A method serves to encode textual paths for indexing and querying structured, for example, XML-based documents and serves to execute and improved filtering of binarily represented XML documents. A development of the method results in all indices being identical even in the event that a polymorphism is inserted therein. When storing these textual paths for indexing or querying, only one smaller volume of data has to be stored or transmitted. A comparison of this data can also subsequently ensure more rapidly during a query since the volume of data to be compared is smaller.