A decorator around UILocalizedIndexedCollation that automatically adds the search icon. Updated to support ARC.

FRSearchableIndexCollation.h

//
//  LJSearchableIndexCollation.h
//  
//
//  Created by Luke Redpath on 16/02/2010.
//  Copyright 2010 LJR Software Limited. All rights reserved.
//

#import <UIKit/UIKit.h>

/*
 A simple decorator around UILocalizedIndexedCollation that inserts the
 {{search}} magnifying glass icon into the section index titles and adjusts
 the section index as necessary to account for the extra index item.
 
 Use as a direct replacement for UILocalizedIndexedCollation in indexed
 table views that have a search interface.
*/
@interface FRIndexedCollationWithSearch : NSObject {
  UILocalizedIndexedCollation *collation;
}
@property(nonatomic, readonly) NSArray *sectionTitles;
@property(nonatomic, readonly) NSArray *sectionIndexTitles;

+ (id)currentCollation;
- (id)initWithCollation:(UILocalizedIndexedCollation *)_collation;

- (NSInteger)sectionForObject:(id)object collationStringSelector:(SEL)selector;
- (NSInteger)sectionForSectionIndexTitleAtIndex:(NSInteger)indexTitleIndex;
- (NSArray *)sortedArrayFromArray:(NSArray *)array collationStringSelector:(SEL)selector;
@end

FRSearchableIndexCollation.m

//
//  LJSearchableIndexCollation.m
//  
//
//  Created by Luke Redpath on 16/02/2010.
//  Copyright 2010 LJR Software Limited. All rights reserved.
//

#import "FRIndexedCollationWithSearch.h"


@implementation FRIndexedCollationWithSearch

@dynamic sectionTitles;
@dynamic sectionIndexTitles;

+ (id)currentCollation;
{
  UILocalizedIndexedCollation *collation = [UILocalizedIndexedCollation currentCollation];
  return [[[self alloc] initWithCollation:collation] autorelease];
}

- (id)initWithCollation:(UILocalizedIndexedCollation *)_collation;
{
  if (self = [super init]) {
    collation = [_collation retain];
  }
  return self;
}

- (void)dealloc;
{
  [collation release];
  [super dealloc];
}

#pragma mark -

- (NSInteger)sectionForObject:(id)object collationStringSelector:(SEL)selector
{
  return [collation sectionForObject:object collationStringSelector:selector];
}

- (NSInteger)sectionForSectionIndexTitleAtIndex:(NSInteger)indexTitleIndex
{
  if(indexTitleIndex == 0) { 
    return NSNotFound;
  }
  return [collation sectionForSectionIndexTitleAtIndex:indexTitleIndex-1];
}

- (NSArray *)sortedArrayFromArray:(NSArray *)array collationStringSelector:(SEL)selector
{
  return [collation sortedArrayFromArray:array collationStringSelector:selector];
}

#pragma mark -
#pragma mark Accessors

- (NSArray *)sectionTitles;
{
  return [collation sectionTitles];
}

- (NSArray *)sectionIndexTitles;
{
  return [[NSArray arrayWithObject:UITableViewIndexSearch] arrayByAddingObjectsFromArray:[collation sectionIndexTitles]];
}

@end