Database system facilitating parametric searching

• US 6,820,076 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2002
• Issued: 11/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: i2 Technologies US Incorporated (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Blessin, Stephen W., Bailey, Steven C., Detmer, Allen E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rones, Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): Abel Jalil, Neveen
• Application Number:
  US10/052,668
• Publication Number:
  US 20020087558A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,033 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1-10, 707/100, 707/101, 707/102, 707/104.1, 705/27, 705/1, 705/26, 705/10
• US Class Current: 707/770
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2428 Query predicate definition using graphical user interfaces, including menus and forms G06F16/2423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/284 Relational databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/915 Image
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/954 Relational
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access

Abstract

In one aspect of the invention, a computer-implemented database system (10) includes a first table (22a) including rows each corresponding to a keyword and each including an identifier uniquely identifying the keyword. Each keyword corresponds to one or more items for which a parametric search may be performed. A second table (22b) includes rows each corresponding to an attribute of one or more items and each including an identifier uniquely identifying the attribute and a name of the attribute. A third table (22c) includes rows each corresponding to a keyword-attribute combination and each including the identifier for the keyword, the identifier for the attribute, and a set of all valid attribute values for this combination. A fourth table (22d) includes rows each corresponding to an item and each including an identifier uniquely identifying the item, a name for the item, and the identifier for the keyword for the item. A fifth table (22e) includes rows each corresponding to an attribute value of an attribute of an item and each including the attribute value, the identifier for the attribute, the identifier for the item, and the identifier for the keyword for the item.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented database system, comprising:

a first database table comprising rows each corresponding to a keyword and each comprising a keyword identifier uniquely identifying the keyword and an indication of whether a piece of media relating to the keyword is available, each keyword corresponding to one or more items for which a parametric search for items matching a parametric query may be performed;

a second database table comprising rows each corresponding to an item and each comprising an item identifier uniquely identifying the item and the keyword identifier for the keyword corresponding to the item;

a third database table comprising rows each corresponding to a piece of media and each comprising a media identifier uniquely identifying the piece of media and information reflecting how the piece of media is to be accessed;

a fourth database table comprising rows each corresponding to a combination of a keyword and a piece of media and each comprising the keyword identifier for the keyword and the media identifier for the piece of media; and

a fifth database table comprising rows each corresponding to a combination of an item and a piece of media and each comprising the item identifier for the item and the media identifier for the piece of media.

2. The database system of claim 1, wherein:

the keyword identifiers and media identifiers relate the first table to the third table in a many-to-many relationship and the keyword identifiers relate the first table to the fourth table in a one-to-many relationship;

the item identifiers and media identifiers relate the second table to the third table in a many-to-many relationship and the item identifiers relate the second table to the fifth table in a one-to-many relationship; and

the media identifiers relate the third table to the fourth table in a one-to-many relationship and relate the third table to the fifth table in a one-to-many relationship.

3. The database system of claim 1, wherein a piece of media comprises one or more images of an item.

4. The database system of claim 1, wherein the information in each row of the third table reflecting how the corresponding piece of media is to be accessed comprises one or more of the following:

a file name for a file in which the piece of media is stored;

an indication of a file type for the piece of media; and

data comprising the piece of media.

5. The database system of claim 1, wherein each row of the third table further comprises descriptive information for the piece of media to be provided with the piece of media.

6. A computer-implemented database system, comprising:

a database comprising a first table facilitating construction of a hierarchical data structure for user selection of a keyword in connection with a parametric search of the database, each keyword corresponding to a folder of the data structure and to one or more items for which the parametric search may be performed, a keyword corresponding to a folder that has one or more sub-folders being considered a parent keyword for the keywords corresponding to those sub-folders;

the first table comprising a plurality of rows each corresponding to a keyword and each comprising;

an identifier uniquely identifying the corresponding keyword;

a name for the corresponding keyword;

an indication of whether the corresponding keyword has a parent keyword, if the corresponding keyword has a parent keyword then the indication comprising the identifier for the parent keyword;

a name path for the corresponding keyword comprising the names for all keywords that exist in a corresponding path through the data structure from a top level folder of the data structure to the folder for the corresponding keyword, the name path comprising at least the name for the corresponding keyword; and

an indication of whether the corresponding keyword is a last keyword in the name path.

7. The database system of claim 6, wherein the data structure is a tree data structure and each folder is a branch of the tree data structure.

