Which is better for search

Hi Guys,

I have this problem on which search process for reports and which one would be better.

Search Process 1:

Typing the word in the search input/field and then automatically search the matched reports for it and display it.
(this one is more efficient I think?)

Search Process 2:
Typing the word in the search input and then clicking a magnifier button beside it or pressing enter before doing a search that matched for the reports and display it.
(this is kinda similar how google does)

Is there any pros and cons for both of the two search functions?

Thank you very much for the help.

Hey,

Thinking about the two different patterns, they are both used in different systems. So the first is done by google if you are not in their beginning screen with just the search bar, but with the search bar at the top of the page. Here you can type and it will automatically start displaying. The second is used all over the place for instance searching on stores.

There are pros and cons to both. I think it should really come down to your users, what their workflow would be around using the search. I would also suggest testing the two different versions, as what may best for some may not work as well for your users.

I think that search #1 would be good if a person is wanting to work quickly, and also does not necessarily know what they are looking for, because it would give them a quick view.
There might also be some technical things behind each that you may need to take into account.

From a more tech side of it… Option 1 means you have to begin searching on every key stroke (else it wont know when your done). Google has a lot of money, and a lot of server power. You should do a test on your system to make sure it can handle the load. Option 1 is a lot more taxing on a server and the sql database.

I’ll echo what Noquarter has said—I’d recommend keeping it simple until you have a good reason to do otherwise. Displaying search results as the user types is more technically complicated (and it can be difficult to get the speed of displaying results right) so until you know that it’s worth doing, and know how you’re going to implement it, just go with a standard text field/submit button. You can always add that functionality down the track!