I am trying to write an application(I am using python) to have a copy of a remote machines directory structure in my local machine (not the actual content of the files in the remote machine).
Once I store it in my local machine, I want to be be able to perform the following operations on my local copy of the tree structure
"ls"
"ls /etc"
"ls /etc/bin/yahoo"
and see the listing. Also if I change/add a dir/file name in the remote machine, I want to have the ability to easily update it in my local data structure.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nested_set_model
You will be able to update, but it will not be efficient.
Also - questions of this type are more appropriate for StackOverflow than HackerNews.