Data storage system with set lists which contain elements associated with parents for defining a logical hierarchy and general record pointers identifying specific data sets

An apparatus for managing data in a computer having one or more memory devices characterized by:

• (a) one or more Data Sets stored in one or more of the memory devices, wherein both data and logical organization are recorded in the Data Sets;
• (b) one or more Set Lists stored in one or more Data Sets, wherein a Set List comprises a list of Set List Elements, and the Set List Elements are stored in an arbitrary order in any of the Set Lists;
• (c) each Set List Element comprising:
• (1) a Self Identification used to identify the Set List Element and an associated Data Set;
• (2) an identification of a parent Set List Element in any of the Set Lists for defining a logical hierarchy of the Set List Elements, wherein a predefined value for the identification of the parent Set List Element indicates that the Set List Element is a root Set List Element in the logical hierarchy, and a value other than the predefined value for the identification of the parent Set List Element indicates the Set List Element is logically subordinate to the parent Set List Element in the logical hierarchy;
• (d) means for manipulating the logical hierarchy by modifying the identifications of the parent Set List Elements;
• (e) one or more General Record Pointers stored in one or more of the memory devices, wherein each General Record Pointer identifies a specific one of the Data Sets;
• and
• (f) means for accessing the Data Sets, further comprising means for searching the Set Lists to locate a desired Set List Element therein having a Self Identification matching a specified General Record Pointer.