8. The database system of claim 6, further comprising a user interface operable to display, in response to selection of a keyword and within a hierarchical representation of at least a portion of the data structure, the names of all keywords for which the selected keyword is the parent keyword, as reflected by the parent keyword identifiers for these keywords, to enable navigation of the representation in initiating a parametric search.

9. The database system of claim 8, wherein the user interface is further operable to:

facilitate initiation of a first parametric search in response to navigation to the name of a first keyword corresponding to a first set of items; and

facilitate initiation of a second parametric search in response to navigation to the name of a second keyword that is within the folder for the first keyword and that corresponds to a second set of items, the second set of items being a subset of the first set of items such that the second parametric search is more specific than the first parametric search.

10. The database system of claim 6, wherein:

the name paths in the first table are searchable for the name for a user-specified keyword; and

the system further comprises a user interface operable to display each name path in which the name for the user-specified keyword is found, for user selection of a displayed name path in initiating a parametric search.

11. The database system of claim 10, wherein the user interface is further operable to display a representation of a portion of the data structure in response to selection of a name path, the representation comprising a hierarchical arrangement of the names of the keywords that are in the corresponding path through the data structure.

12. The database system of claim 11, wherein for each keyword that is named in the selected name path:

if the row for the keyword comprises an indication that the keyword does not have a parent keyword, the representation comprises a folder icon for the keyword displayed in association with the displayed name for the keyword;

if the row for the keyword comprises a parent keyword identifier and an indication that the keyword is not the last keyword in its name path, the representation comprises a folder icon for the keyword displayed in association with the displayed name for the keyword, is a sub-folder icon of a folder icon for the parent keyword identified by the parent keyword identifier, and is hierarchically lower than the folder icon for the parent keyword; and

if the row for the keyword comprises a parent keyword identifier and an indication that the keyword is the last keyword in its name path, the representation comprises the displayed name for the keyword that is disassociated from any folder icon for the keyword and is hierarchically lower than the folder icon for the parent keyword.

13. The database system of claim 11, further comprising a second table comprising rows each corresponding to a keyword-manufacturer combination and each comprising the identifier for the keyword of this combination and the identifier for the manufacturer of this combination, the second table being searchable for the keyword identifier for each keyword named in the selected name path to determine the one or more manufacturer identifiers corresponding to the keyword, where for each keyword named in the selected name path:

if the row for the keyword in the first table comprises an indication that the keyword does not have a parent keyword, the representation comprises a folder icon for the keyword displayed in association with the displayed name for the keyword, is a sub-folder icon of a folder icon for a manufacturer corresponding to the keyword, and is hierarchically lower than the folder icon for the manufacturer;

if the row for the keyword in the first table comprises a parent keyword identifier and an indication that the keyword is not the last keyword in its name path, the representation comprises a folder icon for the keyword displayed in association with the displayed name for the keyword, is a sub-folder icon of a folder icon for the parent keyword identified by the parent keyword identifier, and is hierarchically lower than the folder icon for the parent keyword; and

if the row for the keyword in the first table comprises a parent keyword identifier and an indication that the keyword is the last keyword in its name path, the representation comprises the displayed name for the keyword that is disassociated from any folder icon for the keyword and is hierarchically lower than the folder icon for the parent keyword.

14. A computer-implemented database system, comprising:

a first database table comprising one or more rows each corresponding to a keyword and each comprising an identifier uniquely identifying the keyword, each keyword corresponding to one or more items for which a parametric search may be performed;

a second database table comprising one or more rows each corresponding to an attribute of one or more items and each comprising an identifier uniquely identifying the attribute and a name of the attribute;

a third database table comprising one or more rows each corresponding to a keyword-attribute combination and each comprising the identifier for the keyword of this combination, the identifier for the attribute of this combination, and a set of all valid attribute values for this combination;

a fourth database table comprising one or more rows each corresponding to an item and each comprising an identifier uniquely identifying the item, a name for the item, and the identifier for the keyword corresponding to the item; and

a fifth database table comprising one or more rows each corresponding to an attribute value of an attribute of an item and each comprising the attribute value, the identifier for the attribute, the identifier for the item, and the identifier for the keyword corresponding to the item.

15. The database system of claim 14, wherein:

the keyword identifiers relate the first table to the fifth table in a one-to-many relationship;

the keyword identifiers relate the third table to the first table in a one-to-many relationship and the attribute identifiers relate the third table to the second table in a one-to-many relationship;

the keyword identifiers relate the fourth table to the first table in a one-to-many relationship and the item identifiers relate the fourth table to the fifth table in a one-to-many relationship; and

the attribute identifiers relate the fifth table to the second table in a one-to-many relationship.

