Search Providers are my favourite features in NWBC. Basically the use the input typed in the Quick launch bar (the NWBC version of Googles Omnibar), here is what the docu says, and here is what it looks like
When something is entered in the quick launch bar the search providers are called, here is some docu about the maintenance of the search providers in the NWBC.
They are defined here:
Any my current list look like this:
Bascially there are different types of search provider that can be distinguished:
1. Build in searches like the Search in Favorites and recent items and the work area. They are pretty nice and except for the descktop search I have them active.
2. Additional Search Providers following the Open Search standard which provide both a suggestion list(dropdown when typing) and a result screen, this can look like this:
The example is from an prototype TM search, when pasting the number to the quicklaunch bar the TRQ and TOR documents are shown, both to open them or to copy them. This is not yet available in standard, but I will share some information on how to implement such a search in a follow up posting.
3.Additional external search providers. Basically you enter an URL and replace the part in the URL where the actual search terms belongs to with {0}. E.g. I use this to directly open OSS notes from NWBC.
http://service.sap.com/~form/handler?_APP=01100107900000000342&_EVENT=REDIR&_NNUM={0}
After entering the code you see something like this:
When choosing "Note Display" a new window is opened with the note in it.