roottonode

RootToNode, often written roottonode, is a general term in computer science describing the relationship between a rooted tree’s root and one or more descendant nodes. It is used for operations, data models, or utilities that identify, traverse, or serialize the path from the root to a target node. A root-to-node path records the sequence of nodes and edges from the root to the node in question.

The concept is distinct from root-to-leaf concerns and applies to any node reachable from the root. It is common in hierarchical data processing, data lineage, and graph querying where the root serves as a global reference point.

Applications include querying hierarchies in graph databases, converting tree-structured data to flat records with path metadata, and producing navigational or provenance information for visualization and auditing.

Implementation notes: typical algorithms compute and store root-to-node paths during traversal, using DFS or BFS. Data structures may use adjacency lists, parent pointers, or nested objects; common outputs include JSON, XML, YAML, or database records. Libraries in Python, JavaScript, and other languages implement utilities to obtain and serialize such paths.

Origin and usage: roottonode is a descriptive term rather than a single standardized tool, appearing in academic, open-source, and industry contexts to refer to path-based access within rooted trees. See also: root, tree, path, DFS, BFS, graph database, data lineage.