1. An apparatus for accessing database attributes stored in a first database, comprising: a) a data access layer having a second database, the data access layer mapping visible attributes to the database attributes, the second database having an artificial attribute, stored in meta data, and b) an attribute pre-processing module for scanning a user request to see if the request includes the artificial attribute and which creates an artificial attribute post processor suitable for building a real attribute from a combination of the artificial attribute received from the attribute pre-processing module and a visible attribute received from the first database via the data access layer.