textbook - enlargement utilities let you create abbreviations — also called clippings or snippets — for frequently typed textual matter . When you type one of these abbreviations , the public utility company automatically replaces it with the respective full text . snip can be word , phrases , sentences , paragraphs , or even scrap of codification . For lesson , when we typemw , our text - enlargement utilities expand those two letters toMacworld , hold open a few keystrokes each time . When Dan typesaddy , his usefulness immediately replaces it with his home address . While the keystroke these abbreviations save may not seem like much on their own , the hundreds — or even yard — of keystrokes you avoid add up every day . In this mode , a text - expanding upon service program can redeem you substantial metre and effort .
Two of our favourite such service program are Smile ’s $ 35TextExpander for Mac ( ) and Ettore Software ’s $ 27TypeIt4Me ( ) . The two programs are quite similar , and each uses a interchangeable function for setting up abbreviations : In TextExpander , you open up the program ’s main window and tap the New Snippet ( + ) button ; then you enter your full text edition in the bombastic segment of the correct - hand superman , and your abbreviation at the bottom - right of the window . you’re able to also name your abbreviation ( for example , Home Address ) to make it easier to find in TextExpander ’s lean . In TypeIt4Me , you get to the program and click the New Clipping ( + ) icon ; then you enter an abbreviation in the left - hand column and the expansion text in the right - hired hand side of the windowpane .
But how can you use a text - expansion utility to increase your day - to - twenty-four hours productivity ? Here are a few of our favorite tips for TextExpander and TypeIt4Me .
Add a new snippet in TextExpander using the program’s main window.
The basics
Start simple . prepare up abbreviation for thing you frequently type : Your full name , your address , your telephone number , and even your preferent email key signature . You typewrite these things oft enough that you ’ll part using their abbreviation — and being more productive — quickly .
Online shopping shortcutsMac exploiter can practice Safari ’s auto - fill feature film or1Passwordto automatically fill credit - card numbers and addresses when shopping online , but some sites actively preclude these tool from working — plus there are times you may demand to provide that information in other apps . you could adjust up a snippet for each of your course credit cards and use those snippets to paste your credit - menu phone number on need — it ’s a spate easier to rememberccamex(for an American Express card ) orccmc(for MasterCard ) than each card ’s number . ( remark that you probably do n’t need to utilize these snippet on a laptop that you move with , or a public computer , as anyone could read your credit card numeral by opening the text - elaboration program . )
If you find yourself often filling out forms with , say , your name , address , and telephone set figure , you ’ll generally find that these build have the same number of field . It sour out that TextExpander and TypeIt4Me allow you to include tabloid characters within snippets , so you may set up a snip in the formatname , tab , street address , chit , metropolis , tab , zip code , tab , headphone number . As long as the fields are in the correct order , that snipping will let you enter all the information with just a few keypresses .
TypeIt4Me has a similar interface. Add a new clipping in this window.
Faster site searchingIf you frequently look for a specific internet site , you may know that you may use Google to searchjustthat situation using the syntaxsite:[sitename ] [ search string ] . you’re able to use this trick along with a schoolbook - expansion utility to create website - search shortcuts . For instance , we search Apple ’s Support site ( support.apple.com/kb/ ) ofttimes enough that it makes sense to have a shortcut for this hunting . Dan has set up up a snipping forsite : support.apple.com / kb/(with a place at the end ) and given it the abbreviationkbs(for Knowledge Base Search ) . Whenever he ’s in his web browser app ’s Google - search bailiwick , or on the Google land site , he can typekbs Lion Recovery , for lesson , to search Apple ’s livelihood sphere for data aboutLion Recovery . ( There ’s a space at the end of the clipping so you could begin type after it is expanded , and your typed school text wo n’t be appended to the universal resource locator . ) Make interchangeable snippets for other search you do often .
Add a fresh snippet in TextExpander using the curriculum ’s main windowpane .
Advanced expansions
For advanced substance abuser , both programs also permit you create snipping containing AppleScripts , and TextExpander even allows shell scripts . TextExpander ’s include cyberspace snippets admit several AppleScript snipping that take the contents of the clipboard — presumptively a URL — and process them using the tinyurl.com , tr.im , or bit.ly shortening Robert William Service so as to get a unforesightful uniform resource locator .
TypeIt4Me has a similar port . Add a raw press cutting in this window .
Another example , which Dan mentioned in his 2009 recapitulation of Plain Clip , is to use a TextExpander case - playscript snipping to process clipboard text . ( If you’vedownloaded Plainand invest it in your main Applications folder , you could get at Plain Clip ’s functionality via shell scripts . ) Specifically , the following shell - script snip ( which Dan namedptp , for plain - text library paste ) takes any school text on the clipboard , strips it of all formatting , and then paste it in the current program , replacing the snippet ’s abbreviation :
instead , this version of the scale - script snippet ( which I ’ve namedqtp , for quote - text spread ) performs the same format - stripping activity but paste the lead text with each occupation prepended with a quotation ( > ) character :
The magical %| and %clipboard or ⌘
last , do n’t lack these critical crosscut for your text - expanding utility : the%|and ( in TextExpander)%clipboardor ( in TypeIt4Me) ⌘ . These are perhaps the most underused features of both TextExpander and TypeIt4Me . In each utility , let in % | in a snipping tell the utility that it should place the cursor at that specific location — rather that at the end of the snippet — after expansion . In other words , if a snippet isThanks for the electronic mail , % | . It ’s good to hear from you . , once you typewrite your abbreviation ( say , thxmail ) , the pointer will be positioned like a shot afteremail , so you could type the person ’s name . This deception is great for make snippets where you need to manually add up text .
Similarly , including%clipboard(in TextExpander ) or ⌘ (in TypeIt4Me ) in a snippet tells the respective utility to paste the contents of the clipboard at that position when expanding the snippet . This is an all-important backsheesh when you want to habituate , within a snippet , text you ’ve copy or cut .
you may use this snippet trick to quickly make HTML orMarkdowncode . For good example , in TextExpander , you could set up the clipping < a href="%clipboard">%|(or , if you write in Markdown,%| ) and allot it an abbreviation . To make a uniform resource locator link , you just copy a uniform resource locator in any app , then typecast your clip ( Kirk useshrf , Dan usesurlc ) , and it will be expanded to < a href=“URL”>(or , for Markdown, ) with the cursor mechanically positioned for you to like a shot type the name of the link . TextExpander comes with a phone number of pre - specify group of snippets , including a farsighted list of HTML and atomic number 55 snip that can salvage you a lot of meter if you publish Web computer code .
Dan Frakes is a Macworld senior editor . elderly contributor Kirk McElhearn , the author ofTake Control of Scrivener 2 , write about more than just Macs on his blogKirkvilleandon Twitter .
