[Zope] DTML into Python for Formulator

[cgreen]

Okay...  I'll admit it: I'm one of those who only knows about Python 
because of Zope.

I am working with Formulator, and need a method to return a list of 
properties. I have DTML code
that returns the list

<dtml-call "REQUEST.set('tmp',{})">
<dtml-in 
expr="_.sequence.sort(PARENTS[0].objectValues(['STX_Document']), 
(('topic', 'nocase'), ('title', 'cmp'),) )">
<dtml-call "REQUEST['tmp'].update({topic:''})">
</dtml-in>
<dtml-in "REQUEST['tmp'].keys()">
<dtml-var sequence-item>
</dtml-in>


The values of the "topic" property are returned.  But when called as an 
override method for a Formulator MultiListField, I get this error:


            Zope Error

            Zope has encountered an error while publishing this resource.

            Error Type: NameError
            Error Value: global name 'REQUEST' is not defined

  File /usr/local/Zope/lib/python/DocumentTemplate/DT_Util.py, line 231, 
in eval
   (Object: form.topic.render())
   (Info: form)
  File <string>, line 2, in f
   (Object: guarded_getattr)
  File /usr/local/Zope/lib/python/Products/Formulator/Field.py, line 
178, in render
   (Object: topic)
  File /usr/local/Zope/lib/python/Products/Formulator/Field.py, line 
156, in _render_helper
   (Object: topic)
  File /usr/local/Zope/lib/python/Products/Formulator/Widget.py, line 
451, in render
  File /usr/local/Zope/lib/python/Products/Formulator/Widget.py, line 
376, in render_items
  File /usr/local/Zope/lib/python/Products/Formulator/Field.py, line 
107, in get_value
   (Object: topic)
  File /usr/local/Zope/lib/python/Products/Formulator/MethodField.py, 
line 40, in __call__
  File /usr/local/Zope-2.4.3-linux2-x86/lib/python/OFS/DTMLMethod.py, 
line 192, in __call__
   (Object: topics)
  File 
/usr/local/Zope-2.4.3-linux2-x86/lib/python/DocumentTemplate/DT_String.py, 
line 546, in __call__
   (Object: topics)
  File /usr/local/Zope/lib/python/DocumentTemplate/DT_Util.py, line 231, 
in eval
   (Object: REQUEST.set('tmp',{}))
   (Info: REQUEST)
  File <string>, line 2, in f
   (Object: guarded_getattr)
NameError: (see above)

Okay -- I can figure out that it's because there's environment 
(namespace stuff) when DTML is called as a method that just
doesn't work. So it needs to be rewritten as a Python script, but I'm a 
Python neophyte, so I'm asking (pleading.... begging....) for
help.

Thanx in advance