The Search Bar User Interface

The Search bar enables users to launch searches and view the results. When the user clicks the Search button, the search bar appears to the left of the browser in an area called the Explorer bar.

You can use the Search bar functionality to store detailed information such as text abstracts, URLs, or file size in the ToolTips that appear when the mouse pointer hovers over a result. This helps keep the results page simple and provides the user with detailed information when needed.

The Search bar is an integral part of Internet Explorer. Here are some guidelines you can follow when designing your own Search bar to ensure that it works well within the Explorer bar.

• Result pages should always provide the ability to launch another search, with buttons for modifying and running the search in the top 20 percent of the content area.
• Pages should fit within the 200-pixel width of the Search bar. If you use tables or other HTML layout elements, make sure they fit within the available width. Otherwise, you force the appearance of horizontal scroll bars, which take space away from your content and force the user to do more work. If you want to include more abstract or other information without consuming extra space, you can use ToolTips.
• You can use Dynamic HTML, ActiveX technology, Java, and cascading style sheets to achieve dynamic effects and implement multimedia. Just remember that the space for the Search bar is limited.
• The default size for the Search bar is 200 pixels wide and the full vertical size of the browser window, which is 430 pixels. This area may include advertisements or branding, as well as search information, depending on your requirements. The user is able to resize this area.
• Because the Search bar is a tight space, you should prioritize your user interface. The basic rule of thumb is to provide the user with the best information without a lot of visual clutter or confusion. From the top of the page to the bottom, your interface should typically follow this order:
  • Your branding
  • Search query fields to refine
  • Search results
  • Ads or other services

  It is recommended that you place ads toward the bottom of the page, so users won't have to scroll beyond them to see their search results.

• If your page requires the user to scroll, make sure that a significant number of actual results (not category results) are immediately visible.
• The links for the Search results, or "hits," typically are displayed in the Search bar. When a user clicks of of these links, the Web page should appear in the main browser area. Avoid opening Web pages in the Search bar, because it does not contain Back and Forward buttons.