Search in Windows Vista

The Search capabilities of Windows Vista are build on top of the features of the canceled WinFS (Windows Future Storage) which was designed to be a storage engine delivering additional relational database management on top of the NTFS file system. And while WinFS has been disallowed, the core technology was transitioned to Vista and implemented into the operating system. Consequently, Windows Vista features context sensitive search boxes in shell locations.

The Start Menu position of the Search option is classic among the search coordinated across the operating system, as you are able to see from the adjacent picture. When executed, it brings up the search window illustrated in the second picture. From here, Vista users are able to search all the locations of the system.

The operating system's response rate is almost instantaneous, and the results are displayed as the query is typed. This window additionally delivers filtering capabilities with the "Show option" or via the Advanced Search. And, in the end, users are enabled to save the search queries and results in virtual folders.

One nuance that was added with Windows Vista is the search box integrated in the Start Menu. It delivers fast results when searching for applications, documents, IE Favorites and others directly in the Start Menu.

In fact, the Start Menu search box is designed to balance the search options with the old Run feature of the operating system.

I mentioned earlier the search coordinates of Windows Vista. What I meant was the context sensitive search boxes introduced into various locations across Vista.

Windows Explorer features such a search box in the upper right corner. Control Panel, Windows Mail, Contacts, Windows Calendar and the Vista version of Internet Explorer 7 are all complemented with this search feature.