULL);
     PyErr_Print();
@@ -963,6 +1056,24 @@ python_access(term_t obj, term_t f, term_t out)
   if (! PL_get_name_arity( f, &name, &arity) ) {
     return FALSE;
   }
+  /* follow chains of the form a.b.c.d.e() */
+  while (name == ATOM_colon && arity == 2) {
+    term_t tleft = PL_new_term_ref();
+    PyObject *lhs;
+
+    if (! PL_get_arg(1, f, tleft) )
+      return FALSE;
+    lhs = term_to_python(tleft);
+    if ((o = PyObject_GetAttr(o, lhs)) == NULL) {
+      PyErr_Print();
+      return FALSE;        
+    }
+    if (! PL_get_arg(2, f, f) )
+      return FALSE;    
+    if (! PL_get_name_arity( f, &name, &arity) ) {
+      return FALSE;
+    }    
+  }
   s = PL_atom_chars(name);
   if ((pF = PyObject_GetAttrString(o, s)) == NULL) {
     PyErr_Print();
@@ -1028,6 +1139,7 @@ install_python(void)
 { // FUNCTOR_dot2 = PL_new_functor(PL_new_atom("."), 2);
   // FUNCTOR_equal2 = PL_new_functor(PL_new_atom("="), 2);
   // FUNCTOR_boolop1 = PL_new_functor(PL_new_atom("@"), 1);
+  ATOM_colon = PL_new_atom(":");
   ATOM_true  = PL_new_atom("true");
   ATOM_false = PL_new_atom("false");
   ATOM_t = PL_new_atom("t");
@@ -1036,6 +1148,9 @@ install_python(void)
   FUNCTOR_any1 = PL_new_functor(PL_new_atom("any"), 1);
   FUNCTOR_bin1 = PL_new_functor(PL_new_atom("bin"), 1);
   FUNCTOR_ord1 = PL_new_functor(PL_new_atom("ord"), 1);
+  FUNCTOR_int1 = PL_new_functor(PL_new_atom("int"), 1);
+  FUNCTOR_long1 = PL_new_functor(PL_new_atom("long"), 1);
+  FUNCTOR_float1 = PL_new_functor(PL_new_atom("float"), 1);
   FUNCTOR_curly1 = PL_new_functor(PL_new_atom("{}"), 1);
   FUNCTOR_dollar1 = PL_new_functor(PL_new_atom("$"), 1);
   FUNCTOR_pointer1 = PL_new_functor(PL_new_atom("__obj__"), 1);
diff --git a/packages/python/python.pl b/packages/python/python.pl
index 5b5509ed3..c62707a44 100644
--- a/packages/python/python.pl
+++ b/packages/python/python.pl
@@ -98,6 +98,10 @@ python_eval_term(Expression, O) :-
 	    atom(Exp)
         ->
 	    python_access(MRef, Exp, O)
+	;
+	    Exp = Obj:Method
+        ->
+	    python_access(MRef, Exp, O)
 	;
 	    functor(Exp, F, _),
 	    python_f(MRef, F, FRef),
@@ -115,12 +119,12 @@ python_check_args(FRef, Exp, NExp) :-
 	Exp =.. [F|LArgs],
 	match_args(LArgs, Dict, NLArgs, _),
 	NExp =.. [F|NLArgs].
-python_check_args(FRef, Exp, NExp).
+python_check_args(FRef, Exp, Exp).
 
 fetch_args(FRef, Args) :-
 	python_import('inspect', M),
 	python_f(M, getargspec, F),
-	python_apply(F, getargspec(FRef), ExtraArgs),
+	python_apply(F, getargspec(FRef), Args),
 	ExtraArgs=t(Args, _, _, _).