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Table of ContentsWhat PhraseExpress can do for you Upgrade from previous versions First steps with PhraseExpressHow do I ...…paste a phrase into a document? …use PhraseExpress in a network? Macro functionsIntroduction to macro functions How do I……add the current date to a phrase? …call a phrase within another phrase? …add a counter variable into a phrase? …add manual text input to a phrase? …add a Windows environment variable into a phrase? …add a random number into a phrase? …create an email from a phrase? …launch an application from a phrase? …open a webpage from a phrase? …add a special key into a phrase? …add a special character into a phrase? …repeat a certain action multiple times? …change the focus to a certain application? …paste/copy from/to the Windows clipboard? MiscellaneousChanging the phrase file location Keeping PhraseExpress up-to-date TroubleshooterProblems with Autotext or hotkeys? Document Conventions
This symbol indicates a useful hint This symbol indicates very important notes and should be carefully read
Please find the first important information: Certain program menu items to change settings or adding/modifying may be removed from the PhraseExpress menu to avoid operating errors or accidental phrase deletion. Please contact your system administrator in case of questions What PhraseExpress can do for youPhraseExpress saves you from typing common phrases over and over again. The program organizes your frequently text phrases and allows pasting them into any application in a snap. General benefits
Special PhraseExpress benefits
System requirements
Upgrade from previous versionsImportant noteBackup your current phrase file before upgrading. any previous version cannot read/import the new phrase file format. Upgrade from version 3Just install the new version over the existing v3 installation. PhraseExpress v4 will automatically use and convert the previous phrase file to the new format. Upgrade from version 2Version 2 phrase files have the extension .dta and are usually located in the PhraseExpress program folder (c:/program files/phraseexpress/myphrases.dta) You can use old phrase files in the new version. Please refer to chapter "Import/Export phrases". We recommend to uninstall v2 first. Software installationPhraseExpress is being installed like any other usual Windows software - Just launch the installation program and follow the on-screen instructions. Program Installation video tutorial Conflict with MS OfficeThe PhraseExpress Autotext feature will interfere with the MS Office AutoCorrect functionality as both programs are triggered by your text input. You would recognize, that abbreviations are expendanded twice. We strongly suggest to import the MS Word AutoCorrect entries into PhraseExpress and to disable the function in Word (see Microsoft help). Installation variationsIf you have administrator rights when installing PhraseExpress, you can define precisely how PhraseExpress can be used by multiple users of this computer:
If you rather wish to use a central phrase file by multiple computers in a network, you would need to install the separate PhraseExpress Server of the Network Edition. Make sure to activate the network option during the installation procedure and allow PhraseExpress accessing the network when a firewall dialog pops up. Command line parameters useful for remote installations are explained here Important privacy informationPhraseExpress is designed to react on your keyboard input. This may sound obvious but unfortunately, Antispyware utilities may misinterprete PhraseExpress as being a Keylogger or spyware. Such security software often do not distinguish between harmless and potentially dangerous programs as they are triggered by any application which processes keyboard input. You can safely use PhraseExpress. PhraseExpress never sends any personal information over the internet.
When and why does PhraseExpress access the internet?
You can both options in the PhraseExpress settings. However, we strongly recommend to keep letting PhraseExpress check for updates as we continuosly improve the program an add new features. First steps with PhraseExpressAfter launching PhraseExpress the program icon appears in the lower right of the Windows system tray:
From now on, PhraseExpress will save you from typing same phrases again and over again... How to store a new text phraseIf you are typing something and you feel that you would need such phrase later again, you can store the text in PhraseExpress:
Do not worry if you are not sure what to type in the above dialog. The information can be edited later at any time. You can also disable this dialog by ticking if you generally want to edit above information later in the PhraseExpress. The phrase text is stored after confirming with . How to paste a phrase into an application?
