Patent ID: 8489597

Claim:
A method for encoding semi-structured data, the method implemented by at least one processor and comprising: a. providing a semi-structured data input, the semi-structured data input being a Markup Language (ML) data or representation thereof; and b. obtaining an encoded semi-structured data by selectively encoding at least part of the semi-structured data into strings of arbitrary length, the strings of arbitrary length each maintaining both structural information of the semi-structured data and non-structural information, and the so encoded semi-structured data operates as keys to be indexed by an index for efficient access, said index is based on a trie, wherein the structural information represents at least relations or order between data items provided as input, and wherein encoding at least part of the semi-structured data includes replacing at least one of the structural information and the non-structural information with a token, the token being associated with the at least one of the structural information and the non-structural information.