Simple. Search box, whether website or address book, when typed it either jumps to or filters results. Commonly uses autocomplete. NOT the same as location jump at all. This is ONLY applied when already within the results, like a page or infinite list. Not used to search the internet, etc.

ALSO the widget to type a name in an address book, and it jumps to the first location with it (or where it would be, unlike Search Within, never a "no results" state). See search-within for a contrasting widget -- discuss that strictly it's a Location Within, since there are always results, and it just jumps but since there is typing the interaction model is more akin to this pattern.

Problem

Finding specific items within a long list or other large page or data array is cumbersome. A method provided to allow searching for information.

Solution

F

Almost all are text search... in some cases, if the information can be categorized, additional or different search criteria may be offered (think feature search in g-maps... restaurants, etc.)

Variations

1) Explicit submission... like normal search, may find no results, etc. Type a search and enter... used when list cannot be indexed well enough for live results, such as an Infinite List

2) Auto results... take off from the Location Jump in many ways, as it works best with indexed results.

3) WHAT??? Subvariant for display is search in a web page/PDF style, where results are scrolled through but not all seen at once... SHOULD be AUTO since page is loaded/// all results or each one in turn...

A fourth variant is for faceted search, where the user selects items they wish to find from a list of available categories. Consider such cases as restaurants within the current view on a map. Results are much like the 3-XXXX version, with each one highlighted, and a function to see all results or each one in turn.

Interaction Details

For scroll & select, starts in focus. Typing will be entered here... therefore, no accesskeys on this page -- can split focus, so first item is in focus for OK selections, and is visually so when first loaded, but typing will be entered into the form field

Presentation Details

bring to top when in lists... or just show only relevant search results in a list

for the many-results styles, highlight the results on the page...

Antipatterns

Do not use explicit when the domain is all loaded, such as for a web page...

Be careful with what an OK/Enter action performs on AUTO... if user is not looking at screen, they might assume explicit, and press enter without thinking, do not commit to first result and confuse them...

Examples