Introduction
In this article I describe how to create a Windows Store App for searching the Home Group Location using JavaScript. Home Group is a known location and can be searched like any other folder hierarchy. Type a query to search what is shared with the home group. The users and PCs in the home group won't be returned for a search query. Example Queries: "song", "report" or "kind: picture" or "size:>1MB".
I assume you can create a simple Windows Store App using JavaScript. For more help visit Simple Windows Store Apps using JavaScript.
To start the creation of the app, add two JavaScript pages by right-clicking on the js folder in the Solution Explorer and select Add > new item > JavaScript Page and then give an appropriate name. In the same way, add one HTML page to your project.
![Homegroup-windows-store-app.jpg]()
Write the following code in default.html:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="utf-8" />
<title>App</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="//Microsoft.WinJS.1.0/css/ui-light.css" />
<script src="//Microsoft.WinJS.1.0/js/base.js"></script>
<script src="//Microsoft.WinJS.1.0/js/ui.js"></script>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/css/default.css" />
<script src="/js/script1.js"></script>
<script src="/js/default.js"></script>
</head>
<body role="application" style="background-color: lightslategray">
<center><div id="rootGrid">
<div id="content">
<h1 id="featureLabel"></h1>
<div id="contentHost"></div>
</div>
</div></center>
</body>
</html>
Write the following code in default.js:
(function () {
"use strict";
var appTitle = "";
var pages = [
{ url: "page.html", title: "Advanced search" }
];
function activated(eventObject) {
if (eventObject.detail.kind === Windows.ApplicationModel.Activation.ActivationKind.launch) {
eventObject.setPromise(WinJS.UI.processAll().then(function () {
var url = WinJS.Application.sessionState.lastUrl || pages[0].url;
return WinJS.Navigation.navigate(url);
}));
}
}
WinJS.Navigation.addEventListener("navigated", function (eventObject) {
var url = eventObject.detail.location;
var host = document.getElementById("contentHost");
host.winControl && host.winControl.unload && host.winControl.unload();
WinJS.Utilities.empty(host);
eventObject.detail.setPromise(WinJS.UI.Pages.render(url, host, eventObject.detail.state).then(function () {
WinJS.Application.sessionState.lastUrl = url;
}));
});
function ensureUnsnapped() {
var currentState = Windows.UI.ViewManagement.ApplicationView.value;
var unsnapped = ((currentState !== Windows.UI.ViewManagement.ApplicationViewState.snapped) || Windows.UI.ViewManagement.ApplicationView.tryUnsnap());
if (!unsnapped) {
WinJS.log && WinJS.log("Cannot unsnap the app application.", "app", "status");
}
return unsnapped;
}
WinJS.Namespace.define("App", {
appTitle: appTitle,
pages: pages,
ensureUnsnapped: ensureUnsnapped
});
WinJS.Application.addEventListener("activated", activated, false);
WinJS.Application.start();
})();
Write the following code in page.html:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<title></title>
<script src="/js/script.js"></script>
</head>
<body>
<div data-win-control="App.pageInput">
<b>Query: </b>
<input type="text" id="queryString" />
<button class="action" id="searchHomegroup">
Search HomeGroup
</button>
<br />
<br />
</div>
<div data-win-control="App.pageOutput">
<label id="searchProgress" class="progressRingText">
<progress class="win-ring withText"></progress>Searching
</label>
</div>
</body>
</html>
Write the following code in script.js:
(function () {
"use strict";
var page = WinJS.UI.Pages.define("page.html", {
ready: function (element, options) {
document.getElementById("searchHomegroup").addEventListener("click", searchHomegroup, false);
document.getElementById("searchProgress").style.visibility = "hidden";
}
});
function searchHomegroup() {
WinJS.log && WinJS.log("", "app", "status");
document.getElementById("searchProgress").style.visibility = "visible";
var query = document.getElementById("queryString").value;
var options = new Windows.Storage.Search.QueryOptions(Windows.Storage.Search.CommonFileQuery.orderBySearchRank, ["*"]);
options.userSearchFilter = query;
var outputString = "";
try {
var queryResult = Windows.Storage.KnownFolders.homeGroup.createFileQueryWithOptions(options);
queryResult.getFilesAsync().done(function (files) {
if (files.size === 0) {
WinJS.log && WinJS.log("No files found for \"" + query + "\"", "app", "status");
document.getElementById("searchProgress").style.visibility = "hidden";
}
else {
outputString = (files.size === 1) ? (files.size + " file found\n") : (files.size + " files found\n");
files.forEach(function (file) {
outputString = outputString.concat(file.name, "\n");
});
WinJS.log && WinJS.log(outputString, "app", "status");
document.getElementById("searchProgress").style.visibility = "hidden";
}
});
}
catch (e) {
document.getElementById("searchProgress").style.visibility = "hidden";
WinJS.log && WinJS.log(e.message, "app", "error");
}
}
})();
Write the following code in script1.js:
(function () {
var pageOutput = WinJS.Class.define(
function (element, options) {
element.winControl = this;
this.element = element;
new WinJS.Utilities.QueryCollection(element)
.setAttribute("role", "region")
.setAttribute("aria-labelledby", "outputLabel")
.setAttribute("aria-live", "assertive");
element.id = "output";
this._addOutputLabel(element);
this._addStatusOutput(element);
}, {
_addOutputLabel: function (element) {
var label = document.createElement("h2");
label.id = "outputLabel";
label.textContent = "Output";
element.parentNode.insertBefore(label, element);
},
_addStatusOutput: function (element) {
var statusDiv = document.createElement("div");
statusDiv.id = "statusMessage";
element.insertBefore(statusDiv, element.childNodes[0]);
}
}
);
var currentpageUrl = null;
WinJS.Navigation.addEventListener("navigating", function (evt) {
currentpageUrl = evt.detail.location;
});
WinJS.log = function (message, tag, type) {
var statusDiv = document.getElementById("statusMessage");
};
function activated(e) {
WinJS.Utilities.query("#featureLabel")[0].textContent = App.appTitle;
}
WinJS.Application.addEventListener("activated", activated, false);
WinJS.Namespace.define("App", {
pageOutput: pageOutput
});
})();
Output:
![Homegroup-windows-store-apps.jpg]()
Summary
In this app I described how to search the Home Group Location in a Windows Store App using JavaScript. I hope this article has helped you to understand this topic. Please share if you know more about this. Your feedback and constructive contributions are welcome.