Metaclass is like a black magic in python.
I wouldn't learn it if not necessary to read someone's code.
SqlObject uses it. So, if I want to port it to pys60 Dbms,
I need to learn metaclass.

Fortunately, this one is not too much to understand.

class DeclarativeMeta(type):
    def __new__(meta, class_name, bases, new_attrs):
        cls = type.__new__(meta, class_name, bases, new_attrs)
        if new_attrs.has_key('__classinit__'):
            cls.__classinit__ = staticmethod(cls.__classinit__.im_func)
        cls.__classinit__(cls, new_attrs)
        return cls

When you use it you do this

class YourClass(object):
    __metaclass__ = DeclarativeMeta
    # ... and other class variables
    def __classinit__(cls, new_attrs):
        # do whatever you want with the new class
        # ...
    def __init__(self):
        # do whatever you want with the new instance

You use this when you want a subclass to have some magic
done to it when it is first defined. What you say in
__classinit__ will get done to the new subclass, eg.
create more methods, properties, etc.