May 1999

IE 5.0's Search Assistant Simplifies Searching

Microsoft's latest browser, Internet Explorer 5.0, is packed with an abundance of new features that allow even Internet novices to surf the Web confidently and productively. At the heart of IE 5.0 is Microsoft's IntelliSense technology--a concept that's been a major part of the Office suite of products for years. Microsoft has brought this IntelliSense technology to the Browser arena to help simplify and automate many of the tasks that you frequently perform while surfing the Internet.

Since there's more information out there than you can shake a stick at, just how do you narrow down your searches so that they take less time and are more productive? We have the answer for you: the Search Assistant. The Search Assistant helps you divide your searches by category to find the type of information you need. That means searches will produce more reliable results faster and with fewer headaches. Sound good? We think so.

In this article, we'll show you how to access the Search Assistant and use it to maximize your searching power. We'll also show you how the Microsoft Search Assistant's IntelliSense technology helps you to narrow your search efforts without leaving or opening another browser window.

What's IntelliSense?

IntelliSense is a tool designed by Microsoft to help you save time by automating routine tasks and simplifying complex tasks. This technology detects network status, fills in Web addresses and forms, helps to organize and search for information, and simplifies basic navigation. IntelliSense makes the Search Assistant possible.

Accessing the Search Assistant

To access the Search Assistant, click the Search button on the main toolbar. When you do, you'll see the Search Assistant appear on the left side of your screen, as shown in Figure A.

Figure A: The Search Assistant appears when you click the Search button on the main toolbar.

Take a look at Figure A. Notice that there are several common categories from which to choose. You can look for

• a Web page
• a person's address
• a company or organization
• previous search information
• a map

Each category has a different number of fields to fill in. When you open the Search Assistant, notice that Search For A Web Page is the default option. This category only has the Search text box option to find a Web page containing certain information that you type into the Search text box. If you click on the Find A Person's Address category, you'll notice you have different text box options for narrowing your search. The new options are displayed at the bottom of the Search Assistant window, as shown in
Figure B.

Figure B: Under the category for finding a person's address, the options for narrowing your search are different.

You can search for either a mail or email address by using a person's last name, first name, or partial address. The other categories are just as easy to use. Simply fill in the corresponding text boxes to help IE narrow your search.

The last two categories are a little different. Instead of finding a specific topic, use these categories to find information from two specific sources. The Find In Encyclopedia option allows you to search for encyclopedia entries that contain information pertaining to the criteria you specify. The same applies to the Newsgroups category option, which allows you to search newsgroups for any information pertaining to your criteria.

Once you've chosen a category, you can narrow your search further by typing additional information in the Search text boxes at the bottom of the category list. The more information you enter in this text box, the more accurate your search results will be.

Customizing the Search Assistant

Some of the text boxes under the different categories let you use several search providers. That way, you can search different providers at one time without having to retype all of your information. Both the Find A Web Page and Find A Person's Address categories have multiple search options within the Search Assistant. If you want to use different providers for the other categories, choose a default search provider for that category. We'll cover that next.

To search using multiple providers, first click the Customize button on the Search Assistant toolbar. (BUTTON2.TIF) It might be worth including the button in parentheses here.shot the figureNow, you'll see the Customize Search Settings Window, as shown in Figure C.

Figure C: Click the Customize button to bring up the Customize Search Settings window.

All of your provider options for searching are listed within this window. Select the providers you'd like to search with by clicking the check box next to the option. To control the order in which the options are searched, highlight the provider name for which you'd like to change the priority; then, click the up and down arrows underneath the providers list box, as shown in Figure C, to position the provider within the list.

The Find A Web Page category has the most options. You can use most of the major search providers in this category. The other category with multiple options is the Find A Person's Address category. You can choose either Bigfoot or InfoSpace as a search provider. The other categories have just one search option.

One of the last choices within the Search Assistant's Customize window is the option to set the priority for the categories, as shown in Figure D. To set the priority of the categories, use the up and down arrows.

Figure D: This is where you set the priority for searching the categories.

Choosing a default provider

You can choose to work with only one search provider for each category. At the bottom of the Search Assistant's Customize window, IE gives you the option to pick one default provider for each category. To do this, click on Choose Default Search Provider. Now, IE returns the Choose A Search Provider window, as shown in Figure E.

Figure E: You can choose one default search provider for each category in this window.

Once you've chosen an alternate default provider within a category, the window with the Search Assistant information will be replaced with text boxes for the default provider. For example, under the Preferred Providers option, we'll click on the AltaVista option. Notice in Figure F how the Search Assistant window is now replaced with information and empty text boxes for the AltaVista search provider. NOTE: This is how you can narrow your search without leaving IE or opening another browser window.

Figure F: The Search Assistant window is replaced by the AltaVista search window.

This feature allows you much more flexibility for searching. It allows you to tailor your search based on search providers. You can always return to IE's Search Assistant by clicking the Search Assistant option at the top of the Choose A Search Provider window. This will return you to the original Search Assistant window, as shown in Figure A.

Conclusion

As the world rapidly advances through the Information Age, there will be more information to search through when surfing the Web. The Search Assistant sharpens and eases your search efforts by helping you narrow your searches, categorize information, and switch search providers quickly and easily without opening another browser window.

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