SharePoint 2010 search has few neat features, some are old some are new in this version. One of the cool features is ability to connect to SharePoint search through windows search and initiate sharepoint queries just like you were on the site, this time right from your windows taskbar search box.
Here is how you set it up:
Navigate to your SharePoint 2010 search results page and you will see familiar interface for RSS and search alert and right next to it ability to create a search connector:
Once you click on it – you will be prompted to link your desktop search to a SharePoint search:
from here you add the connector which in its basic form is an XML file with definition on how to connect to the data source (discussed in my next article) and that`s it – you will notice in your windows explorer view the new location has been added to represent your portal:
All of the results come up as regular webpage files and they are directly linked to the URL of the item .. in this case a list item of the post I created:
Here is a cool video from Channel 9 on how to extend search using connector framework.
Enjoy!
