System and method for data storage and retrieval

A method for storing and retrieving information, the method comprising:

• running a bitmask generator on a main data file having a plurality of data records each having a data field, the bitmask generator generating a bitmask value representative of the data in the data field of each data record;
• appending to each data record in the main data file a bitmask data field containing the results generated by the bitmask generator;
• providing a mark-up language document having a plurality of user selectable parameters, each selectable parameter having an associated bitmask value;
• in response to the user selecting one of the selectable parameters, matching the bitmask value of the selected parameter with the bitmask values in the bitmask data fields of the main data file to determine which data records of the main data file correspond to the selected parameters;
• and
• returning to the user information contained within those data records wherein the bitmask value of the selected parameter matches the bitmask value in the bitmask data field.

A method for storing and retrieving information in a database, the method comprising:

• running a prefix file generator on each data record in a main data file, the prefix file generator generating a plurality of prefix files into which selected data fields of selected data records of the main data file are copied as a function of an alphanumeric prefix of the data contained in the data field of each data record so as to provide each of the plurality of prefix files with data that is homogenous with respect to an alphanumeric prefix;
• accepting from a remote user via a network connection a keyword;
• using an alphanumeric prefix of the keyword to select the prefix file that is homogeneous with respect to the alphanumeric prefix of the keyword;
• comparing the entirety of the keyword with the entirety of the data contained in the selected data fields in the data records contained within the selected prefix file;
• and
• selecting those data records wherein the entirety of the keyword matches the entirety of the data in at least one of the selected data fields of the data records in the selected prefix file, the selected data records representing information for which the user was searching.

A database system, comprising:

• a memory in which is stored a main data file having a plurality of data records, each having a data field containing data representative of an alphanumeric product descriptor;
• a bitmask generator that generates a bitmask value representative of the data in the data field of each data record and which appends to each data record stored in the memory a bitmask data field containing the bitmask value representative of the data in the data field of the corresponding data record;
• and
• a prefix file generator that generates a plurality of prefix files that are stored in the memory, the prefix files including a copy of selected data records of the main data file, the data records being selected as a function of the prefix of the alphanumeric product descriptors corresponding to the data in the data fields of the data records;
• wherein each prefix file only contains data records in which the prefix of the alphanumeric descriptors in the data fields are the same.