diff --git a/pyhs2/connections.py b/pyhs2/connections.py
index 0760ddb..64a5471 100644
--- a/pyhs2/connections.py
+++ b/pyhs2/connections.py
@@ -72,6 +72,16 @@ def _get_krb_settings(self, default_host, config):
     def cursor(self):
         return Cursor(self.client, self.session)
 
+    def commit( self ):
+        """HIve doesn't support transactions; does nothing."""
+        # PEP 249
+        pass
+
+    def rollback( self ):
+        """HIve doesn't support transactions; raises NotSupportedError"""
+        # PEP 249
+        pass
+
     def close(self):
         req = TCloseSessionReq(sessionHandle=self.session)
-        self.client.CloseSession(req)
\ No newline at end of file
+        self.client.CloseSession(req)
diff --git a/pyhs2/cursor.py b/pyhs2/cursor.py
index 0e4a899..4a14924 100644
--- a/pyhs2/cursor.py
+++ b/pyhs2/cursor.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-from TCLIService.ttypes import TOpenSessionReq, TGetTablesReq, TFetchResultsReq,\
+from TCLIService.ttypes import TOpenSessionReq, TGetTablesReq, TFetchResultsReq, \
   TStatusCode, TGetResultSetMetadataReq, TGetColumnsReq, TType, TTypeId, \
   TExecuteStatementReq, TGetOperationStatusReq, TFetchOrientation, TCloseOperationReq, \
   TCloseSessionReq, TGetSchemasReq, TGetLogReq, TCancelOperationReq, TGetCatalogsReq, TGetInfoReq
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 from error import Pyhs2Exception
 import threading
 
-def get_type(typeDesc):
+def get_type( typeDesc ):
     for ttype in typeDesc.types:
         if ttype.primitiveEntry is not None:
             return TTypeId._VALUES_TO_NAMES[ttype.primitiveEntry.type]
@@ -21,23 +21,23 @@ def get_type(typeDesc):
         elif ttype.userDefinedTypeEntry is not None:
             return ttype.userDefinedTypeEntry
 
-def get_value(colValue):
+def get_value( colValue ):
     if colValue.boolVal is not None:
-      return colValue.boolVal.value
+        return colValue.boolVal.value
     elif colValue.byteVal is not None:
-      return colValue.byteVal.value
+        return colValue.byteVal.value
     elif colValue.i16Val is not None:
-      return colValue.i16Val.value
+        return colValue.i16Val.value
     elif colValue.i32Val is not None:
-      return colValue.i32Val.value
+        return colValue.i32Val.value
     elif colValue.i64Val is not None:
-      return colValue.i64Val.value
+        return colValue.i64Val.value
     elif colValue.doubleVal is not None:
-      return colValue.doubleVal.value
+        return colValue.doubleVal.value
     elif colValue.stringVal is not None:
-      return colValue.stringVal.value
+        return colValue.stringVal.value
 
-class Cursor(object):
+class Cursor( object ):
     session = None
     client = None
     operationHandle = None
@@ -50,88 +50,105 @@ class Cursor(object):
     _blockRequestInProgress = False
     _cursorLock = None
 
-    def __init__(self, _client, sessionHandle):
+    def __init__( self, _client, sessionHandle ):
         self.session = sessionHandle
         self.client = _client
         self._cursorLock = threading.RLock()
 
-    def execute(self, hql):
-        query = TExecuteStatementReq(self.session, statement=hql, confOverlay={})
-        res = self.client.ExecuteStatement(query)
+        """
+        This read-only attribute is a list of 7-item tuples, each containing (name, type_code, display_size, internal_size, precision, scale, null_ok).
+        This attribute will be None for operations that do not return rows or if one of the execute methods has not been called.
+        """
+        self._description = list()
+
+
+    @property
+    def description( self ):
+        # PEP 249
+        return self._description
+
+
+    def execute( self, hql ):
+        query = TExecuteStatementReq( self.session, statement = hql, confOverlay = {} )
+        res = self.client.ExecuteStatement( query )
         self.operationHandle = res.operationHandle
         if res.status.errorCode is not None:
-            raise Pyhs2Exception(res.status.errorCode, res.status.errorMessage)
+            raise Pyhs2Exception( res.status.errorCode, res.status.errorMessage )
         
-    def fetch(self):
+        cols = self.getSchema()
+        if cols is not None:
+            self._description = [( col['columnName'], col['type'], None, None, None, None, None )  for col in cols]
+
+    def fetch( self ):
         rows = []
         while self.hasMoreRows:
             rows = rows + self.fetchSet()
         return rows
 
