SELF-INDEXING DATA STRUCTURE

A machine based tool and associated logic and methodology are used in converting data from an input form to a target form using context dependent conversion rules, and in efficiency generating an index that may be utilized to access the converted data in a database. Once the data has been converted, an index data structure for each data object may be automatically generated that encodes one or more characteristics or attributes of the converted data so that an entity may access the data using the index structure. As an example, the one or more characteristics may include categories, subcategories, or other attributes of the data.