feat(07-02): frontend NL search bar wired to GET /api/search

- web/src/lib/api.ts: add fetchSearch(q) returning Promise<InventoryItem[]>
- web/src/components/inventory/FilterBar.tsx: NL search input with 400ms debounce,
  volt accent styling, Sparkles icon, Loader2 spinner during search
- web/src/pages/DashboardPage.tsx: nlQuery state + useQuery hook (enabled >2 chars),
  displays searchResults when NL active, local filter unchanged when NL empty

web/src/components/inventory/FilterBar.tsx

@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-import { Search, LayoutGrid, List } from 'lucide-react'
+import { useState, useEffect } from 'react'
+import { Search, LayoutGrid, List, Loader2, Sparkles } from 'lucide-react'
 import { Button } from '@/components/ui/button'
 import { useUIStore } from '@/store/ui'
 
@@ -8,6 +9,9 @@ interface FilterBarProps {
   statusFilter: string
   onStatusChange: (v: string) => void
   totalCount: number
+  nlQuery: string
+  onNlQueryChange: (v: string) => void
+  nlSearchLoading: boolean
 }
 
 const STATUSES = ['', 'draft', 'indexed', 'needs_research', 'researched', 'complete']
@@ -20,61 +24,104 @@ const STATUS_LABELS: Record<string, string> = {
   complete: 'Complete',
 }
 
-export function FilterBar({ search, onSearchChange, statusFilter, onStatusChange, totalCount }: FilterBarProps) {
+export function FilterBar({
+  search,
+  onSearchChange,
+  statusFilter,
+  onStatusChange,
+  totalCount,
+  nlQuery,
+  onNlQueryChange,
+  nlSearchLoading,
+}: FilterBarProps) {
   const { viewMode, setViewMode } = useUIStore()
 
+  // Local state for the NL input value — debounced before calling onNlQueryChange.
+  const [nlInputValue, setNlInputValue] = useState(nlQuery)
+
+  // Sync if parent resets nlQuery to empty (e.g. clear action).
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (nlQuery === '') setNlInputValue('')
+  }, [nlQuery])
+
+  // 400ms debounce: propagate to parent only after user stops typing.
+  useEffect(() => {
+    const timer = setTimeout(() => {
+      onNlQueryChange(nlInputValue)
+    }, 400)
+    return () => clearTimeout(timer)
+  }, [nlInputValue, onNlQueryChange])
+
   return (
-    <div className="flex flex-wrap items-center gap-3 mb-6">
+    <div className="flex flex-col gap-3 mb-6">
-      {/* Search */}
+      {/* Row 1: text filter + status + view toggle */}
-      <div className="relative flex-1 min-w-48">
+      <div className="flex flex-wrap items-center gap-3">
-        <Search className="absolute left-3 top-1/2 -translate-y-1/2 w-4 h-4 text-[#a0a0a0]" />
+        {/* Local text search */}
-        <input
+        <div className="relative flex-1 min-w-48">
-          type="text"
+          <Search className="absolute left-3 top-1/2 -translate-y-1/2 w-4 h-4 text-[#a0a0a0]" />
-          placeholder="Search items…"
+          <input
-          value={search}
+            type="text"
-          onChange={(e) => onSearchChange(e.target.value)}
+            placeholder="Search items…"
-          className="w-full pl-9 pr-3 py-2 bg-near-black border border-charcoal/80 rounded-sharp text-sm text-white placeholder-[#585858] focus:outline-none focus:border-volt/60 focus:ring-1 focus:ring-volt/30"
+            value={search}
-        />
+            onChange={(e) => onSearchChange(e.target.value)}
+            className="w-full pl-9 pr-3 py-2 bg-near-black border border-charcoal/80 rounded-sharp text-sm text-white placeholder-[#585858] focus:outline-none focus:border-volt/60 focus:ring-1 focus:ring-volt/30"
+          />
+        </div>
+
+        {/* Status filter */}
+        <select
+          value={statusFilter}
+          onChange={(e) => onStatusChange(e.target.value)}
+          className="px-3 py-2 bg-near-black border border-charcoal/80 rounded-sharp text-sm text-white focus:outline-none focus:border-volt/60"
+        >
+          {STATUSES.map((s) => (
+            <option key={s} value={s} className="bg-near-black">
+              {STATUS_LABELS[s]}
+            </option>
+          ))}
+        </select>
+
+        {/* Item count */}
+        <span className="text-xs text-[#a0a0a0] label-upper mr-auto">
+          {totalCount} items
+        </span>
+
+        {/* View toggle */}
+        <div className="flex rounded-sharp border border-charcoal/80 overflow-hidden">
+          <Button
+            variant={viewMode === 'grid' ? 'default' : 'secondary'}
+            size="icon"
+            className="rounded-none h-9 w-9"
+            onClick={() => setViewMode('grid')}
+            title="Grid view"
+          >
+            <LayoutGrid className="w-4 h-4" />
+          </Button>
+          <Button
+            variant={viewMode === 'list' ? 'default' : 'secondary'}
+            size="icon"
+            className="rounded-none h-9 w-9 border-l border-charcoal/80"
+            onClick={() => setViewMode('list')}
+            title="List view"
+          >
+            <List className="w-4 h-4" />
+          </Button>
+        </div>
       </div>
 
