Patent ID: 8180802

Claim:
A robust computer-based method for updating a computer-stored hierarchical structure of nodes via a node identification technique, said nodes of said hierarchical structure stored as encoded values in a computer storage, said update retaining properties and parent/child relationships of said hierarchical structure without renumbering existing node ID values associated with said hierarchical structure, said method comprising the steps of: (a) receiving an instruction to insert a new node at an insertion point in said computer-stored hierarchical structure; (b) identifying one of, or a combination of the following: a left node ID value closest to the left of said insertion point or a closest right node ID value closest to the right of said insertion point; (c) calculating a new ID value based upon node ID value(s) identified in (b), said calculated value greater than ID values of nodes to the left of said insertion point and less than ID values of nodes to the right of said insertion point, said new ID value based upon a low/high key value, said high key value representing a highest encodable value and said low key value representing a lowest encodable value; and (d) encoding said calculated new ID value and updating said computer storage storing said nodes of said hierarchical structure with said encoded value, wherein order, node ID values, and relationships between parent, child, and siblings in said hierarchical structure of nodes stored in said storage remain unchanged with said insertion of new node.