Abstract: A computer-implemented method of processing an input via a user interface of a business intelligence software application for a database, wherein the software applications performs: listening for a user's input, and processing said input while it is received to identify input elements thereof; said input elements comprising at least a first and a second input element; searching among the executable functions for a named executable function that matches the first identified input element; searching in the set of named metadata items for matching metadata items that match the second identified input element; eliminating predefined patterns that do not match the named executable function and matching metadata items while keeping the matching ones; assigning a matching metadata item to one or more matching executable functions in the first predefined patterns according to its/their syntax; and selecting a pattern among the kept ones of predefined patterns and executing the function named in the selected predefine