The present invention provides a methodology for truncating a logical structure having data matching a predefined pattern. For example, the present invention truncates a logical structure so that branches of the structure are automatically ceased at a recursive ancestor instead of at a descendant. By using the methodology of the present invention, the total number of nodes of the logical structure that is automatically displayed for a user is represented by the formula N*N+1. Thus, when N=10, the total number of nodes that are automatically displayed for the user is 101. This quantity is far more user friendly than the 9,864,101 nodes that would be displayed when N=10 under previous approaches.