Patent ID: 7469254

Claim:
A method of notifying a user of new data entered into an electronic system comprising the steps of: a. formatting a searchable database within the electronic system into a directory tree structure, wherein the directory tree structure includes nodes comprising related data and branches comprising links between the nodes, wherein each related item of data is categorized by one or more navigation paths through the directory tree structure and by one or more parameters, each parameter is set with a corresponding value associated with the data item thereby forming a set parameter, wherein the parameters are specific to the node in which the related data is included; b. accessing a discrete data item via a navigation path and one or more set parameters, utilizing a selective one or more of keyword search, hierarchical tree search, dichotomous key search, and parametric search, wherein each of the keyword search, hierarchical tree search, dichotomous key search, and parametric search are available at each node within the directory tree structure; c. setting a notification signal by saving the navigation path and one or more set parameters associated with the discrete data item within the electronic system, wherein the navigation path is defined by a query language string that is a command string written according to a query language; d. triggering the notification signal when a new data item is entered into the searchable database and one of the one or more navigation paths and the set parameters of the new data item match the navigation path and the set parameters saved according to the set notification signal; and e. notifying the user of new data entered into the electronic system in response to triggering the notification signal.