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PhraseExpress v6 manual - Table of ContentsWhat can PhraseExpress do for you How do I...…paste a phrase into a document? Additional functionsPhrase Access Restriction in the network MiscellaneousChanging the phrase file location PhraseExpress on USB memory devices Keeping PhraseExpress up-to-date TroubleshootingProblems with Autotext or hotkeys? Never read manuals?No problem, PhraseExpress can be explored without additional instructions up to a certain degree. However, you will certainly miss a few killer features that will not be revealed by simply trying out the software! For example, PhraseExpress includes an expert mode, which includes additional options and features. At the least, we strongly recommend you read the tips & tricks section! Document ConventionsYou are currently reading this manual in your browser program. This allows you to jump between sections, set bookmarks or print this manual.
This symbol indicates a useful hint. Tips & Tricks are marked with this icon. These hints simplify the use of PhraseExpress by explaining procedures which you may not discover through simple use of the software. This symbol indicates very important notes. What can PhraseExpress do for youPhraseExpress will dramatically increases your productivity:
Special PhraseExpress benefitsPhraseExpress does everything that you could possibly expect from a text snippet organizer program but also offers quite a few unique extras:
Additions in Version 6A list of the new features can be explored here. System Requirements
Software InstallationDouble-click the installation program and follow the on-screen instructions to install PhraseExpress. The PhraseExpress Autotext feature will interfere with the MS Office AutoCorrect function 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 MS Word (see Microsoft help). PhraseExpress must be installed on a local hard drive. We also offer a separate download for installation on USB thumb drives here: http://download.phraseexpress.com#usb If there is no phrase file from any previous PhraseExpress installation, PhraseExpress will install a sample phrase file including more than 3,500 common spelling corrections. Installation on USB memory devicesDownload the special USB installation file and extract the contents to any folder on your USB memory device. When you run the program file ‘PhraseExpress.exe’ from this location, PhraseExpress will automatically turn into USB mode. Additional information about using PhraseExpress with USB memory devices 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 additional 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. However, we recommend that you uninstall v2 first. Upgrade from version 3 to 5Just install the new version over the existing v3 installation. PhraseExpress v6 will automatically use and convert the previous phrase file to the new format. Installation variationsYou can precisely define how PhraseExpress is used by multiple users on your computer:
If you would like to share a common phrase file with multiple users in a network, please install the separate PhraseExpress Server from 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 misidentify PhraseExpress as a Keylogger or spyware. Such 'security' software often cannot distinguish between harmless and potentially dangerous programs, as they are triggered by any application that 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 to check for updates as we continuously improve the program and add new features. PhraseExpress - The First StepsAfter 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 short period. But you can also store text snippets manually: Storing a new Text Phrase
The phrase is added to PhraseExpress by selecting or discarded by selecting . 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: Simply assign a hotkey to the folder. When you later open this folder by entering the hotkey and hit the Arrow-Up key one time, you gain instant access to the command and the new phrase will be stored directly in this particular folder. Additional optionsPhraseExpress analyzes the contents of the new phrase and may offer additional options: Save text formattingIf the text is formatted or contains pictures, you can select any of the following formatting options.
Only use in certain programsThis option is only available in Expert mode: PhraseExpress identifies the source program in which you create the new phrase. You can optionally restrict recognition of any defined Autotext/hotkey to the program where you have created the phrase. Additional settings are described in the "Restrict phrases to certain programs" chapter. Pasting a phrase into an Application
You can also trigger a text phrase with the following methods:
Phrase selection popupIf you enter an Autotext or hotkey designated for a phrase folder or assigned to multiple phrases, a popup window allows you to select the desired phrase using any of the following methods:
The selected phrase is then pasted into the target application with the confirmation hotkey TAB. This confirmation hotkey can be changed in the hotkey section of the PhraseExpress settings. You can close the popup menu at any time by hitting the ESC key. If you click on any phrase item in the popup menu while holding the CTRL-key, the phrase contents is copied to the Windows clipboard rather than pasted into the target application. If you hit the Arrow-up/-down key, you can trigger the phrase also by simply hitting ENTER instead of the confirmation key. You can instantly edit any phrase by clicking the item with the right mouse button in the popup menu. Popup menu positioningBy default, the phrase popup appears directly next to the mouse cursor. However, some programs such as Mozilla Firefox send false cursor coordinates to the operating system. PhraseExpress automatically recognizes invalid corrdinates and defaults the popup menu to your choice of following alternative positions:
This setting can be customized at Settings Using hotkeysA hotkey (or shortcut key, keyboard shortcut, key combo, etc.) is a set of keys associated with a certain phrase or folder. For example, hold down the ALT and/or SHIFT and/or CTRL key and then press and release a single other regular key, and lastly release the CTRL- , ALT-, SHIFT- key(s). This distinction is important because it is easy to miss some of the keys or cause an unwanted auto-repeat when trying to press all the keys simultaneously .
