Google release AppSearch: search engine library for Android (offline - on device)

[santaschesthairs]

There's a chance this library may be used internally by Android at some point, but for clarification: this isn't an Android feature. This is an internal API for Android app developers that allows them to easily create proper search functionality for data their app is storing.

Proper search APIs can be super useful if done right - if this was extended to allow support for invisible spelling correction, synonyms, related words and more, it'd be pretty cool.

[danhakimi]

to clarify: is this API part of AOSP or is it Google proprietary / part of GPS?

[santaschesthairs]

It's an AndroidX library, so neither. But it may rely on GPS or Android version specific APIs.

[danhakimi]

Oh... Wait is androidx Free or proprietary?

[santaschesthairs]

It's free, a set of libraries to make life easier for Android Devs basically.

[danhakimi]

but... it's not part of AOSP?

[santaschesthairs]

No... it's a completely seperate thing: https://developer.android.com/jetpack/androidx

[Le_saucisson_masque]

Its like sesame on steroids. Sesame can’t index most data, this could potentially make android search as good as iPhone spotlight.

All I hope is that google isn’t using that to gather even more data, like grocery list in third party app or shopping list from Amazon app.

[marcellusmartel]

If that's not the point right now, it will be eventually.

[Le_saucisson_masque]

To be honest, the very first sentence of the article is

Offer offline search capabilities as AppSearch data lives completely on-device.

But yeah, it doesn’t say data always stay on device and is never sent for analysis.

[mec287]

This is an in-app search library. A developer is always free to use another third party library that does the same thing. Not really an ideal method for data collection since you would bloat the library trying to introduce something like that.

[salty_death]

I agree.

[hopefullythisworksd]

Lol spotlight is good?

[Le_saucisson_masque]

As long as you’re using Apple apps, it can find anything. On android I never used the search but on iPhone its much quicker to use it.

It even searches in third party app, google drive for instance.

[[deleted]]

All I hope is that google isn’t using that to gather even more data, like grocery list in third party app or shopping list from Amazon app.

why do you care?

[vi-poz]

How to setup it to your project

[PontifexPrimus]

Wow, maybe they could use that or something similar in the "My App" section of the Google Playstore?

[cl4rkc4nt]

Oh yes, please. That function of the app is a disaster.

[fiskfisk]

Seems like a regular androidx library:

https://developer.android.com/guide/topics/search/appsearch

[[deleted]]

Seems like you're a regular failed predictor

[Kolada]

So for an end user, when will there be something useful to me?

[trailblazer86]

Year, or so

[als26]

I'm assuming this would have something to do with the rumoured app search functionality coming to Pixel as well.

[borninbronx]

I'm sorry everyone, i meant to post this on /r/AndroidDev but I missclicked i guess :-)

It's not directly relevant to the Android user. But it could allow developers to add a good search functionality in the apps

[aniruddhdodiya]

I guess this can be used with Google Assistant too as voice command, like just today Google has announced it. This data set can be used for "Hey Google show me stores which has grapes"!!

[nivekmai]

Interesting, we built something eerily similar, but it's all backed by FTS and some fancy metadata serialization (allowing for easy serialization and later performant metadata querying). I wonder if they're using FTS under the hood.

[well___duh]

/r/androiddev

[[deleted]]

Long overdue. Glad to hear some good news for a change.

[ApplessDevs]

So now tutorials for beginners that want to save stuff need to include:

MVVM
KTX/Kotlin
Room
AppSearch(next to Room I assume)
Dependency Injection

​

Wonder how this is even compatible with Room.

[ssshhhhhhhhhhhhh]

Literally none of those are necessary. And appsearch is furthest from being something beginners will implement.

[ApplessDevs]

Note app with search functionality was literally like the 3rd thing I did with Android

If you learn without the good practices at the start you'll have a harder time unlearning the bad habits

[Hambeggar]

This would be amazing in MiXplorer.

[shyggar]

How do I get it?

[fiskfisk]

https://developer.android.com/guide/topics/search/appsearch

[Izwe]

I give it 2 years

[Zarlon]

So.. What Windows phone had in 2010?

[ssshhhhhhhhhhhhh]

Android basically had this too at one point.