Abstract: A computer-implemented method for enabling a user to search for and display information stored in a searchable database of product records, including providing a user interface to the database for enabling data contained in the database to be displayed on the user's computer and for enabling user input to be received, enabling a search of the database to be performed in response to user input, and providing results of the database search to the user, including enabling the user's computer to display a list of attribute values of a product record in the database, wherein the list of attribute values corresponds to a list of distinct attributes of a current product record contained in a selected set of product records, enabling the display next to an attribute value a set of selectable sub-elements, wherein each selectable sub-element corresponds to a predetermined rank and corresponds to a predetermined subset of possible attribute values for an attribute.

Abstract: A technique for displaying and searching databases provides a user interface that displays a list of attribute values of a product along with corresponding user interface elements, each containing a set of clickable sub-elements corresponding to subsets of possible attribute values with different ranks. The sub-element whose corresponding rank matches a corresponding rank of the attribute value is displayed as highlighted. Clicking a sub-element constrains a current selected set of products to those whose attribute values have the same rank as the clicked sub-element. On mouse-over of a selected sub-element, pop-up text is displayed containing a set of possible attribute values whose rank corresponds to that of the selected sub-element, and decision support information associated with each of the displayed possible attribute values, e.g.