HITMASK FOR QUERYING HIERARCHICALLY RELATED CONTENT ENTITIES

A web-based system, method and program product are provided for searching a content object (e.g., a custom compilation or prepublished work) stored in a data repository as a group of hierarchically related content entities. Each noncontainer content object is stored as a separate entity in the data repository. Each content entity is also stored as a row in a digital library index class as a collection of attributes and references to related content entities and containers. Each noncontainer content object is preferably stored as a separate entity in the data repository. Each content entity is also stored as a row in a digital library index class as a collection of attributes and references to related content entities. Each container and noncontainer is associated with a unique identifier that includes hierarchical information about its position in the hierarchy. Queries are executed on the hierarchical containers and noncontainers through an application or user-interface. The results of the independent searches are merged using hit masks. A hit mask is a string of bits, each bit representing a query. For each container and noncontainer in the result set, a hit mask is generated and ones of the bits are set to indicate which of the queries the container or noncontainer satisfies. Container hit masks are OR-ed with their child containers and/or noncontainers to reflect inheritance. Containers and noncontainers with all bits set comprise the merged result set.