A catalog is an arrangement of information and illustrations concerning parts or products, which can be accessed electronically. A catalog is very often tabulated.

In many industry branches, catalogs are used to provide customers or employees with a quick overview of the product range of the company and to provide quick access to information about these products.

Spare parts catalogs or sales catalogs are typical examples. When we speak of electronic catalogs,  the access to the catalog content is via a computer (i.e. through a local or company-internal network via CD ROM.)