Google Custom Search Engine allows you to set up search engines with a narrow focus on specialized topics. It features powerful search options and match patterns that let you specify precisely what should and should not end up in the search results.

I set up a custom search engine covering web sites, blogs and mailing list archives related to Mac OS X software development and gave it the following short, easy to remember link:

http://bit.ly/macdev

Try it out right here with something Mac OS X related, for example “IKImageBrowserView”:

The search engine has “Refinements” to focus on results of a particular type, such as reference documentation, mailing list postings etc.:

Usage

Bookmarklet

For frequent use, here is a bookmarklet:

Mac Dev Search

Drag it to your browser’s bookmarks bar:

Then select some text on a web page and click the bookmarklet button you created to search for the text in the Mac development search engine.

LaunchBar/Quicksilver etc.

If you use an application launcher such as LaunchBar or QuickSilver, you can define a search template. In LaunchBar I use this search template with a name/abbreviation of “macdev”:

http://www.google.com/cse?cx=003121735520996018220%3A_bu0g4hqtke&ie=UTF-8&sa=Search&q=*

Embed

You can embed the search box into your own pages. Here’s Google’s code do do that:

<form action="http://www.google.com/cse" id="cse-search-box">
  <div>
    <input type="hidden" name="cx" value="003121735520996018220:_bu0g4hqtke" />
    <input type="hidden" name="ie" value="UTF-8" />
    <input type="text" name="q" size="31" />
    <input type="submit" name="sa" value="Search" />
  </div>
</form>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.google.com/coop/cse/brand?form=cse-search-box&lang=en">

Coverage

The configuration of the sites it covers currently looks like this:

Let me know if you know additional useful sites that the custom search should cover.