-      {/* Status filter */}
+      {/* Row 2: Natural language search */}
-      <select
+      <div className="relative w-full">
-        value={statusFilter}
+        <Sparkles className="absolute left-3 top-1/2 -translate-y-1/2 w-4 h-4 text-volt/60" />
-        onChange={(e) => onStatusChange(e.target.value)}
+        <input
-        className="px-3 py-2 bg-near-black border border-charcoal/80 rounded-sharp text-sm text-white focus:outline-none focus:border-volt/60"
+          type="text"
-      >
+          placeholder="Ask anything: show me free 10GbE NICs…"
-        {STATUSES.map((s) => (
+          value={nlInputValue}
-          <option key={s} value={s} className="bg-near-black">
+          onChange={(e) => setNlInputValue(e.target.value)}
-            {STATUS_LABELS[s]}
+          className="w-full pl-9 pr-9 py-2 bg-[#0a0a0a] border border-volt/20 rounded-card text-sm text-white placeholder-[#585858] focus:outline-none focus:border-volt focus:ring-1 focus:ring-volt/30 transition-colors"
-          </option>
+        />
-        ))}
+        {nlSearchLoading && (
-      </select>
+          <Loader2 className="absolute right-3 top-1/2 -translate-y-1/2 w-4 h-4 animate-spin text-volt" />
-
+        )}
-      {/* Item count */}
-      <span className="text-xs text-[#a0a0a0] label-upper mr-auto">
-        {totalCount} items
-      </span>
-
-      {/* View toggle */}
-      <div className="flex rounded-sharp border border-charcoal/80 overflow-hidden">
-        <Button
-          variant={viewMode === 'grid' ? 'default' : 'secondary'}
-          size="icon"
-          className="rounded-none h-9 w-9"
-          onClick={() => setViewMode('grid')}
-          title="Grid view"
-        >
-          <LayoutGrid className="w-4 h-4" />
-        </Button>
-        <Button
-          variant={viewMode === 'list' ? 'default' : 'secondary'}
-          size="icon"
-          className="rounded-none h-9 w-9 border-l border-charcoal/80"
-          onClick={() => setViewMode('list')}
-          title="List view"
-        >
-          <List className="w-4 h-4" />
-        </Button>
       </div>
     </div>
   )

web/src/lib/api.ts

@@ -28,6 +28,9 @@ async function fetchJSON<T>(url: string): Promise<T> {
 export const fetchInventory = (): Promise<InventoryItem[]> =>
   fetchJSON<InventoryItem[]>(`${BASE}/inventory`)
 
