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Author Topic: Permanent clipboard / textblock catalogue  (Read 5196 times)

Pareidol

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Permanent clipboard / textblock catalogue
« on: August 20, 2021, 05:41 AM »
Hi,
Im searching for an application, that shows up with a shortcut and then let me choose one of many prestored textblocks from a database (maybe with a short name, and the text that will be inserted, eg: Signature: Average Joe, Phone:+1234567) and automatically inserts it, wehere my cursor currently is.

Background:
In my daily live I have to work with several tools, documents, e.g., where I often have to enter the same strings, over and over again, after some weeks these texts may change.
Until now, I store them in a notepad, and copy them, but it's very anoying with all those clicks.

Anybody knows such tool?

Nod5

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Re: Permanent clipboard / textblock catalogue
« Reply #1 on: January 28, 2022, 09:29 AM »
Mouser's Form Letter Machine might be usable like that
https://www.donation...-form-letter-machine

But the most advanced such tool I know is Lintalist. Very customizable!
https://lintalist.github.io/

kunkel321

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Re: Permanent clipboard / textblock catalogue
« Reply #2 on: January 28, 2022, 10:10 AM »
My own app
https://www.donation...ex.php?topic=51967.0
does something like this.  Really it is more useful when a person wants to do what you describe, but also works from multiple offices, and needs to write about specific people (clients, students, etc).  It inserts name and gender pronouns into the boilerplate text. 

Really you should try just making your own AutoHotkey setup with a bunch of hotstrings.

tomos

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Re: Permanent clipboard / textblock catalogue
« Reply #3 on: January 28, 2022, 11:18 AM »
I thought of Lintalist too.

Ethervane Echo could be a good choice too (do a search in the forums here) -- it's a clipboard extender with a favourites tab and a good search.

Also mouser's CHS (again a clipboard extender based here on donationercoder) would be a good choice imo.
Tom

highend01

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Re: Permanent clipboard / textblock catalogue
« Reply #4 on: January 28, 2022, 01:15 PM »
I'd recommend Clibor: https://chigusa-web.com/en/

wraith808

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Re: Permanent clipboard / textblock catalogue
« Reply #5 on: January 28, 2022, 02:43 PM »
In addition to Lintalist and Auspex, here are a few:

Beeftext - https://beeftext.org/
Atext - https://www.trankynam.com/atext/
QuickTextPaste - https://www.software...osoft/QuickTextPaste
AutoText - https://www.jitbit.com/autotext/

... and

FastKeys - https://www.fastkeysautomation.com/

I put that one separately because it's paid. However, it does a lot more than asked, and if that's useful to you, it's $19.

Pareidol

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Re: Permanent clipboard / textblock catalogue
« Reply #6 on: January 29, 2022, 04:31 PM »
Thanks for all your ideas, sadly no one fits what I need.
But maybe my explanation was not clearly enough.
I made a quick mockup.

There should be a settingsdialogue where you set the alias that should be shown, and the text that should then be sent.
When you press anywhere the hotkey, a list popps up near your cursor, there you can select one entry, that sends then the text "behind", and the list disappears.
You should have the option to change the hotkey and export and import the list.


2022-01-29_23h22_19.pngPermanent clipboard / textblock catalogue


P.S.: I didn't got mail notifications, so I nearly forgot my request.

wraith808

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Re: Permanent clipboard / textblock catalogue
« Reply #7 on: January 29, 2022, 04:52 PM »
FastKeys could do that.



Note that it shows that exact use case in this image- you can assign more than one snippet to the same abbreviation, and even put a list of snippets on the regular context menu that you can launch with a hotkey.

Nod5

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Re: Permanent clipboard / textblock catalogue
« Reply #8 on: January 30, 2022, 06:45 AM »
You could kind of also use mouser's FARR for that.
1. Create an alias with keyword value pairs in this format
keyword | paste value
abc | paste 123
golf | paste don't forget to play golf
2. Set a regex pattern for the alias. For example
^zz$
3. Set up a special hotkey in FARR to open FARR and trigger the alias (which then shows the list of keys). Under "Text for search edit box" add "zz" (the string that will trigger the alias).