You can also trigger a text phrase by following methods:
Phrase selection popupIf you enter an Autotext or hotkey which is defined for a phrase folder or used by multiple phrases, a popup window appears next to the mouse cursor, allowing you to select the desired phrase with following methods::
The selected phrase is being pasted into the target application with the ENTER key. You can cancel the paste procedure or phrase selection by hitting the ESC key. Make sure that the hotkey and/or Autotext feature is activated for the folder containing the desired phrase. You can display the Autotext definitions together with the phrase description in [] brackets, if you enable the option in the PhraseExpress Settings If the option is enabled, a short preview of the phrase contents is shown if you hover over a phrase description and wait for a short time. The preview is only shown, if the phrase content differs from the phrase description. How do I use hotkeys?A hotkey (or shortcut key, keyboard shortcut, key combo, etc.) is a set of keys associated to a certain phrase or folder. Example: Hold down the ALT and/or SHIFT and/or CTRL key and then press and release a single other regular key, and finally release the CTRL/ALT/SHIFT key(s). This distinction is important, as trying to press all the keys simultaneously will frequently either miss some of the keys, or cause unwanted auto-repeat.
You can define the same hotkey for multiple phrases and/or folders. When striking this hotkey, PhraseExpress would open a phrase selection popup next to your cursor and offer all items with the assigned hotkey (more information). You can temporarily disable the hotkey (and Autotext) feature by clicking the PhraseExpress program icon in the system tray while pressing the CTRL-key. The exclamation mark icon turns to grey to indicate that the hotkey/Autotext feature is disabled. Click on the PhraseExpress icon with the CTRL-key again to re-activate hotkeys/Autotext (not supported in Windows 98). Hotkeys defined in PhraseExpress can conflict with hotkeys used by other programs. Avoid frequently used hotkeys and try using combinations with the SHIFT/CTRL/ALT-key and a letter. A few hotkeys are firmly occupied by Windows (see list) and cannot be assigned in PhraseExpress. To isolate conflicts, close all other programs running on your computer and try the hotkey in Notepad. Then launch your other software programs while keep trying the hotkey. When the conflict arise you know which program interferes The hotkey feature must be enabled for the folder containing the phrase Hotkeys are temporarily disabled while the PhraseExpress settings window is open You can display the hotkey definitions together with the phrase description in () brackets, if you enable the option in the PhraseExpress Settings How do I use Autotext ?Autotext is a feature similar to MS Office's 'AutoCorrect' feature. It automatically replaces trigger phrases (the Autotext) with text phrases defined for the trigger phrase while you type:
Sample applications :
We strongly recommend to disable the Microsoft Office AutoCorrect function or delete Autocorrection phrases in MS Office which you also use in PhraseExpress to avoid interference between both functions If the Autotext feature does not work as expected, please try our troubleshooter Configure AutotextPhraseExpress continuosly listen what you type and scans whether your keyboard input matches any Autotext you have defined. Whenever your input matches any Autotext, the program replaces the Autotext with the corresponding text phrase. You can define whether Autotext shall be recognized only as full/separate words, within a word or at the beginning or end of a word:
The phrase is being inserted exactly after you type any delimiter character, such as a space, comma, period, semicolon or the Enter key. The delimiter character will not be removed following the pasted phrase, except if the Autotext itself contains a delimiter. Examples:
Automatic CAPS detectionIf the first letter of a phrase content is not a caps letter, PhraseExpress automatically set the first letter of your phrase in caps automatically, if you type the first letter of the Autotext in caps letter.
How do I edit text phrases?Click the PhraseExpress system tray icon If the menu item is missing, please contact your system administrator, who may have disabled the option to avoid operating errors
The tab of the PhraseExpress settings window opens:
If the tab is missing, the phrase file is either read-only, currently being edited by another user if using the Network Edition or the administrator has not granted edit rights. In this case, you may consult your system administrator. The left-hand tree view allows you to overview and manage your phrases and organize them in folders. You can create or delete phrases and folders and re-arrange their order. If a hotkey is assigned for an item it is displayed in brackets after the object's description. To edit a phrase or folder object, select it by clicking with the left mouse button on the desired object. You can select multiple objects at once when you press and hold CTRL and/or SHIFT while selecting the desired objects You can move objects by clicking the up/down buttons or with drag&drop. When clicking on a single object with the right mouse-button a pop-up menu with options to duplicate move or delete the selected object. Individual folders can also be imported/exported.
