Systems and methods for generating a selection representation for items in a tree structure using an include modifier and an exclude modifier. The method exemplarily includes analyzing a first parent node of the first tree structure to determine if the first parent node is an inclusive selection, updating a field of the first parent node with a first node type indicator if the first parent node is an inclusive selection, analyzing a first child node of the first parent node to determine if the first child node is a different selection type than the first parent node, and updating a field of the first child node with a second node type indicator if the first child node is a different selection type than the first parent node.