Abstract: The invention relates to a fast method of hierarchical searching for data satisfying at least one set of predetermined criteria C, in a directed acyclic graph which is stored in a relational database management system able to be interrogated by a query language, the criteria being determined on the nodes and/or the links of the graph. Each criterion is determined blocking (respectively non-blocking) that is to say such that as soon as the criterion is not satisfied, its descendant nodes are excluded, (respectively only this node is excluded, without consequence to its descendant nodes). It comprises the following steps consisting in: separating the set C into a set of blocking criteria Cb and non-blocking criteria Cnb searching by means of the query language for the nodes of the graph satisfying the set of blocking criteria Cb, these nodes being grouped together in a set G, searching by means of the query language, for the nodes of G satisfying the set of non-blocking criteria Cnb.

Abstract: The invention relates to a fast method of hierarchical searching for data satisfying at least one set of predetermined criteria C, in a directed acyclic graph which is stored in a relational database management system able to be interrogated by a query language, the criteria being determined on the nodes and/or the links of the graph. Each criterion is determined blocking (respectively non-blocking) that is to say such that as soon as the criterion is not satisfied, its descendant nodes are excluded, (respectively only this node is excluded, without consequence to its descendant nodes). It comprises the following steps consisting in: separating the set C into a set of blocking criteria Cb and non-blocking criteria Cnb searching by means of the query language for the nodes of the graph satisfying the set of blocking criteria Cb, these nodes being grouped together in a set G, searching by means of the query language, for the nodes of G satisfying the set of non-blocking criteria Cnb.