How do I find a certain text phrase?PhraseExpress offers two options to find a certain phrase, Autotext or hotkey: QuickSearchOpen PhraseExpress, change to the tab and click the magnifying glass button below the tree view and define for what you are looking for. A query input field will open below the phrase tree after selecting at least one search option. PhraseExpress will jump to the first match after you start typing the query string. If multiple hits are found then you can jump by hitting ENTER or pressing the button to the next finding. You can jump back to any previous finding by entering CTRL-ENTER or pressing the -button together with the CTRL-key By disabling all search options, you can hide the QuickSearch input field to save space You can also select whether you would like to see the search result within the phrase tree structure or as flat list. When hovering over a phrase in the list, the full path within the phrase tree is shown Find & ReplaceIf you would rather like to find a phrase within a certain folder (including sub-folders) or if you want to replace a string with another, right-click the desired phrase folder from the phrase tree view and select from the context popup menu. How do I set phrases as private?If you are using the PhraseExpress Network Edition you might want to have phrases which are exclusively visible to you. To mark phrases as personal, open PhraseExpress and right-click the desired phrase folder from the phrase tree view and select the option from the context popup menu. Once the option appears as ticked in this menu, only you can see the folder, the phrases and any subfolder. You are being identified by PhraseExpress by your computer login name. This means that if you log onto a different PC in the network, you can see your private phrases there as well. Your private phrases are still stored on the central Server PC but there are only transmitted to your PC. Note, that the original owner/creator of the folder can always see the folder and its contents. How can I import/export text phrases?The powerful import/export-feature allows you to export any phrase file folder as as a independingly usable phrase file. You can also merge multiple phrase files by importing them into PhraseExpress. Importing a phrase fileClick the PhraseExpress system tray icon
In the following dialog please select the file format of the file to be imported and point to the location. You can alternatively right-click the desired phrase file directly and select from the context menu. PhraseExpress will import the phrase file into the root path and offers to organize your phrases. You can import phrases from previous PhraseExpress v2 if you set file format to the 'All files'. Macros and special characters are not converted though and must be manually adjusted to the new macro syntax . Importing Microsoft Word AutoCorrect/Autotext entriesYou can also import your existing MS Office AutoCorrect and Autotext entries into PhraseExpress. Any doublettes with other misspelling entries in the current phrase file will be removed from the imported items and PhraseExpress offers to disable the AutoCorrect function in MS Word. This is strongly recommended to avoid double triggering. If you use the Network Edition, the imported folder will be set private as personal AutoCorrect are most likely used personally and not be shared with all other users. AutoText entries of the new Microsoft Office 2007 may not fully work yet. Exporting phrasesRight-click the desired folders which includes the phrases you would like to export, select Export from the pop-up menu and then define the phrase file target directory. The exported XML phrase can be independently used in PhraseExpress. Phrases can not be exported to the old v2 or v3 format. Phrases are always exported with data encryption to maintain data security. How do I use PhraseExpress in a network?If you wish to use a central phrase file by multiple computers in a network, you would need to install the separate PhraseExpress Server of the Network Edition which provides following features:
ImportantIf using the Network Edition, make sure to have the network function enabled in the PhraseExpress settings of the local installation. Please find further information in the manual of the Network Edition. Macro functionsPhraseExpress offers powerful macro functions to add dynamic text to your phrases (e.g. adding the current date, time or counting variables, etc), to launch applications, documents or to open programs:
