Add search to a tool window

Article
03/10/2023

When you create or update a tool window in your extension, you can add the same search functionality that appears elsewhere in Visual Studio. This functionality includes the following features:

A search box that's always located in a custom area of the toolbar.
A progress indicator that's overlaid on the search box itself.
The ability to show results as soon as you enter each character (instant search) or only after you choose the Enter key (search on demand).
A list that shows terms for which you've searched most recently.
The ability to filter searches by specific fields or aspects of the search targets.

By following this walkthrough, you'll learn how to perform the following tasks:

Create a VSPackage project.
Create a tool window that contains a UserControl with a read-only TextBox.
Add a search box to the tool window.
Add the search implementation.
Enable instant search and display of a progress bar.
Add a Match case option.
Add a Search even lines only filter.

To create a VSIX project

Create a VSIX project named TestToolWindowSearch with a tool window named TestSearch. If you need help doing this, see Creating an extension with a tool window.

To create a tool window

In the TestToolWindowSearch project, open the TestSearchControl.xaml file.

Replace the existing <StackPanel> block with the following block, which adds a read-only TextBox to the UserControl in the tool window.

<StackPanel Orientation="Vertical">
    <TextBox Name="resultsTextBox" Height="800.0"
        Width="800.0"
        IsReadOnly="True">
    </TextBox>
</StackPanel>

In the TestSearchControl.xaml.cs file, add the following using directive:
```
using System.Text;
```

Remove the button1_Click() method.

In the TestSearchControl class, add the following code.

This code adds a public TextBox property named SearchResultsTextBox and a public string property named SearchContent. In the constructor, SearchResultsTextBox is set to the text box, and SearchContent is initialized to a newline-delimited set of strings. The content of the text box is also initialized to the set of strings.

public partial class MyControl : UserControl
{
    public TextBox SearchResultsTextBox { get; set; }
    public string SearchContent { get; set; }

    public MyControl()
    {
        InitializeComponent();

        this.SearchResultsTextBox = resultsTextBox;
        this.SearchContent = BuildContent();

        this.SearchResultsTextBox.Text = this.SearchContent;
    }

    private string BuildContent()
    {
        StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();
        sb.AppendLine("1 go");
        sb.AppendLine("2 good");
        sb.AppendLine("3 Go");
        sb.AppendLine("4 Good");
        sb.AppendLine("5 goodbye");
        sb.AppendLine("6 Goodbye");

        return sb.ToString();
    }
}

Partial Public Class MyControl
    Inherits System.Windows.Controls.UserControl

    Public Property SearchResultsTextBox As System.Windows.Controls.TextBox
    Public Property SearchContent As String

    Public Sub New()

        ' This call is required by the designer.
        InitializeComponent()

        ' Add any initialization after the InitializeComponent() call.
        Me.SearchResultsTextBox = resultsTextBox
        Me.SearchContent = buildContent

        Me.SearchResultsTextBox.Text = Me.SearchContent
    End Sub

    Private Function BuildContent() As String
        Dim sb As New System.Text.StringBuilder()

        sb.AppendLine("1 go")
        sb.AppendLine("2 good")
        sb.AppendLine("3 Go")
        sb.AppendLine("4 Good")
        sb.AppendLine("5 goodbye")
        sb.AppendLine("6 Goodbye")

        Return sb.ToString()
    End Function
End Class

Build the project and start debugging. The experimental instance of Visual Studio appears.
On the menu bar, choose View > Other Windows > TestSearch.

The tool window appears, but the search control doesn't yet appear.

In the TestSearch.cs file, add the following code to the TestSearch class. The code overrides the SearchEnabled property so that the get accessor returns true.

To enable search, you must override the SearchEnabled property. The ToolWindowPane class implements IVsWindowSearch and provides a default implementation that doesn't enable search.
```
public override bool SearchEnabled
{
    get { return true; }
}
```
Build the project and start debugging. The experimental instance appears.
In the experimental instance of Visual Studio, open TestSearch.

At the top of the tool window, a search control appears with a Search watermark and a magnifying-glass icon. However, search doesn't work yet because the search process hasn't been implemented.

To add the search implementation

When you enable search on a ToolWindowPane, as in the previous procedure, the tool window creates a search host. This host sets up and manages search processes, which always occur on a background thread. Because the ToolWindowPane class manages the creation of the search host and the setting up of the search, you need only create a search task and provide the search method. The search process occurs on a background thread, and calls to the tool window control occur on the UI thread. Therefore, you must use the ThreadHelper.Invoke* method to manage any calls that you make in dealing with the control.

