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Table of Contents - PhraseExpress v5What PhraseExpress can do for you Upgrade from previous versions First steps with PhraseExpressHow do I...…paste a phrase into a document? …use the Text Prediction feature? …access the last used phrases? …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? …embed external text/bitmap into a phrase? …add a Windows environment variable into a phrase? …add an ActiveDirectory LDAP variable into a phrase? …add a random number into 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? Never read manuals?No problem, PhraseExpress can be explored without additional instructions up to a certain degree but you will certainly miss a few killer features. We strongly recommend you to read the tips & tricks section at least! Document ConventionsYou are currently reading this documentation in your browser program which allows you to jump between sections, set bookmarks or to print this manual.
This symbol indicates a useful hint. Tips & Tricks are marked with this icon. These hints simplify the use of PhraseExpress with procedures which you may not find by just using the software. This symbol indicates very important notes.
Here is the first information: Program menu items to change settings or to modify data may be removed from the PhraseExpress menu to avoid operating errors or prevent accidental phrase deletion. Please contact your system administrator in case of questions. What PhraseExpress can do for youPhraseExpress increases your productivity:
Special PhraseExpress benefitsPhraseExpress does all that you can expect from a text snippets organizer program but additionally offers quite a few unique extras:
This is new in version 5
System requirements
Upgrade from previous versionsPhraseExpress can use the phrase file of any previous PhraseExpress version and automatically convert it to the new format. Important noteBackup your current phrase file before upgrading. The new version will convert the phrase file to a new format in order to support new features. Previous versions are not able to read the new phrase file format. Upgrade from version 2Version 2 phrase files are usually located at c:/program files/phraseexpress/myphrases.dta You can import old phrase files in the new version. We recommend that you uninstall v2 first. Upgrade from version 3 or 4Just install the new version over the existing v3 installation. PhraseExpress v5 will automatically use and convert the previous phrase file to the new format. Software installationDouble-click the installation program and follow the on-screen instructions to install PhraseExpress. Program Installation video tutorial The PhraseExpress Autotext feature will interfere with the MS Office AutoCorrect functionality as both programs are triggered by your text input. You will recognize, that abbreviations are expanded twice. We strongly recommend that you import the MS Word AutoCorrect entries into PhraseExpress and disable the function in Word (see Microsoft help). Installation variationsYou can precisely define how PhraseExpress is used by multiple users on this computer:
Any user uses his own phrase file. If you prefer to share a common phrase file for multiple users in a network, you will need to install the separate PhraseExpress Server of the Network Edition. Command line parameters for remote installations are explained here. Important privacy informationPhraseExpress is designed to react to your keyboard input. This may sound obvious but unfortunately, some Antivirus/Antispyware utilities may misinterpret PhraseExpress as being a Keylogger or spyware. Such 'security' software often cannot 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. Period.
When and why does PhraseExpress access the internet?
You can disable both options in the PhraseExpress settings. However, we strongly recommend that you keep allowing PhraseExpress check for updates as we continuously improve the program and 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 the same phrases over and over again. Actually, you do not need to do anything special after installing and launching PhraseExpress. The Text Prediction feature will automatically begin to offer repetitive phrases for insertion after a while. But you can also store text snippets manually: Storing a new text phraseIf you are typing a sentence or term and feel that you might need that phrase also on other occasion, you can easily store the text in PhraseExpress for future access:
The item is stored after being confirmed with or it can be discarded with . When using the task tray icon menu command , the phrase is always stored in the top level of your phrase file structure. You can also store a new phrase directly into a specific folder if you have set up a folder structure: Just assign a hotkey to the folder. If you later open this folder by entering the hotkey and hit the Arrow-Up key one time, you get instant access to the command and the new phrase will be stored directly in this particular folder. Pasting a phrase into an application
You can also trigger a text phrase by the following methods:
Phrase selection popupIf you enter an Autotext or hotkey which is defined for a phrase folder or assigned to multiple phrases, a popup window appears next to the mouse cursor, allowing you to select the desired phrase with the following methods:
The selected phrase is then pasted into the target application with the confirmation hotkey TAB. You can close the popup menu at any time by hitting the ESC key. If you hit the Arrow-up/-down key at least once, you can trigger the phrase also by simply hitting ENTER (instead of the confirmation key) You can display the Autotext definitions together with the phrase description in [] brackets, if you enable the option in the program 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. You can instantly edit any phrase by clicking the item with the right mouse button in the popup menu How to use hotkeysA hotkey (or shortcut key, keyboard shortcut, key combo, etc.) is a set of keys associated with 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 will 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. Hotkeys defined in PhraseExpress can conflict with hotkeys used by other programs. Avoid frequently used hotkeys and try using combinations with the CTRL- , ALT-, SHIFT- key and a letter. A few hotkeys are firmly reserved 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 trying the hotkey. When the conflict arises you know which program is interfering. 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 under How to use AutotextAutotext 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 :
