1. A method of processing a search request received from a user operating a text input device, the search request directed at identifying a desired item from a set of items, each of the items having one or more associated terms, the method comprising: (a) receiving a query input from a user directed at identifying the desired item, the query input comprising one or more characters input by the user on the text input device; (b) as each character of the query input is received from the user, dynamically identifying a group of items having one or more terms matching the characters received thus far of the query input; (c) ordering the items in the group of items identified in step (b) based on relevance values of the one or more terms matching the characters and on the number of characters of the query input used in identifying the group of items; and (d) transmitting identification of the group of items as ordered in step (c) to be displayed on a device operated by the user.