In the TestSearch.cs file, add the following using directives:

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
using System.Text;
using System.Windows.Controls;
using Microsoft.Internal.VisualStudio.PlatformUI;
using Microsoft.VisualStudio;
using Microsoft.VisualStudio.PlatformUI;
using Microsoft.VisualStudio.Shell;
using Microsoft.VisualStudio.Shell.Interop;

In the TestSearch class, add the following code, which performs the following actions:

Overrides the CreateSearch method to create a search task.
Overrides the ClearSearch method to restore the state of the text box. This method is called when a user cancels a search task and when a user sets or unsets options or filters. Both CreateSearch and ClearSearch are called on the UI thread. Therefore, you don't need to access the text box by means of the ThreadHelper.Invoke* method.
Creates a class that's named TestSearchTask that inherits from VsSearchTask, which provides a default implementation of IVsSearchTask.

In TestSearchTask, the constructor sets a private field that references the tool window. To provide the search method, you override the OnStartSearch and OnStopSearch methods. The OnStartSearch method is where you implement the search process. This process includes performing the search, displaying the search results in the text box, and calling the base class implementation of this method to report that the search is complete.

public override IVsSearchTask CreateSearch(uint dwCookie, IVsSearchQuery pSearchQuery, IVsSearchCallback pSearchCallback)
{
    if (pSearchQuery == null || pSearchCallback == null)
        return null;
     return new TestSearchTask(dwCookie, pSearchQuery, pSearchCallback, this);
}

public override void ClearSearch()
{
    TestSearchControl control = (TestSearchControl)this.Content;
    control.SearchResultsTextBox.Text = control.SearchContent;
}

internal class TestSearchTask : VsSearchTask
{
    private TestSearch m_toolWindow;

    public TestSearchTask(uint dwCookie, IVsSearchQuery pSearchQuery, IVsSearchCallback pSearchCallback, TestSearch toolwindow)
        : base(dwCookie, pSearchQuery, pSearchCallback)
    {
        m_toolWindow = toolwindow;
    }

    protected override void OnStartSearch()
    {
        // Use the original content of the text box as the target of the search.
        var separator = new string[] { Environment.NewLine };
        TestSearchControl control = (TestSearchControl)m_toolWindow.Content;
        string[] contentArr = control.SearchContent.Split(separator, StringSplitOptions.None);

        // Get the search option.
        bool matchCase = false;
        // matchCase = m_toolWindow.MatchCaseOption.Value;

            // Set variables that are used in the finally block.
            StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder("");
            uint resultCount = 0;
            this.ErrorCode = VSConstants.S_OK;

            try
            {
                string searchString = this.SearchQuery.SearchString;

                // Determine the results.
                uint progress = 0;
                foreach (string line in contentArr)
                {
                    if (matchCase == true)
                    {
                        if (line.Contains(searchString))
                        {
                            sb.AppendLine(line);
                            resultCount++;
                        }
                    }
                    else
                        {
                            if (line.ToLower().Contains(searchString.ToLower()))
                            {
                                sb.AppendLine(line);
                                resultCount++;
                            }
                        }

                        // SearchCallback.ReportProgress(this, progress++, (uint)contentArr.GetLength(0));

                        // Uncomment the following line to demonstrate the progress bar.
                        // System.Threading.Thread.Sleep(100);
                    }
                }
                catch (Exception e)
                {
                    this.ErrorCode = VSConstants.E_FAIL;
                }
                finally
                {
                    ThreadHelper.Generic.Invoke(() =>
                    { ((TextBox)((TestSearchControl)m_toolWindow.Content).SearchResultsTextBox).Text = sb.ToString(); });

                    this.SearchResults = resultCount;
                }

        // Call the implementation of this method in the base class.
        // This sets the task status to complete and reports task completion.
        base.OnStartSearch();
    }

    protected override void OnStopSearch()
    {
        this.SearchResults = 0;
    }
}

Test your search implementation by performing the following steps:
1. Rebuild the project and start debugging.
2. In the experimental instance of Visual Studio, open the tool window again, enter some search text in the search window, and click ENTER.
  
  The correct results should appear.

