diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 549ca221e30e4ae1d0a7e968e3818ea142ebb725_Q2hhbmdlTG9n..0ab790535cea1cb811fdc32e7cb692f7629ae05a_Q2hhbmdlTG9n 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -2,7 +2,9 @@
 =================
 
 --
-* suport != operator for non equality
+* support != operator for non equality
+* support for CAST function
+* support for regexp-based pattern matching using a REGEXP operator
 
 2011-01-12  --  0.28.0
     * enhance rewrite_shared_optional so one can specify where the new identity
diff --git a/__pkginfo__.py b/__pkginfo__.py
index 549ca221e30e4ae1d0a7e968e3818ea142ebb725_X19wa2dpbmZvX18ucHk=..0ab790535cea1cb811fdc32e7cb692f7629ae05a_X19wa2dpbmZvX18ucHk= 100644
--- a/__pkginfo__.py
+++ b/__pkginfo__.py
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@
 
 install_requires = [
     'logilab-common >= 0.47.0',
-    'logilab-database',
+    'logilab-database >= 1.6.0',
     'yapps == 2.1.1', # XXX to ensure we don't use the broken pypi version
     'constraint', # fallback if the gecode compiled module is missing
     ]
diff --git a/debian/control b/debian/control
index 549ca221e30e4ae1d0a7e968e3818ea142ebb725_ZGViaWFuL2NvbnRyb2w=..0ab790535cea1cb811fdc32e7cb692f7629ae05a_ZGViaWFuL2NvbnRyb2w= 100644
--- a/debian/control
+++ b/debian/control
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 Package: python-rql
 Architecture: any
 XB-Python-Version: ${python:Versions}
-Depends: ${python:Depends}, ${misc:Depends}, ${shlibs:Depends}, python-logilab-common (>= 0.35.3-1), yapps2-runtime, python-logilab-database
+Depends: ${python:Depends}, ${misc:Depends}, ${shlibs:Depends}, python-logilab-common (>= 0.35.3-1), yapps2-runtime, python-logilab-database (>= 1.6.0)
 Conflicts: cubicweb-common (<= 3.8.3)
 Provides: ${python:Provides}
 Description: relationship query language (RQL) utilities
diff --git a/nodes.py b/nodes.py
index 549ca221e30e4ae1d0a7e968e3818ea142ebb725_bm9kZXMucHk=..0ab790535cea1cb811fdc32e7cb692f7629ae05a_bm9kZXMucHk= 100644
--- a/nodes.py
+++ b/nodes.py
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@
 from datetime import datetime, date, time, timedelta
 from time import localtime
 
+from logilab.database import DYNAMIC_RTYPE
+
 from rql import CoercionError
 from rql.base import BaseNode, Node, BinaryNode, LeafNode
 from rql.utils import (function_description, quote, uquote, build_visitor_stub,
@@ -440,12 +442,7 @@
             return False
         rhs = self.children[1]
         if isinstance(rhs, Comparison):
-            try:
-                rhs = rhs.children[0]
-            except:
-                print 'opppp', rhs
-                print rhs.root
-                raise
+            rhs = rhs.children[0]
         # else: relation used in SET OR DELETE selection
         return ((isinstance(rhs, Constant) and rhs.type == 'etype')
                 or (isinstance(rhs, Function) and rhs.name == 'IN'))
@@ -484,7 +481,7 @@
         self.optional= value
 
