1. A method for storing and accessing information in an object-relational database stored in a computer system, the object-relational database comprising one or more tables, the tables each having a table name and comprising one or more rows of information, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of: storing a plurality of data elements in a row of information, the row comprising one or more columns, the columns each having a column name, at least one of the columns being an embedded-data column for storing a plurality of the data elements; receiving a database command for accessing a selected data element, the database command comprising a selected table name and an extension corresponding to a selected column name representing the embedded-data column; and in response to receiving the database command, accessing a table represented by the selected table name; in response to accessing the table, accessing the embedded-data column represented by the selected column name; and in response to accessing the embedded-data column, accessing the selected data element, whereby a plurality of data elements may be stored in the embedded-data column and, by way of the extension to the database command, may subsequently be accessed from the embedded-data column as if the embedded-data column were a separate table.