1. A computer-implemented method comprising: receiving, by one or more processors, a query of a database, wherein the query includes a search value, and wherein the database includes a plurality of datasets; determining, by one or more processors, a distance between the search value and at least one reference value; determining, by one or more processors, a maximum distance from the search value to be used in searching the database, wherein the maximum distance from the search value defines a search range and is based, at least in part, on the determined distance between the search value and the at least one reference value; determining, by one or more processors, a subset of datasets from the plurality of datasets that includes datasets for which a data range with respect to each reference value overlaps with the search range; and performing, by one or more processors, approximate string matching for the search value on the subset of datasets; wherein: each dataset of the plurality of datasets is assigned a minimum distance and a maximum distance between values of dataset entries and the at least one reference value; and the minimum distance and the maximum distance for each dataset define the data range for the respective dataset with respect to the at least one reference value.