Search in Style withWox

YOU’LL NEED THIS

WOX Find out more at www.wox.one, then

follow a link to download the app.

LOVERS OF A CERTAIN FRUITY BRAND of computers often cite the built-in “Spotlight” feature as one of their favorites. The deceptively simple search bar enables them to navigate every file, folder, and program on their system. The free and open-source utility Wox is an answer to the prayers of Windows users everywhere. On first launch, Wox displays its handy search bar, which you can use to display locations and applications effortlessly. You can also expand Wox’s features via downloadable plugins, which include Google searches, translation, and a powerful calculator, to name just a few.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to hit the ground running with Wox. The easy setup process means you’ll be running your first search within minutes. You’ll then discover how to list Google search results and other features. Wox is configured to support programmable “hotkeys.” This enables you to launch your favorite files, websites, and programs with a few quick key presses.

The only real criticism of Wox is that the default settings are quite intrusive, because it appears right in the center of your screen. Luckily, the built-in settings support hiding Wox while not in use, as well as moving the search bar to a more discreet location. 1 INSTALL WOX Open your browser of choice and go to www.wox.one. Although you can’t download Wox directly from the main site, you can take some time to explore its features before installing. When you’re ready, click “Download” to be redirected to the Wox project GitHub page. Scroll down and find the EXE file—“Wox -1.3.578,” for instance. Choose to run the installer. Once the install is complete, Wox automatically creates a desktop shortcut, and the search bar appears in the center of your screen. 2 SEARCH FOR FILES AND PROGRAMS By default, the Wox search bar readily indexes and displays any files, folders, and programs stored on your system. To get started, in the search bar, enter the name of a file or folder you’ve previously created—for instance, “Fluffy Kitten”—and Wox reveals the file. Press Enter to automatically open the target file. This also works for applications: Simply type the name of your chosen program, such as “Paint,” and press the Return key. If your search displays multiple results [ Image A], you can navigate these using the arrow keys. Use Enter or click once to launch. 3 ENABLE WEB SEARCHES Wox supports a number of plugins, which you can use to add extra features. The Web Searches plugin displays Google results for any terms you enter into the Wox search bar. To get started, open Wox, and type the following:

wpm install Web Searches . Wox asks you to confirm you want to activate this plugin. Click “Yes” to continue. Next, close and re-open Wox. (You can do this either via the desktop shortcut or by holding Alt-Space). From now on, each time you enter a search term, Wox lists the top Google search results.

>> The Web Searches plugin also supports “Action Keywords.” These enable you to enter just a few letters—for example, “CNN” might take you to http:// edition.cnn.com. To get started, right-click the Wox icon in the system tray at the bottom of your screen. Choose “Settings.” Once the Settings window launches, click the “Plugins” tab. Scroll down to “Web Searches” on the left-hand side. Click to highlight this, then select the “Add” button on the bottom-right. Enter a name for your URL shortcut, such as “CNN.” Under “URL,” enter the target web address, then enter your chosen keyword under “Action Keyword.” Click “Add” again to save your settings. Links open in your system’s default browser. 4 ENABLE SYSTEM COMMANDS Although Wox can run commands in the same way as CMD.EXE, this is usually overkill for most users. Fortunately, Wox has a built-in plugin called System Commands that is suitable for most applications. To get started, open the Wox search bar, and type:

wpm install System Commands . Wox again asks you if you are sure you want to install this plugin. Click “Yes.” Close and relaunch Wox, then head to the “Plugins” tab as outlined in the previous step. Click to highlight

“System Commands” on the left-hand side of the window. This displays the various commands you can run. The commands are very straightforward, such as “Shutdown” and “Sleep.” The “Restart Wox” command may come in handy if you want to install more plugins. 5 ENABLE ADDITIONAL PLUGINS If you followed the instructions in the previous step, you may have seen that there’s a number of additional plugins listed besides Web Searches. Click the “Browse more Plugins” button from the “Plugins” tab to view the database from the Wox website. Each plugin page displays the code you need to enter in the Wox search bar to install the relevant plugin—for example,

wpm install Python Calculator . Wox then asks you to confirm the install. Click “Yes” to proceed. Wox needs to restart to activate the plugin.

>> If you install the Calculator plugin [ Image B], you can carry out calculations in the navigation bar itself. The Shell plugin allows you to type “Shell” commands in the search bar, and you can even replace Win-R. If none of the plugins are to your liking, you can code your own. Wox supports C#, Python, Node.js, and Golang, among others. 6 TWEAK WOX SETTINGS You can access the Wox settings either by the system tray as outlined above, or by typing “Settings” into the Wox search bar. Under the ‘“General” tab, you can toggle some of Wox’s default options, such as “Start Wox on system startup” and “Auto Update” [ Image C]. The Wox search bar superimposes itself over other windows upon launch, so you may want to enable “Hide Wox on startup.” Alternatively, click “Hide Wox when focus is lost” to automatically dismiss the Wox search bar if you start doing something else, such as entering text on a webpage. If you want to move the Wox search bar permanently to a less prominent location, such as the top-left of your screen, choose “Remember last launch location” to store the bar’s position between launches. 7 THEMES By default, Wox uses a rather drab “Dark” theme. You can change this from the “Themes” tab [ Image D]. There are seven pre-installed alternate themes. You can also choose to “Browse for more themes” on the Wox default. If you see a theme you like, click “Download,” then “Save.” Restart Wox and open the “Settings” menu. You can now select your new theme from the “Themes” tab. You can also change the font type and style of not only your Wox search query, but also the search results. The “Query” box and search result font automatically use Microsoft Sans Serif with regular typeface. You can change either of these at any time. The font for both has to be same, but you can set a different typeface if you wish.