diff --git a/IPython/utils/wildcard.py b/IPython/utils/wildcard.py
index c3e5735..3fc2092 100644
--- a/IPython/utils/wildcard.py
+++ b/IPython/utils/wildcard.py
@@ -13,68 +13,56 @@ Authors
 #  the file COPYING, distributed as part of this software.
 #*****************************************************************************
 
-import __builtin__
 import re
 import types
 
 from IPython.utils.dir2 import dir2
 
-def create_typestr2type_dicts(dont_include_in_type2type2str=["lambda"]):
-    """Return dictionaries mapping lower case typename to type objects, from
-    the types package, and vice versa."""
-    typenamelist=[]
-    for tname in dir(types):
-        if tname[-4:]=="Type":
-            typenamelist.append(tname)
-    typestr2type={}
-    type2typestr={}
+def create_typestr2type_dicts(dont_include_in_type2typestr=["lambda"]):
+    """Return dictionaries mapping lower case typename (e.g. 'tuple) to type
+    objects from the types package, and vice versa."""
+    typenamelist = [tname for tname in dir(types) if tname.endswith("Type")]
+    typestr2type, type2typestr = {}, {}
+    
     for tname in typenamelist:
-        name=tname[:-4].lower()
-        obj=getattr(types,tname)
-        typestr2type[name]=getattr(types,tname)
-        if name in dont_include_in_type2type2str:
-            type2typestr[obj]=name
-    return typestr2type,type2typestr
+        name = tname[:-4].lower()          # Cut 'Type' off the end of the name
+        obj = getattr(types, tname)
+        typestr2type[name] = obj
+        if name not in dont_include_in_type2typestr:
+            type2typestr[obj] = name
+    return typestr2type, type2typestr
 
-typestr2type,type2typestr=create_typestr2type_dicts()
+typestr2type, type2typestr = create_typestr2type_dicts()
 
-def is_type(obj,typestr_or_type):
-    """is_type(obj,typestr_or_type) verifies if obj is of a certain type or
-    group of types takes strings as parameters of the for 'tuple'<->TupleType
-    'all' matches all types.  TODO: Should be extended for choosing more than
-    one type
-    """
+def is_type(obj, typestr_or_type):
+    """is_type(obj, typestr_or_type) verifies if obj is of a certain type. It 
+    can take strings or actual python types for the second argument, i.e.
+    'tuple'<->TupleType. 'all' matches all types.
+    
+    TODO: Should be extended for choosing more than one type."""
     if typestr_or_type=="all":
         return True
-    if type(typestr_or_type)==types.TypeType:
-        test_type=typestr_or_type
+    if type(typestr_or_type) == types.TypeType:
+        test_type = typestr_or_type
     else:
-        test_type=typestr2type.get(typestr_or_type,False)
+        test_type = typestr2type.get(typestr_or_type, False)
     if test_type:
-        return isinstance(obj,test_type)
-    else:
-        return False
+        return isinstance(obj, test_type)
+    return False
 
 def show_hidden(str,show_all=False):
     """Return true for strings starting with single _ if show_all is true."""
     return show_all or str.startswith("__") or not str.startswith("_")
 
-class NameSpace(object):
+class NameSpace(dict):
     """NameSpace holds the dictionary for a namespace and implements filtering
     on name and types"""
-    def __init__(self, ns_dict, name_pattern="*", type_pattern="all",
-                 ignore_case=True, show_all=True):
-       self.show_all = show_all #Hide names beginning with single _
-       self.name_pattern = name_pattern
-       self.type_pattern = type_pattern
-       self.ignore_case = ignore_case
-       self._ns = ns_dict
-           
+    
     @classmethod
     def from_object(cls, obj, *args, **kwargs):
         """Instantiate a namespace by constructing a dictionary of an object's
         attributes. A class method, returns a new NameSpace instance."""
-        attrs = {}
+        ns = cls()
         for key in dir2(obj):
            if isinstance(key, basestring):
                # This seemingly unnecessary try/except is actually needed
@@ -84,81 +72,63 @@ class NameSpace(object):
                # object's dictionary.  Properties can actually do the same
                # thing.  In particular, Traits use this pattern
                try:
-                   attrs[key] = getattr(obj,key)
+                   ns[key] = getattr(obj,key)
                except AttributeError:
                    pass
-        return cls(attrs, *args, **kwargs)
-               
-    def get_ns(self):
-        """Return name space dictionary with objects matching type and name patterns."""
-        return self.filter(self.name_pattern,self.type_pattern)
-    ns=property(get_ns)
-
-    def get_ns_names(self):
-        """Return list of object names in namespace that match the patterns."""
-        return self.ns.keys()
-    ns_names=property(get_ns_names,doc="List of objects in name space that "
-                      "match the type and name patterns.")
+        return ns
         
