Abstract: A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for directly manipulating a query for a relational database management system (RDBMS). The query is transformed into an operator tree that is displayed on a monitor, wherein the operator tree includes nodes for data sources and operators referenced in the query, and lines between the nodes. The RDBMS alters an execution plan for the query in response to one or more manipulations made to the displayed operator tree by the user. Generally, these manipulations comprise hints for an optimizer function of the RDBMS that an efficient execution plan to be generated for the query. Specifically, the hints influence the optimizer to choose one execution plan over another when there is insufficient information for the optimizer function to make a choice on its own.