23. In a computer system that comprises one or more processing units, memory, and storage, a method comprising: receiving, at a graphical user interface of a search tool implemented in the computer system, user input, comprising one or more keywords, for a search area for a database search, the input for the search area including a search area string; constructing, at the search tool implemented in the computer system, a first query that includes a first condition satisfied for any table of a plurality of tables where at least a portion of the search area string is found in description information for the table, the description information stored in one or more data objects stored in the memory; executing the first query, the executing comprising: accessing, by the search tool implemented in the computer system, description information for the plurality of database tables and determining one or more tables of the plurality of tables that satisfy the first condition; and with the search tool implemented in the computer system, searching for the at least a portion of the search area string in the description information to determine, for the database search, one or more tables of the plurality of tables that satisfy the first condition; receiving, at the graphical user interface of the search tool implemented in the computer system, user input, comprising one or more keywords, for a search string for the database search; with the search tool implemented in the computer system, constructing one or more second queries comprising at least a portion of the search string, the one or more second queries comprising a second condition satisfied if the at least a portion of the search string is found in a table of the one or more tables of the plurality of tables that satisfy the first condition; and executing, with the search tool implemented in the computer system, the one or more second queries, the executing comprising determining one or more tables of the one or more tables of the plurality of tables that satisfy the first condition that satisfy the second condition the executing further comprising: for each table of the one or more tables of the plurality of tables that satisfy the first condition, each table having a plurality of fields, analyzing each field of the respective table to determine if the field can be searched for the at least a portion of the search string; for fields that can be searched for the at least a portion of the search string, searching the table for records having the at least a portion of the search string for a respective field; and adding at least a portion of records having the at least a portion of the search string to second query results; and returning the second query results to the user.
23. In a computer system that comprises one or more processing units, memory, and storage, a method comprising: receiving, at a graphical user interface of a search tool implemented in the computer system, user input, comprising one or more keywords, for a search area for a database search, the input for the search area including a search area string; constructing, at the search tool implemented in the computer system, a first query that includes a first condition satisfied for any table of a plurality of tables where at least a portion of the search area string is found in description information for the table, the description information stored in one or more data objects stored in the memory; executing the first query, the executing comprising: accessing, by the search tool implemented in the computer system, description information for the plurality of database tables and determining one or more tables of the plurality of tables that satisfy the first condition; and with the search tool implemented in the computer system, searching for the at least a portion of the search area string in the description information to determine, for the database search, one or more tables of the plurality of tables that satisfy the first condition; receiving, at the graphical user interface of the search tool implemented in the computer system, user input, comprising one or more keywords, for a search string for the database search; with the search tool implemented in the computer system, constructing one or more second queries comprising at least a portion of the search string, the one or more second queries comprising a second condition satisfied if the at least a portion of the search string is found in a table of the one or more tables of the plurality of tables that satisfy the first condition; and executing, with the search tool implemented in the computer system, the one or more second queries, the executing comprising determining one or more tables of the one or more tables of the plurality of tables that satisfy the first condition that satisfy the second condition the executing further comprising: for each table of the one or more tables of the plurality of tables that satisfy the first condition, each table having a plurality of fields, analyzing each field of the respective table to determine if the field can be searched for the at least a portion of the search string; for fields that can be searched for the at least a portion of the search string, searching the table for records having the at least a portion of the search string for a respective field; and adding at least a portion of records having the at least a portion of the search string to second query results; and returning the second query results to the user. 24. The method of claim 23 further comprising: for a given table of the one or more tables of the plurality of tables that satisfy the first condition, using the description information to create a field catalog for fields of the given table, the field catalog indicating structure of the fields of the given table; wherein the constructing comprises, for one of the fields of the given table, using the field catalog to selectively convert the at least a portion of the search string to a data format of the field, wherein the at least a portion of the search string is converted to the data format of the field if (1) a data format of the at least a portion of the search string is different than the data format of the field and (2) the at least a portion of the search string can be converted to the data format of the field.