-    def fetchSet(self):
+    def fetchSet( self ):
         rows = []
-        fetchReq = TFetchResultsReq(operationHandle=self.operationHandle,
-                                    orientation=TFetchOrientation.FETCH_NEXT,
-                                    maxRows=10000)
-        self._fetch(rows, fetchReq)
+        fetchReq = TFetchResultsReq( operationHandle = self.operationHandle,
+                                    orientation = TFetchOrientation.FETCH_NEXT,
+                                    maxRows = 10000 )
+        self._fetch( rows, fetchReq )
         return rows
 
-    def _fetchBlock(self):
+    def _fetchBlock( self ):
         """ internal use only.
-	 get a block of rows from the server and put in standby block.
+     get a block of rows from the server and put in standby block.
          future enhancements:
          (1) locks for multithreaded access (protect from multiple calls)
          (2) allow for prefetch by use of separate thread
         """
         # make sure that another block request is not standing
         if self._blockRequestInProgress :
-           # need to wait here before returning... (TODO)
-           return
+            # need to wait here before returning... (TODO)
+            return
 
         # make sure another block request has not completed meanwhile
-        if self._standbyBlock is not None: 
-           return
+        if self._standbyBlock is not None:
+            return
 
         self._blockRequestInProgress = True
-        fetchReq = TFetchResultsReq(operationHandle=self.operationHandle,
-                                    orientation=TFetchOrientation.FETCH_NEXT,
-                                    maxRows=self.arraysize)
-        self._standbyBlock = self._fetch([],fetchReq)
+        fetchReq = TFetchResultsReq( operationHandle = self.operationHandle,
+                                    orientation = TFetchOrientation.FETCH_NEXT,
+                                    maxRows = self.arraysize )
+        self._standbyBlock = self._fetch( [], fetchReq )
         self._blockRequestInProgress = False
         return
 
-    def fetchone(self):
-        """ fetch a single row. a lock object is used to assure that a single 
-	 record will be fetched and all housekeeping done properly in a 
-	 multithreaded environment.
-         as getting a block is currently synchronous, this also protects 
-	 against multiple block requests (but does not protect against 
-	 explicit calls to to _fetchBlock())
+    def fetchone( self ):
+        """ fetch a single row. a lock object is used to assure that a single
+     record will be fetched and all housekeeping done properly in a
+     multithreaded environment.
+         as getting a block is currently synchronous, this also protects
+     against multiple block requests (but does not protect against
+     explicit calls to to _fetchBlock())
         """
         self._cursorLock.acquire()
 
-        # if there are available records in current block, 
-	# return one and advance counter
-        if self._currentBlock is not None and self._currentRecordNum < len(self._currentBlock):
-           x = self._currentRecordNum
-           self._currentRecordNum += 1
-           self._cursorLock.release()
-           return self._currentBlock[x]
+        # if there are available records in current block,
+    # return one and advance counter
+        if self._currentBlock is not None and self._currentRecordNum < len( self._currentBlock ):
+            x = self._currentRecordNum
+            self._currentRecordNum += 1
+            self._cursorLock.release()
+            return self._currentBlock[x]
 
         # if no standby block is waiting, fetch a block
         if self._standbyBlock is None:
-           # TODO - make sure exceptions due to problems in getting the block 
-	   # of records from the server are handled properly
-           self._fetchBlock()
+            # TODO - make sure exceptions due to problems in getting the block
+            # of records from the server are handled properly
+            self._fetchBlock()
 
-        # if we still do not have a standby block (or it is empty), 
-	# return None - no more data is available
-        if self._standbyBlock is None or len(self._standbyBlock)==0:
-           self._cursorLock.release()
-           return None
+        # if we still do not have a standby block (or it is empty),
+    # return None - no more data is available
+        if self._standbyBlock is None or len( self._standbyBlock ) == 0:
+            self._cursorLock.release()
+            return None
 
         #  move the standby to current
-        self._currentBlock = self._standbyBlock 
+        self._currentBlock = self._standbyBlock
         self._standbyBlock = None
         self._currentRecordNum = 1
 
@@ -139,30 +156,30 @@ def fetchone(self):
         self._cursorLock.release()
         return self._currentBlock[0]
 
-    def fetchmany(self,size=-1):
-        """ return a sequential set of records. This is guaranteed by locking, 
-	 so that no other thread can grab a few records while a set is fetched.
-         this has the side effect that other threads may have to wait for 
+    def fetchmany( self, size = -1 ):
+        """ return a sequential set of records. This is guaranteed by locking,
+     so that no other thread can grab a few records while a set is fetched.
+         this has the side effect that other threads may have to wait for
          an arbitrary long time for the completion of the current request.
         """
         self._cursorLock.acquire()
 
