How to Create a Search Web Part in SharePoint 2010 Using Visual Studio

Hello Everyone.

SharePoint 2010 has existed for a long time but there is still no end to the knowledge pertaining to it. So yes we will see how to create a Search Web Part in SharePoint 2010 using Visual Studio.

This is always a requirement in all our projects since users always want a certain search level with a single list rather than the entire site and it should filter respect to their fields. So for these requirements here is a Search Web part that can be easily modified depending on the user's demand.

Let's go for it.

Open your site and go to your list, like for me I have an Employee list with the following details as in the screenshot.

Now Open Visual Studio.
Create a new project.
Select Visual Web Part from the 2010 templates.
Connect your site with the webpart.
Once you click Ok you will see your project created as in the image below:
Click on VisualWebpart1UserControl.ascx.
Drag and drop the following label and text box as in the following screen:
Build it.
Now go to VisualWebPart1.cs.
In your solution add the following reference.
1. Microsoft.SharePoint
2. Microsoft.SharePoint.Client
Add the references as in the following to your cs page.
1. using System;
2. using System.Web.UI;
3. using System.Web.UI.WebControls;
4. using System.Web.UI.WebControls.WebParts;
5. using System.Data;
6. using Microsoft.SharePoint;
7. using Microsoft.SharePoint.Client;
Now on the Search Button click paste the following code and I will explain what it is doing.
1. protected void searchbtn_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
2. {
3. //Initaily here I am clearing the grid view, if you don’t do it, results will keep on coming
4. GridView1.Columns.Clear();
6. // Calling My Web
7. SPWeb myweb = SPContext.Current.Web;
8. SPQuery qry = new SPQuery();
10. //Creating my Query as How we require for me I have two columns for data.
11. qry.Query = "<Where><Or><Eq><FieldRef Name='Name' /><Value Type='Text'>"+TextBox1.Text+"</Value></Eq> <Eq> <FieldRef Name='Company' /><Value Type='Text'>"+ TextBox2.Text+"</Value></Eq></Or></Where>";
12. SPList lst = myweb.Lists["Employee"];
13. SPListItemCollection lstcol = lst.GetItems(qry);
15. //Bind it to the Data Table
16. DataTable dt = new DataTable();
17. dt.Columns.Add("Name", typeof(string));
18. dt.Columns.Add("Company", typeof(string));
20. // Check whether it does not have null values
21. if (lstcol.Count > 0)
22. {
23. foreach (SPListItem item in lstcol)
24. {
25. DataRow dr = dt.NewRow();
26. dr["Name"] = item["Name"] != null ? item["Name"].ToString() : ""; ;
27. dr["Company"]= item["Company"] != null? item["Company"].ToString(): " ";
28. dt.Rows.Add(dr);
29. }
30. }
31. else Label3.Text = "There are no items to display.";
32. {
34. //Bind it to the Data View
35. BoundField bf = new BoundField();
36. bf.DataField = "Name";
37. bf.HeaderText = "Name";
38. GridView1.Columns.Add(bf);
39. bf = new BoundField();
40. bf.DataField = "Company";
41. bf.HeaderText = "Company";
42. GridView1.Columns.Add(bf);
44. GridView1.AutoGenerateColumns = false;
45. GridView1.DataSource = dt;
46. GridView1.DataBind();
48. }
49. }
Rebuild the solution.
Deploy.
Open your site and create a Page where you want this web part.
Edit the page.
Click on Add a Web part.
Go to Custom Category, you will find your web part.
Add it.
You will see your web part on the screen.
Type your values and click on Search.
Here it's your result being displayed on a grid view.

Here was your search web part, keep learning.

Cheers.