diff --git a/python/vcf2table.py b/python/vcf2table.py
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..955254ee0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/python/vcf2table.py
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+import os.path
+import sys
+from optparse import OptionParser
+from vcfReader import *
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    usage = "usage: %prog files.list [options]"
+    parser = OptionParser(usage=usage)
+    parser.add_option("-f", "--f", dest="fields",
+                        type='string', default="",
+                        help="Comma separated list of fields to exact")
+    parser.add_option("-e", "--filter", dest="filter",
+                        action='store_true', default=False,
+                        help="If true, only includes records that aren't filtered in the output")
+    parser.add_option("-s", "--s", dest="skip",
+                        type='int', default=0,
+                        help="Only print out every 1 / skip records")
+                        
+    (OPTIONS, args) = parser.parse_args()
+    if len(args) != 0:
+        parser.error("incorrect number of arguments")
+
+    counter = OPTIONS.skip
+
+    fields = OPTIONS.fields.split(',')
+    for vcf,count in lines2VCF(sys.stdin):
+        #print vcf, count
+        if count == 1 and vcf.hasHeader():
+            print '\t'.join(fields)
+
+        if counter > 0:
+            counter -= 1                      
+        else:
+            counter = OPTIONS.skip
+            if OPTIONS.filter and vcf.failsFilters():
+                pass
+            else:
+                print '\t'.join([ str(vcf.getField(field, '0')) for field in fields])
diff --git a/python/vcfReader.py b/python/vcfReader.py
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..6eaa5b8f2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/python/vcfReader.py
@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+class VCFRecord:
+    """Simple support for accessing a VCF record"""
+    def __init__(self, basicBindings, header=None):
+        self.header = header
+        self.bindings = basicBindings
+        self.info = parseInfo(basicBindings["INFO"])
+    
+    def hasHeader(self): return self.header <> None
+    def getHeader(self): return self.header
+    
+    def get(self, key): return self.bindings[key]
+    
+    def getChrom(self): return self.get("CHROM")
+    def getPos(self): return self.get("POS")
+
+    def getID(self): return self.get("ID")
+    def isNovel(self): return self.getID() == "."
+    def isKnown(self): return not self.isNovel()
+    
+    def getRef(self): return self.get("REF")
+    def getAlt(self): return self.get("ALT")
+    def getQual(self): return self.get("QUAL")
+    
+    def getFilter(self): return self.get("FILTER")
+    def failsFilters(self): return not self.passesFilters()
+    def passesFilters(self):
+        #print self.getFilter(), ">>>", self
+        return self.getFilter() == "." or self.getFilter() == "0"
+    
+    def getField(self, field, default = None):
+        if field in self.bindings:
+            return self.get(field)
+        elif field in self.getInfoDict():
+            return self.getInfoKey(field)
+        else:
+            return default
+    
+    def getInfo(self): return self.get("INFO")
+    def getInfoDict(self): return self.info
+    
+    def getInfoKey(self, name, default = None): 
+        info = self.getInfoDict()
+        if name in info:
+            return info[name]
+        else:
+            return default
+            
+    def infoHasKeys(self, keys):
+        return all(map(lambda key: key in self.getInfo(), keys))
+       
+    def __str__(self):
+        return str(self.bindings) + " INFO: " + str(self.info) 
+
+def parseInfo(s):
+    def handleBoolean(key_val):
+        if len(key_val) == 1:
+            return [key_val[0], True]
+        else:
+            return key_val
+
+    key_val = map( lambda x: handleBoolean(x.split("=")), s.split(";"))
+    return dict(key_val)
+
+def string2VCF(line, header=None):
+    if line[0] != "#":
+        s = line.split()
+        keys = "CHROM  POS     ID        REF   ALT    QUAL  FILTER  INFO".split()
+        bindings = dict(zip(keys, s[0:8]))
+        return VCFRecord(bindings, header)
+    else:
+        return None
+
+def lines2VCF(lines):
+    header = None
+    counter = 0
+    for line in lines:
+        if line[0] != "#":
+            counter += 1
+            vcf = string2VCF(line, header=header)
+            if vcf <> None:
+                yield vcf, counter
+        else:
+            header = line[1:].split()
+    raise StopIteration()