16. The database system of claim 14, wherein each row of the first table further comprises a name for the corresponding keyword, to be displayed to facilitate user selection of the keyword in initiating a parametric search.

17. The database system of claim 14, wherein:

the first table facilitates construction of a hierarchical data structure for user selection of a keyword in connection with a parametric search, each of the keywords corresponding to a folder of the data structure, a keyword corresponding to a folder that has one or more sub-folders being a parent keyword for the keywords corresponding to those sub-folders; and

each row of the first table further comprises;

a name for the corresponding keyword;

an indication of whether the corresponding keyword has a parent keyword, if the corresponding keyword has a parent keyword then the indication comprising the identifier for the parent keyword;

a name path for the corresponding keyword comprising the names for all keywords that exist in a corresponding path through the data structure from a top level folder of the data structure to the folder for the corresponding keyword, the name path comprising at least the name for the corresponding keyword; and

an indication of whether the corresponding keyword is a last keyword in the name path for the corresponding keyword.

18. The database system of claim 14, wherein each row of the second table further comprises an indication of whether the corresponding attribute has numeric attribute values.

19. The database system of claim 14, wherein:

the third table is searchable for the keyword identifier corresponding to a user-specified keyword to determine all attribute identifiers corresponding to the user-specified keyword; and

the second table is searchable for the determined attribute identifiers corresponding to the user-specified keyword to determine all the attribute names corresponding to the user-specified keyword for display in response to the keyword being specified, the displayed attribute names facilitating initiation of a parametric search.

20. The database system of claim 19, wherein searchability of the second and third tables to determine all the attribute names corresponding to the user-specified keyword allows the parametric search to be initiated without requiring a user to input any attribute names.

21. The database system of claim 19, wherein the third table is searchable to determine all the valid attribute values corresponding to a displayed attribute name for display in association with the displayed attribute name to facilitate selection of a particular attribute value corresponding to the displayed attribute name for use in the parametric search.

22. The database system of claim 19, wherein the set of all valid attribute values for each keyword-attribute combination within the third table allows the third table to be searched to determine all the valid attribute values corresponding to a displayed attribute name rather than the fifth table being searched.

23. The database system of claim 14, wherein:

the fifth table is searchable for combinations of the keyword identifier for a user-specified keyword, attribute identifiers corresponding to user-specified attribute values, and stored attribute values consistent with the user-specified attribute values to determine item identifiers for a set of matching items; and

the fourth table is searchable for the determined item identifiers to determine the names for the matching items for display in association with stored attribute values for the matching items, displayed stored attribute values comprising at least the stored attribute values for which the fifth table was searched.

24. The database system of claim 23, wherein the fifth table is searchable to determine the attribute names corresponding to at least the user-specified attribute values for display as column headings for the displayed stored attribute values.

25. The database system of claim 14, wherein each row of the fourth table further comprises one or more of the following:

a price of the corresponding item;

descriptive information for the corresponding item;

a unit of measure for the corresponding item;

a quantity in which the corresponding item is sold;

a stock keeping unit (SKU) for the corresponding item;

a location for the corresponding item; and

an identifier uniquely identifying the manufacturer of the corresponding item.

26. The database system of claim 14, wherein each row of the fifth table further comprises an ordinal number for the attribute for the corresponding attribute value, specifying the order in which attribute values for the attribute are to be displayed relative to attribute values for other attributes in providing results of the parametric search.

27. The database system of claim 14, further comprising:

a sixth database table comprising rows each corresponding to a particular manufacturer and each comprising an identifier uniquely identifying the manufacturer, a name for the manufacturer, and contact information for the manufacturer; and

a seventh database table comprising rows each corresponding to a particular keyword-manufacturer combination and each comprising the identifier for the keyword of this combination and the identifier for the manufacturer of this combination;

each row of the fourth table comprising the identifier for the manufacturer of the corresponding item;

each row of the fifth table comprising the identifier for the manufacturer of the corresponding item.

28. The database system of claim 27, wherein:

the keyword identifiers relate the first table to the seventh table in a one-to-many relationship;

the manufacturer identifiers relate the fourth table to the sixth table in a one-to-many relationship; and

the manufacturer identifiers relate the sixth table to the fifth table in a one-to-many relationship and relate the sixth table to the seventh table in a one-to-many relationship.