If the Autotext feature does not work as expected, please try our troubleshooter. You can import your existing Microsoft Office AutoCorrect and Autotext entries into PhraseExpress. If you do wish to prevent the execution of a particular Autotext, click with the mouse just before you expect the Autotext execution. If you wish to delete an unwanted Autotext text replacment, click the PhraseExpress task tray icon in the lower right while holding the SHIFT-key right after such unwanted replacement. You can then alter or delete the phrase in the editor window. Configure AutotextPhraseExpress continuously listens to 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, if you type the first letter of the Autotext in caps letter. If you type at least the first two letters of an Autotext in caps, then the complete phrase will be pasted in caps letters. Examples for the Autotext 'max':
How to edit text phrasesClick the PhraseExpress icon 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 the tab is missing, then the phrase file is either read-only, or is currently being edited by another user (if using the Network Edition), or the administrator has not granted edit rights. To edit a phrase or folder, 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. Right-click a single object to make a pop-up menu appear with the options: duplicate, move or delete (the selected object).
How to find a certain text phrasePhraseExpress offers two options to find a certain phrase, Autotext or hotkey: QuickSearchOpen PhraseExpress. In the tab, click the magnifying glass button below the tree view, then choose search options from the option popup. 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 entry. You can jump back to any previous entry by entering CTRL-ENTER or pressing the -button together with the CTRL-key You can also select whether you would like to see the search result within the phrase tree structure or as a flat list. When hovering over a phrase in the list, the full path within the phrase tree is shown CTRL-clicking the magnifying glass button opens the Find & Replace window. Right-clicking the magnifying glass button toggles the display of the search input field. If you need to edit the last used phrase, click the PhraseExpress task tray icon in the lower right while holding the SHIFT-key. Find & ReplaceIf you would 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 to set phrases as privateIf you are using the PhraseExpress Network Edition you might want to have phrases which are exclusively visible to you. To mark a phrase folder as private, 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 login user name. This means that if you log onto a different PC in the network, you can see your private phrases there as well. Additionally, you can define access rights for certain folders based on the user name, workgroups, domain names and user groups: Highlight the phrase folder, click on the button and click the button to make such settings. Your private phrases are still stored on the central Server PC but they are only visible to you. Note, that the original owner/creator of the folder can always see that folder and its contents. How to import/export text dataThe powerful import/export-feature allows you to export any phrase file folder as as a independently usable phrase file. You can also merge multiple phrase files into a single phrase file or add text data from other applications by importing them into PhraseExpress. Importing a phrase fileClick the PhraseExpress system tray icon You can alternatively right-click the desired phrase file in the Windows Explorer and select from the Explorer context menu. PhraseExpress will import the phrase file into the root path and offers to filter out duplicate entries and to organize your phrases. You can also import text phrases from GhostTyperXML by selecting the appropriate .GTX file type Text data from other application can also be dynamically embedded using a variety of macro functions, such as {#env}, {#adldap} or {#textfile}. Importing Microsoft Word AutoCorrect/Autotext entriesYou can also import your existing MS Office AutoCorrect and Autotext entries into PhraseExpress. Doubles of misspelled 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. Importing text dataThe separate import utility allows you to create a phrase file from any sort of volume text data which can then be imported as described above. It can be downloaded free of charge from our website. 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. Any access rights are removed from exported phrase files. How to use the Text Prediction featureThe text prediction feature is fully automatic and requires no manual configuration. If the feature is enabled at Settings Please try to type repetitive sentences identically in order to allow PhraseExpress to identify them as a repetitive input. You can select from multiple choices in the popup menu using the mouse or arrow up-/down key and let them paste for you. The menu automatically disappears if you ignore it and continue to type a few letters. Unwanted text suggestion items can be deleted by right-clicking them in the popup-menu. The Text Prediction feature is integrated into PhraseExpress but uses a dictionary separate from the phrases which you have manually defined. You can transfer any phrase suggested by the Text Prediction feature into your standard phrases library via the special phrase folder named in the phrase tree (Learn more). The text prediction feature can be temporarily disabled by clicking the PhraseExpress tray icon together with the CTRL-key. If you do not get any text suggestion check trouble-shooting section. How it worksSmart algorithms determine the phrase suggestions depending on following parameters:
PhraseExpress only suggests single and complete sentences, separated by punctuation marks followed by either ENTER, SPACE or TAB. Text Prediction SettingsWe are aware that a text prediction is generally a compromise between productivity increase and distraction caused by inappropriate/useless suggestions. PhraseExpress can't beat this natural law but allows you to adjust the accuracy, amount and frequency of text suggestions. You can reach these settings via Settings PrecisionThe precision affects how well a phrase must fit into the gathered text information stored by the text prediction feature:
We recommend enabling the option: PhraseExpress will automatically increase the precision step-by-step if you ignore too many suggestions and lower the parameter if no suggestions are made anymore. If you are satisfied with the result after using PhraseExpress a while, you can disable the automatic precision determination to make the setting permanent. Maximimum number of suggestionsThis parameter defines the maximum number of suggestions in the popup menu.
