Search

Overview

io.Connect Desktop offers a Search API and a default Global Search app.

The Global Search app is a UI for users to conduct searches. It's a web app in the form of a search bar, and users can open it with a configurable keyboard shortcut. Global Search includes special support for the built-in search provider of io.Connect Desktop allowing end users to quickly find and launch apps, Layouts and Workspaces, as well as to perform several key actions with a single click, such as switching the theme, saving a Layout and more.

The Search API offers two distinct functionalities: you can use it to create both search providers and search clients. Search providers are apps that respond to search queries, whereas search clients are apps that initiate searches. For instance, a search provider may return a list of instruments as a response to a search query, and may also support one or more actions - like showing a chart for the selected instrument. Actions may be executed when the user clicks on a result in the UI of a search client app. You may present multiple actions as options to the user via the search client UI, so that they may choose how to handle the search result depending on their current needs. The Search API also enables you to define search types, set debounce time for search queries, set limits for search results and more.

Default Search Provider

io.Connect Desktop has a built-in search provider that returns search results for apps, Workspaces, Layouts and actions.

Configuration

To disable the default search provider, or to modify the search types for which the default search provider will return results, use the "searchProvider" top-level key in the system.json system configuration file of io.Connect Desktop:

The following example demonstrates how to configure io.Connect Desktop to provide search results only for Workspaces and Layouts:

{
    "searchProvider": {
        "enabled": true,
        "types": ["workspace", "layout"]
    }
}

The "searchProvider" object has the following properties:

Property	Type	Description
`"enabled"`	`boolean`	If `true` (default), will enable the default search provider of io.Connect Desktop.
`"types"`	`string[]`	Predefined search types for which the provider will return results. The possible values you can use in the array are `"application"`, `"layout"`, `"workspace"` and `"action"`. Defaults to `["application", "layout", "workspace", "action"]`.

Global Search App

Configuration

Global Search is an interop-enabled web app which you can configure just like any other interop-enabled app from its configuration file, named global-search.json and located in the <installation_location>/interop.io/io.Connect Desktop/Desktop/config/apps folder.

The default shortcut for the Global Search is SUPER + / ("Windows" key + forward slash), but you can change it from the "shortcut" top-level key of the configuration file:

{
    "shortcut": "ctrl+alt+space",
}

Usage

The Global Search app (much like the io.Connect Launchpad) is a tool that greatly benefits power users who prefer working with keyboard shortcuts. It provides a quick and efficient way of searching for items through all search providers defined in the io.Connect environment, saving the user time and effort.

Open the Global Search app by pressing its shortcut (the default is SUPER + / - "Windows" key + forward slash). Type in the search bar to find apps, Layouts, Workspaces or actions. When results are found, they are listed in a dropdown menu under the search bar - the left section contains the results organized by category (apps, Layouts, Workspaces, actions) and the right section contains a description of the selected item. The first result is selected by default. Use TAB to move between the search bar and the "Results" section. Use the up and down arrow keys to navigate through the results. Press ENTER to select a result - this will start the app, load the Layout or execute the action and in most cases will hide the Global Search. You can also press ESC, press again the Global Search shortcut or click anywhere else to hide the Global Search.