1. Search: integrating into the Windows 8 search experience
12/5/2018 5:17 PM
APP-406T
Search: integrating into the Windows 8 search experience
Priya Vaidyanathan
Senior Program Manager
Microsoft Corporation
© 2010 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Microsoft, Windows, Windows Vista and other product names are or may be registered trademarks and/or trademarks in the U.S. and/or other countries.
The information herein is for informational purposes only and represents the current view of Microsoft Corporation as of the date of this presentation. Because Microsoft must respond to changing market conditions, it should not be interpreted to be a commitment on the part of Microsoft, and Microsoft cannot guarantee the accuracy of any information provided after the date of this presentation. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRESENTATION.

2. Agenda Search in Windows 8
3 steps to implementing the Windows Search contract
Search customizations
Best practices for building great search experiences
You’ll leave with examples of how to
Create great apps that integrate with Windows Search

3. Users often search to find the content they care about, be it on the web, local machine, network, or in an app.

4. Apps have rich content, but users have to find and launch the app before searching in it.

5. Search contract makes your app searchable from anywhere in the system.

6. Search in the system & apps
demo
Search in the system & apps
By implementing the search contract, apps are automatically populated in the search list

7. Search is universally accessible, contextual to your app and always just a single swipe away.

8. Search anatomy Search box is scoped to the main app on screen1
Search box is scoped to the main app on screen
Query suggestions provided by the main app on screen
Autocompletes to terms for which the app has search results
List of installed Metro style apps that have implemented the search contract 2 3

9. Search anatomy Result suggestions provided by the main app on screen4
Result suggestions provided by the main app on screen
Must include a thumbnail and title
Indicates a strong or exact match result
Takes users directly to the details of the result

10. 3 Steps to implementing the Search Contract

11. Integrating with search in a sample app
demo
Integrating with search in a sample app
Adding search via Visual Studio
Search activation and query submitted
Providing query suggestions & ich suggestions

12. Search settings & events
Manifest Declaration
Search Pane Settings
Search History
(on by default)
Local Content Suggestions
Set placeholder text
Search Pane Events
Search Activation
Query Submitted
Suggestions Requested
Search Registration
File Access Capability

13. Activate App for Search Search Activation Event
User
Search Pane
Activate App for Search
Search App
Search Activation Event
User selects a Search location
Query text?
Load previous state No
Show Search results view
Yes

14. User enters a query and hits Search User selects a query suggestion
Query submitted
User
Search Pane
Submit query to App
Search App
Query Submitted Event
User enters a query and hits Search
Query changed?
User selects a query suggestion
Show previous search results view No
Show Search results view
Yes

15. Suggestions requested
User
Search Pane
Show search history that matches
Search App
Suggestions Requested Event
User types in Search box
HandleAsync?
Request suggestions from App
Request Deferral
Yes
Add suggestions to Search Suggestion Collection No
Show suggestions from App
Complete Deferral
Add suggestions to Search Suggestion Collection

16. Search contract recap Provide search suggestions Register for search
You can do this easily using visual studio templates
Register and respond to these 3 events:
Search activation
Query submitted
Suggestions requested
Provide search suggestions

17. Tips when responding to search events
Don’t put one time start up logic in your activation handler
Help the user get back to what they were doing prior to search
Search activation when you are snapped will make your app the main app
Preserve filters that have been applied if users are switching quickly

18. Search customization

19. Search placeholder text
Search placeholder text is the hint shown in the search box when it is empty
Use this to indicate what users can search for in your app
This will automatically be cleared when the user starts typing

20. Setting placeholder text
//Set the cue text via the placeholderText property in the search //pane
var winsearch = Windows.ApplicationModel.Search;
winsearch.SearchPane.getForCurrentView().placeholderText =
“Places NearMe";

21. Separators Separators can be used to group search suggestions
Provide a label when using separators so it is clear what the groups are

22. Adding a search separator
// Code that is called when suggestions requested event is fired
function onSuggestionsRequested(e) {
var query = e.queryText.toLowerCase();
var suggestions = e.request.searchSuggestionCollection;
//Add query suggestions to the search suggestion collection
suggestions.appendSearchSeparator(“Friends”);
//Add more query suggestions }

23. Best practices for building great search experiences

24. Should your app integrate with search?
Yes!!! If you would be building search in your app
Use the search charm
You do not need a search box or chrome in your app
Probably not, if:
your app needs a ‘find in doc’ functionality like a PDF reader
you are a game, novelty or utility app

25. Search results layout
Common ways to represent search results are in a list or grid
Results are ordered top to bottom, left to right
Use the Listview control to bring the Windows 8 look and feel to your app
Avoid putting the most relevant or important content on the right edge.

26. Search results layout
Give users a way to get back to their prior task in the app
Indicate what the user searched for
Indicate the number of results found

27. Filters
Filters are essential to helping users quickly find the content they care about
Indicate the number of results available with each filter
Give users a way to remove filters or see all results

28. Provide suggestions
Provide suggestions to help the user find the content they care about easily
Use query suggestions to help them complete their search term quickly
Use result suggestions to help user quickly get to the most relevant result

29. Recap

30. Recap
Implementing the search contract makes your app searchable from anywhere in the system!
You can design one search experience that works everywhere
The search template incorporates a lot of the best practices for great search experiences!

31. Related sessions
[APP-741T] Metro style apps using XAML: Make your app shine
[APP-210T] Build data-driven collection and list apps using ListView in HTML5
[APP-405T] Share: your app powers the Windows 8 share experience
[APP-408T] Integrating with the Windows device experience
[APP-398T] How to declare your app’s capabilities

32. Further reading and documentation
SDK Samples: Adding Search
Example of how to implement the search contract
JavaScript, C# and C++ code samples
Windows Application contracts
Search API Reference

33. thank you Feedback and questions http://forums.dev.windows.com
Session feedback

34. 12/5/2018 5:17 PM
© 2011 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Microsoft, Windows, Windows Vista and other product names are or may be registered trademarks and/or trademarks in the U.S. and/or other countries.
The information herein is for informational purposes only and represents the current view of Microsoft Corporation as of the date of this presentation. Because Microsoft must respond to changing market conditions, it should not be interpreted to be a commitment on the part of Microsoft, and Microsoft cannot guarantee the accuracy of any information provided after the date of this presentation. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRESENTATION.
© 2011 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Microsoft, Windows, Windows Vista and other product names are or may be registered trademarks and/or trademarks in the U.S. and/or other countries.
The information herein is for informational purposes only and represents the current view of Microsoft Corporation as of the date of this presentation. Because Microsoft must respond to changing market conditions, it should not be interpreted to be a commitment on the part of Microsoft, and Microsoft cannot guarantee the accuracy of any information provided after the date of this presentation. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRESENTATION.