Method and system for generating interactive query results previews

A data processing method for generating a query results preview in a data processing system, the method comprising:

• receiving a preliminary query while a query for a search is being constructed;
• using a processor to determine a frequency of previous retrieval of result items that would be retrieved if the search were executed using the preliminary query, including determining at least a first proportion of the result items in a first category and determining a second proportion of the result items in a second category, the first proportion and the second proportion being determined using a number of times each of the result items has been retrieved in response to previous searches by a user in a session;
• storing information in a memory regarding the frequency of previous retrieval of the result items that would be retrieved if the search were executed using the preliminary query with respect to at least the first proportion of the result items in the first category and the second proportion of the result items in the second category;
• generating the query results preview that provides a representation of the frequency of previous retrieval of the result items that would be retrieved if the search were executed using the preliminary query;
• and
• outputting the query results preview while the query for the search is being constructed and prior to execution of the search using the query,
• wherein the query results preview comprises a visualization of the frequency of previous retrieval of the result items that would be retrieved if the search were executed using the preliminary query, including the first proportion of the result items in the first category and the second proportion of the result items in the second category, the first proportion and the second proportion being separately displayed in the query results preview.

A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program causing a computer to execute a method for generating a query results preview, the method comprising:

• receiving a preliminary query while a query for a search is being constructed;
• determining, using a processor, a distribution of result items that would be retrieved if the search were executed using the preliminary query, including a first proportion of the result items in a new result category comprising new result items that have not been previously retrieved in response to a previous search by a user in a session and a second proportion of the result items in a previous result category comprising result items previously retrieved in response to a previous search in the session;
• generating the query results preview using the distribution of result items that would be retrieved if the search were executed using the preliminary query;
• and
• providing the query results preview while the query for the search is being constructed and prior to execution of the search using the query,
• wherein the query results preview comprises a visualization of the distribution of result items that would be retrieved if the search were executed using the preliminary query, including the first proportion of the result items in the new result category and the second proportion of the result items in the previous result category, the first proportion and the second proportion being separately displayed in the query results preview.

A system for generating a query results preview, the system comprising:

• a hardware processor executing units comprising:
• a preliminary query receiving unit that receives a preliminary query while a query for a search is being constructed;
• a distribution determination unit that determines a distribution of result items that would be retrieved if the search were executed using the preliminary query, including a first proportion of the result items in a new result category comprising new result items that have not been previously retrieved in response to a previous search by a user in a session and a second proportion of the result items in a previous result category comprising result items previously retrieved in response to a previous search in the session;
• a query results preview generation unit that generates the query results preview using the distribution of result items that would be retrieved if the search were executed using the preliminary query;
• and
• a query results preview providing unit that provides the query results preview while the query for the search is being constructed and prior to execution of the search using the query,
• wherein the query results preview generated by the query results preview generation unit comprises a visualization of the distribution of result items that would be retrieved if the search were executed using the preliminary query, including the first proportion of the result items in the new result category and the second proportion of the result items in the previous result category, the first proportion and the second proportion being separately displayed in the query results preview.

A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program causing a computer to execute a method for generating a query results preview, the method comprising:

• receiving a preliminary query while a query for a search is being constructed;
• using a processor to determine a frequency of previous retrieval of result items that would be retrieved if the search were executed using the preliminary query, including determining at least a first proportion of result items in a first category and a second proportion of the result items in a second category, the first proportion and the second proportion being determined using a number of times each of the result items has been retrieved in response to previous searches by a user in a session;
• storing information in a memory regarding the frequency of previous retrieval of the result items that would be retrieved if the search were executed using the preliminary query including the first proportion of the result items in the first category and the second proportion of the result items in the second category;
• generating the query results preview that provides a representation of the frequency of previous retrieval of the result items that would be retrieved if the search were executed using the preliminary query;
• and
• outputting the query results preview while the query for the search is being constructed and prior to execution of the search using the query,
• wherein the query preview comprises a visualization of the frequency of previous retrieval of the result items that would be retrieved if the search were executed using the preliminary query, including the first proportion of the result items in the first category and the second proportion of the result items in the second category, the first proportion and the second proportion being separately displayed in the query results preview.