[Zope-dev] Getting an objects properties

Hello, I'm trying to write an external method that exports an object to the filesystem as a folder, with all its properties stored in files. I have a prototype working in wich I use 'dir(self)' to get a list of all the properties of the object. It kinda works now, but I was wondering what the correct way is to get all the properties wich are stored for an object in de objectdatabase. Do I have to access them through the propertysheets ? And what happens then if I delete one from a propertysheet, but the object still has it stored? Thanks for any help. Kind regards, Leon de Heus.