Method for processing a database query

A computer-implemented method for processing a query in a database, the method comprising:

• determining a plurality of reference values for a plurality of datasets with entries associated with the database, wherein the database is stored on a first computer, wherein a number of characters in each reference value within the determined plurality of reference values is equal to or less than a maximum number of characters per entry of the datasets, wherein determining the plurality of reference values comprises determining a frequency of a certain character on a certain digit of the entries of the database and selecting each reference value within the plurality of reference values based on a plurality of characters being found with a highest frequency on a plurality of individual digits per entry of the datasets, and wherein a sequence of the plurality of characters associated with each reference value within the plurality of reference values is adapted to a plurality of sequences of characters of the plurality of values of the entries of the dataset;
• assigning the determined plurality of reference values to the plurality of datasets with entries associated with the database;
• assigning a plurality of distance statistics to the plurality of datasets associated with the database, wherein the assigned plurality of distance statistics describe a minimum and a maximum distance between a plurality of values of the entries of a dataset within the plurality of datasets and an assigned reference value within the assigned plurality of reference values;
• receiving, from a second computer, the query associated with the database, wherein the received query comprises a search value;
• identifying the search value within the received query;
• determining a search reference value based on the identified search value, wherein a first three characters of the identified search value matches a first three characters of the determined search reference value;
• determining the distance between the identified search value and the determined search reference value, said determination resulting in a search distance;
• determining a subset of datasets from the plurality of datasets for which the search distance is within a limit given by the minimum and maximum distances described by the respective distance statistics;
• and
• searching for the search value in the subset of datasets.