[Sigia-l] search interface for cross tabs

[Claude Steinberg]

Wise ones in IA land,

What is the best way to present front end search options for data in a database that can be cross tabulated in many ways?  I'm currently working on a site that uses multiple drop down menus, but there are categories within the choices in each menu, not all combinations of criteria are possible, and the number of options gets so large that to keep them manageable, the page currently offers only a few options in each menu and then reloads with more of the available options in the other fields whenever a user selects an option in one of the fields, so if you've already selected options from fields higher on the page you may have to start all over on those fields.  

Example:  Find number of orders placed for:

		Food Type
                                Dairy
			Milk
			Cheese
			etc;
		        Produce
			Apples
			Oranges
			etc.

		by Establishment
			Eat-in
			 	Cafeteria
				Restaurant
				Fast Food Outlet
				etc.
			Grocery
				MegaChain
					Safeway
					HEB
					Dominick's
				Convenience
					7-Eleven
					
				etc.

		by Date of Order
		by State
		by Shipping Method
		etc..