Patent ID: 7127467

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for managing expressions in a database, the method comprising the steps of: receiving a first query that includes an expression that defines a first condition relating to a first attribute; representing the first condition as data in a column of a row of a table; storing a first value in association with the data, wherein the first value relates to a second attribute; receiving a second query that specifies a second value associated with the first attribute and a second condition relating the second attribute; and executing the second query, wherein executing the second query includes reading, from the column of the row, the data representing the first condition; determining whether the second value satisfies the first condition; reading the first value associated with the data; determining whether the first value satisfies the second condition; and selecting data to answer the second query based at least on whether the second value satisfies the first condition, and the first value satisfies the second condition.