

Ask HN: How is instant search implemented? - OoTheNigerian

Since Google released instant search, I have been seeing different variations pop up everywhere.I am wondering what is the special ingredient making it happen. Or is there more than one way?
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lfborjas
This just popped into my head, might be terribly wrong, but I would just do
ajax. Like the way you implement autocomplete by listening to keyup events and
returning stuff to fill the list of results. The thing is that this should be
_wicked fast_ to be instant, so some optimizations with load balancing and
cache related things must be going on there as well.

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rbreve
I did a flickr instant image search <http://instantimg.appspot.com/flickr>
basically, using ajax and the flickr api, on keyup I search whats on the input
box and display it

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ithkuil
which kind of variations? ui or content?