-    def filter(self,name_pattern,type_pattern):
-        """Return dictionary of filtered namespace."""
-        def glob_filter(lista,name_pattern,hidehidden,ignore_case):
-            """Return list of elements in lista that match pattern."""
-            pattern=name_pattern.replace("*",".*").replace("?",".")
-            if ignore_case:
-                reg=re.compile(pattern+"$",re.I)
-            else:
-                reg=re.compile(pattern+"$")
-            result=[x for x in lista if reg.match(x) and show_hidden(x,hidehidden)]
-            return result
-        ns=self._ns
-        #Filter namespace by the name_pattern
-        all=[(x,ns[x]) for x in glob_filter(ns.keys(),name_pattern,
-                                            self.show_all,self.ignore_case)]
-        #Filter namespace by type_pattern
-        all=[(key,obj) for key,obj in all if is_type(obj,type_pattern)]
-        all=dict(all)
-        return all
-
-    #TODO: Implement dictionary like access to filtered name space?
+    def filter(self, name_pattern="*", type_pattern="all", ignore_case=True,
+                show_all=True):
+        """Return a dictionary of the namespace filtered by regex pattern and
+        item type."""
+        pattern=name_pattern.replace("*",".*").replace("?",".")
+        if ignore_case:
+            reg=re.compile(pattern+"$",re.I)
+        else:
+            reg=re.compile(pattern+"$")
+            
+        return dict((key,obj) for key,obj in self.iteritems() if all((\
+                        reg.match(key),                   # Matches pattern
+                        show_hidden(key, show_all),       # Not _hidden
+                        is_type(obj, type_pattern) )) )   # Correct type
 
 def list_namespace(namespace,type_pattern,filter,ignore_case=False,show_all=False):
     """Return dictionary of all objects in a namespace dictionary that match
     type_pattern and filter."""
     pattern_list=filter.split(".")
-    if len(pattern_list)==1:
-        ns=NameSpace(namespace,name_pattern=pattern_list[0],type_pattern=type_pattern,
-                     ignore_case=ignore_case,show_all=show_all)
-        return ns.ns
+    ns = NameSpace(namespace)
+    if len(pattern_list) == 1:
+        return ns.filter(name_pattern=pattern_list[0], type_pattern=type_pattern,
+                     ignore_case=ignore_case, show_all=show_all)
     else:
         # This is where we can change if all objects should be searched or
         # only modules. Just change the type_pattern to module to search only
         # modules
-        ns=NameSpace(namespace,name_pattern=pattern_list[0],type_pattern="all",
-                     ignore_case=ignore_case,show_all=show_all)
-        res={}
-        for name,obj in ns.ns.iteritems():
+        filtered = ns.filter(name_pattern=pattern_list[0], type_pattern="all",
+                            ignore_case=ignore_case, show_all=show_all)
+        results = {}
+        for name, obj in filtered.iteritems():
             ns = list_object_namespace(obj, type_pattern, pattern_list[1:],
                                     ignore_case=ignore_case, show_all=show_all)
             for inner_name, inner_obj in ns.iteritems():
-                res["%s.%s"%(name,inner_name)]=inner_obj
-        return res
+                results["%s.%s"%(name,inner_name)] = inner_obj
+        return results
 
 def list_object_namespace(ns_obj, type_pattern, pattern_list, ignore_case=False,
                             show_all=False):
     """Return dictionary of all attributes of an object which match type_pattern
-    and filter."""
-    if len(pattern_list)==1:
-        ns=NameSpace.from_object(ns_obj, name_pattern=pattern_list[0], 
-            type_pattern=type_pattern, ignore_case=ignore_case, show_all=show_all)
-        return ns.ns
+    and filter (pattern_list)."""
+    ns = NameSpace.from_object(ns_obj)
+    if len(pattern_list) == 1:
+        return ns.filter(name_pattern=pattern_list[0], type_pattern=type_pattern,
+                            ignore_case=ignore_case, show_all=show_all)
     else:
-        ns=NameSpace.from_object(ns_obj, name_pattern=pattern_list[0],
-            type_pattern="all", ignore_case=ignore_case, show_all=show_all)
-        res={}
-        for name,obj in ns.ns.iteritems():
-            ns=list_object_namespace(obj, type_pattern, pattern_list[1:],
+        filtered = ns.filter(name_pattern=pattern_list[0], type_pattern="all",
+                            ignore_case=ignore_case, show_all=show_all)
+        results = {}
+        for name, obj in filtered.iteritems():
+            ns = list_object_namespace(obj, type_pattern, pattern_list[1:],
                               ignore_case=ignore_case, show_all=show_all)
             for inner_name,inner_obj in ns.iteritems():
-                res["%s.%s"%(name,inner_name)]=inner_obj
-        return res
+                results["%s.%s"%(name,inner_name)] = inner_obj
+        return results