The new search panel is no longer a dialog and the scroll position in the file changes while typing in the search input field.

If a match is found while typing, the user is inclined to hit [Esc] to get out of the search input field into the search position after pressing enter or not.

Users accustomed to a search dialog will press [Enter] while others will press [Esc].

In NetBeans there is an irritating inconsistency as follows. This inconsistency is impossible to get used to because it presents the user with two different behaviours for the same action. How to reproduce:

1) go to top of file
2) search for a string that the editor needs to scroll down to to find
3) press [Esc]
4) move your cursor to locate the found string for typing

The cursor jumps back to the top of the file.

This is the first issue - one would expect that the cursor stays on the found string.

5) Search

The search panel shows again with the previous string pre-populated, but the editor does NOT scroll to the first occurrence as before

This is the second issue, and it is an inconsistency

6) Press [Enter]

The cursor is on the first occurrence. This is ok.

7) Press [Esc]

The cursor stays on the first occurrence.

I would suggest that the behavour is adapted to what we find in FireFox which means that only the jumping back to the top of the file on the first search after 4) needs to be removed.