1. A method of incrementally refining a query without requiring a user to provide an explicit indicator of submission of the query, the method comprising: defining a query related character pattern that does not include the explicit indicator of submission of the query but that does include: a series of characters followed by a space character, one or more characters followed by a predefined time delay, one or more characters followed by a deleted character, a predefined number of characters, and predefined words detecting entry, by a user, of query defining characters that match the defined query related character pattern, wherein the query is comprised of the query defining characters; substantially simultaneously providing the user, in response to the detecting, with both an updated query result list and an updated list of one or more query refinement options, wherein both the updated query result list and the updated list of one or more query refinement options correspond to the query defining characters, and wherein each of the one or more query refinement options in the updated list is displayed with an adjacent type icon from a plurality of type icons including a spell correct icon and a narrowing icon and a broadening icon and a synonym icon, wherein the spell correct icon indicates that an adjacent query refinement option is a spelling correction, and wherein the narrowing icon indicates that an adjacent query refinement option narrows the query, and wherein the broadening icon indicates that an adjacent query refinement option broadens the query, and wherein the synonym icon indicates that an adjacent query refinement option includes a synonym: and wherein the method is performed by a computer.
1. A method of incrementally refining a query without requiring a user to provide an explicit indicator of submission of the query, the method comprising: defining a query related character pattern that does not include the explicit indicator of submission of the query but that does include: a series of characters followed by a space character, one or more characters followed by a predefined time delay, one or more characters followed by a deleted character, a predefined number of characters, and predefined words detecting entry, by a user, of query defining characters that match the defined query related character pattern, wherein the query is comprised of the query defining characters; substantially simultaneously providing the user, in response to the detecting, with both an updated query result list and an updated list of one or more query refinement options, wherein both the updated query result list and the updated list of one or more query refinement options correspond to the query defining characters, and wherein each of the one or more query refinement options in the updated list is displayed with an adjacent type icon from a plurality of type icons including a spell correct icon and a narrowing icon and a broadening icon and a synonym icon, wherein the spell correct icon indicates that an adjacent query refinement option is a spelling correction, and wherein the narrowing icon indicates that an adjacent query refinement option narrows the query, and wherein the broadening icon indicates that an adjacent query refinement option broadens the query, and wherein the synonym icon indicates that an adjacent query refinement option includes a synonym: and wherein the method is performed by a computer. 4. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing, in response to the simultaneously providing, a visual indicator to the user.