Selecting anything between 3..7 may be a good choice for typical office applications. Learn functionThe Text Prediction feature is fully automatic and the phrase suggestions become more and more accurate by just using PhraseExpress. You can however drastically shorten the learning curve by letting PhraseExpress look into the past: The can read your sent Outlook emails or text documents to get accustomed to your writing style. Open the Settings You only need to scan your Outlook emails one time (as your written emails probably won't change in the meantime). If you have a very large Outlook file, you may need to exclude old emails to be imported in order to limit the data amount. Minimum input savingsThe parameter Minimum input savings means the difference between what you already have entered and the total length of a text suggestion. Consequently, this parameter defines how many keystrokes you would save if you accept a text suggestion. Example:You have typed "thank yo" and the suggestion would be "thank you for your time.". If accepting the suggestion at this time would save you entering the remaining "u for your time." which are 16 keystrokes. We recommend to set this value to at least 15..20. There is little benefit of saving 3..5 characters as the time to evaluate the text suggestions would exceed the time required to finish the last 3..5 characters of the sentence. Just keep in mind that the higher the Minimum input savings parameter, the longer the sentences that are suggested. This parameter works against the precision parameter: If you set a high precision value, then PhraseExpress waits with suggestions until you entered a few words, thus if you also define a high Minimum input savings parameter then the sentence must be really long in order to be suggested. Word expirationThe text suggestion feature is based on an encrypted dictionary file word.pal which continuously stores any word (including misspellings) you enter while PhraseExpress is running. To prevent data overload, PhraseExpress automatically removes unused words after the customizable expiration term. If you set a short expiration term of just a few days, the dictionary becomes smaller and unused words disappear quickly. The downside is that PhraseExpress will not offer rarely used text snippets which may otherwise have been useful. You can freeze a certain state of the text prediction dictionary by changing the dictionary file (/MyDocuments/PhraseExpress/words.pal) access rights to read-only. The command-line parameter allows you to launch PhraseExpress with a certain dictionary at start-up (See here). This provides quick access to dictionaries for different tasks or languages. Exit PhraseExpress first before loading a new dictionary. How to use the clipboard cacheWindows normally overwrites any Clipboard contents if you copy anything new into the Clipboard. The PhraseExpress clipboard cache feature now caches previous clipboard contents and provide quick access via a special phrase folder. This feature also allows you to save multiple phrases in a batch if you simply copy mutiple strings into the clipboard and organize the snippets in PhraseExpress later. The clipboard cache can be disabled by simply deleting the special folder from the phrases tree under We recommend to assign the hotkey CTRL-ALT-v to this special folder: CTRL-v is the system hotkey to paste the current clipboard content and CTRL-ALT-v would consequently popup the history. How to access the last used phrasesPhraseExpress can copy the last inserted phrases into a special system folder within your existing phrases structure. This feature is useful if you need to cycle access to a limited set of phrases for repetitive insertion, e.g. when filling a batch of similar forms. We recommend to set a hotkey or Autotext for this system phrase folder. This folder also serves as a data 'bridge' between the text suggestion feature and your phrase library. Any accepted text suggestion is copied to the folder. You can disable this system folder by simply deleting it from in the phrase tree in phrases. The system folder can be re-enabled in the program settings. How to use PhraseExpress in a networkIf you would like to share a central phrase file with multiple users, you need to install the separate PhraseExpress Server of the Network Edition. Multiple users can share phrases and use personal phrases at the same time. ImportantIf using the Network Edition, make sure to have the network function enabled at Settings If the client is connected to the PhraseExpress Server, the exclamation mark in the task tray icon turns green and the program title bar bears the word 'Network' (also see chapter Status). Network phrase file cachingWhile the network connection is interrupted (e.g. if you are travelling with your laptop), PhraseExpress uses a cached version of the latest status of the network phrase file and the task tray icon is blank (also see chapter Status). These temporarily cached phrases cannot be modifed to avoid version conflicts if the computer is re-connected to the PhraseExpress Server. PhraseExpress automatically switches back to the current network phrase file upon network re-connection. Automatic Server SearchYou can enable the automatic server search via Settings By default, PhraseExpress continuously searches the PhraseExpress Server in the network (using a UDP broadcast poll via a customizable port 1036). If the PhraseExpress Server recognizes a poll it welcomes the client by providing the current Server PC's IP address via a