+export const fetchSearch = (q: string): Promise<InventoryItem[]> =>
+  fetchJSON<InventoryItem[]>(`${BASE}/search?q=${encodeURIComponent(q)}`)
+
 export const fetchInventoryItem = (id: number): Promise<InventoryItem> =>
   fetchJSON<InventoryItem>(`${BASE}/inventory/${id}`)
 

web/src/pages/DashboardPage.tsx

@@ -1,10 +1,12 @@
 import { useState, useMemo } from 'react'
+import { useQuery } from '@tanstack/react-query'
 import { AppShell } from '@/components/layout/AppShell'
 import { FilterBar } from '@/components/inventory/FilterBar'
 import { ItemCard } from '@/components/inventory/ItemCard'
 import { ItemRow } from '@/components/inventory/ItemRow'
 import { useInventory } from '@/hooks/useInventory'
 import { useUIStore } from '@/store/ui'
+import { fetchSearch } from '@/lib/api'
 import { Loader2, AlertCircle } from 'lucide-react'
 
 export function DashboardPage() {
@@ -12,7 +14,17 @@ export function DashboardPage() {
   const { viewMode } = useUIStore()
   const [search, setSearch] = useState('')
   const [statusFilter, setStatusFilter] = useState('')
+  const [nlQuery, setNlQuery] = useState('')
 
+  // NL search via GET /api/search — only fires when nlQuery has > 2 chars.
+  const { data: searchResults, isLoading: searchLoading } = useQuery({
+    queryKey: ['search', nlQuery],
+    queryFn: () => fetchSearch(nlQuery),
+    enabled: nlQuery.trim().length > 2,
+    staleTime: 30_000,
+  })
+
+  // Local filter (used when nlQuery is empty).
   const filtered = useMemo(() => {
     if (!items) return []
     return items.filter((item) => {
@@ -26,6 +38,10 @@ export function DashboardPage() {
     })
   }, [items, search, statusFilter])
 
+  // When nlQuery is active (> 2 chars), display NL results; otherwise local filter.
+  const displayItems = nlQuery.trim().length > 2 ? (searchResults ?? []) : filtered
+  const displayLoading = nlQuery.trim().length > 2 ? searchLoading : isLoading
+
   return (
     <AppShell>
       {/* Page header */}
@@ -39,14 +55,17 @@ export function DashboardPage() {
         onSearchChange={setSearch}
         statusFilter={statusFilter}
         onStatusChange={setStatusFilter}
-        totalCount={filtered.length}
+        totalCount={displayItems.length}
+        nlQuery={nlQuery}
+        onNlQueryChange={setNlQuery}
+        nlSearchLoading={searchLoading}
       />
 
       {/* Loading */}
-      {isLoading && (
+      {displayLoading && (
         <div className="flex items-center justify-center py-24 text-[#a0a0a0]">
           <Loader2 className="w-6 h-6 animate-spin mr-2" />
-          Loading inventory…
+          {nlQuery.trim().length > 2 ? 'Searching…' : 'Loading inventory…'}
         </div>
       )}
 
@@ -59,28 +78,32 @@ export function DashboardPage() {
       )}
 
       {/* Empty state */}
-      {!isLoading && !error && filtered.length === 0 && (
+      {!displayLoading && !error && displayItems.length === 0 && (
         <div className="flex flex-col items-center justify-center py-24 text-center">
           <p className="font-display font-black text-4xl text-volt mb-2">0</p>
           <p className="text-[#a0a0a0] text-sm">
-            {items && items.length > 0 ? 'No items match your filters' : 'No items cataloged yet — add your first item'}
+            {nlQuery.trim().length > 2
+              ? 'No items match your search'
+              : items && items.length > 0
+              ? 'No items match your filters'
+              : 'No items cataloged yet — add your first item'}
           </p>
         </div>
       )}
 
       {/* Grid view */}
-      {!isLoading && !error && filtered.length > 0 && viewMode === 'grid' && (
+      {!displayLoading && !error && displayItems.length > 0 && viewMode === 'grid' && (
         <div className="grid grid-cols-1 sm:grid-cols-2 md:grid-cols-3 lg:grid-cols-4 xl:grid-cols-5 gap-4">
-          {filtered.map((item) => (
+          {displayItems.map((item) => (
             <ItemCard key={item.id} item={item} />
           ))}
         </div>
       )}
 
       {/* List view */}
-      {!isLoading && !error && filtered.length > 0 && viewMode === 'list' && (
+      {!displayLoading && !error && displayItems.length > 0 && viewMode === 'list' && (
         <div className="border border-charcoal/80 rounded-card overflow-hidden">
-          {filtered.map((item) => (
+          {displayItems.map((item) => (
             <ItemRow key={item.id} item={item} />
           ))}
         </div>