To customize the search behavior

By changing the search settings, you can make a variety of changes in how the search control appears and how the search is carried out. For example, you can change the watermark (the default text that appears in the search box), the minimum and maximum width of the search control, and whether to show a progress bar. You can also change the point at which search results start to appear (on demand or instant search) and whether to show a list of terms for which you recently searched. You can find the complete list of settings in the SearchSettingsDataSource class.

In the* TestSearch.cs* file, add the following code to the TestSearch class. This code enables instant search instead of on-demand search (meaning that the user doesn't have to click ENTER). The code overrides the ProvideSearchSettings method in the TestSearch class, which is necessary to change the default settings.
```
public override void ProvideSearchSettings(IVsUIDataSource pSearchSettings)
{
    Utilities.SetValue(pSearchSettings,
        SearchSettingsDataSource.SearchStartTypeProperty.Name,
        (uint)VSSEARCHSTARTTYPE.SST_INSTANT);}
```
Test the new setting by rebuilding the solution and restarting the debugger.

Search results appear every time that you enter a character in the search box.

In the ProvideSearchSettings method, add the following line, which enables the display of a progress bar.

public override void ProvideSearchSettings(IVsUIDataSource pSearchSettings)
{
    Utilities.SetValue(pSearchSettings,
        SearchSettingsDataSource.SearchStartTypeProperty.Name,
         (uint)VSSEARCHSTARTTYPE.SST_INSTANT);
    Utilities.SetValue(pSearchSettings,
        SearchSettingsDataSource.SearchProgressTypeProperty.Name,
         (uint)VSSEARCHPROGRESSTYPE.SPT_DETERMINATE);
}

For the progress bar to appear, the progress must be reported. To report the progress, uncomment the following code in the OnStartSearch method of the TestSearchTask class:

SearchCallback.ReportProgress(this, progress++, (uint)contentArr.GetLength(0));

To slow processing enough that the progress bar is visible, uncomment the following line in the OnStartSearch method of the TestSearchTask class:
```
System.Threading.Thread.Sleep(100);
```
Test the new settings by rebuilding the solution and starting to debug.

The progress bar appears in the search window (as a blue line below the search text box) every time that you perform a search.

To enable users to refine their searches

You can allow users to refine their searches by means of options such as Match case or Match whole word. Options can be boolean, which appear as check boxes, or commands, which appear as buttons. For this walkthrough, you'll create a boolean option.

In the TestSearch.cs file, add the following code to the TestSearch class. The code overrides the SearchOptionsEnum method, which allows the search implementation to detect whether a given option is on or off. The code in SearchOptionsEnum adds an option to match case to an IVsEnumWindowSearchOptions enumerator. The option to match case is also made available as the MatchCaseOption property.

private IVsEnumWindowSearchOptions m_optionsEnum;
public override IVsEnumWindowSearchOptions SearchOptionsEnum
{
    get
    {
        if (m_optionsEnum == null)
        {
            List<IVsWindowSearchOption> list = new List<IVsWindowSearchOption>();

            list.Add(this.MatchCaseOption);

            m_optionsEnum = new WindowSearchOptionEnumerator(list) as IVsEnumWindowSearchOptions;
        }
        return m_optionsEnum;
    }
}

private WindowSearchBooleanOption m_matchCaseOption;
public WindowSearchBooleanOption MatchCaseOption
{
    get
    {
        if (m_matchCaseOption == null)
        {
            m_matchCaseOption = new WindowSearchBooleanOption("Match case", "Match case", false);
        }
        return m_matchCaseOption;
    }
}

In the TestSearchTask class, uncomment the following line in the OnStartSearch method:
```
matchCase = m_toolWindow.MatchCaseOption.Value;
```
Test the option:
1. Build the project and start debugging. The experimental instance appears.
2. In the tool window, choose the Down arrow on the right side of the text box.
  
  The Match case check box appears.
3. Select the Match case check box, and then perform some searches.

You can add search filters that allow users to refine the set of search targets. For example, you can filter files in File Explorer by the dates on which they were modified most recently and their file name extensions. In this walkthrough, you'll add a filter for even lines only. When the user chooses that filter, the search host adds the strings that you specify to the search query. You can then identify these strings inside your search method and filter the search targets accordingly.

