* Windows Search : Add SharePoint Search Connector

 

With Windows 7, Search is integrated with Operating System. Apart from ability to index any kind of local content like files, mails , others, Windows 7 also supports federated search.

With federated search users can even search content outside local desktop.

Windows 7 support search federation to remote data stores using OpenSearch technologies that enable users to access and interact with their remote data from within Microsoft Windows Explorer. Additional search connectors can be created and deployed to external OpenSearch engines.

SharePoint 2007 search engine is OpenSearch compliant and so you can create a connector to search SharePoint site using Windows Explorer search bar.

Start with creating an OpenSearch Description (.osdx) file that describes how to connect to the Search Web service.

The simplest form of query URL for SharePoint / MOSS 2007 server which returns results in RSS format is following :

http://<my_portal>/_layouts/srchrss.aspx?k={searchTerms}.

Create a file with .osdx extension and following contents:

<?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>My Portal</ShortName>
    <Description>Realtime My Portal Search</Description>
    <Url type="application/rss+xml" template="http://<my_portal>/_layouts/srchrss.aspx?k={searchTerms}"/>
</OpenSearchDescription>

Replace <my_portal> with your portal server name. Double click the .osdx file created. You will be shown following confirmation box.

Click ‘Add’. The new connector will be added to Windows favorites.