One method includes receiving a database query, receiving information about a data source (102) such as a database table (324a, 324b, 324c) in data storage populated with data elements, producing a structural representation (334) of the database table that includes a formatted data organization reflective of the database table and is absent the data elements of the database table, and providing the structural representation and the database query to a plan generator (318) capable of producing a query plan (314). Another method includes receiving a query plan (314) from a plan generator (318), the plan representing operations for executing a database query on a data source (102) such as a database table (324a, 324b, 324c), and producing a dataflow graph (312) from the query plan.