CoreSpotlight Namespace

Allows applications to add data to the system search index.

Classes

CSCustomAttributeKey	A key that app developers can associate with metadata for an indexable item that can appear in user search results.
CSIndexErrorCodeExtensions	Extension methods for the CoreSpotlight.CSIndexErrorCode enumeration.
CSIndexExtensionRequestHandler	Handler for communication between the application and the index on the device. The app does not need to be running for this communication to occur.
CSLocalizedString	Represents a string-like object that returns a locale-specific version of a string.
CSMailboxKey	Represents keys that identify commonly used mailboxes.
CSPerson	An author or a recipient stored in a CSSearchableItemAttributeSet.
CSSearchableIndex	A search index used by Spotlight.
CSSearchableIndex_CSOptionalBatchingExtension	Extension methods for T:CoreServices.CSSearchableIndex.
CSSearchableIndexDelegate	Delegate object providing members that are called when reindexing the index.
CSSearchableIndexDelegate_Extensions	Extension methods to the ICSSearchableIndexDelegate interface to support all the methods from the CSSearchableIndexDelegate protocol.
CSSearchableItem	A uniquely identifiable, searchable object in a CSSearchableIndex.
CSSearchableItemAttributeSet	Holds the actual content to be indexed for search.
CSSearchQuery	Searches data that the developer has previously indexed with the Core Spotlight API.
CSSearchQueryErrorCodeExtensions	Extension methods for the CoreSpotlight.CSSearchQueryErrorCode enumeration.

Interfaces

ICSSearchableIndexDelegate

Interface representing the required methods (if any) of the protocol CSSearchableIndexDelegate.

Enums

CSFileProtection	Enumerates file protection options in calls to M:CoreSpotlight.CSSearchableIndex.FromName*.
CSIndexErrorCode	Enumerates possible errors associated with using Core Spotlight and searching.
CSSearchQueryErrorCode	Enumerates errors that can occur while running a Core Spotlight query with Start().

Delegates

CSSearchableIndexFetchHandler

Completion handler used in FetchLastClientState(CSSearchableIndex, CSSearchableIndexFetchHandler).

Remarks

Spotlight is the system search technology on iOS and OS X. CoreSpotlight allows developers to add data to the search index. An app about the periodic table, for instance, could index the various elements and bring up the relevant page after a search.

Adding data to Spotlight is done by adding CSSearchableItem objects to the DefaultSearchableIndex:

//Create CSSearchableItems
var dataItems = searchIndexMap.Select (keyValuePair => {
    Guid guid = keyValuePair.Key;
    String data = keyValuePair.Value;
    var attributeSet = new CSSearchableItemAttributeSet (UTType.Text);
    attributeSet.Title = data + " Page";
    attributeSet.ContentDescription = "My app's data relating to " + data;
    attributeSet.TextContent = data;

    var dataItem = new CSSearchableItem (guid.ToString (), "com.xamarin.CoreSpotlight0", attributeSet);
    return dataItem;
});
//Add items to system index
CSSearchableIndex.DefaultSearchableIndex.Index (dataItems.ToArray<CSSearchableItem> (), err => {
    if (err != null) {
        Console.WriteLine (err);
    } else {
        Console.WriteLine ("Indexed items successfully");
    }
});

When the application is launched via a Spotlight search for content, the system calls the ContinueUserActivity method with the ActivityType set to ActionType:

public override bool ContinueUserActivity (UIApplication application, NSUserActivity userActivity, UIApplicationRestorationHandler completionHandler)
{
    if (userActivity.ActivityType == CSSearchableItem.ActionType) {
        var uuid = userActivity.UserInfo.ObjectForKey (CSSearchableItem.ActivityIdentifier);
//... handle Spotlight search for identifier