Patent ID: 7505985

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for generating a search expression for use in searching heterogeneous repositories, the method comprising: providing in computer memory of a computer a plurality of user-modifiable templates, each template being defined according to a different lexical structure and being associated with a user-modifiable, repository neutral template expression; parsing user-supplied input received by the computer from a user-input device to produce one or more tokens therefrom and to identify a lexical structure of the user-supplied input; selecting from the plurality of user-modifiable templates stored in computer memory a template with a lexical structure that matches the identified lexical structure of the user-supplied input; and inserting each token produced from the user-supplied input into a designated location in the user-modifiable, repository neutral template expression of the selected template to produce a string-based, repository neutral search expression to be used in a computerized search of the heterogeneous repositories.