Encoding semi-structured data for efficient search and browsing

A method for encoding semi-structured data, comprising:

• a) providing a semi-structured data input;
• b) obtaining an encoded semi-structured data by selectively encoding at least part of said semi-structured data into strings of arbitrary length in a way that at least
• (i) maintains non-structural and structural information associated with the semi-structured data, and
• (ii) the so encoded semi-structured data can be indexed for efficient access;
• and
• wherein said semi-structured data being a Markup Language (ML) data or representation thereof;
• and
• wherein said structural information being the markup of said ML and non-structural information being the content of said ML data;
• and
• wherein said encoding stipulated in step (b) includes:
• i) assigning a token from a token dictionary to each tag or attribute from the markup of said at least part of ML data;
• if the tag or attribute does not appear in the dictionary, creating a new token and assigning the so created token to said tag or attribute, so as to give rise to intermediate ML tree:
• ii) scanning the intermediate ML tree data obtained in (i) and for representing paths from the root as corresponding strings.