Indexing application pages of native applications

A computer-implemented method performed by data processing apparatus comprising one or more computers in data communication, the method comprising:

• receiving first search results responsive to a search query, each of the search results referencing a resource that can be rendered in a browser application on a user device and including a link to the resource, the first search results generated in response to a search of a first index of resources that can be rendered in the browser application;
• receiving at least one second search result responsive to the query, the second search result specifying a native application operating independent of a browser application that can operate on the user device, the second search result generated in response to a search of a second index of application pages that can be display on a user device within the native application, wherein the second index includes a combination of a uniform resource identifiers (URI) of the application pages and a unique application identifier that identifies the native application;
• and
• providing the first search results and the second search result for display on a user device.

A system, comprising:

• a data processing apparatus;
• and
• software stored in non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions executable by the data processing apparatus and that upon such execution cause the data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:
• instantiating a virtual machine emulating an operating system of a user device;
• instantiating, within the virtual machine, a native application that generates application pages for display on a user device within the native application, the native application operating independent of a browser application that can operate on the user device;
• accessing, within the virtual machine, application pages of the native application, and for each of the application pages:
• generating application page data describing content of the application page, the content described by the application page data including text that a user device displays on the application page when the user device displays the application page;
• and
• indexing the application page data for the native application in an index that is searchable by a search engine, the indexing including indexing the application page for the native application by a combination of a uniform resource identifier (URI) of the application page and a unique application identifier that identifies the native application.

A computer-implemented method performed by data processing apparatus comprising one or more computers in data communication, the method comprising:

• instantiating, within an operating system environment, a native application that generates application pages for display on a user device within the native application, the native application operating independent of a browser application that can operate on the user device;
• accessing, within the operating system environment, application pages of the native application, and for each of the application pages:
• extracting application page data describing content of the application page, the application page data being data provided to a rendering process of the native application, wherein the rendering process receives the application page data and renders the content of the application page based on the application page data;
• associating the application page data with an application page identifier of the application page and a native application identifier of the native application;
• and
• indexing the application page data, in part, by the application page identifier and the native application identifier.

A system, comprising:

• a data processing apparatus;
• and
• software stored in non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions executable by the data processing apparatus and that upon such execution cause the data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:
• instantiating, within an operating system environment, a native application that generates application pages for display on a user device within the native application, the native application operating independent of a browser application that can operate on the user device;
• accessing, within the operating system environment, application pages of the native application, and for each of the application pages:
• extracting application page data describing content of the application page, the application page data being data provided to a rendering process of the native application, wherein the rendering process receives the application page data and renders the content of the application page based on the application page data;
• associating the application page data with an application page identifier of the application page and a native application identifier of the native application;
• and
• indexing the application page data, in part, by the application page identifier and the native application identifier.