 
-OPERATORS = frozenset(('=', '!=', '<', '<=', '>=', '>', 'ILIKE', 'LIKE'))
+OPERATORS = frozenset(('=', '!=', '<', '<=', '>=', '>', 'ILIKE', 'LIKE', 'REGEXP'))
 
 class Comparison(HSMixin, Node):
     """handle comparisons:
@@ -625,7 +622,8 @@
 
         solution is an optional variable/etype mapping
         """
-        rtype = self.descr().rtype
+        func_descr = self.descr()
+        rtype = func_descr.rql_return_type(self)
         if rtype is None:
             # XXX support one variable ref child
             try:
diff --git a/parser.g b/parser.g
index 549ca221e30e4ae1d0a7e968e3818ea142ebb725_cGFyc2VyLmc=..0ab790535cea1cb811fdc32e7cb692f7629ae05a_cGFyc2VyLmc= 100644
--- a/parser.g
+++ b/parser.g
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@
     token FALSE:       r'(?i)FALSE'
     token NULL:        r'(?i)NULL'
     token EXISTS:      r'(?i)EXISTS'
-    token CMP_OP:      r'(?i)<=|<|>=|>|!=|=|~=|LIKE|ILIKE'
+    token CMP_OP:      r'(?i)<=|<|>=|>|!=|=|~=|LIKE|ILIKE|REGEXP'
     token ADD_OP:      r'\+|-'
     token MUL_OP:      r'\*|/'
     token FUNCTION:    r'[A-Za-z_]+\s*(?=\()'
diff --git a/parser.py b/parser.py
index 549ca221e30e4ae1d0a7e968e3818ea142ebb725_cGFyc2VyLnB5..0ab790535cea1cb811fdc32e7cb692f7629ae05a_cGFyc2VyLnB5 100644
--- a/parser.py
+++ b/parser.py
@@ -1,19 +1,2 @@
-# copyright 2004-2010 LOGILAB S.A. (Paris, FRANCE), all rights reserved.
-# contact http://www.logilab.fr/ -- mailto:contact@logilab.fr
-#
-# This file is part of rql.
-#
-# rql is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the
-# terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License as published by the Free
-# Software Foundation, either version 2.1 of the License, or (at your option)
-# any later version.
-#
-# rql is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY
-# WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR
-# A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU Lesser General Public License for more
-# details.
-#
-# You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public License along
-# with rql. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 """yapps input grammar for RQL.
 
@@ -18,5 +1,8 @@
 """yapps input grammar for RQL.
 
+:organization: Logilab
+:copyright: 2003-2008 LOGILAB S.A. (Paris, FRANCE), all rights reserved.
+:contact: http://www.logilab.fr/ -- mailto:contact@logilab.fr
 
 
 Select statement grammar
@@ -109,7 +95,7 @@
         ('FALSE', re.compile('(?i)FALSE')),
         ('NULL', re.compile('(?i)NULL')),
         ('EXISTS', re.compile('(?i)EXISTS')),
-        ('CMP_OP', re.compile('(?i)<=|<|>=|>|!=|=|~=|LIKE|ILIKE')),
+        ('CMP_OP', re.compile('(?i)<=|<|>=|>|!=|=|~=|LIKE|ILIKE|REGEXP')),
         ('ADD_OP', re.compile('\\+|-')),
         ('MUL_OP', re.compile('\\*|/')),
         ('FUNCTION', re.compile('[A-Za-z_]+\\s*(?=\\()')),
@@ -709,7 +695,7 @@
     P = Hercule(HerculeScanner(text))
     return runtime.wrap_error_reporter(P, rule)
 
