diff --git a/pinyinize.py b/pinyinize.py
deleted file mode 100644
index 8901d72..0000000
--- a/pinyinize.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,66 +0,0 @@
-import sqlite3
-import sys
-import os
-import re
-import copy
-
-if len(sys.argv) != 3:
-    print "Usage: cedict2sqlite [hanzi-text or file] [sqlite-file.sqlite]"
-    exit
-
-hanzitf=sys.argv[1]
-sqlitef=sys.argv[2]
-
-
-if os.path.exists(hanzitf):
-    hanzi = open(hanzitf,"r").read()
-else:
-    hanzi = hanzitf
-
-hanzi.strip().lower()
-
-if not os.path.exists(sqlitef):
-    print "sqlite database file not found"
-    sys.exit()
-    
-slconn = sqlite3.connect(sqlitef)
-
-hzwork = list(hanzi.decode("UTF-8"))
-finres = ""
-while hzwork:
-    print "\nhzwork still %s"%hzwork
-    tmpstr = ""
-    lastres = ""
-    
-    for c in copy.deepcopy(hzwork):
-        tmpstr += hzwork[0]
-
-        print "checking for %s (%s)"%(tmpstr,tmpstr.__repr__())
-        res = slconn.execute('SELECT pinyin FROM entries WHERE simplified="%s" OR traditional="%s";'%(tmpstr,tmpstr)).fetchall()
-        print "res are: %s"%res
-        
-        # now for the result work...
-        if res: # sequence of chars not found, using last result        
-            lastres = res[0][0]
-            hzwork.pop(0)
-            print "found and consumed %s"%res[0][0]
-        elif not res and not lastres: # first char not found, using fallback barf
-            lastres = '%s'%tmpstr
-            hzwork.pop(0)
-            print "%s not found, adding raw and breaking"%tmpstr
-            break
-        else:
-            print "got empty result, breaking"
-            lastres += " "
-            break
-        
-    finres += lastres
-    print "appending and deleting lastres %s, finres now: %s"%(lastres,finres)
-    
-print '\nfinished with:\n """\n%s\n"""\n'%finres
-
-
-
-
-
-    
diff --git a/pynizelib.py b/pynizelib.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..47fee38
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pynizelib.py
@@ -0,0 +1,119 @@
+import sqlite3
+import sys
+import os
+import re
+import copy
+
+"""
+Library for PinYin-izing a either a file or a block of text
+"""
+
+NOT = 0
+PRIMARY = 1 
+FALLBACK = 2
+
+PINYIN = 0
+PINYIN_TRANSL = 1
+PINYIN_HANZI = 2
+PINYIN_TRANSL_HANZI = 3
+TRANS = 4
+TRANSL_HANZI = 5
+
+
+def pinyinize(hanzitf, sqlitef, mode = PINYIN, simplified=PRIMARY, traditional=FALLBACK, original = True):
+    """
+    Will pinyin-ize either a string or a file (open(foo,"X")) given as "hanzitf".
+    Pinyinization can be controlled by the mode parameter. The following
+    are possible:
+    PINYIN:
+    PINYIN_TRANSL
+    PINYIN_HANZI
+    PINYIN_TRANSL_HANZI
+    TRANSL
+    TRANSL_HANZI
+    With the defined return-value semantics.
+
+    The pinyinization can be controlled via the simplified, traditional
+    and original paramters. simplified and traditional can be set on
+    PRIMARY or FALLBACK. If no PRIMARY match is found (e.g. you
+    pinyinize a traditional text) then the FALLBACK is used. If no
+    FALLBACK is found then the original input is copied to the output
+    IFF original==True.  In a example of a mixed traditional- and
+    simplified text this would lead to a best effort to pinyinize
+    everything as simplified. If theres no data how to pinyinize
+    something as simplified, then traditional is attempt.  If original
+    is set to True instead of False, then the original input hanzi
+    is copied to output.
+    """
+
+    if(type(hanzitf)=="file"):
+        hanzitf.seek(0)
+        hanzi = hanzitf.read()
+    else if(type(hanzitf)=="str"):
+        hanzi = hanzitf
+    else:
+        print "hanzitf was neither text nor file"
+        return
+    
+    hanzi.strip().lower()
+
+    if not os.path.exists(sqlitef):
+        print "sqlite database file not found"
+        return None
+
+    slconn = sqlite3.connect(sqlitef)
+
+    hzwork = list(hanzi.decode("UTF-8"))
+    finres = ""
+    while hzwork:
+        print "\nhzwork still %s"%hzwork
+        tmpstr = ""
+        lastres = ""
+
+        for c in copy.deepcopy(hzwork):
+            tmpstr += hzwork[0]
+
+            print "checking for %s (%s)"%(tmpstr,tmpstr.__repr__())
+            sqlstr_s = 'SELECT pinyin FROM entries WHERE simplified="%s";'%(tmpstr,tmpstr)
+            sqlstr_t = 'SELECT pinyin FROM entries WHERE traditional="%s";'%(tmpstr,tmpstr)
+            res_s = None
+            res_t = None
+            res = None
+            
+            if simplified =! NOT:
+                res_s = slconn.execute(sqlstr_s).fetchall()
+            if traditional =! NOT:
+                res_t = slconn.execute(sqlstr_t).fetchall()
+
+            if simplified == PRIMARY:
+                res = res_s
+                if not res_s && traditional == FALLBACK:
+                    res = res_t
+            else if traditional == PRIMARY:
+                res = res_t
+                if not res_t && simplified == FALLBACK:
+                    res = res_s
+            
+            print "res are: %s"%res
+
+            # now for the result work...
+            if res: # sequence of chars not found, using last result
+                lastres = res[0][0]
+                hzwork.pop(0)
+                print "found and consumed %s"%res[0][0]
+            elif not res and not lastres: # first char not found, using fallback barf
+                if original:
+                    lastres = '%s'%tmpstr
+                    hzwork.pop(0)
+                    print "%s not found, adding raw and breaking"%tmpstr
+                break
+            else:
+                print "got empty result, breaking"
+                lastres += " "
+                break
+
+        finres += lastres
+        print "appending and deleting lastres %s, finres now: %s"%(lastres,finres)
+
+    print '\nfinished with:\n """\n%s\n"""\n'%finres
+    return finres