def select(self,sql):
    """
    Execute an SQL select statement and stuff the results into a
    dictionary.

    sql = the (case sensitve) SQL statment to execute
    """
    if not self.curs:
      raise LIGOLwDBError, "Database connection not initalized"
    if len(self.table) != 0:
      raise LIGOLwDBError, 'attempt to fill non-empty table from database'
    ligolw = ''
    self.table = {}
    sqltypes = {
      -2 : 'ilwd:char_u',
      1 : 'lstring',
      3 : 'real_8',
      4  : 'int_4s',
      5 : 'int_2s',
      7 : 'real_4',
      8 : 'real_8',
      12 : 'lstring',
      93 : 'lstring', 
      }
    try:
      tab = re.compile(r'[Ff][Rr][Oo][Mm]\s+([A-Za-z0-0_]+)([,\s]+|$)').search(sql).group(1)
    except AttributeError:
      raise LIGOLwDBError, 'could not find table name in query ' + str(sql)
    self.table[tab] = {
      'pos' : 0,
      'column' : {},
      'stream' : (), 
      'query' : sql
      }
    try:
      self.curs.execute(sql)
    except DB2.Error, e:
      raise LIGOLwDBError, e[2]
    desc = self.curs.description
    for col,typ,disp,intsz,prec,sca,nul in desc:
      try:
        self.table[tab]['column'][col] = sqltypes[typ]
      except KeyError:
        raise LIGOLwDBError, 'unknown type returned by database ' + str(typ)
      self.table[tab].setdefault('orderedcol',[]).append(col)

    try:
      self.table[tab]['stream'] = self.curs.fetchall()
    except DB2.Error, e:
      raise LIGOLwDBError, e[2]

    return len(self.table[tab]['stream'])