11. A computer-implemented system for conducting a search of electronically stored information, comprising: a data storage system containing the electronically stored information; and a server receiving a natural language text string or a representation thereof from a user, the natural language text string or representation thereof comprising a targeting rule directed at identifying desired search results from said electronically stored information, the server translating the natural language text string or representation thereof into an executable query, and executing the executable query against the electronically stored information to generate the desired search results; wherein the user generates the natural language text string using an interactive targeting rule editor to enable the user to formulate the natural language text string, the interactive targeting rule editor allowing the user to change one or more designated editable portions of the natural language text string to one of a set of specified alternate portions to form a syntactically valid targeting rule in accordance with a targeting rule grammar, wherein at least one of the specified alternate portions includes one or more further designated editable portions that are changeable by the user to one of a further set of specified alternate portions to form the syntactically valid targeting rule.
11. A computer-implemented system for conducting a search of electronically stored information, comprising: a data storage system containing the electronically stored information; and a server receiving a natural language text string or a representation thereof from a user, the natural language text string or representation thereof comprising a targeting rule directed at identifying desired search results from said electronically stored information, the server translating the natural language text string or representation thereof into an executable query, and executing the executable query against the electronically stored information to generate the desired search results; wherein the user generates the natural language text string using an interactive targeting rule editor to enable the user to formulate the natural language text string, the interactive targeting rule editor allowing the user to change one or more designated editable portions of the natural language text string to one of a set of specified alternate portions to form a syntactically valid targeting rule in accordance with a targeting rule grammar, wherein at least one of the specified alternate portions includes one or more further designated editable portions that are changeable by the user to one of a further set of specified alternate portions to form the syntactically valid targeting rule. 19. The computer-implemented system of claim 11 wherein the user operates a client device, and the server interacts with the client device over a network.