Efficiently filtering using a web site

1. A computer-implemented method of efficiently filtering using a web site, the method comprising:

receiving first distinct filtering values from the web site based on a type of data selected from a web page associated with the web site, without requiring retrieval of second distinct filtering values that are unrelated to the selected type of the data, wherein the first distinct filtering values are values from the data;

storing the first distinct filtering values in an invisible browser window;

sorting the first distinct filtering values; and

displaying the first distinct filtering values in a drop down menu in the web page, without requiring the web page to be entirely updated.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:

dividing at least a portion of the data into groups; and

using the first distinct filtering values to represent the groups.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving the first distinct filtering values prior to the first distinct filtering values being requested.

4. The method as recited in claim 3 , further comprising:

detecting that a mouse is moving over a visual representation of the type of the data; and

requesting the first distinct filtering values based on the type of the data depicted by the visual representation of the type of the data.

5. A system for efficiently filtering using a web page, the system comprising:

a processor;

a filtering values requestor for execution by the processor to request first distinct filtering values from a web site based on a user selected type of data from the web page associated with the web site, without requesting second distinct filtering values that are unrelated to the user selected type of the data, wherein the first distinct filtering values are values from the data;

a filtering values displayer coupled to the filtering values requestor, the filtering values displayer for execution by the processor and to store the first distinct filtering values in an invisible browser window, sort the first distinct filtering values, and display the first distinct filtering values in a drop down menu in the web page, whereby the web page is not entirely updated.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the system is associated with collaboration software.

7. The system of claim 5 , wherein the type of the data is represented by a column header associated with the web page.

8. The system of claim 5 , wherein a filtering operation is performed on the data as a result of one of the first distinct filtering values being selected.

9. The system of claim 5 , wherein one of the first distinct filtering values represents a percentage of the type of the data.

10. The system of claim 5 , wherein the first distinct filtering values represent a subset of the data.

11. The system of claim 5 , further comprising a split button that is displayed on the web page, wherein the split button enables a user to select an operation selected from a group consisting of sorting and filtering.

12. Instructions on a computer-usable medium wherein the instructions when executed cause a computer system to perform a method of efficiently filtering using a web site, the method comprising:

receiving first filtering choices from the web site based on a type of data selected from a web page associated with the web site, without requiring retrieval of second filtering choices that are unrelated to the selected type of the data, wherein the first filtering choices are values from the data;

storing the first filtering choices in an invisible browser window;

sorting the first filtering choices; and

displaying the first filtering choices in a drop down menu in the web page, without requiring the web page to be entirely updated.

13. The instructions of claim 12 wherein the instructions which when executed cause the computer system to receive the first filtering choices further comprise instructions for:

receiving distinct filtering values that are a subset of the first filtering choices.

14. The instructions of claim 12 wherein the instructions which when executed cause the computer system to receive the first filtering choices further comprise instructions for:

receiving an order for sorting the data.

15. The instructions of claim 14 , wherein the instructions which when executed cause the computer system to receive the order for sorting further comprise instructions for:

receiving text descriptions of ascending and descending that correspond to the selected type of the data.

16. A computer-implemented method of efficiently filtering using a web site, the method comprising:

receiving first distinct filtering values from the web site based on a type of data selected from a web page associated with the web site, without requiring retrieval of second distinct filtering values that are unrelated to the selected type of the data, wherein the first distinct filtering values are values from the data;

receiving an order for sorting the data and text descriptions of ascending and descending that correspond to the selected type of the data;

storing the first distinct filtering values in an invisible browser window;

sorting the first distinct filtering values; and

displaying the first distinct filtering values in a drop down menu in the web page, without requiring the web page to be entirely updated.