customizable UDP port and the client installation will download the phrases from the server. Once the client installation receives the IP address, it will first try to connect to this IP address on every client restart. Only if the server can't be found anymore, then the client will start sending broadcast polls again. You can disable broadcast polls by manually defining the Server IP address, using a local phrase file or if you disable the network function in the client. Manual Server IP addressIf the Server PC's IP address is permanent, you can enter it manually to allow faster connection and to disable the client's broadcast polls. This also allows you to access the PhraseExpress Server via the internet (where polling via UDP would fail). The client will not find the Server again if the IP address changed in the meantime unless you enter the new IP address or switch to automatic server search (see above). Please find more information about using PhraseExpress in a network in the Network Edition manual. 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 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 the chapter "Using macros" Create 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 will be the regional settings as defined in MS Windows. Formatting of the date and timeThe powerful macro function {#datetime -f format -s shift} allows you 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 usefulwhen creating an 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 above rendered text phrase 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 a case, the corresponding phrase folder would pop up at the present cursor's location and you can select the desired phrase. When using the optional parameter -random, PhraseExpress will 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. If the inserted phrase does not yet have the required Autotext, then PhraseExpress creates one for you based on the description beginning with '##'. Benefits of using nested phrases
We strongly recommend that you try using nested phrases, they are extremely useful and you really appreciate this feature. Adding a counter variable in a phrasePhraseExpress allows you to create an unlimited number of counter variables with custom start values and an 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 should 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 way to use a variable is 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 will 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 the following 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 will 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%} inserts the specified Windows environment variable into the phrase. Example: The operating system is {#env %os%} and the user name is {#env %username%} Above phrase is rendered at the time of exection as follows: The operating system is Windows_NT and the user name is Jon Donson Adding a ActiveDirectory LDAP variable to a phraseThe macro function {#adldap variable name} inserts the specified LDAP variable into the phrase. This macro is useful e.g. for email signatures which are dynamically filled by the ActiveDirectory variables. Example: Kind regards, {#adldap Name} Phone {#adldap Phone} Above phrase is rendered at the time of exection as follows: Kind regards, 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 paste the phrase with the Autotext as the email body: Dear Holly , please check your post mailbox at home. Sincerely , The composed email would look like this:
When strange characters appear in the mail body, it may be because you are using an email program with UTF-8 character encoding (e.g. Outlook 2007). In such a case, please enable UTF-8 support in the PhraseExpress expert settings The email is sent via a mailto: system command which is limited in size by the operating system. Reduce the amount of text if an error message occurs. 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 is not registered in Windows, you need to enter the full path to the program. Open a file folderThe above macro function {#openfolder "c:\path"} opens the specified file folder in the Windows Explorer. Example:{#openfolder "C:\Windows"} This example opens the folder c:/Windows. If you add the parameter -select, Windows Explorer opens the above folder and highlights the specified folder. {#openfolder "C:\Windows" -select} Open a file from a phraseThe macro function {#open file} opens the specified file with the application which is associated with 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 can be added as macro functions to your phrase:
List of 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 of 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 on 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 lets PhraseExpress wait for a specified amount of nnnn milliseconds. This is useful, if another application involved requires a certain amount of time to be launched or a website to be loaded. Loop function{#LOOP -count x} repeats anything x-times, that is, the number which follows after 'LOOP'. Example: {#LOOP Example{#ENTER} -count 3} The example used here uses the word 'example' three times: 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. Other clipboard related macro functionsThe macro function {#INSERTCLIPBOARD} pastes the clipboard contents chars-wise (key-by-key) instead of triggering the system clipboard paste (like if you would strike CTRL-C). This specific macro is useful when you wish to use the current clipboard contents as a default value for a manual text input: {#INPUT -head Input? -def {#INSERTCLIPBOARD}} The macro function {#SETCLIPBOARD contents} fills the clipboard with the given contents. Example:{#SETCLIPBOARD {#INPUT Text?