Method and system for generic enterprise search adapter queries

1. A method for executing a query, the method comprising:

receiving, by an application having a first user interface, a request to execute a query by the application, the request including selection criteria for the query that includes a business object (BO) instance to be queried;

determining whether to execute the query by the application or a search engine having a second user interface that is separate and distinct from the application that executes queries independent of the application, the determining based on metadata associated with the BO instance referenced in the request to execute the query, the metadata including an indication of a type of query method to provide for the BO instance;

sending the selection criteria to the search engine to execute the query in response to the determination that the query is to be executed by the search engine;

receiving, by the application, a result of the query execution from the search engine; and

providing an output of the query result.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selection criteria includes a name identifying the query and the determining is based on metadata associated with the BO, as identified with the name.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

converting the selection criteria into a format accepted by the search engine; and

converting the result of the query execution into a format accepted by the application.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

providing the selection criteria to an application specific query operation to execute the query in response to the determination that the request to execute the query is to be provided by the application; and

receiving a result of the query execution from the application specific query operation.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing the metadata attributes associated with the at least one query to be executed by the search engine to a user interface.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the search engine is an enterprise search system.

7. A system comprising:

a processor;

a database; and

a memory coupled to the processor and the database, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to:

receive a request to execute, by an application, a query for a business object (BO) instance, the application having a first user interface and the request including selection criteria;

determine whether to execute the query by the application or a search engine having a second user interface that is separate and distinct from the application that executes queries independent of the application, the determining based on metadata associated with the BO instance referenced in the request to execute the query, the metadata including an indication of a type of query method to provide for the BO instance;

send the selection criteria to the search engine to execute the query in response to the determination that the query is to be executed by the search engine;

receive, by the application, a result of the query execution from the search engine; and

provide an output of the query result.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the selection criteria includes a name identifying the query and the determining is based on metadata associated with the BO instance, as identified with the name.

9. The system of claim 7 , further comprising the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to:

convert the selection criteria into a format accepted by the search engine; and

convert the result of the query execution into a format accepted by the application.

10. The system of claim 7 , further comprising the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to:

provide the selection criteria to an application specific query operation to execute the query in response to the determination that the request to execute the query is to be provided by the application; and

receive a result of the query execution from the application specific query operation.

11. The system of claim 7 , further comprising providing the metadata attributes associated with the at least one query to be executed by the search engine to a user interface.

12. The system of claim 7 , wherein the search engine is an enterprise search system.

13. A non-transitory medium having processor-executable instructions stored thereon, the medium comprising:

instructions to receive a request to execute a query by an application for a business object (BO) instance, the application having a first user interface and the request including selection criteria;

instructions to determine whether to execute the query by the application or a search engine having a second user interface that is separate and distinct from the application that executes queries independent of the application, the determining based on metadata associated with the BO instance referenced in the request to execute the query, the metadata including an indication of a type of query method to provide for the BO instance;

instructions to send the selection criteria to the search engine to execute the query in response to the determination that the query is to be executed by the search engine;

instructions to receive, by the application, a result of the query execution from the search engine; and

instructions to provide an output of the query result.

14. The medium of claim 13 , wherein the selection criteria includes a name identifying the query and the determining is based on metadata associated with the BO instance, as identified with the name.

15. The medium of claim 13 , further comprising:

instructions to convert the selection criteria into a format accepted by the search engine; and

instructions to convert the result of the query execution into a format accepted by the application.

16. The medium of claim 13 , further comprising:

instructions to provide the selection criteria to an application specific query operation to execute the query in response to the determination that the request to execute the query is to be provided by the application; and

instructions to receive a result of the query execution from the application specific query operation.

17. The medium of claim 13 , further comprising instructions to provide the metadata attributes associated with the at least one query to be executed by the search engine to a user interface.

18. The medium of claim 13 , wherein the search engine is an enterprise search system.