In one embodiment, a complex query includes components that are arranged in a hierarchical structure including a first type of filter and a second type of filter and are connected by connectors. The method selects a first data set and selects a second data set for the components. The second data set being generated by processing data in the first data set for the second type of filter and the second data set includes entries describing a result of the processing. The first type of filter is applied to the first data set and the second type of filter to the second data set for the components where the information describing the result is used by the second type of filter to filter entries and first type of filter filters entries based on column values in the first data set. The method combines outputs of the components using the connectors.