
For example, I thought I’d use km as an abbreviation for Keyboard Maestro, but then I tried typing a distance in kilometers and got a surprising result! So be sure to use abbreviations that will never occur on their own, or even as part of another word. One catch, however, is that you must be careful when choosing abbreviations-since text expands as you type, you might end up making a lame mistake if you’re not paying attention. You don’t need modifier keys like Command or Control, and you don’t need to hunt for menu commands. The great thing about text expansion is that you don’t have to do anything special to use it-you simply type. Depending on which software you use for text expansion, your snippets might also include styles (such as bold and italic), graphics, the current date or time, variables, AppleScripts or shell scripts, the contents of the clipboard, and more. You can use it for addresses, phone numbers, URLs, boilerplate text for common email replies, HTML code snippets, and so on. Text expansion isn’t just for names and short phrases. The longer and more complex the text in question, the more useful automatic text expansion becomes. I also use TCo to produce Take Control of, syp to produce System Preferences, and so on. That’s just one of dozens of abbreviations I use in my own work.
Text expansion apps for mac pro#
I mentioned earlier that whenever I type dtpo, my Mac automatically expands that into DEVONthink Pro Office. (And if you’re not a great typist, such software can increase your effective typing speed!) Script the Command Line with Shell ScriptsĮven if you’re a great typist, you can save time and increase your accuracy by using software that watches what you type and dynamically replaces abbreviations you’ve previously specified with longer chunks of text.Run Backups Automatically with Time Machine.Automate Web Logins with a Password Manager.Log In Faster with iCloud Keychain and Safari Autofill.Discover Other Internally Scriptable Apps.Use a Third-party Text Expansion Utility.Learn about Other Special Input Devices.Program an Input Device with USB Overdrive.Save Clicks with Third-party Input Devices.
Text expansion apps for mac update#

