USER SELECTABLE EDITING PROTOCOL FOR FAST FLEXIBLE SEARCH ENGINE

A method of editing a sorted tree data structure includes selecting a minimum number of entries and a maximum number of entries in each vertex of the sorted tree data structure. If inserting an entry into a bottom vertex of the sorted tree data structure exceeds the maximum number of entries in the bottom vertex, then the entries are redistributed in the sorted tree data structure or a new bottom vertex is created so that no bottom vertex has more than the maximum number of entries and no fewer than the minimum number of entries. If deleting an entry from the bottom vertex results in fewer than the minimum number of entries, then the entries are redistributed in the sorted tree data structure or the bottom vertex is deleted so that no bottom vertex has fewer than the minimum number of entries and no bottom vertex has more than the maximum number of entries.