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This is a wish I first had to the Lancelot start menu. But I realize that this is a more general issue. So I post it here for comments and additional input...

Several parts of the desktop offer a 'search' function in some way or other:
- Lancelot: search field at the top to search for entries in the menu
- Launchers / Runners: item search is their business
- ...

Such a search is a great function, I use it a lot. Typically 'cause I cannot remember the position of something in my menu. Something I don't use very often.
Sure there are alternatives. But I hate icons and shortcuts on my desktop and I dont want to clutter my start bar with hundreds of icons. Needless to say that this does not solve the problem: too many icons prevent you from finding something fast...
So I use the search and I am happy to find it. I can click a result and the desired application is launched. Great. (for this time). Because next time I have exactly the same issue again. The result visualization does not offer any hint about the actual position of a match in for example the menu. So there is no way for me to remember !
Using a system is also about getting to know it better, optimizing the daily use bit by bit. Only by learning you will get better and more fluent. So I would prefer a search that would not only offer me some result (which is great), but also shows me where it has found those results.
A good example for this are the system settings: here the search field (top right) deactivates all entries in the menu that do not match the current search term. So I see what is left over and can remember for the next time(s). Though again that search field does not offer me to directly launch a match if only one or very few are left (why not?).

This scheme cannot be used the same way for search fields in Menues, Runners and so on, because they search more than just entries in their native base application. They also offer recent documents, browser history, emails, ...
So maybe there is another way: since the place where some hit was found, and especially its visualization clearly depends on the type of hit I assume that such a visualization ("hint") must be offered inside the hit itself. Maybe in form of an additional button that leads to a type specific popup holding the visualization. Don't know, something like this. Maybe someone has a much better idea.

arkascha