Abstract: Disclosed is a method of indicating a user status in groupware for recognizing the user status in the groupware. The method comprises the steps of (a) displaying a status row bar in a view window of each user; and (b) indicating the status whether or not each user has read each document by the displayed status row bar. To carry out the method, an apparatus comprises a network; a server connected to the network and including a status database for storing the status of each user to each document; a manager operation section connected to the network and including a manager screen and a manager input device; and a user operation section connected to the network and including at least one user screen and at least one user input device.

Abstract: A search method that uses an index file consisting of a key file that includes key character strings, and a position data file that includes position data corresponding to the key character strings, a position data delete flag is correlated with a specific key character string, and position data that correspond to the specific key character string are deleted from the position data file. Where A denotes the size of an index at which the contents of the position data file are to be deleted, B denotes the amount of position data for each keyword that is to be deleted at that time, and C denotes the amount of position data for a keyword that is to be deleted because the data can not be employed for the search.