         # default value (or just checking that someone did not put a ridiculous size)
         if size < 0 or size > MAX_BLOCK_SIZE:
-           size = self.arraysize
+            size = self.arraysize
         recs = []
-        for i in range(0,size):
-            recs.append(self.fetchone())
+        for i in range( 0, size ):
+            recs.append( self.fetchone() )
 
         self._cursorLock.release()
         return recs
 
-    def fetchall(self):
-        """ returns the remainder of records from the query. This is 
-	 guaranteed by locking, so that no other thread can grab a few records 
-	 while the set is fetched. This has the side effect that other threads 
-	 may have to wait for an arbitrary long time until this query is done 
-	 before they can return (obviously with None).
+    def fetchall( self ):
+        """ returns the remainder of records from the query. This is
+     guaranteed by locking, so that no other thread can grab a few records
+     while the set is fetched. This has the side effect that other threads
+     may have to wait for an arbitrary long time until this query is done
+     before they can return (obviously with None).
         """
         self._cursorLock.acquire()
 
@@ -170,64 +187,73 @@ def fetchall(self):
         while True:
             rec = self.fetchone()
             if rec is None:
-               break
-            recs.append(rec)
+                break
+            recs.append( rec )
 
         self._cursorLock.release()
         return recs
 
-    def __iter__(self):
+    def __iter__( self ):
         """ returns an iterator object. no special code needed here. """
         return self
 
-    def next(self):
+    def next( self ):
         """ iterator-protocol for fetch next row. """
         row = self.fetchone()
         if row is None:
-           raise StopIteration 
+            raise StopIteration
         return row
 
-    def getSchema(self):
+    def getSchema( self ):
         if self.operationHandle:
-            req = TGetResultSetMetadataReq(self.operationHandle)
-            res = self.client.GetResultSetMetadata(req)
+            req = TGetResultSetMetadataReq( self.operationHandle )
+            res = self.client.GetResultSetMetadata( req )
             if res.schema is not None:
                 cols = []
-                for c in self.client.GetResultSetMetadata(req).schema.columns:
+                for c in self.client.GetResultSetMetadata( req ).schema.columns:
                     col = {}
-                    col['type'] = get_type(c.typeDesc)
+                    col['type'] = get_type( c.typeDesc )
                     col['columnName'] = c.columnName
                     col['comment'] = c.comment
-                    cols.append(col)
+                    cols.append( col )
                 return cols
         return None
 
-    def getDatabases(self):
-        req = TGetSchemasReq(self.session)
-        res = self.client.GetSchemas(req)
+    def getDatabases( self ):
+        req = TGetSchemasReq( self.session )
+        res = self.client.GetSchemas( req )
         self.operationHandle = res.operationHandle
         if res.status.errorCode is not None:
-            raise Pyhs2Exception(res.status.errorCode, res.status.errorMessage)
+            raise Pyhs2Exception( res.status.errorCode, res.status.errorMessage )
         return self.fetch()
 
-    def __enter__(self):
+    def __enter__( self ):
         return self
 
-    def __exit__(self, _exc_type, _exc_value, _traceback):
+    def __exit__( self, _exc_type, _exc_value, _traceback ):
         self.close()
 
-    def _fetch(self, rows, fetchReq):
-        resultsRes = self.client.FetchResults(fetchReq)
+    def _fetch( self, rows, fetchReq ):
+        resultsRes = self.client.FetchResults( fetchReq )
         for row in resultsRes.results.rows:
-            rowData= []
-            for i, col in enumerate(row.colVals):
-                rowData.append(get_value(col))
-            rows.append(rowData)
-        if len(resultsRes.results.rows) == 0:
+            rowData = []
+            for i, col in enumerate( row.colVals ):
+                rowData.append( get_value( col ) )
+            rows.append( rowData )
+        if len( resultsRes.results.rows ) == 0:
             self.hasMoreRows = False
         return rows
 
-    def close(self):
+    def close( self ):
         if self.operationHandle is not None:
-            req = TCloseOperationReq(operationHandle=self.operationHandle)
-            self.client.CloseOperation(req) 
+            req = TCloseOperationReq( operationHandle = self.operationHandle )
+            self.client.CloseOperation( req )
+
+
+    def setinputsizes( self, sizes ):
+        # PEP 249
+        pass
+
+    def setoutputsize( self, size, column = None ):
+        # PEP 249
+        pass