1. A method in a data processing system including a database for efficiently retrieving copies of data rows from said database, said method comprising the steps of: receiving query criteria which specifies search criteria describing a plurality of data rows and which requests a particular number of said plurality of data rows to return, each of said plurality of data rows being associated with a unique primary key which uniquely identifies said each of said plurality of data rows; returning said primary key for each of said plurality of data rows from said database in response to said query criteria; and returning copies of only said particular number of said plurality of data rows.