9. A computer implemented method, comprising: under the control of one or more computer systems configured with executable instructions, reading a product database that contains entries for a plurality of items, the plurality of items being hierarchically classified; reading a descriptor that contains a definition of hierarchical organization of the items in the product database, the definition including a hierarchy of classifications; accessing a special terms file; constructing an index for the product database based at least in part on the definition in the descriptor and the special terms file, the special terms file containing one or more words that are synonymous with the name of the classifications in the constructed index, the constructed index containing at least one entry for each classification in the definition, the entry containing one or more words that appear in at least one of: (a) the entries of the product database for the items within the classification or (b) the words in a name of the classification; assigning a high priority to the one or more words that are synonymous with the name of the classification; receiving search criteria; and obtaining a set of results for the search criteria based at least in part on the constructed index and the assigned high priority, the set of results adjusted for the hierarchy of classifications.
11. The computer implemented method of claim 9 , wherein constructing the index further includes: reading a priority descriptor file to construct the index, the priority descriptor file indicating how to score a presence of the search criteria in the entries of the constructed index.