Now we would like to add a filter to the table. The user should have a text field in which we can enter a first- or lastname. Only the names which applies to this filter should get displayed.

Adding a filter to a view is simple, you use method addFilter() on the viewer, which expects a ViewFilter as argument. Each ViewFilter is checked the input on the viewer is changed of whenever the viewer.refresh();

Create a new Class "de.vogella.jface.tableviewer.filter.PersonFilter.java"

			
package de.vogella.jface.tableviewer.filter;

import org.eclipse.jface.viewers.Viewer;
import org.eclipse.jface.viewers.ViewerFilter;

import de.vogella.jface.tableviewer.model.Person;

public class PersonFilter extends ViewerFilter {

	private String searchString;

	public void setSearchText(String s) {
		// Search must be a substring of the existing value
		this.searchString = ".*" + s + ".*";
	}

	@Override
	public boolean select(Viewer viewer, Object parentElement, Object element) {
		if (searchString == null || searchString.length() == 0) {
			return true;
		}
		Person p = (Person) element;
		if (p.getFirstName().matches(searchString)) {
			return true;
		}
		if (p.getLastName().matches(searchString)) {
			return true;
		}

		return false;
	}
}

		

We will finally implement your search field functionality. Via the setFilter() and addFilter() methods such a filter can be added to a viewer. If more then one filter is defined all filters must be true for the table to display the data. Add to your text field a keyListener which updates the filter and the viewer. You need also to define a new field "private PersonFilter filter;" and change the method createPartControl().

			
	private PersonFilter filter;

	public void createPartControl(Composite parent) {
		GridLayout layout = new GridLayout(2, false);
		parent.setLayout(layout);
		Label searchLabel = new Label(parent, SWT.NONE);
		searchLabel.setText("Search: ");
		searchText = new Text(parent, SWT.BORDER | SWT.SEARCH);
		searchText.setLayoutData(new GridData(GridData.GRAB_HORIZONTAL
				| GridData.HORIZONTAL_ALIGN_FILL));
		searchText.addKeyListener(new KeyAdapter() {
			public void keyReleased(KeyEvent ke) {
				filter.setSearchText(searchText.getText());
				viewer.refresh();
			}

		});

		createViewer(parent);
		comparator = new MyViewerComparator();
		viewer.setComparator(comparator);
		filter = new PersonFilter();
		viewer.addFilter(filter);

	}
	}
		

Run the example, filtering should work.