Click on a macro function name above to learn more about it in the corresponding manual chapter. Macro functions can be added to a phrase text as usual text in the input field Phrase contents or by clicking the button. When using the phrase later, PhraseExpress will replace the macros with the desired dynamic content. Example of a phrase containing macro functions: Today is {#date}. The time now is {#time}. You can also nest macros into each other to fulfill powerful and flexible tasks. Example of a nested macro function:{#rnd {#input Max value?}} This macro opens a text input box and outputs a random number between zero and the value you have entered. If a macro function is not executed please carefully check for typos Adding the current date to a PhrasePhraseExpress includes macro commands to add dynamic contents to your text phrases. General information about macro functions can be found in chapter "Using macros" Create a a phrase and add the macro function {#date}, {#time} or {#datetime} at the desired position: Today is {#date}. The current time is {#time}. Whenever you use this text phrase the macro commands in {..} will be replaced with the current date and/or time: Today is 03/12/2007. The current time is 10:34. The output format of the date and time equals the regional settings as defined in MS Windows. Formatting of the date and timeThe powerful macro function {#datetime -f format -s shift} allows to select individual parts of a date or time and to change the order. Replace format with the desired date/time units as listed below:
Overview about the date/time parameters:
Time shiftYou can also shift the current date and time output by using the optional parameter -s shift Replace shift with the positive/negative amount of shift and directly after the amount add which date/time unit should be shifted:
Number of days/weeks passed of the current year{#datetime -d} outputs the number of the days passed of the current year. {#datetime -w} outputs the number of weeks passed of the current year. Calling a phrase out of another phraseA very powerful function is the ability to nest phrases by calling phrases out of another phrase. This is useful e.g. when creating a email signature which is used by multiple other phrases. To do that, place the macro function {#insert Autotext} where you would like to have the other phrase which is defined by its Autotext. Let's assume, you have created this text phrase: Hello, thank you for your offer. We will reply to you as soon as possible. {#insert footer_jon} At the end of above phrase you can see that it calls another phrase with the Autotext footer_jon and following contents: Kind regards, The rendered text phrase from above would look like this when being pasted: Hello, thank you for your offer. We will reply to you as soon as possible. Kind regards, You can also use an autotext for a phrase folder. In such case, the corresponding phrase folder would popup a the present cursor's location and you can select the desired phrase. When using the optional parameter -random, PhraseExpress would paste a random phrase from within the corresponding folder. Example: {#insert Autotext -random} You can also drag&drop phrases from the phrase tree directly into the phrase contents field of the phrase you are currently editing. PhraseExpress will create the macro command at the position where you drop the phrase for you. If the inserted phrase does not yet have the required Autotext, then PhraseExpress creates one for you based on the description leading with '##'. Benefits of using nested phrases
We strongly recommend to start using nested phrases as they are really useful and you surely do not want to miss them once you get used to it. Adding a counter variable in a phrasePhraseExpress allows you to create an unlimited amount of counter variables with custom start value and incrementor/decrementor. Creating a variableVariables are handled just like usual phrases. Open the and right-click the location in the tree view where you would like to create the variable and select from the pop-up menu:
Alternatively, create a new standard phrase and enter a number as the . PhraseExpress will then ask you whether the phrase shall be converted into a variable. On the right window pane you need to define a , the , optionally an and - most important- the (which is also interpreted as the ). If you do not enter a variable name, PhraseExpress will take the description as the variable name If you set the incrementor to zero, the variable keeps the static value You can now paste the variable as a value into any application. The practical use is however to use a variable inside another phrase using the macro function {#var ..} where it could be used as an order number: Hello, your order has the order number {#var ordernr}. Thank you for your purchase. Kind regards, Each time you use this phrase, the current variable value would be inserted and increased/decreased as specified for this variable. Adding a manual text input into a phraseThe macro function {#input -head windowtitle} allows you to enter additional text which will be inserted in the phrase at the position where this macro is positioned. Example: Dear {#input -head Recipient's name?}! Thank you for your email. We will reply as soon as possible. Best regards, Whenever you call this phrase, PhraseExpress opens below dialog window with the window title as specified in the macro function ("Recipient's name?" in this example) and allows you to enter additional text before the phrase is actually pasted:
After clicking OK (or hitting CTRL-ENTER), the entered text will replace the macro function in the phrase and the output would look like: Dear Frank Harris! Thank you for your email. We will reply as soon as possible. Best regards, Additional parameters for {#input}
