1. In a repository environment, a method of providing entities the ability to optimally create, manage, and/or store fine-grained metadata, artifacts, or other software related items of a domain by providing a relational model that stores these items in a way that allows rich querying using standard database routines and other tools, the method comprising: providing entities with a set of schema guidelines that describe how software related items of a schematized model of a domain are to be categorized in query tables; based on the set of schema guidelines, allowing the entities to arrange the software related items into a plurality of query tables that provide ease in querying over the software related items, wherein such items typically reside in a universal entity-property-value schema that is versioned on an object-by-object basis; and storing the plurality of query tables in a software repository, which is a common store that allows tools that use the software related items to be independent of any particular domain model.