diff --git a/cereal/__init__.py b/cereal/__init__.py
index 1648330..bd93c04 100644
--- a/cereal/__init__.py
+++ b/cereal/__init__.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import pkg_resources
+import itertools
 
 def resolve_dotted(dottedname, package=None):
     if dottedname.startswith('.') or dottedname.startswith(':'):
@@ -310,6 +311,8 @@ class Integer(object):
     def deserialize(self, struct, value):
         return self._validate(struct, value)
 
+Int = Integer
+
 class GlobalObject(object):
     """ A type representing an importable Python object """
     def __init__(self, package):
@@ -331,12 +334,19 @@ class GlobalObject(object):
                           'The dotted name %r cannot be imported' % value)
 
 class Structure(object):
-    def __init__(self, name, typ, *structs, **kw):
-        self.name = name
+    _counter = itertools.count()
+    
+    def __new__(cls, *arg, **kw):
+        inst = object.__new__(cls)
+        inst._order = cls._counter.next()
+        return inst
+        
+    def __init__(self, typ, *structs, **kw):
         self.typ = typ
         self.validator = kw.get('validator', None)
         self.default = kw.get('default', None)
         self.required = kw.get('required', True)
+        self.name = kw.get('name', '')
         self.structs = list(structs)
 
     def serialize(self, value):
@@ -351,3 +361,44 @@ class Structure(object):
     def add(self, struct):
         self.structs.append(struct)
 
+class _SchemaMeta(type):
+    def __init__(cls, name, bases, clsattrs):
+        structs = []
+        for name, value in clsattrs.items():
+            if isinstance(value, Structure):
+                value.name = name
+                structs.append((value._order, value))
+        cls.__schema_structures__ = structs
+        # Combine all attrs from this class and its subclasses.
+        extended = []
+        for c in cls.__mro__:
+            extended.extend(getattr(c, '__schema_structures__', []))
+        # Sort the attrs to maintain the order as defined, and assign to the
+        # class.
+        extended.sort()
+        cls.structs = [x[1] for x in extended]
+
+class Schema(object):
+    struct_type = Mapping
+    __metaclass__ = _SchemaMeta
+
+    def __new__(cls, *args, **kw):
+        inst = object.__new__(Structure)
+        inst.name = None
+        inst._order = Structure._counter.next()
+        struct = cls.struct_type(*args, **kw)
+        inst.__init__(struct)
+        for s in cls.structs:
+            inst.add(s)
+        return inst
+
+MappingSchema = Schema
+
+class SequenceSchema(Schema):
+    struct_type = Sequence
+
+class TupleSchema(Schema):
+    struct_type = Tuple
+    
+    
+        
diff --git a/cereal/tests.py b/cereal/tests.py
index 7226391..2df5432 100644
--- a/cereal/tests.py
+++ b/cereal/tests.py
@@ -1,67 +1,6 @@
 import unittest
 
-class TestFunctional(unittest.TestCase):
-    def _makeSchema(self):
-        import cereal
-
-        integer = cereal.Structure(
-            'int',
-            cereal.Integer(),
-            validator=cereal.Range(0, 10)
-            )
-
-        ob = cereal.Structure(
-            'ob',
-            cereal.GlobalObject(package=cereal),
-            )
-
-        tup = cereal.Structure(
-            'tup',
-            cereal.Tuple(),
-            cereal.Structure(
-                'tupint',
-                cereal.Integer(),
-                ),
-            cereal.Structure(
-                'tupstring',
-                cereal.String(),
-                ),
-            )
-
-        seq = cereal.Structure(
-            'seq',
-            cereal.Sequence(tup),
-            )
-
-        seq2 = cereal.Structure(
-            'seq2',
-            cereal.Sequence(
-                cereal.Structure(
-                    'mapping',
-                    cereal.Mapping(),
-                    cereal.Structure(
-                        'key',
-                        cereal.Integer(),
-                        ),
-                    cereal.Structure(
-                        'key2',
-                        cereal.Integer(),
-                        ),
-                    )
-                ),
-            )
-
-        schema = cereal.Structure(
-            None,
-            cereal.Mapping(),
-            integer,
-            ob,
-            tup,
-            seq,
-            seq2)
-
-        return schema
-
+class TestFunctional(object):
     def test_deserialize_ok(self):
         import cereal.tests
         data = {
@@ -108,3 +47,90 @@ class TestFunctional(unittest.TestCase):
         except cereal.Invalid, e:
             errors = e.asdict()
             self.assertEqual(errors, expected)
+
+class TestImperative(unittest.TestCase, TestFunctional):
+    
+    def _makeSchema(self):
+        import cereal
+
+        integer = cereal.Structure(
+            cereal.Integer(),
+            name='int',
+            validator=cereal.Range(0, 10)
+            )
+
+        ob = cereal.Structure(
+            cereal.GlobalObject(package=cereal),
+            name='ob',
+            )
+
+        tup = cereal.Structure(
+            cereal.Tuple(),
+            cereal.Structure(
+                cereal.Integer(),
+                name='tupint',
+                ),
+            cereal.Structure(
+                cereal.String(),
+                name='tupstring',
+                ),
+            name='tup',
+            )
+
+        seq = cereal.Structure(
+            cereal.Sequence(tup),
+            name='seq',
+            )
+
+        seq2 = cereal.Structure(
+            cereal.Sequence(
+                cereal.Structure(
+                    cereal.Mapping(),
+                    cereal.Structure(
+                        cereal.Integer(),
+                        name='key',
+                        ),
+                    cereal.Structure(
+                        cereal.Integer(),
+                        name='key2',
+                        ),
+                    name='mapping',
+                    )
+                ),
+            name='seq2',
+            )
+
+        schema = cereal.Structure(
+            cereal.Mapping(),
+            integer,
+            ob,
+            tup,
+            seq,
+            seq2)
+
+        return schema
+
+class TestDeclarative(unittest.TestCase, TestFunctional):
+    
+    def _makeSchema(self):
+
+        import cereal
+
+        class TupleSchema(cereal.TupleSchema):
+            tupint = cereal.Structure(cereal.Int())
+            tupstring = cereal.Structure(cereal.String())
+
+        class MappingSchema(cereal.MappingSchema):
+            key = cereal.Structure(cereal.Int())
+            key2 = cereal.Structure(cereal.Int())
+
+        class MainSchema(cereal.MappingSchema):
+            int = cereal.Structure(cereal.Int(), validator=cereal.Range(0, 10))
+            ob = cereal.Structure(cereal.GlobalObject(package=cereal))
+            seq = cereal.Structure(cereal.Sequence(TupleSchema()))
+            tup = TupleSchema()
+            seq2 = cereal.SequenceSchema(MappingSchema())
+
+        schema = MainSchema()
+        return schema
+