If you need the text input at multiple positions within a phrase, just use the identical window title text for all macro functions and you only need to enter the input once and the input will be used for all instances. Adding a Windows environment variable to a phraseThe macro function {#env %variable%}pastes the specified Windows environment variable. Example: The operating system is {#env %os%} and the user name is {#env %username%} outputs: The operating system is Windows_NT and the user name is Jon Donson Adding a random value into a phraseThe macro function {#rnd maximum} pastes a random value between 0 and the specified maximum value. Example: This is a random value: {#rnd 100} The output would be: This is a random value: 23 Creating an emailThe macro function {#email -to recipient -cc cc-recipients -bcc bcc-recipients -subject subject text -body body text} creates a new Email with your standard email client and fills the fields as specified. Example: {#email -to holly@would.net -subject News for you -body {#insert examplephrase}} The macro will launch your default email client, fill the form of the new email and pastes the phrase with the Autotext as the email body: Dear Holly , please check your post mailbox at home. Sincerely , This is how the composed email would look like:
When strange characters appear in the mail body, you seem to be using an email program with UTF-8 character encoding (e.g. Outlook 2007). In such case, please enable UTF-8 support in the PhraseExpress expert settings Launching a program from a phraseThe macro function {#run"c:\path\application.exe" "-myparameter" "c:\myworkingdirectory"} launches the specified program. Example: {#run notepad.exe} If the desired application not registered in Windows, you need to enter the full path to the program Open a file from a phraseThe macro function {#open file} opens the specified file with the application which is associated to the file. Example: {#open d:\data\example.txt} Open a web page from a phraseThe macro function {#url web page} opens the specified web page in your default internet browser. Example: {#url http://www.phraseexpress.com} Adding special keys into a phraseSpecial keys on your keyboard are being added as macro functions to your phrase:
Overview about the reserved keywords for all supported special keys:CTRL, ALT, SHIFT, SPACE, BKSP, TAB, BREAK, DEL, LEFT, RIGHT, UP, DOWN, ENTER, ESC, STANDBY, NUMPAD0, NUMPAD1, NUMPAD2, NUMPAD3, NUMPAD4, NUMPAD5, NUMPAD6, NUMPAD7, NUMPAD8, NUMPAD9, MULTIPLY, ADD, SEPARATOR, SUBTRACT, DECIMAL, DIVIDE, F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6, F7, F8, F9, F10, F11, F12, F13, F14, F15, F16, INS, HOME, END, PGDN, PGUP, PRTSC, SCROLLLOCK, NUMLOCK, CAPSLOCK, LWIN, RWIN, NONE Notes for certain special keys:
Adding a special character into a phraseThe macro function {#ASC character code} pastes the special character with the three-digit character code as you would use the ALT-key while entering the three-digit character code on the extended number block. Example: The copyright-symbol © can be pasted by using the macro {#ASC 169}. The MS Windows utility Charmap offers you an overview about the special characters including their code number. Switching the focus to another applicationThe macro function {#FOCUS window title} changes the focus to the specified running Windows application based on its windows title (e.g. "calculator"). If the specified application is not running, the current focus remains to the active application. Example: {#FOCUS Calculator} The above macro changes the focus to the calculator program (if it is running). You can also use a wildcard * for the windows title Adding a delay{#SLEEP nnnn} This function let PhraseExpress wait for specified amount of nnnn milliseconds. This is useful, if another application involved requires a certain time to be launched or a website to be loaded. Loop function{#LOOP -count x} repeats anything x-times what follows after 'LOOP'. Example: {#LOOP Example{#ENTER} -count 3} Das hier verwendete Beispiel gibt das Wort 'Beispiel' dreimal untereinander aus: Example Example Example Clipboard{#CLIPBOARD -copy} This macro copies the currently highlighted text into the Windows clipboard. {#CLIPBOARD -paste} This macro pastes the current Windows clipboard contents at the current cursor location within a phrase. Program statesPhraseExpress has different states which are indicated by its task tray icon color:
Hotkeys used in PhraseExpressPhraseExpress temporarily uses a few hotkeys when the program window is open:
PhraseExpress hotkeys are temporarily disabled when the cursor is placed in the hotkey input field to allow you to enter/use above hotkeys for your phrases/folders. Program settingsThe PhraseExpress program settings can be accessed via the PhraseExpress system tray icon If the menu item is missing, please contact your system administrator, who may have disabled the option to avoid operating errors The several options in the settings dialog are actually self-describing and we would like to avoid redundant descriptions such as "The Option Activate Autotext activates Autotext". Most settings provide additional information if you hover over a program settings item. Please just experiment with the settings. If you have any particular question, do not hesitate to contact us Expert optionsAs the name may imply, the expert options are for those who would like to configure PhraseExpress in a sophisticated way. Normal users really do not do bother with them.
