Search View widget is used to provide a search interface to user so that the user can enter his search query and submit a request to search provider and get a list of query suggestions or results.

Class Syntax:

public class SearchView
extends LinearLayout
implements CollapsibleActionView

Class Hierarchy:

java.lang.Object
  ↳  android.view.View
    ↳  android.view.ViewGroup
      ↳  android.widget.LinearLayout
        ↳  android.widget.SearchView

Example to demonstrate SearchView:
In this article you will create a basic search application with search view and list view. User will type search query in search view which is present in action bar. Here are explained steps:

• Step 1: activity_main.xml
  
  
  
  

  It consist of Relative Layout with ListView in it from which data is to be search. Here is complete code for activity_main.xml:
  

  activity_main.xml

  
  

  
  
  

  <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> <!--Relative Layout-->    <RelativeLayout      xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"     xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"     android:layout_width="match_parent"     android:layout_height="match_parent"     android:id="@+id/relativelayout">        <!--List View from which data is to be searched-->     <ListView         android:id="@+id/listView"         android:layout_width="match_parent"         android:layout_height="fill_parent"         />    </RelativeLayout>

• Step 2: menu.xml

  Create menu.xml and add search view as menu item to Action Bar with title as “Search” this file. Here is complete code for menu.xml file.

  menu.xml

  
  

  
  
  

  <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>      <menu      xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"       xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">           <!--Search view widget as item in menu-->     <item           android:id="@+id/search_bar"           android:title="Search"          app:actionViewClass="android.widget.SearchView"          app:showAsAction="ifRoom|withText"       />   </menu>

• Step 3:MainActivity.java
  Next step is to set up the code for main activity. In this java file items are added to List View manually and setOnQueryTextListener is attached to Search View. onQueryTextSubmit() method is overriden in which List View get filter according to the search query entered by the user.Here is complete code for MainActivity.java:

  MainActivity.java

  
  

  
  
  

  package com.geeksforgeeks.searchviewwidget;    import android.support.v7.app.AppCompatActivity; import android.view.Menu; import android.view.MenuInflater; import android.view.MenuItem; import android.os.Bundle; import android.widget.ListView; import android.widget.ArrayAdapter; import android.widget.SearchView; import java.util.ArrayList;    public class MainActivity extends AppCompatActivity {        // List View object     ListView listView;        // Define array adapter for ListView     ArrayAdapter<String> adapter;        // Define array List for List View data     ArrayList<String> mylist;        @Override     protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState)     {         super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);         setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);            // initialise ListView with id         listView = findViewById(R.id.listView);            // Add items to Array List         mylist = new ArrayList<>();         mylist.add("C");         mylist.add("C++");         mylist.add("C#");         mylist.add("Java");         mylist.add("Advanced java");         mylist.add("Interview prep with c++");         mylist.add("Interview prep with java");         mylist.add("data structures with c");         mylist.add("data structures with java");            // Set adapter to ListView         adapter             = new ArrayAdapter<String>(                 this,                 android.R.layout.simple_list_item_1,                 mylist);         listView.setAdapter(adapter);     }        @Override     public boolean onCreateOptionsMenu(Menu menu)     {         // Inflate menu with items using MenuInflator         MenuInflater inflater = getMenuInflater();         inflater.inflate(R.menu.menu, menu);            // Initialise menu item search bar         // with id and take its object         MenuItem searchViewItem             = menu.findItem(R.id.search_bar);         SearchView searchView             = MenuItemCompat                   .getActionView(searchViewItem);            // attach setOnQueryTextListener         // to search view defined above         searchView.setOnQueryTextListener(             new SearchView.OnQueryTextListener() {                    // Override onQueryTextSubmit method                 // which is call                 // when submitquery is searched                    @Override                 public boolean onQueryTextSubmit(String query)                 {                     // If the list contains the search query                     // than filter the adapter                     // using the filter method                     // with the query as its argument                     if (list.contains(query)) {                         adapter.getFilter().filter(query);                     }                     else {                         // Search query not found in List View                         Toast                             .makeText(MainActivity.this,                                       "Not found",                                       Toast.LENGTH_LONG)                             .show();                     }                     return false;                 }                    // This method is overridden to filter                 // the adapter according to a search query                 // when the user is typing search                 @Override                 public boolean onQueryTextChange(String newText)                 {                     adapter.getFilter().filter(newText);                     return false;                 }             });            return super.onCreateOptionsMenu(menu);     } }

Output:

• Main Activity with search bar and list
  
• Search results according to search query
  

• Search results
  

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