public class SearchableActivity extends ListActivity {

    @Override
    public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.search);

        ListView lv = getListView();

        DBHelper helper=new DBHelper(this);

        Intent intent=getIntent();
        // if the activity is created from search
            if(intent.getAction().equals(Intent.ACTION_SEARCH)){
                // get search query
                String query=intent.getStringExtra(SearchManager.QUERY);

                Log.v("QUERY", query);
                ArrayList<String> items = helper.getNamesSearch(query);

                //bind the list
                ArrayAdapter<String> adapter = new ArrayAdapter<String>(this, android.R.layout.simple_list_item_1,items);
                lv.setAdapter(adapter);
            }
        //activity created normally
        else{
            ArrayList<String> items = helper.getNames();
            ArrayAdapter<String> adapter = new ArrayAdapter<String>(this, android.R.layout.simple_list_item_1,items);
            lv.setAdapter(adapter);
        }
        helper.close();
    }
}

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:orientation="vertical"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="fill_parent"
    >
<ListView
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="fill_parent"
    android:id="@+id/list"/>
</LinearLayout>

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<searchable xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:label="@string/app_name"
    android:hint="@string/search_hint">
</searchable>

public class DBHelper extends SQLiteOpenHelper {

    public DBHelper(Context context) {
        super(context, "DemoDB", null, 1);
    }

    @Override
    public void onCreate(SQLiteDatabase db) {
        StringBuilder builder=new StringBuilder();
        // countries table
        builder.append("CREATE TABLE Countries ");
        builder.append("(_id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY AUTOINCREMENT,");
        builder.append("NAME TEXT) ");
        db.execSQL(builder.toString());
        // Names table
        // Virtual table for full text search
        builder.setLength(0);
        builder.append("CREATE VIRTUAL TABLE NAMES USING FTS3");
        builder.append("(");
        builder.append("name TEXT) ");
        db.execSQL(builder.toString());
        builder=new StringBuilder();

        //dummy  data
        InsertData(db);

    }

     void InsertData(SQLiteDatabase db)
     {
         ContentValues cv=new ContentValues();
            cv.put("NAME","USA");
            db.insert("Countries", "NAME", cv);
            cv.put("NAME","UK");
            db.insert("Countries", "NAME", cv);
            cv.put("NAME","Spain");
            db.insert("Countries", "NAME", cv);
            cv.put("NAME","ITALY");
            db.insert("Countries", "NAME", cv);
            cv.put("NAME","Germany");
            db.insert("Countries", "NAME", cv);

             cv=new ContentValues();
                cv.put("name","John");
                db.insert("NAMES", "name", cv);
                cv.put("name","Jack");
                db.insert("NAMES", "name", cv);
                cv.put("name","Ann");
                db.insert("NAMES", "name", cv);
                cv.put("name","Adam");
                db.insert("NAMES", "name", cv);
                cv.put("name","Sarah");
                db.insert("NAMES", "name", cv);

     }

    @Override
    public void onUpgrade(SQLiteDatabase db, int oldVersion, int newVersion) {
        // TODO Auto-generated method stub

    }

    /**
     * Return all countries
     * @return
     * @return
     */
    public ArrayList<String> getCountries(){
        ArrayList<String> countries=new ArrayList<String>();
        SQLiteDatabase db=this.getReadableDatabase();
        Cursor c=db.rawQuery("select * from Countries", null);
        while(c.moveToNext()){
            String country=c.getString(1);
            countries.add(country);
        }
        c.close();
        return countries;
    }
/**
     * Return all names
 * @return
     * @return
     */

    public ArrayList<String> getNames(){
        ArrayList<String> names=new ArrayList<String>();
        Cursor c=this.getReadableDatabase().rawQuery("select * FROM Names", null);
        while(c.moveToNext()){
            String name=c.getString(0);
            Log.v("getName", name);
            names.add(name);
        }
        c.close();
        return names;
    }

    /**
     * Return all countries based on a search string
     * @return
     * @return
     */
    public ArrayList<String> getCountriesSearch(String query){
        ArrayList<String> countries=new ArrayList<String>();
        SQLiteDatabase db=this.getReadableDatabase();
        Cursor c=db.rawQuery("select * from Countries where NAME LIKE '%"+query+"%'", null);
        while(c.moveToNext()){
            String country=c.getString(1);
            countries.add(country);
        }
        c.close();
        return countries;
    }
/**
     * Return all names based on a search string
     * we use the MATCH keyword to make use of the full text search
 * @return
     * @return
     */
    public ArrayList<String> getNamesSearch(String query){
        ArrayList<String> names=new ArrayList<String>();
        Cursor c=this.getReadableDatabase().rawQuery("select * FROM Names WHERE name MATCH '"+query+"'", null);
        while(c.moveToNext()){
            String name=c.getString(0);
            Log.v("getName", name);
            names.add(name);
        }
        c.close();
        return names;
    }
}