Registering the Pro EditionIf you are using PhraseExpress in a commercial/educational environment, you would need to purchase either a Pro Edition or Network license. Video tutorial - How to enter the license key You can easily turn your existing installation into a Pro Edition:
After successful registration, the program title bar contains "PhraseExpress Pro" and you can now use PhraseExpress for commercial purposes. If you use the PhraseExpress Network Edition, no license key input is required on the workstation installation. The PhraseExpress Server handles all license keys centrally. General hintsOf course, we also use PhraseExpress since its first version in 2002 and collected a few hints to help you to get the maximum out of PhraseExpress:
Time savings calculationBased on your individual typing skills and the amount of letters pasted by PhraseExpress, the daily time savings is calculated accurately. You will quickly realize that PhraseExpress pays off after a few hours of using it. The program even tells you the money you have saved by using it. To access the statistics, click the PhraseExpress program symbol In this section you can also enter your average typing speed (in keystrokes per minute) or let PhraseExpress do a quick typing skills test to determine an accurate value. This just takes less than a minute. Overview about common typing rates
PhraseExpress assumes you need an average 5 seconds to select a phrase. PhraseExpress informs you about your individual time savings every time you launch the program. This can be disabled in the Pro Edition only Important noteGathering information about computer user's performance may violate employee's privacy protection laws in your country. Make sure that it is legal to use such function or disable it Changing the phrase file locationTo check or change the phrase file location, click the PhraseExpress system tray icon The initial phrase file location after installation depends on the user rights during the PhraseExpress installation:
You can redefine the phrase file's location at any time, individually for each user if you have not enabled the option during the installation. In this case, only the administrator can change the phrase file location. If the option Always automatically use the network phrase file if Server is available is enabled, then PhraseExpress always switches automatically to the network phrase file as provided from the server service. If you are using the Pro Edition and if the server connection gets lost, PhraseExpress automatically reverts to the local phrase file if any has been specified. The phrase file must be local. The separate Network Edition allows accessing a phrase file over a network connection If the selected phrase file has read-only access rights, PhraseExpress removes all menu options to create or edit phrases (as they could not be stored anyway) If you want to share common phrases with multiple users on the same computer, make sure that all users have access rights to the desired phrase file location The phrase contents, autotexts and descriptions are encrypted in the phrase file. The encryption is optimized for speed performance (rather than security). If you need additional encryption security, we recommend to store the PhraseExpress in an encrypted disk volume created by the 3rd party utility TrueCrypt. Data backupPhraseExpress automatically creates a backup of the phrase file each time you save changes to the phrase file. The backup file is located in the same folder as the main phrase file and has the file extension .bak. Changes to the phrase file are saved to the phrase file whenever you close the program or when you click the OK button in the setting window. The Backup-file is a copy of the original phrase file before the changes are made. If you would like to discard accidental changes to your phrase file of if the original phrase file cannot be read anymore, please do the following:
Important NoteFrequently backup your phrase file to a different storage media to eliminate the slightest risk to loose your data in case of hard disk failure. Hard disks can break - And they do when you do not expect it! Keeping PhraseExpress up-to-dateWe continuously improve PhraseExpress and you can keep the program up-to-date with the built-in internet update check. To check manually for updates, connect your computer to the internet and click the PhraseExpress system tray icon If the menu item is missing, please contact your system administrator, who may have disabled the option to avoid operating errors The online update is temporarily deactivated while PhraseExpress is connected to the PhraseExpress Server of the Network Edition. In this case, you can use the Client Manager to check for updates. UninstallationPhraseExpress can be uninstalled via Start The phrase file is not deleted when uninstalling PhraseExpress to avoid data loss. You can safely delete this file manually if you do not need your personal phrase file anymore. Technical SupportIf you have any technical problem, please visit: http://support.phraseexpress.com Background informationIn this chapter, administrators can find technical background information. This information is not useful for normal users and can be ignored safely. Installation logicFollowing installation scenarios are recognized by PhraseExpress::
Command line parameters for the PhraseExpress installation file (vs. the program file)
Command line parameters for the PhraseExpress program file
PhraseExpress Network EditionPlease find the Network Edition manual here. TroubleshooterProblems with Autotext or hotkeys?Trouble-shooting video tutorial Does a certain Autotext/hotkey not work at all?
Are Autotext phrases unwantedly triggered?
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