This is a so called QgsLocator filter for the Nominatim/OpenStreetMap search service, implemented as a QGIS plugin.
NOTE that the core functionality of this plugin is now also in the core of QGIS using the > prefix. So to use the core QGIS Nominatim Locator you type "> artis" to search for 'artis'.
Read about writing a Locator here:
http://www.qgis.nl/2018/05/16/english-coding-a-qgslocator-plugin/
This Locator Filter searches for names in the Nominatim service:
see https://operations.osmfoundation.org/policies/nominatim/
You can install this 'Locator Filter' as a plugin by searching for it in the QGIS plugin manager in your QGIS desktop, search for 'Nominatim':
http://plugins.qgis.org/plugins/nominatim_locator_filter/
Some more docs and api's:
http://api.qgis.org/api/master/html/classQgisInterface.html
http://python.qgis.org/api/core/Locator/QgsLocator.html
http://python.qgis.org/api/core/Locator/QgsLocatorFilter.html
- Show icons with the search results to visualize the geometry types. This simplifies the selection of the search result.
- Show result in map canvas using QgsRubberBand.
- Support Global and local search. Use & for local search (i.e. "osm &Vienna ").
Global search:
Local search (restricts results to map canvas extents):