diff --git a/src/include/mdbtools.h b/src/include/mdbtools.h
index 43e0547..3d19d0f 100644
--- a/src/include/mdbtools.h
+++ b/src/include/mdbtools.h
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ typedef struct {
 	unsigned int   kkd_rowid;
 	int		num_props;
 	GArray		*props;
-	GArray		*columns;
+	GPtrArray	*columns;
 } MdbCatalogEntry;
 
 typedef struct {
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ typedef struct {
 	int	num_rows;
 	int	num_pgs;
 	int	first_data_pg;
-	GArray	*columns;
+	GPtrArray	*columns;
 } MdbTableDef;
 
 typedef struct {
diff --git a/src/libmdb/data.c b/src/libmdb/data.c
index d3cfa70..d013d86 100644
--- a/src/libmdb/data.c
+++ b/src/libmdb/data.c
@@ -19,12 +19,18 @@
 
 #include "mdbtools.h"
 
-#define MDB_DEBUG 1
+#define MDB_DEBUG 0
 
 char *mdb_col_to_string(MdbHandle *mdb, int start, int datatype, int size);
 
-void mdb_bind_col(MdbColumn *col, void *bind_ptr)
+void mdb_bind_column(MdbTableDef *table, int col_num, void *bind_ptr)
 {
+MdbColumn *col;
+
+	/* 
+	** the column arrary is 0 based, so decrement to get 1 based parameter 
+	*/
+	col=g_ptr_array_index(table->columns, col_num - 1);
 	col->bind_ptr = bind_ptr;
 }
 int mdb_find_end_of_row(MdbHandle *mdb, int row)
@@ -42,7 +48,7 @@ int rows, row_end;
 int mdb_read_row(MdbTableDef *table, int pg_num, int row)
 {
 MdbHandle *mdb = table->entry->mdb;
-MdbColumn col;
+MdbColumn *col;
 int j;
 int num_cols, var_cols, fixed_cols;
 int row_start, row_end;
@@ -90,33 +96,33 @@ int delflag, lookupflag;
 
 	/* fixed columns */
 	for (j=0;j<table->num_cols;j++) {
-		col = g_array_index(table->columns,MdbColumn,j);
-		if (mdb_is_fixed_col(&col) &&
+		col = g_ptr_array_index(table->columns,j);
+		if (mdb_is_fixed_col(col) &&
 		    ++fixed_cols_found <= fixed_cols) {
-			if (col.bind_ptr) {
-				strcpy(col.bind_ptr, 
+			if (col->bind_ptr) {
+				strcpy(col->bind_ptr, 
 					mdb_col_to_string(mdb, 
 						row_start + col_start,
-						col.col_type,
+						col->col_type,
 						0)
 					);
 			}
 #if MDB_DEBUG
 			fprintf(stdout,"fixed col %s = %s\n",
-				col.name,
+				col->name,
 				mdb_col_to_string(mdb, 
 					row_start + col_start,
-					col.col_type,
+					col->col_type,
 					0));
-			col_start += col.col_size;
 #endif
+			col_start += col->col_size;
 		}
 	}
 
 	/* variable columns */
 	for (j=0;j<table->num_cols;j++) {
-		col = g_array_index(table->columns,MdbColumn,j);
-		if (!mdb_is_fixed_col(&col) &&
+		col = g_ptr_array_index(table->columns,j);
+		if (!mdb_is_fixed_col(col) &&
 		    ++var_cols_found <= var_cols) {
 			col_start = mdb->pg_buf[row_end-1-var_cols_found];
 
@@ -127,24 +133,24 @@ int delflag, lookupflag;
 
 #if MDB_DEBUG
 			fprintf(stdout,"coltype %d colstart %d len %d\n",
-				col.col_type,
+				col->col_type,
 				col_start, 
 				len);
 #endif
-			if (col.bind_ptr) {
-				strcpy(col.bind_ptr, 
+			if (col->bind_ptr) {
+				strcpy(col->bind_ptr, 
 					mdb_col_to_string(mdb, 
 						row_start + col_start,
-						col.col_type,
+						col->col_type,
 						len)
 					);
 			}
 #if MDB_DEBUG
 			fprintf(stdout,"var col %s = %s\n", 
-				col.name, 
+				col->name, 
 				mdb_col_to_string(mdb,
 					row_start + col_start,
-					col.col_type,
+					col->col_type,
 					len));
 #endif
 
@@ -158,9 +164,14 @@ int delflag, lookupflag;
 void mdb_data_dump(MdbTableDef *table)
 {
 MdbHandle *mdb = table->entry->mdb;
-int i, pg_num;
+int i, j, pg_num;
 int rows;
+char *bound_values[256]; /* warning doesn't handle table > 256 columns.  Can that happen? */
 
