1. A method for indexing a collection of XML documents comprising performing a machine-executed operation involving instructions, wherein the machine-executed operation is at least one of: A) sending said instructions over transmission media; B) receiving said instructions over transmission media; C) storing said instructions onto a machine-readable storage medium; and D) executing the instructions; wherein said instructions are instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of: storing said collection of XML documents in one or more base database structures managed by a database system for storing said collection of XML documents; based on first data, the database system creating a table, separate from said one or more base database structures, that indexes said collection of XML documents, wherein said table includes a plurality of columns, each column of said plurality of columns corresponding to a different item contained in said collection of XML documents and containing values of said different item; and wherein said first data indicates, for each column of said plurality of columns, the different item that corresponds to the column.