}} In this example, the clipboard is filled with the text you enter in the input dialog (keep in mind that macros are processed beginning from the innermost macro). Embed external text file{#TEXTFILE file} This macro function inserts the contents of a plain text file into the phrase at the time when the phrase is pasted. The data is not stored within the phrase but only the link to the external file. This macro is ignored if the file does not exist. Embed external bitmap file{#IMGFILE filename} This macro function inserts an external .BMP, .JPG, .TIFF or .PNG bitmap into the phrase. The bitmap is not stored within the phrase but only the link to it. This macro is ignored if the file does not exist. Define the paste method for a specific phrase{#PASTEOPTIONS -pastespeed delay in milliseconds -method kbk or cb} This macro function overrides the automatic selection of the paste method for a particular phrase. You can also define the paste speed here (in milliseconds delay per keypress). Either use kbk for the key-by-key paste method or cb if you want the phrase to be pasted using the Windows clipboard. This macro must be positioned at the beginning of 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 Several options in the settings dialog describe themselves so we are avoiding 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 need to 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 have used PhraseExpress since its first version in 2002 and collected a few hints to help you to get the maximum benefits out of PhraseExpress:
"Undocumented" hacksPhraseExpress includes some hidden pearls and useful tricks for power users:
Time savings calculationBased on your individual typing skills and the amount of letters pasted by PhraseExpress, the daily time savings can be 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 of your individual time savings every time you launch the program. This can be disabled in the Pro Edition only Important noteGathering information about the computer user's performance may violate an employee's privacy protection laws in your country. Make sure that it is legal to use this function or disable it File location of your personal dataPhraseExpress saves your personal data in following locations:
Phrase file location To check or change the phrase file location, click the PhraseExpress system tray icon Click the File open button to point to another phrase file. Or click the New file button to create a new and empty phrase file and define the phrase file location when being prompted. The phrase file must be local. The separate Network Edition allows accessing a phrase file over a network connection and share phrases with multiple users on multiple computers. If the 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. Phrase file location when using the Network EditionIf you use the Network Edition, then you will find the IP address of the PhraseExpress Server as the phrase file location (e.g. 192.168.123.144:1026) If the client temporarily loses the network connection, PhraseExpress uses a local copy of the latest network phrase file version. The cached network file is set to read-only to avoid version conflicts with the network phrase file. PhraseExpress automatically reverts to the network phrase file if the client reconnects to the network. 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 or if the original phrase file cannot be read anymore, please do the following:
Important NoteFrequently backup your phrase file to a external storage media to eliminate the slightest risk of losing your data in case of hard disk failure. Keeping PhraseExpress up-to-dateWe continuously improve PhraseExpress and we strongly recommend keeping 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 The online update is 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. The update mechanism transmit part of the license key (if any), the current version number and the network adapter Mac address. No personal information is transmitted at any time. 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. If the Uninstaller complains that PhraseExpress is still running while there is no PhraseExpress tray icon, then strike CTRL-ALT-DELETE to open the task manager, switch to the tab Processes, highlight the process phraseexpress.exe and kill the process. For general technical reasons, PhraseExpress cannot delete any data which is located in User folders as Windows prevents access to them. 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 has no use for normal users and can be ignored safely. Installation logicThe following installation scenarios are recognized by PhraseExpress::
Command line parameters for the program file
TroubleshooterProblems with Autotext or hotkeys?Are unsuitable Autotext phrases triggered?If you do not like a certain Autotext text replacement, click the PhraseExpress task tray icon while holding the SHIFT-key right after the unwanted text replacement occured. This will open the last executed phrase for editing. You can then alter the item or delete it with the red trash-can button. Does a certain Autotext/hotkey/text suggestion not work at all?Trouble-shooting video tutorial
Do you get no text suggestions?
We thank D. Knoch very much for proof-reading this manual.
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