-if __name__ == 'old__main__':
+if __name__ == '__main__':
     from sys import argv, stdin
     if len(argv) >= 2:
         if len(argv) >= 3:
@@ -719,25 +705,3 @@
         print parse(argv[1], f.read())
     else: print >>sys.stderr, 'Args:  <rule> [<filename>]'
 # End -- grammar generated by Yapps
-"""Main parser command.
-
-"""
-__docformat__ = "restructuredtext en"
-
-if __name__ == '__main__':
-    from sys import argv
-
-    parser = Hercule(HerculeScanner(argv[1]))
-    e_types = {}
-    # parse the RQL string
-    try:
-        tree = parser.goal(e_types)
-        print '-'*80
-        print tree
-        print '-'*80
-        print repr(tree)
-        print e_types
-    except SyntaxError, ex:
-        # try to get error message from yapps
-        from yapps.runtime import print_error
-        print_error(ex, parser._scanner)
diff --git a/stcheck.py b/stcheck.py
index 549ca221e30e4ae1d0a7e968e3818ea142ebb725_c3RjaGVjay5weQ==..0ab790535cea1cb811fdc32e7cb692f7629ae05a_c3RjaGVjay5weQ== 100644
--- a/stcheck.py
+++ b/stcheck.py
@@ -455,8 +455,5 @@
     def visit_constant(self, constant, state):
         #assert len(constant.children)==0
         if constant.type == 'etype':
-            if constant.relation().r_type not in ('is', 'is_instance_of'):
-                msg ='using an entity type in only allowed with "is" relation'
-                state.error(msg)
-            if not constant.value in self.schema:
+            if constant.value not in self.schema:
                 state.error('unknown entity type %s' % constant.value)
@@ -462,4 +459,12 @@
                 state.error('unknown entity type %s' % constant.value)
+            rel = constant.relation()
+            if rel is not None:
+                if rel.r_type not in ('is', 'is_instance_of'):
+                    msg ='using an entity type in only allowed with "is" relation'
+                    state.error(msg)
+            elif not (isinstance(constant.parent, Function) and
+                      constant.parent.name == 'CAST'):
+                state.error('Entity types can only be used inside a CAST()')
 
     def leave_constant(self, node, state):
         pass
diff --git a/test/unittest_nodes.py b/test/unittest_nodes.py
index 549ca221e30e4ae1d0a7e968e3818ea142ebb725_dGVzdC91bml0dGVzdF9ub2Rlcy5weQ==..0ab790535cea1cb811fdc32e7cb692f7629ae05a_dGVzdC91bml0dGVzdF9ub2Rlcy5weQ== 100644
--- a/test/unittest_nodes.py
+++ b/test/unittest_nodes.py
@@ -564,6 +564,12 @@
         tree = sparse('Any X,R,D,Y WHERE X work_for R, R creation_date D, Y connait X')
         self.assertEqual(tree.get_description(0), [['Person, Student', 'work_for', 'creation_date', 'connait']])
 
+    def test_get_description_cast(self):
+        tree = sparse('Any CAST(String, Y) WHERE X creation_date Y')
+        select = tree.children[0]
+        self.assertEqual(select.selection[0].get_type(), 'String')
+        self.assertEqual(tree.get_description(0), [['String']])
+
 
 class GetNodesFunctionTest(TestCase):
     def test_known_values_1(self):
diff --git a/utils.py b/utils.py
index 549ca221e30e4ae1d0a7e968e3818ea142ebb725_dXRpbHMucHk=..0ab790535cea1cb811fdc32e7cb692f7629ae05a_dXRpbHMucHk= 100644
--- a/utils.py
+++ b/utils.py
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@
 
 
 from logilab.common.decorators import monkeypatch
-from logilab.database import SQL_FUNCTIONS_REGISTRY, FunctionDescr
+from logilab.database import SQL_FUNCTIONS_REGISTRY, FunctionDescr, CAST
 
 RQL_FUNCTIONS_REGISTRY = SQL_FUNCTIONS_REGISTRY.copy()
 
@@ -85,6 +85,19 @@
         raise BadRQLQuery("backend %s doesn't support function %s" % (backend, self.name))
 
 
+@monkeypatch(FunctionDescr)
+def rql_return_type(self, funcnode):
+    return self.rtype
+
+@monkeypatch(CAST)
+def st_description(self, funcnode, mainindex, tr):
+    return self.rql_return_type(funcnode)
+
+@monkeypatch(CAST)
+def rql_return_type(self, funcnode):
+    return funcnode.children[0].value
+
+
 def iter_funcnode_variables(funcnode):
     for term in funcnode.children:
         try: