Search Window

The search window is CodeExpander’s universal launcher. One global shortcut opens a floating window where you can search snippets, run plugin commands, launch apps, or chat with AI — without ever touching the mouse.

How to Open

Press your configured global shortcut (default varies by platform; set in Settings → Shortcuts). The window appears centered on screen, ready for input.

Three Modes

Switch between modes with the tab bar at the top:

Search Mode

Search Snippets

Type any keyword to search across:

• Snippet names — e.g. sig, report
• Abbreviations — e.g. ai-gen
• Content — full-text search inside snippet bodies
• Pinyin — Chinese users can type pinyin to match Chinese-named snippets

Press Enter on a result to expand it instantly, or click to jump to the editor.

Run Plugin Commands

Plugins can define command triggers. When your input matches a plugin command, it appears in the list alongside snippets. Press Enter to run it directly.

Example: A “Timestamp converter” plugin may define a ts command — type ts 1714392000 and the plugin converts it to a readable date.

Launch Apps

Type the name of any installed application to launch it. Supports fuzzy matching and pinyin.

Example: Type chrome or guge (pinyin for 谷歌) to launch Google Chrome.

Search Filters

Click the filter icon for advanced options:

Empty State — Quick Access

When the search box is empty, the window shows:

• Common — Your most frequently used plugins (auto-learned)
• Pinned — Plugins you’ve manually pinned for instant access

Right-click a plugin to pin, hide, or uninstall.

AI Mode

Chat with the built-in AI assistant for:

• Code explanation and review
• Auto-generating comments
• Unit test generation
• General programming Q&A

The AI has access to your current context (e.g. selected files dragged into the search window) when relevant.

Plugin Mode

Browse all installed plugins as a grid. Click to open, or use the search box to filter by name or category.

From here you can:

• Install new plugins from npm (requires Node.js + npm)
• Import plugins from a local directory
• Uninstall unused plugins
• Open plugin details and settings

See Plugin Hub for full details.

Pro Tips

• Drag files into the search window to pass them to file-aware plugins
• Arrow keys navigate the list; Enter executes; Esc closes
• Pin frequently used plugins so they’re always one shortcut away
• Use regex for power searches like ^api.*test

Typical Workflows

Developer Daily

1. Press shortcut → search window opens
2. Type try-py → Enter → boilerplate expands in your editor
3. Press shortcut again → type ts + timestamp → plugin converts it
4. Drag a log file into search → file-aware plugin parses it

Remote Team Coordination

1. Press shortcut → AI mode
2. Paste error message → AI explains and suggests fix
3. Switch to search → find deploy snippet → expand in terminal

Power User Launcher

1. Pin your top 5 plugins (e.g. timestamp, JSON formatter, color picker)
2. Empty search shows them instantly
3. One Enter away from any tool you need