System and method for providing search results with configurable scoring formula

A system for producing search results from a query, the system comprising:

• a database that stores information indicative of a plurality of documents;
• scoring logic that compares the query to at least one of the documents and that produces score information indicative of a comparison between the query and the at least one document, said scoring logic being adapted to compute a scalar score based on said score information by applying a ranker object to said score information;
• and
• a first plurality of ranker objects, each of the plurality of ranker objects being indicative of a formula that produces a scalar score based on the score information, each of the first plurality of ranker objects being accessible to said scoring logic and being createable independently of said scoring logic,
• wherein said scoring logic is adapted to select a ranker object from among said first plurality of ranker objects to be applied to said score information,
• wherein each of the plurality of ranker objects is associated with a class, and wherein said scoring logic selects a ranker object based on the class of said at least one document.

A computer-readable medium having computer executable instructions to perform a method of producing search results from a query, the method comprising:

• receiving data indicative of a comparison between the query and a document;
• selecting an object from among a first plurality of objects, wherein said document is associated with a predetermined class, and wherein said selecting act comprises selecting said object based on the class with which said document is associated;
• and
• applying said object to said data to compute a scalar score for said document, said object indicating a formula to be applied to said data, said object being createable independently of the computer-executable instructions.