System and method for structuring data in a computer system

Abstract

A method and system for creating and searching a central linked list comprising a parent node which is situated at the center of a plurality of child nodes. Each child node has two double linked list pointers. One pointer points to the next child node, and the other pointer points to the parent node. Thus, matched data obtained at several child nodes moves immediately back to the parent simultaneously. The parent node contains the memory address and name of central linked list, a description of central linked list, and a description of the relationship between other parent nodes, as well as the relationship between each child node to its specific parent node. Each child node contains a node address, an attribute comprised of some or all of the stored data field and a link to the full data content that may reside on a file or in a database. Memory storage of the structure information is stored in system memory, such as, RAM. Thus, searching and comparison operations may be accomplished without the need to access a hard disk.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The invention relates to methods and systems for structuring data, and more particularly to a method and system for accessing and storing data of a centralized linked list data structure in a computer system. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] There are many different forms of electronic data structures and each different data structure can have a myriad of implementations. One such data structure is in the form of a “list”—i.e., a grouping of ordered items that can be sequenced. A list that contains respective items and information to reach a prior or a subsequent item is referred to as a “linked list.” With a “single linked list,” each item only has a reference to the next list item. More sophisticated forms of electronic data structures are configured as a “double linked list” or “circular linked list” which consist of a chain of records (called nodes) in which the list is implemented by having a link to an adjacent data item. [0003]FIG. 1 illustrate...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

While this may be systematic, it also means that there is a linear cost of operation—i.e., data is searched one item by item, starting from the beginning of the list and moving toward the end of the list.

While such permanent memory devices, such as disk drives and tape drives, can provide large amounts of memory storage, they have proved to be slow in storing and accessing data when large linked lists, or large sets of linked lists, are used.

In addition, such linked lists are structured with one or more layers of lists requiring large amounts of sequential data processing time.

Thus, such associated linked lists include sequential layers of data storage and therefore often require a great deal of processing time to search data of the linked list.

Moreover, when pointer bugs occur, it is often difficult to identify where the crash has occurred.

Thus, the debugging process can be both time and labor intensive.

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