diff --git a/pkg/R/hbase.r b/pkg/R/hbase.r
index 05ecd8b..b159a18 100644
--- a/pkg/R/hbase.r
+++ b/pkg/R/hbase.r
@@ -269,3 +269,44 @@ hb.get.data.frame <- function(tablename, start,end=NULL,columns=NULL){
   }
 }
 
+.hb.get_value <- function( row, column_name )
+{
+  indices <- which( row[[ 2 ]] == column_name )
+  index <- ifelse( length( indices ) == 1, indices[[ 1 ]], 0 )
+  ifelse( index == 0, NA, row[[ 3 ]][[ index ]] )
+}
+
+.hb.create_column_index_values_getter <- function( columns, raw_result )
+{
+  function( column_index )
+  {
+    column_name <- columns[[ column_index ]]
+    unlist( lapply( raw_result, .hb.get_value, column_name ) )
+  }
+}
+
+
+hb.scan.data.frame <- function( tablename, startrow, end=NULL, colspec,
+                                sz=hb.defaults("sz"),
+                                usz=hb.defaults("usz"),
+                                hbc=hb.defaults("hbc") )
+{
+  scn <- hb.scan( tablename, startrow, end, colspec, sz, usz, hbc )
+  f <- scn$get()
+  cols <- ifelse( length( colspec ) == 1, f[[ 1 ]][[ 2 ]], colspec )
+  if( length( colspec ) == 1 ) {
+    cols <- f[[ 1 ]][[ 2 ]]
+  } else {
+    cols <- colspec
+  }
+  df <-
+    as.data.frame( lapply( 1:length( cols ),
+                           .hb.create_column_index_values_getter( cols,
+                                                                  f ) ) )
+  rownames( df ) <- unlist( lapply( f, "[[", 1 ) )
+  colnames( df ) <- cols
+  df
+}
+
+#hb.scan.ex <- function(tablename, startrow="", end="", colspec=character(0),     timestamp=0, caching=0, filterstring=character(0), sz=hb.defaults("sz"), us    z=hb.defaults("usz"),
+#227                     hbc=hb.defaults("hbc")){