29. The database system of claim 14, wherein:

each row of the first table comprises a name for the corresponding keyword;

each row of the fourth table comprises a description for the corresponding item; and

the names for the keywords in the first table, the descriptions for the items in the fourth table, and the names for the items in the fourth table are searchable for an alphanumeric string matching a user-specified alphanumeric string to determine item identifiers for all items corresponding to the matching alphanumeric string.

30. A computer-implemented method of parametrically searching for one or more items, comprising:

establishing communication with a database comprising;

a first table comprising rows each corresponding to a keyword and each comprising a keyword identifier uniquely identifying the keyword and an indication of whether a piece of media relating to the keyword is available, each keyword corresponding to one or more items for which a parametric search of the database may be performed;

a second table comprising rows each corresponding to an item and each comprising an item identifier uniquely identifying the item and the keyword identifier for the keyword corresponding to the item;

a third table comprising rows each corresponding to a piece of media and each comprising a media identifier uniquely identifying the piece of media and information reflecting how the piece of media is to be accessed;

a fourth table comprising rows each corresponding to a combination of a keyword and a piece of media and each comprising the keyword identifier for the keyword and the media identifier for the piece of media; and

a fifth table comprising rows each corresponding to a combination of an item and a piece of media and each comprising the item identifier for the item and the media identifier for the piece of media;

searching the first table to determine the keyword identifier corresponding to a user-specified keyword and determine that a piece of media is available for the user-specified keyword;

searching the fourth table to determine the media identifier corresponding to the determined keyword identifier;

searching the third table to access the piece of media corresponding to the determined media identifier; and

providing the accessed piece of media to the user to facilitate a parametric search for one or more items using the database.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein:

the keyword identifiers and media identifiers relate the first table to the third table in a many-to-many relationship and the keyword identifiers relate the first table to the fourth table in a one-to-many relationship;

the item identifiers and media identifiers relate the second table to the third table in a many-to-many relationship and the item identifiers relate the second table to the fifth table in a one-to-many relationship; and

the media identifiers relate the third table to the fourth table in a one-to-many relationship and relate the third table to the fifth table in a one-to-many relationship.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein a piece of media comprises one or more images of an item.

33. method of claim 30, wherein the information in each row of the third table reflecting how the corresponding piece of media is to be accessed comprises one or more of the following:

a file name for a file in which the piece of media is stored;

an indication of a file type for the piece of media; and

data comprising the piece of media.

34. The method of claim 30, wherein each row of the third table further comprises descriptive information for the piece of media to be provided with the piece of media.

35. A computer-implemented method of parametrically searching for one or more items, comprising:

establishing communication with a database comprising a first table that facilitates construction of a hierarchical data structure allowing user selection of a keyword in connection with a parametric search of the database, each keyword corresponding to a folder of the data structure and to one or more items for which the parametric search may be performed, a keyword corresponding to a folder that has one or more sub-folders being considered a parent keyword for the keywords corresponding to those sub-folders, the first table comprising a plurality of rows each corresponding to a keyword and each comprising;

an identifier uniquely identifying the corresponding keyword;

a name for the corresponding keyword;

an indication of whether the corresponding keyword has a parent keyword, if the corresponding keyword has a parent keyword then the indication comprising the identifier for the parent keyword;

a name path for the corresponding keyword comprising the names for all keywords that exist in a corresponding path through the data structure from a top level folder of the data structure to the folder for the corresponding keyword, the name path comprising at least the name for the corresponding keyword; and

an indication of whether the corresponding keyword is a last keyword in the name path; and

performing a parametric search for one or more items using the database.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the data structure is a tree data structure and each folder is a branch of the tree data structure.

37. The method of claim 35, further comprising displaying, in response to selection of a keyword and within a hierarchical representation of at least a portion of the data structure, the names of all keywords for which the selected keyword is the parent keyword, as reflected by the parent keyword identifiers for these keywords, to enable navigation of the representation in initiating a parametric search.

38. The method of claim 37, further comprising:

facilitating initiation of a first parametric search in response to navigation to the name of a first keyword corresponding to a first set of items; and

facilitating initiation of a second parametric search in response to navigation to the name of a second keyword that is within the folder for the first keyword and that corresponds to a second set of items, the second set of items being a subset of the first set of items such that the second parametric search is more specific than the first parametric search.

