diff --git a/lib/damask_tools.py b/lib/damask_tools.py
index 22c596a3e..6af71da8e 100644
--- a/lib/damask_tools.py
+++ b/lib/damask_tools.py
@@ -13,21 +13,20 @@ class DAMASK_TOOLS():
 
 
 class ASCII_TABLE():
+  '''
+     There should be a doc string here  :)
+  '''
   import sys
-  
   __slots__ = ['__IO__',
                'info',
                'labels',
                'data',
               ]
 
-
-#.............................................
   def __init__(self,
                fileIn = sys.stdin,
                fileOut = sys.stdout,
                buffered = True):
-
     self.__IO__ = {'in': fileIn,
                    'out':fileOut,
                    'output':[],
@@ -38,41 +37,31 @@ class ASCII_TABLE():
     self.labels = []
     self.data = []
 
-
-#.............................................
   def output_write(self,
                    what):
-
     if isinstance(what,list):
       for item in what: self.output_write(item)
     else:
       self.__IO__['output'] += [str(what)]
       self.__IO__['buffered'] or self.output_flush()
 
-
-#.............................................
   def output_flush(self,
                    clear = True):
-
     self.__IO__['output'] == [] or self.__IO__['out'].write('\n'.join(self.__IO__['output']) + '\n')
     if clear: self.output_clear()
 
-
-#.............................................
   def output_clear(self):
-
     self.__IO__['output'] = []
 
-
-#.............................................
   def head_read(self):
-  #  get column labels by either read the first row, or - if keyword "head[*]" is present - the last line of the header
-
+    '''
+       get column labels by either read the first row, or 
+       --if keyword "head[*]" is present-- the last line of the header
+    '''
     try:
       self.__IO__['in'].seek(0)
     except:
       pass
-
     firstline = self.__IO__['in'].readline()
     m = re.search('(\d+)\s*head', firstline.lower())
     if m:
@@ -81,72 +70,50 @@ class ASCII_TABLE():
     else:
       self.info     = []
       self.labels   = firstline.split()
-  
     self.__IO__['validReadSize'] = len(self.labels)
 
-
-#.............................................
   def head_write(self):
-
     self.output_write (['%i\theader'%(len(self.info)+1),
                         self.info,
                         '\t'.join(self.labels)])
 
-
-#.............................................
   def labels_append(self,
                    what):
-
     if isinstance(what,list):
       for item in what: self.labels_append(item)
     else:               self.labels += [str(what)]
 
-
-#.............................................
   def info_append(self,
                   what):
-
     if isinstance(what,list):
       for item in what: self.info_append(item)
     else:               self.info += [str(what)]
 
-
-#.............................................
   def data_read(self):
-
     line = self.__IO__['in'].readline()
     items = line.split()[:self.__IO__['validReadSize']]                             # get next data row
     self.data = {False:   [],
                   True: items}[len(items) == self.__IO__['validReadSize']]          # take if correct number of entries
-
     return line != ''
 
-#.............................................
   def data_write(self):
-
     if isinstance(self.data[0],list):
       self.output_write (['\t'.join(map(str,items)) for items in self.data])
     else:
       self.output_write ('\t'.join(map(str,self.data)))
 
-
-#.............................................
   def data_append(self,
                   what):
-
     if isinstance(what,list):
       for item in what: self.data_append(item)
     else:               self.data += [str(what)]
 
-
-
-
-
     
 class MATERIAL_CONFIG():
-
+  '''
+     Reads, manipulates and writes material.config files
+  '''
   __slots__ = ['data']
-  
 
   def __init__(self):
     self.parts = [
@@ -310,17 +277,19 @@ class MATERIAL_CONFIG():
                '__order__':['crystallite','(constituent)']}               
     self.add_data(part='microstructure',section=label,data=data)           
     
-    
-  def change_value(self,part=None,section=None,key=None,value=None):
+  def change_value(self, part=None, 
+                         section=None, 
+                         key=None, 
+                         value=None):
     if type(value) is not type([]): 
       if type(value) is not type('s'):
-        value='%s'%value
-      value=[value]
-    newlen=len(value)  
-    oldval=self.data[part][section][key]
-    oldlen=len(oldval)
+        value = '%s'%value
+      value = [value]
+    newlen = len(value)  
+    oldval = self.data[part][section][key]
+    oldlen = len(oldval)
     print('changing %s:%s:%s:%s'%(part,section,key,oldval))
-    self.data[part][section][key]=value
+    self.data[part][section][key] = value
     print('new: %s'%self.data[part][section][key])
     if newlen is not oldlen:
       print('Length of value was changed from %i to %i!'%(oldlen,newlen))