Google adds file type search, languages

Search engine Google has added several formats to the documents it indexes. In addition to searches of HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) and other Web-based formats, Google is now indexing Adobe PostScript; Lotus 1-2-3 and WordPro; MacWrite; Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Works and Write; and the Rich Text Format. Google searchers can choose from among file types, and can translate the documents into HTML, the formatting commands used to create Web pages.

Google also expanded its recently added image searching functions--launched yesterday after a trial, or "beta," period--with an advanced search page that lets searchers limit results by color, file type or Web domain. The search engine also added support for Arabic and Turkish languages. The new file types add 35 million documents to Google's search engine, the company said.