Pareidol

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Re: Permanent clipboard / textblock catalogue
« Reply #9 on: February 10, 2022, 02:47 PM »
You could kind of also use mouser's FARR for that.
1. Create an alias with keyword value pairs in this format
keyword | paste value
abc | paste 123
golf | paste don't forget to play golf
2. Set a regex pattern for the alias. For example
^zz$
3. Set up a special hotkey in FARR to open FARR and trigger the alias (which then shows the list of keys). Under "Text for search edit box" add "zz" (the string that will trigger the alias).

But then you need to remember the keyword that will be replaced, am I right?
So you enter "abc" and it will be replaced by "paste 123"

Nod5

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Re: Permanent clipboard / textblock catalogue
« Reply #10 on: February 11, 2022, 08:58 AM »
So you enter "abc" and it will be replaced by "paste 123"
You open FARR with the hotkey, select "abc" and press Enter and FARR then pastes "123" at the cursor.

But then you need to remember the keyword that will be replaced, am I right?
Whatever you put before the first pipe | character when you create the alias is visible in FARR so if you want both the keyword and text value visible do something like
abc -> 123 | paste 123
But if you have a large number of such textblocks then Lintalist is more suited for the job.

Pareidol

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Re: Permanent clipboard / textblock catalogue
« Reply #11 on: February 11, 2022, 12:07 PM »
Might be a bit complicated or not as easy as i imagine.
Could be a workarround if there is nothing else, but I'm looking forward for publicdomains release ;)

Nod5

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Re: Permanent clipboard / textblock catalogue
« Reply #12 on: February 11, 2022, 12:44 PM »
Might be a bit complicated or not as easy as i imagine.
Hm, sounds like it is just like you described what you wanted in this previous post
https://www.donation....msg447950#msg447950
To use the terms from your sketch graphic: the "show in list part" goes on the left side of the | pipe character. The "send text" part goes on the right side after the string "paste ". Repeat that pattern on a new line for as many key/value pairs you have.
Why not try it for a few days (and try Lintalist too!). Then you'll see if it is a good match and if not you likely know more exactly what other features you're after.

Pareidol

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Re: Permanent clipboard / textblock catalogue
« Reply #13 on: February 11, 2022, 01:08 PM »
Ok,
maybe then I still get your suggested workflow not right.

My need for this tool:
- I often have to use an accounting tool for different projects
- The projects often change
- The projects have cryptic names
- When I need to enter something for one of the projects, I want to open the list with the projects "ah ok, this time it's the project with the red t-shirt" select the "red t-shirt project" and in my accounting programm the cryptic name will be entered.

tomos

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Re: Permanent clipboard / textblock catalogue
« Reply #14 on: February 12, 2022, 03:03 PM »
^  This sounds like it could be done with almost any clipboard extender. I know you have more requests in first post -- but if there's more than one exact way of doing something, and if something as efficient -- or almost as efficient, already exists, why not go with it?

Or maybe I'm still not fully understanding your idea...
Tom

tomos

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Re: Permanent clipboard / textblock catalogue
« Reply #15 on: February 12, 2022, 03:50 PM »
Using the example of Ethervane Echo (will call it EE for short -- thread + download link) -- it's a bit of a pain to copy the text as individual lines, and you then have to individually make them sticky (down arrow to each entry and Ctrl+S). Change focus to the Sticky tab and close it (Win+Ins toggles close/open).

Now Win+Ins will open on the Sticky tab, arrow key to the relevant entry and Enter. Most hotkeys modifiable. I've never used Lintalist, but as it specialises in this kind of thing, it's presumably even more efficient.

Screenshot - 12 Feb 2022 , 22_45_48.pngPermanent clipboard / textblock catalogue

I've used EE this way for a list of entries related to a particular project. At the same time running mouser's clipboard extender as my main clipboard extender (Clipboard Help & Spell -- which could also by used as above -- add relevant clips to the favourite folder).

EDIT// I forgot -- there's a way of splitting clips -- so you can copy a list and it will split at new lines. Can be activated for current session only.
Screenshot - 12 Feb 2022 , 22_58_39.pngPermanent clipboard / textblock catalogue
Tom
« Last Edit: February 12, 2022, 03:58 PM by tomos »