Abstract: A generic database structure is provided for storing data independent of data type. In particular, this invention pertains to a database wherein each record is divided into one or more keys used for identifying the record and an XML document for storing the substance of the record. When new data, which has an XML format, is input into the database, it is searched for the one or more keys, which are extracted and stored as one or more separate fields in the associated new record. When the substance of the records is queried, the associated XML documents are searched using techniques known in the art. According to this invention, the database structure remains constant regardless of the types of data stored in it.