39. The method of claim 35, further comprising:

searching the name paths in the first table for the name for a user-specified keyword; and

displaying each name path in which the name for the user-specified keyword is found, for user selection of a displayed name path in initiating a parametric search.

40. The method of claim 39, further comprising:

receiving a selection of a name path; and

displaying a representation of a portion of the data structure in response to selection of the name path, the representation comprising a hierarchical arrangement of the names of the keywords that are in the corresponding path through the data structure.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein for each keyword that is named in the selected name path:

if the row for the keyword comprises an indication that the keyword does not have a parent keyword, the representation comprises a folder icon for the keyword displayed in association with the displayed name for the keyword;

if the row for the keyword comprises a parent keyword identifier and an indication that the keyword is not the last keyword in its name path, the representation comprises a folder icon for the keyword displayed in association with the displayed name for the keyword, is a sub-folder icon of a folder icon for the parent keyword identified by the parent keyword identifier, and is hierarchically lower than the folder icon for the parent keyword; and

if the row for the keyword comprises a parent keyword identifier and an indication that the keyword is the last keyword in its name path, the representation comprises the displayed name for the keyword that is disassociated from any folder icon for the keyword and is hierarchically lower than the folder icon for the parent keyword.

42. The method of claim 40, wherein:

the database further comprises a second table comprising a plurality of rows each corresponding to a keyword-manufacturer combination and each comprising the identifier for the keyword of this combination and the identifier for the manufacturer of this combination; and

the method further comprises searching the second table for the keyword identifier for each keyword named in the selected name path to determine the one or more manufacturer identifiers corresponding to the keyword, where for each keyword named in the selected name path;

if the row for the keyword in the first table comprises an indication that the keyword does not have a parent keyword, the representation comprises a folder icon for the keyword displayed in association with the displayed name for the keyword, is a sub-folder icon of a folder icon for a manufacturer corresponding to the keyword, and is hierarchically lower than the folder icon for the manufacturer;

if the row for the keyword in the first table comprises a parent keyword identifier and an indication that the keyword is not the last keyword in its name path, the representation comprises a folder icon for the keyword displayed in association with the displayed name for the keyword, is a sub-folder icon of a folder icon for the parent keyword identified by the parent keyword identifier, and is hierarchically lower than the folder icon for the parent keyword; and

if the row for the keyword in the first table comprises a parent keyword identifier and an indication that the keyword is the last keyword in its name path, the representation comprises the displayed name for the keyword that is disassociated from any folder icon for the keyword and is hierarchically lower than the folder icon for the parent keyword.

43. A computer-implemented method of parametrically searching for one or more items, comprising:

establishing communication with a database comprising;

a first table comprising one or more rows each corresponding to a keyword and each comprising an identifier uniquely identifying the keyword, each keyword corresponding to one or more items for which a parametric search of the database may be performed;

a second table comprising one or more rows each corresponding to an attribute of one or more items and each comprising an identifier uniquely identifying the attribute and a name of the attribute;

a third table comprising one or more rows each corresponding to a keyword-attribute combination and each comprising the identifier for the keyword of this combination, the identifier for the attribute of this combination, and a set of all valid attribute values for this combination;

a fourth table comprising one or more rows each corresponding to an item and each comprising an identifier uniquely identifying the item, a name for the item, and the identifier for the keyword corresponding to the item; and

a fifth table comprising one or more rows each corresponding to an attribute value of an attribute of an item and each comprising the attribute value, the identifier for the attribute, the identifier for the item, and the identifier for the keyword corresponding to the item; and

performing a parametric search for one or more items using the database.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein:

the keyword identifiers relate the first table to the fifth table in a one-to-many relationship;

the keyword identifiers relate the third table to the first table in a one-to-many relationship and the attribute identifiers relate the third table to the second table in a one-to-many relationship;

the keyword identifiers relate the fourth table to the first table in a one-to-many relationship and the item identifiers relate the fourth table to the fifth table in a one-to-many relationship; and

the attribute identifiers relate the fifth table to the second table in a one-to-many relationship.

45. The method of claim 43, wherein each row of the first table further comprises a name for the corresponding keyword, the method further comprising displaying the name for the corresponding keyword to facilitate user selection of the keyword in initiating the parametric search.

