[IDEA] recode intellicomplete, make it publicly available

[urlwolf]

Ok, The idea is simple, the comercial program is long-dead, and the current implementation sucks -it doesn't work with opera 9.23, for example; hit and miss with most programs. it just dissapears sometimes and has to be restarted-.

To anyone well-versed in ahk/other langs... is this technically difficult? I don't think so.
I'd be very useful to many people to reimplement the idea of an autocompleter that work system-wide. There is an open source one, let-me-type, but it's unmaintained (see here).

Anyone up for the task?

[justice]

I'd be interested in that as well..

[imtrobin]

I will buy even if there's a commercial version which works just as well.

[Darwin]

You can probably set up ActiveWords or DirectAccess to do something similar to IntelliComplete. In fact, I know ActiveWords will do this already and if you can find an AHK script, you can use it from within DirectAccess (it's AHK script importer works like a charm). ActiveWords is being developed, but at a glacial pace, while DirectAccess is very actively developed and Andrea, the developer, is very approachable and very receptive to new ideas.

[justice]

I have suggested to Direct Access to watch and suggest keywords for phrases often types by users.

[justice]

I found an autocomplete script on the AHK forums that can be adapted to save a lot of work:
link here
and another one.

I couldn't get the second one to work, it suggested words but couldn't get it to complete. It wouldn't take much work to record all words after a space is pressed and /or add ignored words.

[urlwolf]

Has anybody familiar with these scripts AND intellicomplete tried them both?
This could be the starting point, if they work well.

Is anybody up for the task of mimicing intellicomplete?

[Darwin]

Note: Andrea Nagar has added the ability to import Word's autocomplete feature into DirectAccess and use it in any application.

[urlwolf]

Word's autocomplete feature? never heard of it? Is it any good?
How is directAccess + Word's autocomplete feature doing? Which autocompleter do you use, Darwin? Have you tried intellicomplete?

[Darwin]

Too early to comment on the DirectAccess/Word Autocomplete marriage, though I am not finding it particularly useful (but then I'm using the default MS offerings - see below). Word's autocomplete is a configurable autocompleter and rudimentary spell checker. So I can type "chekc" and I am given the option to change it to "check". I can add an unlimited number of words like this to the 845 that Microsoft has given me by default. Note that the words that MS has included are all set up like my chekc example, i.e. they provide a misspelling and offer to spell it correctly. If the particular misspelling isn't in the list, it won't cacth it (misspelling intentional!).

As for which autocompleteters I've used...ActiveWords is the only one. Lately, I've been using SpellCatcher Plus. Note, though, that SpellCatcher isn't an autocompleter, per se, it's really a very advanced Spell Checker and I am rethinking my announced intention to ask for a refund (I've gone so far as to make a note in my calendar to remind me when my 30 day grace period is up so that I can review what I want to do) because I really need a universal spell checker, not autocomplete.

Note that you can also import AHK scripts into DirectAccess, though this may not be particularly enticing as you can run AHK scripts from AHK! It's nice for me, though, as I've already got DirectAccess loaded and can download scripts and run them without having to run a secondary (or tertiary?) app.

[Darwin]

Has anyone looked closely at LetMeType? It was highlighted on Shell Extension City today. I'm realising that I am not the best person to be evaluating this kind of functionality because it drives me crazy! I'm a fast touch typist and I don't really need to have the computer finish words off for me (like spell checking, though)... Thus, I am not in a great position to assess whether or not this might "fit the bill"!

[urlwolf]

it's ok, not as good as intellicomplete in suggestion accuracy.
Not very ergonomic. I wouldn't use it.

[Darwin]

Hmm, too bad urlwolf! We'll just have to keep trying to find a solution for you. Hopefully, you'll get a taker on your recoding intellicomplete idea. Have you tried contacting the author to find out if they'd be willing to release the code, given that it's not longer actively developed/supported? I guess it's still a money maker for them thought, so the answer would probably be a curt "NO!"...

[justice]

the code to letmetype is already available.
however there's no multimonitor support which is a dealbreaker personally.

[Darwin]

Hi justice, I was referring to Inteillicomplete's code... but no worries!

[bmms]

Just found this topic.

The requested "text prediction intelli-autocomplete" feature is implemented in PhraseExpress v5 and has significantly improved in v6 .

Here is a video demo:
http://demo.phraseexpress.com

Additional background information in the manual:
http://manual.phraseexpress.com#autolearn

Basically, the text prediction feature continuosly listens to your text input and recognizes repetitive words and, more important, repetitive complete phrases which makes this system quite unique.

After you entered a phrase a few times, PhraseExpress starts suggesting to autocomplete the sentence for you if you start typing it again.

This feature does not depend on a static dictionary but only on your personal input; in any language and with any words. The dictionary does not need to be maintained in any way. Misspellings are sorted out automatically and new words are learned as you type. Passwords are not stored and excluded from PhraseExpress automatically.

We found that full-sentence auto-completion is much better than just to autocomplete single-words. Single-word autocompletion may generate too many suggestions whenever you start typing a new word; which can be distracting.

However, you can also configure PhraseExpress to suggest single words if you require it for a specific application:

Settings Screenshot

Single words can be suggestion either within a context or in independing of the context.

Example: The word "island" would not be suggested after you entered "The car is..." as it just would not fit to any meaningful context.

PhraseExpress is free for personal use:
http://www.phraseexpress.com

[urlwolf]

I tried PE in 3 different computers.

I could not get it to mimic intellicomplete. It may be interacting with something else I have installed.
My posts asking for help in their forum got deleted. I do not have time for fixing this when other alternatives worked out of the box for me.

