public static function PARSE_QUANTITATIVE_VALUE($value)
	{
		// extract multiplier
		$multiplier = static::FIND_MULTIPLIER($value);
		
		// sutbstitute 'to' with a two dots
		$value = preg_replace('/to/', '..', $value); 
		
		// remove any characther that is not a digit nor + - < >
		$value = preg_replace('/[^+\.\-<>\d]/', '', $value); 
		
		// match  ranges
		if (preg_match('/(-?\d+\.?\d*)(-|\.\.)(-?\d+\.?\d*)/', $value, $matches)){
			//------------------ matches "123-456" or "-12.3-14.5" or "4 to 5" or "from -4 to 5" or "1..10"
			$minValue =  $matches[1]*$multiplier;
			$maxValue =  $matches[3]*$multiplier;
		} elseif (preg_match('/^(-?\d+\.?\d*)$/', $value, $matches)) {
			//----------------- matches s single value decimal or float
			$minValue =  $maxValue = $matches[1]*$multiplier;
		} elseif(preg_match('/^>(-?\d+\.?\d*)/', $value, $matches) || preg_match('/^(-?\d+\.?\d*)\+$/', $value, $matches)) {
			// matches strings like "100 +" or ">100"	
			$minValue =  $matches[1]*$multiplier;
			$maxValue =  PHP_INT_MAX;
		} elseif(preg_match('/^<(-?\d+\.?\d*)-?/', $value, $matches) ) {
			//----------------  matches the strings like  "<100"  and "100 -"
			$minValue =  -PHP_INT_MAX;
			$maxValue =  $matches[1]*$multiplier;
		} else {
			$minValue =  $maxValue = null;			
		}
	
		return (!is_null($minValue) && !is_null($maxValue) && ($minValue<=$maxValue))?array($minValue,$maxValue):false;
	}