Code Quality
A PlaceholderRect component in the search bar had been replaced by a CSS-only approach but left in the file with a comment. We removed it along with its TypeScript interface and import.
Dead code — variables, functions, and imports never used — adds bundle weight and cognitive noise. If git history preserves it, delete it.
Task
Remove all three pieces of dead code: the unused `useRef` import, the `unusedRef` variable, and the `_legacySearch` function. Keep everything else exactly as-is.