[rjbull]

other alternatives worked out of the box for me.

-urlwolf (February 04, 2009, 06:08 AM)

urlwolf, which alternatives were those?

[urlwolf]

Right now I'm using typing assistant.
Not sure if I'll buy it though. I missed the DC discount.

[rjbull]

Right now I'm using typing assistant.  Not sure if I'll buy it though. I missed the DC discount.

-urlwolf (February 04, 2009, 09:37 AM)

It's been on GAOTD a couple of times, so that and Bits du Jour might be worth watching.

There's also
Instant Text (expensive but good)
Type Booster
Smart Type Assistant
Yadabyte SubText
Type Pilot
Texter
ShortCut
Comfort Keys
and probably plenty more to try!   

[bmms]

My posts asking for help in their forum got deleted.

-urlwolf (February 04, 2009, 06:08 AM)

I am sorry, if that is all you find worth mentioning about our support service after we tried our best to help by answering all your postings/emails and by even preparing a custom video tutorial for you. The forum disclaimer explains that we do not archive postings that are no help to the community in favour to keep the forum easy to browse for solutions. The deletion was definitely not meant as a sign that we do not care about problems.

It is quite the opposite as we have improved the text prediction feature and latest version 6.0.140 will do much better suggest individual word auto-completion. This development was actually triggered by your inquiry.

Download of the latest version:
http://www.phraseexpress.com/phraseexpress.exe

The unique benefit is that it not only suggests single words but will also start to suggest complete sentences in context once entered a few times.

Please find an updated step-by-step video tutorial here.

The text prediction feature can be fed by your own text input and/or pre-defined word lists, e.g. for medical or legal transcription, which can be easily imported.

I could not get it to mimic intellicomplete. It may be interacting with something else I have installed.

-urlwolf (February 04, 2009, 06:08 AM)

You may want to disable/shut down any other text replacement utility as running multiple such utilities at the same time may cause malfunction. It would be great if you would give it a try and share your experience.

[urlwolf]

I have to admit, the idea is good. So this uses context to complete.
Good, but it's impressively obscure to the user. I cannot, by the life of me, replicate the behavior you show in the general video. And I have been tweaking the parameters for about 30 mins now. This is borderline pathetic, so I'm not expending a minute longer on it.

By the way, (*) it offers plenty of non-helpful suggestions. It offered 'what about you?' in the place marked with a star.

I agree that you do seem to care about problems. But you have to see too that my time is very valuable and that the tool simply doesn't work for me.
Oh, a note on your forum policy. If you think that deleting posts because they are considered non-informative is ok, then I must say: you do not understand the web. You are free to do that as the forum is yours; but I'm free to call your lack of judgment and not to post ever again. The one other forum where this has happened to me was JRiver Media center's. I don't use the tool, nor post there, partly because of that. And I can assure you that the posts that got censored in both forums were most civic.

[bmms]

urlwolf, I can assure you that the video is no fake. It really works.

By the way, (*) it offers plenty of non-helpful suggestions.

Just right-click such text suggestion to permanently remove it in a snap. :-)

It offered 'what about you?' in the place marked with a star.

If you choose to get suggestions without context, then you get suggestions, perhaps our of a usable context. It works just as you configure it.

But you have to see too that my time is very valuable and that the tool simply doesn't work for me.

I am sorry to hear that. PhraseExpress is a no-brainer for most if used with the factory presets but it can also be configured and taylored to almost any need. Such customizability is at cost of complexity and this requires some involvement. We are sorry that it does not paid off in your particular case.

[Jimdoria]

I'll have to check out PhraseExpress. I'm currently using LetMeType for autocomplete, and Speed Typing (from Invention Pilot, colorpilot.com) for text replacement/correction.

I've only found one utility that did everything I wanted in one place, for free. It was a script called Slave that I found over at the AHK forums. The author seems to have abandoned it though, and when I asked if he would release the code, I think he replied that it was too amateurish and embarrassing to let out without a bunch of cleaning up.

The problem I typically have with these utilities is list management. Proprietary formats make it hard to port word lists from one app to another, something I really need to do if I'm going to consider switching.

[bmms]

I'll have to check out PhraseExpress. I'm currently using LetMeType for autocomplete, and Speed Typing (from Invention Pilot, colorpilot.com) for text replacement/correction.

-Jimdoria (February 04, 2009, 08:22 PM)

PhraseExpress actually integrates both features in one application. This means that sentences written with the help of text replacements (Autotext) are also recognized for the text prediction feature. Both features complement each other.

You can make static text snippets from any text prediction sentence you have accepted to insert by PhraseExpress. These will show up in the "Last Used" phrase folder and can be moved to any other of your custom phrase folders applied with an Autotext of your choice.

The problem I typically have with these utilities is list management. Proprietary formats make it hard to port word lists from one app to another, something I really need to do if I'm going to consider switching.

-Jimdoria (February 04, 2009, 08:22 PM)

PhraseExpress can import:

• Hotstrings from AutoHotkey
• DirectAccess command packs
• AutoCorrect and Autotext items from MS Word/Outlook
• Your sent Outlook emails for the text prediction feature
• Any plain text files containing word lists or sentences for the text prediction feature
• Any plain text containing phrase lists and optionally Autotext associations by using the separate free Importer tool

You can find more information at http://manual.phraseexpress.com#import and http://manual.phraseexpress.com#autolearn

There are many options with slight variations that may cause completely different results. So, if you have any question, we gladly help in our support forum.