Automatic Search Box

cotton31 · 17 May 2010 at 15:28

Hi,

I am writing a web app and have an input field where a user can enter a search term. This term is used to query an MSSQL database. Possible results are then displayed below the search box.

I want these results to start displaying as soon as the user starts typing the search term, rather than having to click a dedicated search button.

How would I go about implementing this? What are the general performance issues I should look out for?

Can anyone point me in the right direction? The app is being written in ASP.NET.

Thanks,

sist_si · 17 May 2010 at 15:48

AJAX!!!
You can use ASP.NET's AJAX functionality or I use the prototype.js or JQuery Javascript framework. You press a key, it calls a JS function which calls a page using AJAX which returns your results which you drop in a waiting container like a DIV.

gord · 17 May 2010 at 16:51

http://plugins.jquery.com/project/jsonsuggest

Doesnt look too bad, googled for jquery search suggest.

cotton31 · 17 May 2010 at 18:35

Thanks both - I've heard of AJAX before but never really had a go at implementing it. I'll look in to it.

Cheers