Abstract: The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for understanding tables for search. Aspects of the invention include identifying a subject column for a table, detecting a column header using other tables, and detecting a column header using a knowledge base. Implementations can be utilized in a structured data search system (SDSS) that indexes structured information, such as, tables in a relational database or html tables extracted from web pages. The SDSS allows users to search over the structured information (tables) using different mechanisms including keyword search and data finding data.

Abstract: Various technologies that facilitate performance of a data finding data (DFD) search are described herein. A user specifies entities, for example, by entering the entities into a query field, selecting the entities from a computer-executable application, or the like. The user further specifies an attribute of the entities that is of interest. A query is constructed based upon the entities and the attribute, and a search for tables is performed based upon the entities and the attribute. Values of the attribute for the selected entities are identified in a table, and the values of the attribute are returned.