46. The method of claim 43, wherein:

the first table facilitates construction of a hierarchical data structure for user selection of a keyword in connection with a parametric search of the database, each keyword corresponding to a folder of the data structure, a keyword corresponding to a folder that has one or more sub-folders being a parent keyword for the keywords corresponding to those sub-folders; and

each row of the first table further comprises;

a name for the corresponding keyword;

an indication of whether the corresponding keyword has a parent keyword, if the corresponding keyword has a parent keyword then the indication comprising the identifier for the parent keyword;

a name path for the corresponding keyword comprising the names for all keywords that exist in a corresponding path through the data structure from a top level folder of the data structure to the folder for the corresponding keyword, the name path comprising at least the name for the corresponding keyword; and

an indication of whether the corresponding keyword is a last keyword in the name path for the corresponding keyword.

47. The method of claim 43, wherein each row of the second table further comprises an indication of whether the corresponding attribute has numeric attribute values.

48. The method of claim 43, further comprising:

searching the third table for the keyword identifier corresponding to a user-specified keyword to determine all attribute identifiers corresponding to the user-specified keyword; and

searching the second table for the determined attribute identifiers to determine all the attribute names corresponding to the user-specified keyword; and

displaying the determined attribute names to facilitate initiation of the parametric search.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein searching the second and third tables to determine all the attribute names corresponding to the user-specified keyword allows the parametric search to be initiated without requiring a user to input any of the attribute names.

50. The method of claim 48, further comprising:

searching the third table to determine all valid attribute values corresponding to a displayed attribute name; and

displaying the determined valid attribute values in association with the displayed attribute name to facilitate selection of a particular attribute value corresponding to the displayed attribute name for use in the parametric search.

51. The method of claim 48, wherein the set of all valid attribute values for each keyword-attribute combination within the third table allows the third table to be searched to determine all the valid attribute values corresponding to a displayed attribute name rather than the fifth table being searched.

52. The method of claim 43, further comprising:

searching the fifth table for all combinations of the keyword identifier for a user-specified keyword, attribute identifiers corresponding to user-specified attribute values, and stored attribute values consistent with the user-specified attribute values to determine item identifiers for a set of matching items;

searching the fourth table for the determined item identifiers to determine the names for the matching items; and

displaying the determined names in association with stored attribute values for the matching items, displayed stored attribute values comprising at least the stored attribute values for which the fifth table was searched.

53. The method of claim 52, further comprising:

searching the fifth table to determine the attribute names corresponding to at least the user-specified attribute values; and

displaying the determined attribute names as column headings for the displayed stored attribute values.

54. The method of claim 43, wherein each row of the fourth table further comprises one or more of the following:

a price of the corresponding item;

descriptive information for the corresponding item;

a unit of measure for the corresponding item;

a quantity in which the corresponding item is sold;

a stock keeping unit (SKU) for the corresponding item;

a location for the corresponding item; and

an identifier uniquely identifying the manufacturer of the corresponding item.

55. The method of claim 43, wherein each row of the fifth table further comprises an ordinal number for the attribute for the corresponding attribute value, the ordinal number specifying the order in which attribute values for the attribute are to be displayed relative to attribute values for other attributes in providing results of the parametric search.

56. The method of claim 43, wherein the database further comprises:

a sixth table comprising rows each corresponding to a particular manufacturer and each comprising an identifier uniquely identifying the manufacturer, a name for the manufacturer, and contact information for the manufacturer; and

a seventh table comprising rows each corresponding to a particular keyword-manufacturer combination and each comprising the identifier for the keyword of this combination and the identifier for the manufacturer of this combination;

each row of the fourth table comprising the identifier for the manufacturer of the corresponding item;

each row of the fifth table comprising the identifier for the manufacturer of the corresponding item.

57. The method of claim 56, wherein:

the keyword identifiers relate the first table to the seventh table in a one-to-many relationship;

the manufacturer identifiers relate the fourth table to the sixth table in a one-to-many relationship; and

the manufacturer identifiers relate the sixth table to the fifth table in a one-to-many relationship and relate the sixth table to the seventh table in a one-to-many relationship.

58. The method of claim 43, wherein:

each row of the first table comprises a name for the corresponding keyword;

each row of the fourth table comprises a description for the corresponding item; and

the method further comprises searching the names for the keywords in the first table, the descriptions for the items in the fourth table, and the names for the items in the fourth table for an alphanumeric string matching a user-specified alphanumeric string to determine the item identifiers for all items corresponding to the matching alphanumeric string.