Integrated dialog box for rapidly altering presentation of parametric text data objects on a computer display

A computer system for sorting and displaying text data objects, comprising:

• a. a display device controlled by the computer;
• b. means for imaging, on the display device controlled by the computer system, a query dialog box,
• wherein the query dialog box displays each of a plurality of parameters associated with each of the text data objects, forms a plurality of spaces for listing values associated with each displayed parameter, and further forms a space for selecting a sort order;
• c. means for designating, for each displayed parameter, a parameter value;
• d. means for constructing a sort order from the displayed list of parameters in the space for selecting a sort order;
• e. means for selecting, using the computer system, text data objects satisfying the designated values;
• and
• f. means for sorting, using the computer system, the selected text data objects according to the constructed sort order.

A computer memory storage device encoded with a computer program for using a computer system to sort and display text data objects comprising:

• a. means for imaging, on a display device controlled by the computer system, a query dialog box,
• wherein the query dialog box displays each of a plurality of parameters associated with each of the text data objects, forms a plurality of spaces for listing values associated with each displayed parameter, and further forms a space for selecting a sort order;
• b. means for designating, for each displayed parameter, a parameter value;
• c. means for constructing a sort order from the displayed parameters in the space for selecting a sort order;
• d. means for selecting, using the computer system, text data objects satisfying the designated values;
• and
• e. means for sorting, using the computer system, the selected text data objects according to the constructed sort order.