Expert’s Rating
Pros
Cons
Our Verdict
A solid text edition expander with some have its contender do n’t have – and miss some they do .
Ergonis Software ’s Typinator is a text - enlargement usefulness similar toTextExpanderorTypeIt4Me . Like those other programs , Typinator helps you type less , by letting you produce abbreviations for thing you commonly type , then expanding those abbreviation , on the fly , to the full textual matter . If your business involves responding to sales leads , for example , you could configure an abbreviation to insertThank you for your inquirywhen you typetyfyi . These utility can also help you notice and correct vulgar typhographical errors , replacingwihtwithwith .
Most of these utilities run as programs that also have menu bar ikon ; Typinator , by contrast , exists exclusively as a menu bar image . To access its setup screens , you press a global keyboard shortcut ( Control - T , by nonpayment — this conflicted with establish - in shortcuts for some computer program I own , such as BBEdit , but you’re able to easy shift Typinator ’s crosscut ) . Alternatively , you could click the Typinator menu bar icon to impart up the apparatus panel .
That apparatus panel is square . Just dawn the positive sign , type in an abbreviation , then type or paste the expanded text . Typinator expansions can contain plain text , rich text edition , and image . For formatted text , you’re able to command the text ’s appearance and coalition . My only quibble is that the breadth of the country where you enter your expansion is both narrow-minded and fix , making it difficult to see recollective 1 .
you may also let in variables in your expansions by either typecast the variable quantity ’s name or using a drop-off - down menu . For instance,{N}will expand to the current calendar month ’s three - letter abbreviation ( Jun , for example ) . Unfortunately , if you have n’t con those codes , using this feature can be a scuffle , as selecting the codes from the pearl - down menu is verbose . To build a date , for representative , you ask to open that fare over and over to total the calendar month , mean solar day , and class , piece by piece . Other school text expanders come with a selection of pre - formatted escort , which is much easy .
Typinator is also more limited than its competitors in its support for variables . Beyond particular date and fourth dimension , you’re able to insert the clipboard ’s contents and place the cursor at a special place in your expansion ( utile when you need to typecast extra school text after the expansion is pasted ) . But you ca n’t include exceptional character ( Tab , Backspace , Return ) or other abbreviation , you ca n’t campaign AppleScripts , and you ca n’t have the platform break for substance abuser input before it introduce the expanded schoolbook . Some other programs can do all of those things .
you may , however , specify whether or not the case of text matter ( soTttandtttcan be separate abbreviations ) . you could also make expansions come after the case you use when typing them : For example , you could typesBtwwhen you need to insertBy the wayat the beginning of a sentence , andbtwto putby the wayin the center .
Typinator ships with a number of predefined abbreviation , each stored in its own set . For illustration , there ’s a set of 2,300 machine chastisement fromTidBITSthat includes common typographical mistakes ( such asproducitveandindentify ) that are more complex than the illustration I gave above . I found this solidification really worthful , as it covers a huge variety of literal . Typinator also includes abbreviation sets for HTML code , FileMaker functions , superscripts and subscripts , and auto - chastening depository library in a few additional languages .
you may have multiple abbreviation sets active at the same clock time . If you habituate the same abbreviation in more than one set , the program will give priority to the readiness that ’s highest in the inclination of currently active sets . A small white-livered monition pin will appear next to that abbreviation in other set , bespeak that it wo n’t be used .
Typinator lacks a convenient feature found in its competition : there ’s no shortcut Francis Scott Key to produce a new abbreviation based on either the contents of your Clipboard or textual matter select in another diligence . To contribute an abbreviation in Typinator , you must first activate the options jury , then chatter the plus sign to add a Modern abbreviation , and then fill up in the point . The cutoff find in other programs makes this a much uncomplicated process .
Unlike most of its competitors , Typinator does n’t rely on global initiation keys to lucubrate abbreviations . rather , you define different triggering prefixes and postfix for unlike set . you could also configure Typinator so sure Seth are fighting only in specific applications .
unexampled in Typinator 4 are two notable features . First , you’re able to now easily enable or disable any set of abbreviations via a checkbox . ( This is in addition to the program ’s existing potentiality to use special set with particular programs . ) The 2nd feature , of more universal interest , is called QuickSearch , and it ’s essentially “ Spotlight for text snippet , ” let you apace discover and paste a exceptional snip even if you ca n’t think back the snippet ’s abbreviation . This feature article greatly simplifies working with big set of expansions — alternatively of having to think C of abbreviation , you just necessitate to remember some part of the abbreviation or the expansion .
For example , I have about 20 different shortcuts for typing various URLs . rather of suffer to remember which shortcut I assigned to which expansion , I can typecast Control - Enter to set off Typinator ’s limelight - like hunt box ( which appear at the top center of the covert ) , then type either part of the abbreviation or some dowry of the expanding upon — in this example , part of the uniform resource locator I need to sneak in — and Typinator instantly demonstrate a list of matches . If there ’s only one match , I would just press Return to slip in the text into the frontmost textual matter area ; if there ’s more than one , I can choose the desired expansion with the arrow keys , or type more text in the search loge to further nail down the result . As someone with a big bent of expansion , this characteristic make water it much simpler to find my seldom - used ( but still significant ) I .
If you apply more than one Mac , Typinator can utilize either Dropbox or MobileMe to synchronize abbreviation from Mac to Mac . you’re able to import abbreviations from TypeIt4Me and TextExpander , making it easy to move to Typinator .
In use , I find Typinator expanded my abbreviations quickly , even when using a preposterously - long example ( the entire text of the Declaration of Independence ) . A long model , copied from Wikipedia , contain rich school text and embedded picture performed similarly well . The only thing I really missed was the capability to enter special characters in my abbreviation — very useful for sate out Web forms .
Typinator is a solid textbook expander with some features not found in its competition . However , it ’s also lacking in a few key areas , namely the capability to easily create abbreviation based on the Clipboard or take text , as well as backing for some variable . If you do n’t need either of those features , Typinator is deserving considering
