diff --git a/python/damask/asciitable.py b/python/damask/asciitable.py
index d81c22530..bed9a3395 100644
--- a/python/damask/asciitable.py
+++ b/python/damask/asciitable.py
@@ -14,11 +14,9 @@ class ASCIItable():
 
 # ------------------------------------------------------------------
   def __init__(self,
-               name    = None,
-               outname = None,
-               buffered  = False,                                                                   # is ignored, only exists for compatibility reasons
-               labeled   = True,                                                                    # assume table has labels
-               readonly  = False,                                                                   # no reading from file
+               name,
+               labeled  = True,                                                                     # assume table has labels
+               readonly = False,                                                                    # no reading from file
               ):
     """Read and write to ASCII tables."""
     self.__IO__ = {'output': [],
@@ -27,8 +25,9 @@ class ASCIItable():
                    'dataStart': 0,
                   }
 
-    self.__IO__['inPlace'] = not outname and name and not readonly
-    if self.__IO__['inPlace']: outname = name + self.tmpext                                         # transparently create tmp file
+    self.__IO__['inPlace'] = name and not readonly
+    outname = name + self.tmpext if self.__IO__['inPlace'] else None                                # transparently create tmp file
+
     try:
       self.__IO__['in'] = (open(   name,'r') if os.access(   name, os.R_OK) else None) if name else sys.stdin
     except TypeError:
@@ -424,29 +423,26 @@ class ASCIItable():
     return labels_missing
 
 # ------------------------------------------------------------------
-  def data_write(self,
-                 delimiter = '\t'):
+  def data_write(self):
     """Write current data array and report alive output back."""
     if len(self.data) == 0: return True
 
     if isinstance(self.data[0],list):
-      return self.output_write([delimiter.join(map(self._quote,items)) for items in self.data])
+      return self.output_write(['\t'.join(map(self._quote,items)) for items in self.data])
     else:
-      return self.output_write( delimiter.join(map(self._quote,self.data)))
+      return self.output_write( '\t'.join(map(self._quote,self.data)))
 
 # ------------------------------------------------------------------
-  def data_writeArray(self,
-                      fmt = None,
-                      delimiter = '\t'):
+  def data_writeArray(self):
     """Write whole numpy array data."""
     for row in self.data:
       try:
-        output = [fmt % value for value in row] if fmt else list(map(repr,row))
+        output = list(map(repr,row))
       except Exception:
-        output = [fmt % row] if fmt else [repr(row)]
+        output = [repr(row)]
 
       try:
-        self.__IO__['out'].write(delimiter.join(output) + '\n')
+        self.__IO__['out'].write('\t'.join(output) + '\n')
       except Exception:
         pass
 
diff --git a/python/damask/test.py b/python/damask/test.py
index b1729548d..e88da7fb0 100644
--- a/python/damask/test.py
+++ b/python/damask/test.py
@@ -282,12 +282,10 @@ class Test():
 
     import numpy as np
     logging.info('\n '.join(['comparing',File1,File2]))
-    table1 = damask.ASCIItable(name=File1,readonly=True)
-    table1.head_read()
-    len1=len(table1.info)+2
-    table2 = damask.ASCIItable(name=File2,readonly=True)
-    table2.head_read()
-    len2=len(table2.info)+2
+    table = damask.Table.from_ASCII(File1)
+    len1=len(table.comments)+2
+    table = damask.Table.from_ASCII(File2)
+    len2=len(table.comments)+2
 
     refArray = np.nan_to_num(np.genfromtxt(File1,missing_values='n/a',skip_header = len1,autostrip=True))
     curArray = np.nan_to_num(np.genfromtxt(File2,missing_values='n/a',skip_header = len2,autostrip=True))
@@ -445,15 +443,15 @@ class Test():
     if not (isinstance(files, Iterable) and not isinstance(files, str)):       # check whether list of files is requested
       files = [str(files)]
 
-    tables = [damask.ASCIItable(name = filename,readonly = True) for filename in files]
+    tables = [damask.Table.from_ASCII(filename) for filename in files]
     for table in tables:
-      table.head_read()
+      table._label_flat()
 
     columns += [columns[0]]*(len(files)-len(columns))                          # extend to same length as files
     columns = columns[:len(files)]                                             # truncate to same length as files
 
     for i,column in enumerate(columns):
-      if column is None: columns[i] = tables[i].labels(raw = True)             # if no column is given, read all
+      if column is None: columns[i] = list(tables[i].data.columns)             # if no column is given, read all
 
     logging.info('comparing ASCIItables statistically')
     for i in range(len(columns)):
@@ -467,9 +465,8 @@ class Test():
 
     data = []
     for table,labels in zip(tables,columns):
-      table.data_readArray(labels)
-      data.append(table.data)
-      table.close()
+      table._label_condensed()
+      data.append(np.hstack(list(table.get(label) for label in labels)))
 
 
     for i in range(1,len(data)):