+	for (i=0;i<table->num_cols;i++) {
+		bound_values[i] = (char *) malloc(256);
+		mdb_bind_column(table, i+1, bound_values[i]);
+	}
 	for (pg_num=1;pg_num<=table->num_pgs;pg_num++) {
 		mdb_read_pg(mdb,table->first_data_pg + pg_num);
 		rows = mdb_get_int16(mdb,8);
@@ -169,8 +180,14 @@ int rows;
 			rows);
 		for (i=0;i<rows;i++) {
 			mdb_read_row(table, table->first_data_pg + pg_num, i);
+			for (j=0;j<table->num_cols;j++) {
+				fprintf(stdout, "column %d is %s\n", j+1, bound_values[j]);
+			}
 		}
 	}
+	for (i=0;i<table->num_cols;i++) {
+		free(bound_values[i]);
+	}
 }
 
 int mdb_is_fixed_col(MdbColumn *col)
diff --git a/src/libmdb/mem.c b/src/libmdb/mem.c
index bdc6a6a..140ad6e 100644
--- a/src/libmdb/mem.c
+++ b/src/libmdb/mem.c
@@ -57,3 +57,14 @@ void mdb_free_tabledef(MdbTableDef *table)
 {
 	if (table) free(table);
 }
+mdb_append_column(GPtrArray *columns, MdbColumn *in_col)
+{
+MdbColumn *col;
+		
+ 	col = g_memdup(in_col,sizeof(MdbCatalogEntry));
+	g_ptr_array_add(columns, col);
+}
+mdb_free_columns(GPtrArray *columns)
+{
+	g_ptr_array_free(columns, TRUE);
+}
diff --git a/src/libmdb/table.c b/src/libmdb/table.c
index 5c7043e..d4c2f37 100644
--- a/src/libmdb/table.c
+++ b/src/libmdb/table.c
@@ -77,11 +77,10 @@ int len, i;
 	return table;
 }
 
-GArray *mdb_read_columns(MdbTableDef *table)
+GPtrArray *mdb_read_columns(MdbTableDef *table)
 {
 MdbHandle *mdb = table->entry->mdb;
 MdbColumn col;
-GArray *columns;
 int len, i;
 int cur_col, cur_name;
 int col_type, col_size;
@@ -89,7 +88,7 @@ int col_start, name_start;
 char name[MDB_MAX_OBJ_NAME+1];
 int name_sz;
 	
-	table->columns = g_array_new(FALSE,FALSE,sizeof(MdbColumn));
+	table->columns = g_ptr_array_new();
 
 	col_start = 43 + (table->num_pgs * 8);
 	name_start = col_start + (table->num_cols * 18);
@@ -109,7 +108,7 @@ int name_sz;
 
 		cur_col += 18;
 		cur_name += name_sz + 1;
-		g_array_append_val(table->columns, col);
+		mdb_append_column(table->columns, &col);
 	}
 
 	return table->columns;
@@ -118,7 +117,7 @@ int name_sz;
 void mdb_table_dump(MdbCatalogEntry *entry)
 {
 MdbTableDef *table;
-MdbColumn col;
+MdbColumn *col;
 MdbHandle *mdb = entry->mdb;
 int i;
 
@@ -130,11 +129,11 @@ int i;
 
 	mdb_read_columns(table);
 	for (i=0;i<table->num_cols;i++) {
-		col = g_array_index(table->columns,MdbColumn,i);
+		col = g_ptr_array_index(table->columns,i);
 	
 		fprintf(stdout,"column %d Name: %-20s Type: %s(%d)\n",
-			i, col.name,
-			mdb_get_coltype_string(col.col_type),
-			col.col_size);
+			i, col->name,
+			mdb_get_coltype_string(col->col_type),
+			col->col_size);
 	}
 }
diff --git a/src/util/schema.c b/src/util/schema.c
index 9e3debc..1edb3c2 100644
--- a/src/util/schema.c
+++ b/src/util/schema.c
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ int   i, j, k;
 MdbHandle *mdb;
 MdbCatalogEntry entry;
 MdbTableDef *table;
-MdbColumn col;
+MdbColumn *col;
 
  if (argc < 2) {
    fprintf (stderr, "Usage: schema <file>\n");
@@ -75,13 +75,13 @@ MdbColumn col;
 
 	       for (k = 0; k < table->num_cols; k++)
 		 {
-		   col = g_array_index (table->columns, MdbColumn, k);
+		   col = g_ptr_array_index (table->columns, k);
 		   
-		   fprintf (stdout, "\t%s\t\t\t%s", col.name, 
-			    mdb_get_coltype_string (col.col_type));
+		   fprintf (stdout, "\t%s\t\t\t%s", col->name, 
+			    mdb_get_coltype_string (col->col_type));
 		   
-		   if (col.col_size != 0)
-		     fprintf (stdout, " (%d)", col.col_size);
+		   if (col->col_size != 0)
+		     fprintf (stdout, " (%d)", col->col_size);
 		   
 		   if (k < table->num_cols - 1)
 		     fprintf (stdout, ", \n");