Setting Contexts

…with TextExpander.

TextExpander, by SmileOnMyMac, allows you to use customized abbreviations to insert text that you use frequently (like email signatures or form information) into any document. The impact to anyone’s productivity would be huge and immediate.

I’d been trying to adapt this into my system for the past two weeks (while still acclimating to my new job). What really opened up this application for me was watching the MacBreak podcast (that I’d downloaded in February) where Leo Laporte and Merlin Mann (I’m such a fangirl!) walk through TextExpander.

Features: (from the website)
> Save thousands of keystrokes by using short abbreviations to insert frequently-used phrases and images
> Insert standard greetings and signatures — including formatted text and pictures
> Insert the current date and time in any format you prefer
> Add common typos to your snippet library–TextExpander will automatically correct them for you!
> Type special characters without having to launch a special characters palette
> Import snippets from other typing utilities, including Textpander, TypeIt4Me and > Typinator
> Trigger snippet expansions automatically by typing the abbreviations you specify, or use any one of over 30 delimiter characters as a trigger
> Position the cursor wherever you want in your expanded snippet.
> Programmers: make editor-independent code templates

The SmileOnMyMac website has a number of great resources including a FAQ’s, Online Help and a couple of pre-fab snippet files (Autocorrect snippets and HTML code snippets). There is also a chart comparing TextExpander to two of its competitors.

Now that it’s a part of me I don’t see what I ever did without it. Download TextExpander here – it’s well worth the $29.95.