// googly.cs
// A Google Web API C# console application
// Usage: googly.exe <query>
// Copyright (c) 2002, Chris Sells.
// No warranties extended. Use at your own risk.
using System;
class Googly {
  static void Main(string[] args) {
    // Your Google API developer's key
    string googleKey = "insert key here";
    // Take the query from the command-line
    if( args.Length != 1 ) {
      Console.WriteLine("Usage: google.exe <query>");
      return;
    }
    string query = args[0];
    // Create a Google SOAP client proxy, generated by:
    // c:> wsdl.exe http://api.google.com/GoogleSearch.wsdl
    GoogleSearchService googleSearch = new GoogleSearchService(  );
    // Query Google
    GoogleSearchResult results = googleSearch.doGoogleSearch(googleKey, 
query, 0, 10, false, "", false, "", "latin1", "latin1");
    // No results?
    if( results.resultElements == null ) return;
    // Loop through results
    foreach( ResultElement result in results.resultElements ) {
      Console.WriteLine(  );
      Console.WriteLine(result.title);
      Console.WriteLine(result.URL);
      Console.WriteLine(result.snippet);
      Console.WriteLine(  );
    }
  }
}

Remember to insert your Google developer’s key Section 5.5 (e.g., 12BuCK13mY5h0E/34KN0cK@ttH3Do0R) in place of "insert key here":

// Your Google API developer's key
string googleKey = "12BuCK13mY5h0E/34KN0cK@ttH3Do0R";

Before compiling the C# code itself, you must create a Google SOAP client proxy. The proxy is a wodge of code custom built to the specifications of the GoogleSearch.wsdl file, an XML-based description of the Google Web Service, all its methods, parameters, and return values. Thankfully, you don’t have to do this by hand; the .NET Framework kit includes an application, wsdl.exe, that does all the coding for you.

Call wsdl.exe with the location of your GoogleSearch.wsdl file like so:

C:GOOGLY.NET>wsdl.exe GoogleSearch.wsdl

If you don’t happen to have the WSDL file handy, don’t fret. You can point wsdl.exe at its location on Google’s web site:

C:GOOGLY.NETCS>wsdl.exe http://api.google.com/GoogleSearch.wsdl
Microsoft (R) Web Services Description Language Utility
[Microsoft (R) .NET Framework, Version 1.0.3705.0]
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation 1998-2001. All rights reserved.
Writing file 'C:GOOGLY.NETCSGoogleSearchService.cs'.

The end result is a GoogleSearchService.cs file that looks something like:

//--------------------------------------------------------------------------
// <autogenerated>
//     This code was generated by a tool.
//     Runtime Version: 1.0.3705.288
//
//     Changes to this file may cause incorrect behavior and will be lost if 
//     the code is regenerated.
// </autogenerated>
//--------------------------------------------------------------------------
// 
// This source code was auto-generated by wsdl, Version=1.0.3705.288.
// 
using System.Diagnostics;
using System.Xml.Serialization;
using System;
using System.Web.Services.Protocols;
using System.ComponentModel;
using System.Web.Services;
...
    public System.IAsyncResult BegindoGoogleSearch(string key, 
    string q, int start, int maxResults, bool filter, string restrict,
    bool safeSearch, string lr, string ie, string oe, 
    System.AsyncCallback callback, object asyncState) {
        return this.BeginInvoke("doGoogleSearch", new object[] {
                    key,
                    q,
                    start,
                    maxResults,
                    filter,
                    restrict,
                    safeSearch,
                    lr,
                    ie,
                    oe}, callback, asyncState);
    }
...

Now on to googly.cs itself:

C:GOOGLY.NETCS>csc /out:googly.exe *.cs
Microsoft (R) Visual C# .NET Compiler version 7.00.9466
for Microsoft (R) .NET Framework version 1.0.3705
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation 2001. All rights reserved.

Run Googly on the command line, passing it your Google query:

C:GOOGLY.NETCS>googly.exe "query words"

% googly.exe "WSDL while you work"
Axis/Radio interop, actual and potential
http://www.intertwingly.net/stories/2002/02/08/
axisradioInteropActualAndPotential.html <b>...</b> But
<b>you</b> might find more exciting services here
<b>...</b> Instead, we should <b>work</b>
together and<br> continuously strive to <b>...</b>
<b>While</b> <b>WSDL</b> is certainly far from
perfect and has many <b>...</b>  
...
Simplified <b>WSDL</b>
http://capescience.capeclear.com/articles/simplifiedWSDL/
<b>...</b> So how does it <b>work</b>?
<b>...</b> If <b>you</b> would like to edit
<b>WSDL</b> <b>while</b> still avoiding<br> all
those XML tags, check out the <b>WSDL</b> Editor in
CapeStudio. <b>...</b>

—Chris Sells and Rael Dornfest