In the TestSearch.cs file, add the following code to the TestSearch class. The code implements SearchFiltersEnum by adding a WindowSearchSimpleFilter that specifies to filter the search results so that only even lines appear.
```
public override IVsEnumWindowSearchFilters SearchFiltersEnum
{
    get
    {
        List<IVsWindowSearchFilter> list = new List<IVsWindowSearchFilter>();
        list.Add(new WindowSearchSimpleFilter("Search even lines only", "Search even lines only", "lines", "even"));
        return new WindowSearchFilterEnumerator(list) as IVsEnumWindowSearchFilters;
    }
}
```
Now the search control displays the search filter Search even lines only. When the user chooses the filter, the string lines:"even" appears in the search box. Other search criteria can appear at the same time as the filter. Search strings may appear before the filter, after the filter, or both.

In the TestSearch.cs file, add the following methods to the TestSearchTask class, which is in the TestSearch class. These methods support the OnStartSearch method, which you'll modify in the next step.

private string RemoveFromString(string origString, string stringToRemove)
{
    int index = origString.IndexOf(stringToRemove);
    if (index == -1)
        return origString;
    else 
         return (origString.Substring(0, index) + origString.Substring(index + stringToRemove.Length)).Trim();
}

private string[] GetEvenItems(string[] contentArr)
{
    int length = contentArr.Length / 2;
    string[] evenContentArr = new string[length];

    int indexB = 0;
    for (int index = 1; index < contentArr.Length; index += 2)
    {
        evenContentArr[indexB] = contentArr[index];
        indexB++;
    }

    return evenContentArr;
}

In the TestSearchTask class, update the OnStartSearch method with the following code. This change updates the code to support the filter.

protected override void OnStartSearch()
{
    // Use the original content of the text box as the target of the search. 
    var separator = new string[] { Environment.NewLine };
    string[] contentArr = ((TestSearchControl)m_toolWindow.Content).SearchContent.Split(separator, StringSplitOptions.None);

    // Get the search option. 
    bool matchCase = false;
    matchCase = m_toolWindow.MatchCaseOption.Value;

    // Set variables that are used in the finally block.
    StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder("");
    uint resultCount = 0;
    this.ErrorCode = VSConstants.S_OK;

    try
    {
        string searchString = this.SearchQuery.SearchString;

        // If the search string contains the filter string, filter the content array. 
        string filterString = "lines:\"even\"";

        if (this.SearchQuery.SearchString.Contains(filterString))
        {
            // Retain only the even items in the array.
            contentArr = GetEvenItems(contentArr);

            // Remove 'lines:"even"' from the search string.
            searchString = RemoveFromString(searchString, filterString);
        }

        // Determine the results. 
        uint progress = 0;
        foreach (string line in contentArr)
        {
            if (matchCase == true)
            {
                if (line.Contains(searchString))
                {
                    sb.AppendLine(line);
                    resultCount++;
                }
            }
            else
            {
                if (line.ToLower().Contains(searchString.ToLower()))
                {
                    sb.AppendLine(line);
                    resultCount++;
                }
            }

            SearchCallback.ReportProgress(this, progress++, (uint)contentArr.GetLength(0));

            // Uncomment the following line to demonstrate the progress bar. 
            // System.Threading.Thread.Sleep(100);
        }
    }
    catch (Exception e)
    {
        this.ErrorCode = VSConstants.E_FAIL;
    }
    finally
    {
        ThreadHelper.Generic.Invoke(() =>
        { ((TextBox)((TestSearchControl)m_toolWindow.Content).SearchResultsTextBox).Text = sb.ToString(); });

        this.SearchResults = resultCount;
    }

    // Call the implementation of this method in the base class. 
    // This sets the task status to complete and reports task completion. 
    base.OnStartSearch();
}

Test your code.
Build the project and start debugging. In the experimental instance of Visual Studio, open the tool window, and then choose the Down arrow on the search control.

The Match case check box and the Search even lines only filter appear.
Choose the filter.

The search box contains lines:"even", and the following results appear:

2 good

4 Good

6 Goodbye
Delete lines:"even" from the search box, select the Match case check box, and then enter g in the search box.

The following results appear:

1 go

2 good

5 goodbye
Choose the X on the right side of the search box.

The search is cleared, and the original contents appear. However, the Match case check box is still selected.

Share via

Add search to a tool window

To create a VSIX project

To create a tool window

To add the search implementation

To customize the search behavior

To enable users to refine their searches

To add a search filter

Additional resources

Share via

Add search to a tool window

To create a VSIX project

To create a tool window

To add a search box to the tool window

To add the search implementation

To customize the search behavior

To enable users to refine their searches

To add a search filter

Additional resources