Method for creating an in-memory physical dictionary for data compression

A method for creating an in-memory physical dictionary corresponding to a logical dictionary tree comprising a plurality of logical nodes for data compression comprising the steps of:

• converting each of the plurality of logical nodes into a corresponding physical node forming a plurality of physical nodes;
• placing a root physical node of the plurality of physical nodes into the physical dictionary;
• and
• placing each of the remaining plurality of physical nodes into the physical dictionary while traversing the dictionary tree in descending visit count order;
• wherein placing each of the remaining plurality of physical nodes into the physical dictionary while traversing the dictionary tree in descending visit count order comprises the steps of:
• placing a physical node into the physical dictionary if not a root node;
• and
• placing the children nodes of the physical node into the physical dictionary, if any, in order of descending visit count.