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# NSSearchToolbarItem

A toolbar item that contains a search field optimized for performing text-based searches.

```
class NSSearchToolbarItem
```

## Overview

[`NSSearchToolbarItem`](/documentation/AppKit/NSSearchToolbarItem) automatically resizes to accommodate typing when the focus switches to the toolbar item. When the toolbar is low on space, the system may collapse the search item into a button representation, which then expands to a full search field when the user clicks on it.

## Topics

### Configuring a search item

[`preferredWidthForSearchField`](/documentation/AppKit/NSSearchToolbarItem/preferredWidthForSearchField)

The preferred width for the toolbar item when it has keyboard focus.

[`resignsFirstResponderWithCancel`](/documentation/AppKit/NSSearchToolbarItem/resignsFirstResponderWithCancel)

A Boolean value that enables the cancel button in the search field to resign the first responder in addition to clearing the contents.

[`searchField`](/documentation/AppKit/NSSearchToolbarItem/searchField)

The search field inside the toolbar item.

### Controlling search interactions

[`beginSearchInteraction()`](/documentation/AppKit/NSSearchToolbarItem/beginSearchInteraction())

Starts a search interaction and moves the keyboard focus to the search field.

[`endSearchInteraction()`](/documentation/AppKit/NSSearchToolbarItem/endSearchInteraction())

Ends a search interaction by giving up the first responder and adjusting the size of the search field to the available width for the toolbar item if necessary.


---

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