Search capability implementation for a device

Abstract

In a method of searching for data objects in a computer system, a content-based search of a first database generates a first domain-specific search result stream and a metadata-based search of a second database generates a second domain-specific search result stream. The first and second domain-specific search result streams are aggregated into a primary search result stream, and search results from the primary search result stream are displayed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method, comprising:
 performing a search, in response to a search query, of content using a first database to generate a first domain-specific search result stream;   performing a search, in response to the search query, of metadata using a second database to generate a second domain-specific search result stream, wherein objects represented in the second database have content which is not searched;   aggregating the first domain-specific search result stream and the second domain-specific search result stream to generate a primary search result stream; and   displaying a plurality of search results from the primary search result stream, wherein the plurality of search results includes search results from the first domain-specific search result stream and search results from the second domain-specific search result stream.   
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the first database includes an index of searchable content, and wherein performing the search of the content comprises searching the index of searchable content. 
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 2 , wherein the index is an inverted index. 
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 2 , further comprising, in response to receiving an indication that a search has been initiated, updating the index if the index is outdated. 
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising, in response to receiving an indication that a search has been initiated, creating an index of searchable content if the index does not exist. 
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising, in response to receiving a selection of a search result, opening in a display application an object referenced by the selected search result. 
     
     
         7 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 6 , wherein opening the object further comprises passing to the display application an identifier referencing the object. 
     
     
         8 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 7 , wherein the identifier is a row identifier of the database corresponding to the selected search result. 
     
     
         9 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 7 , wherein the identifier is a uniform resource locator (URL). 
     
     
         10 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 7 , wherein the identifier is not configured to be unique among identifiers for other domains. 
     
     
         11 . A computer-readable storage medium, providing instructions executable by a computer to configure the computer to perform a method comprising:
 performing a search, in response to a search query, of content using a first database to generate a first domain-specific search result stream;   performing a search, in response to the search query, of metadata using a second database tot a second domain-specific search result stream, wherein objects represented in the second database have content which is not searched;   aggregating the first domain-specific search result stream and the second domain-specific search result stream to generate a primary search result stream; and   displaying a plurality of search results from the primary search result stream, wherein the plurality of search results includes search results from the first domain-specific search result stream and the second domain-specific search result stream.   
     
     
         12 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 11 , wherein the first database includes an index of searchable content, and wherein performing the search of the content comprises searching the index of searchable content. 
     
     
         13 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 12 , wherein the index is an inverted index. 
     
     
         14 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 12 , further providing instructions executable by the computer to configure the computer to, in response to receiving an indication that a search has been initiated, update the index if the index is outdated. 
     
     
         15 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 11 , further providing instructions executable by the computer to configure the computer to, in response to receiving an indication that a search has been initiated, create an index of searchable content if the index does not exist. 
     
     
         16 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 11 , further providing instructions executable by the computer to configure the computer to, in response to receiving a selection of a search result, open an object referenced by the selected search result in a display application. 
     
     
         17 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein opening the object further comprises passing to the display application an identifier referencing the object, wherein the identifier is unique among a plurality of identifiers identifying objects within a domain associated with the search result. 
     
     
         18 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 17 , wherein the identifier is a row identifier of the database corresponding to the selected search result. 
     
     
         19 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 17 , wherein the identifier is a uniform resource locator (URL). 
     
     
         20 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 17 , wherein the identifier is not configured to be unique among identifiers for other domains. 
     
     
         21 . An apparatus, comprising:
 means for generating a first domain-specific search result stream based on a search of content, in response to a search query, of objects in a first domain;   means for generating a second domain-specific search result stream based on a search of metadata, in response to the search query, of objects in a second domain;   means for generating a primary search result stream including the first domain-specific search result stream and the second domain-specific search result stream; and   means for displaying a plurality of search results from the primary search result stream, wherein the plurality of search results from the primary search result stream includes search results from the first domain-specific search result stream and the second domain-specific search result stream.   
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , further comprising means for identifying an object to a display application, wherein the object is referenced by one of the plurality of search results. 
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , further comprising means for updating an index in response to receiving an indication that a search has been initiated. 
     
     
         24 . An apparatus, comprising:
 means for generating a first domain-specific search result stream based on a search of a first database associated with a first domain of objects;   means for generating a primary search result stream from a plurality of domain-specific search result streams including the first domain-specific search result stream;   means for displaying a search result from the primary search result stream; and   means for uniquely identifying to a displaying application an object referenced by the search result, wherein the object is one of a plurality of objects within a domain of the search result.   
     
     
         25 . The apparatus of  claim 24 , further comprising means for updating an index of searchable content if the index is outdated, wherein the updating is performed in response to receiving an indication that a search has been initiated. 
     
     
         26 . The apparatus of  claim 24 , further comprising means for generating a second domain-specific search result stream based on a search of metadata of objects in a second domain, wherein the plurality of domain-specific search result streams further includes the second domain-specific search result stream, and wherein the first domain-specific search result stream is based on a search of content of objects in the first domain.