Patent ID: 7526495

Claim:
In a computer system including a memory and processor that uses a first tree structure for displaying data, each node of the first tree structure being definable by a path, a method for creating a selection representation of selected items in the first tree structure, the method comprising: analyzing a first parent node of the first tree structure to determine whether more than half but less than all of children nodes of the first parent node are positively selected or implicitly inclusively selected; categorizing the first parent node as an inclusive selection if more than half but less than all of children nodes of the first parent node are positively selected or implicitly inclusively selected; updating a field of the first parent node with a first node type indicator if the first parent node is an inclusive selection; analyzing a first child node of the first parent node to determine if the first child node is a different selection type than the first parent node; updating a field of the first child node with a second node type indicator if the first child node is a different selection type than the first parent node; generating a selection representation of the first parent node and the children nodes of the first parent node based on the node type indicator of the first parent nodes and children nodes of the first parent node; and storing the selection representation in the memory.