Abstract: A textual database system in which concepts, i.e. blocks of text which are related or rely upon one another, are linked together by a database engine. Numerical variables can be embedded in text, which text is automatically updated as those variables change. As a textual document is being written, the system enables authors to record their thoughts, attaching them to the relevant sections of the document. It electronically captures and stores references to other reports or databases. As references are made, the system automatically establishes bi-directional links between the pieces of information. Also the genealogy of first and later versions of a textual block is recorded automatically.