1. Apparatus for providing information in response to a query where the query and the response thereto have defined forms, the query being addressed to a database table having at least one row, each row having at least one named field, the query including at least one field name to specify the information to be provided in the response and an indication of a manner of selecting a row containing the information from the database table, the apparatus comprising: a virtual database service; and an information source for the information to be provided which does not use the named field to identify the information to be provided, the virtual database service receiving the query, using the indication of the manner of selecting a row to obtain the information to be provided from the information source, and providing the information in the response, whereby the apparatus presents a virtual database table of the form addressed by the query to a source of the query.