Skip to main content
Signature
  SearchBoxConnector(
      searcher: Searcher
      viewModel: SearchBoxViewModel
      searchMode: SearchMode
      debouncer: Debouncer
  )
Explore example code

​
About this widget

The SearchBox is used to perform a text-based query. To add a SearchBox to your search experience, use these components:
  • Searcher. The Searcher that handles your searches.
  • SearchBoxViewModel. The business logic that handles new search inputs.
  • SearchBoxView. The view that handles the input.
See also: Getting started with imperative UI

​
Examples

Kotlin
class MyActivity : AppCompatActivity() {
    val searcher = HitsSearcher(
        applicationID = ApplicationID("YourApplicationID"),
        apiKey = APIKey("YourSearchOnlyAPIKey"),
        indexName = IndexName("YourIndexName")
    )
    val searchBox = SearchBoxConnector(searcher)
    val connection = ConnectionHandler(searchBox)

    override fun onCreate(savedInstanceState: Bundle?) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState)
        val searchView = SearchView(this)
        val view: SearchBoxView = SearchBoxViewAppCompat(searchView)
        connection += searchBox.connectView(view)
        searcher.searchAsync()
    }

    override fun onDestroy() {
        super.onDestroy()
        connection.disconnect()
        searcher.cancel()
    }
}

​
Parameters

​
searcher
Searcher
required
The Searcher that handles your searches.
​
viewModel
SearchBoxViewModel
default: SearchBoxViewModel()
The business logic that handles new search inputs.
​
searchMode
SearchMode
default: SearchMode.AsYouType
Defines the event triggering a new search.
  • SearchMode.AsYouType. Triggers a search on each keystroke.
  • SearchMode.OnSubmit. Triggers a search on submitting the query.
​
debouncer
Debouncer
default: Debouncer(debounceLoadingInMillis)
Delays searcher operations by a specified time duration.

​
View

​
searchBoxView
SearchBoxView
required
The view that handles the input.
Kotlin
val searchView = SearchView(this)
val view: SearchBoxView = SearchBoxViewAppCompat(searchView)
searchBox.connectView(view)

​
Compose UI

InstantSearch provides SearchBoxState as a state model, which is an implementation of the SearchBoxView interface. You need to connect SearchBoxState to the SearchBoxConnector or SearchBoxViewModel like any other SearchBoxView implementation, and create a Compose UI view that handles the query input, you can directly use the SearchBoxState as a state model, It provides the query property along with the setText function to streamline the design process of your custom Compose UI view.
Kotlin
class MyActivity : AppCompatActivity() {
    val searcher = HitsSearcher(
        applicationID = ApplicationID("YourApplicationID"),
        apiKey = APIKey("YourSearchOnlyAPIKey"),
        indexName = IndexName("YourIndexName")
    )
    val searchBoxState = SearchBoxState()
    val searchBox = SearchBoxConnector(searcher)
    val connections = ConnectionHandler(searchBox)

    init {
        connections += searchBox.connectView(searchBoxState)
    }

    override fun onCreate(savedInstanceState: Bundle?) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState)
        setContent {
            TextField(
                // set query as text value
                value = searchBoxState.query,
                // update text on value change
                onValueChange = { searchBoxState.setText(it) },
                // set ime action to "search"
                keyboardOptions = KeyboardOptions(imeAction = ImeAction.Search),
                // set text as query submit on search action
                keyboardActions = KeyboardActions(
                    onSearch = { searchBoxState.setText(searchBoxState.query, true)}
                )
            )
        }
        searcher.searchAsync()
    }

    override fun onDestroy() {
        super.onDestroy()
        connections.disconnect()
        searcher.cancel()
    }
}
⌘I