Windows 7 Federated Search

Windows Vista included an improved search that allowed users to search for local files, letters and other necessary things. With the release of Windows Search 4.0, search efficiency has increased, providing additional search options.



In Windows 7, through local search, a new type of search engine Federated Search is introduced, with which your search queries can go beyond your local computer. You can search remote repositories directly from the system shell. This search is based on OpenSearch and RSS technologies. Since this product is based on open source applications, it becomes very accessible and easy to understand, you can make your own “search connectors” to search for the sites that you need.

Federated search looks promising, as many sites have already begun to integrate support for OpenSearch.
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But this technology for Microsoft is not new. OpenSearch has already been integrated into Internet Explorer 7 and SharePoint Search.
“Search connectors” are files of OSDX format, which is used by RSS, Federated Searches right from the Windows 7 shell. Allowing you to use Explorer to search for deleted files, databases, as if they were on your local computer.



A typical OSDX file looks like this:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
Amazon
Amazon
/>


“Search connectors” have already been divided into two categories “basic” and “advanced” .

Basic search connectors are those that display only the basic result from a web page, without any additional features such as: icons, videos, documents, pictures and other files.

Advanced search connectors - in contrast to the basic search connectors, advanced display a rich search picture. The search result will contain pictures, videos, other documents with which you can work, as if they were on your computer.

Just double click on the OSDX file as it loads into the shell, and you are ready to start searching the remote repository.

Since many sites do not yet support OpenSearch, Microsoft Live Search comes to the rescue, with which you can create a basic search connector.

Instructions for creating your own search provider:
1. Copy this code to Notepad

<?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/">
Habrahabr
Habrahabr
/>
/>


2. Replace the bold text in the code with the name, link, description of the site on which you go to search.

3. Save the file. To do this, go to the Save as => dialog and replace Save as Type, from .txt to All files (important!). Then in the file name enter - filename.osdx. Now, Windows 7 can recognize this file as a search provider file, search connector.

4. Double-click on the file and your system is ready to start searching the specified site that you specified using the LiveSearch property, webite RSS Search.

Lists of search connectors to various sites:
Advanced:
Youtube
Flickr search
ISOHunt.com Search
MiniNova Search
Deviant art
Yahoo Image Search
Yahoo video
TechNet-Edge
Msdn Channel 9

Basic:
Yahoo
MSNSearch
eBay Search
Amazon Search
Digg
Technet
Techrepublic
Wired
Twitter (which disappeared)
GOOGLE: promised that the RSS-based OpenSearch technology will be available no earlier than 2010-2011 (sorry). And pokamys I suggest basic searches
Google Blogs
Google News

Also, a guide for developers has already appeared: Windows 7 Federated Search Provider Implementer's Guide