Tangential Thinking

One of the currently lesser-discussed Windows 7 features is Federated Search (also known as Opensearch). Extending Windows Search this feature allows Explorer searches to query online resources, anything from TechNet/MSDN to the likes of YouTube and Apple.

Much in the same way IE7 search providers are configured, Windows 7 Federated Search providers can be added via several sources.

The first and most common will be search sites themselves offering their providers for download. Simply execute the provided osdx file and the site will be accessible from within Windows Search.

It’s also possible to create your own search providers using either of two methods, the first for sites which support OpenSearch and are able to return results as RSS is to create an appropriate osdx as shown below. In this case I’ve created an OpenSearch provider for TechNet:

<?xml version=”1.0″ encoding=”UTF-8″?><OpenSearchDescription xmlns=”http://a9.com/-/spec/opensearch/1.1/” xmlns:ms- ose=”http://schemas.microsoft.com/opensearchext/2009/”>
<ShortName>TechNet</ShortName>
<Description>OpenSearch TechNet using Windows 7 Search.</Description>
<Url type=”application/rss+xml” template=”http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Search/Feed.aspx?locale=en-GB&amp;format=RSS&amp;Query={searchTerms}“/>
<Url type=”text/html” template=”http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Search/Feed.aspx?locale=en-GB&amp;format=RSS&amp;Query={searchTerms}“/>
</OpenSearchDescription>

The areas highlighted require modification for each new provider.

Ampersands present in the real URL have to be switched to &amp; in line 4 and 5 as above otherwise the provider will fail to import.

Saving the file with the osdx extension will associate it with Windows Search and opening it will add the search provider as above.

The second method and suited to many sites which don’t support OpenSearch as yet  is to use MSN search to search the sites and return the results as RSS as in the example below:

<?xml version=”1.0″ encoding=”UTF-8″?><OpenSearchDescription xmlns=”http://a9.com/-/spec/opensearch/1.1/” xmlns:ms- ose=”http://schemas.microsoft.com/opensearchext/2009/”>
<ShortName>Apple</ShortName>
<Description>OpenSearch Apple using MSN Search.</Description>
<Url type=”application/rss+xml” template=”http://search.msn.com/results.aspx?q={searchTerms}+site%3aapple.com&amp;num=10&amp;format=rss“/>
<Url type=”text/html” template=”http://search.live.com/results.aspx?q={searchTerms}+site%3aapple.com&format=rss“/>
</OpenSearchDescription>

Obviously this method is more limited in terms of the format of the returned results but for anyone who frequenty searches online resources Federated Search in Windows 7 is already shaping up into a potentially very powerful tool.

windows 7

Let me start of by saying that I’m a huge fan of Quicksilver. It’s one of those apps which keeps me using a mac as my primary machine and the first thing I install whenever I rebuild or get a new one.

But since Alcor abandoned the project and released the source the shine has begun to fade in places. On my macbook pro the main window occasionally freezes and requires the app to be forcibly quit while on my nc10 hackintosh the icon insists in remaining in the dock.

Sure there’s several efforts ongoing to tidy up the code, Ankur for one was working on it which spawned a google code project, but it’s just not the same.

Anyhow, while listening to MacBreak Weekly recently Leo mentioned that Alcor, now at google had released a new project – the Google Quick Search Box.

Being a Google ‘thing’ there’s much more emphasis on online searching but most of the core functionality that the majority of QuickSilver users want is in there including interacting with apps such as your contacts and iTunes library.

You can invoke the app with the usual keypresses, it also offeres a standard + (double tap apple) which I’ve begun to favor. Suffice to say I’m going to follow the project with great interest!