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 assigned to the 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 gray 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 rather use 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 in the folder settings which contains the actual 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, but pushed to new limits by PhraseExpress. Autotext automatically replace text shortcuts (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 and use them in any application beyond Word and Outlook. 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 replacement, click the PhraseExpress task tray icon in the lower right while holding the SHIFT-key following such unwanted replacements. You can then alter or delete the phrase in the editor window. If Autotext options cannot be changed and are displayed in gray, then they may be currently inherited by a parent folder (see below). If Autotext options are missing, then they may have been deactivated in a parent folder. Configure AutotextPhraseExpress continuously monitors what you type and scans to determine 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. By default, PhraseExpress detects an Autotext if it is typed as a separate word only. This is suitable for most tasks and you need not trouble yourself with following advanced settings which allow you to customize Autotext for very specific requirements. Following options are only available in Expert mode: Leading and trailing delimitersTechnically, a 'separate word' is defined as entered text at the beginning of a sentence or text that follows or is followed by either a space, punctuation mark, comma, semicolon, tabulator or ENTER. The characters which must appear before an Autotext are called leading delimiters. The characters which must follow the Autotext are called trailing delimiters. You can define the required leading/trailing delimiter separately for each phrase and PhraseExpress offers a few presets:
Example use of custom Autotext options:
Optional Autotext executionIf you activate PhraseExpress offers the phrase in a popup menu next to the cursor, rather than automatically pasting it. You can then either accept the phrase by hitting the confirmation key or you can ignore the offer by continuing to type. Remove trailing delimiterIf you do not want to output the trailing delimiter after phrase insertion, please select this option. Automatic CAPS detectionIf the first letter of a phrase content is not a capital letter, PhraseExpress automatically set the first letter of your phrase to a capital letter when you type the first letter of the Autotext in caps lock. If you type at least the first two letters of an Autotext in caps lock, then the complete phrase will be pasted in caps capital letters. Examples for the Autotext 'max':
Inherit Autotext optionsAny Autotext-related folder setting is valid for the folder's Autotext only. You can, however, permanently assign the folder Autotext options to any element contained in the folder by selecting the option . IMPORTANT: This action will permanently overwrite any individual Autotext configuration of any element in this folder. This includes elements that you later place into such folders with the inherit option selected. That is why we included an extra warning/confirmation dialog. Use this option with care! Restrict Autotext and Hotkeys to certain programsAutotext and hotkeys are normally recognized system-wide in any application. You can, however, define the scope of each phrase where the Autotext and hotkey can be recognized. Sample applications:
Undo unwanted Autotext replacementsIf you do not wish to have a certain Autotext replaced by its associated phrase, simply undo the replaced string by deleting it with Backspaces and PhraseExpress will ignore the reverted Autotext the next you enter it. If you do this multiple times, PhraseExpress assumes that the text replacement is generally unwanted and will offer to edit/delete the Autotext. Alternatively, you can click the PhraseExpress task tray icon while holding the SHIFT-key. This will open the unwanted text replacement in PhraseExpress to allow you to edit or delete the item. Edit PhrasesClick the PhraseExpress icon Alternatively, click the PhraseExpress tray icon while holding the SHIFT-key to open the editor with the most recently inserted phrase. You can also open any phrase for editing in the phrase selection popup menu by right-clicking the item in the popup menu. The left-hand tree view allows you to review and manage your phrases and organize them in folders. You can move objects in the tree structure by clicking the up/down buttons or with drag & drop. To edit a phrase or folder, select it by left clicking on the desired object. Right-click a single object to access additional editing options such as duplicate, sort, find&replace, move or delete the selected object. You can select multiple objects in the tree at once when you press and hold CTRL and/or SHIFT while selecting the desired objects. Phrase editing optionsSelect the desired phrase in the tree view to display the phrase in the right window. A phrase consists of the following elements:
Folder optionsSelect the desired folder in the tree view to display the folder options in the right window .
Delete itemsIn order to delete a phrase or folder, it must be opened in the editing windows first:
Then click the item in the tree view on the left and either hit the Delete-key on your keyboard or click the red-colored trash bin icon below the tree view. The item will be deleted after confirmation by clicking . Finding Text PhrasesPhraseExpress offers two options to find a certain phrase, Autotext or hotkey: QuickSearchOpen PhraseExpress and 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 to the next entry by hitting ENTER or pressing the button. 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. Right-clicking the magnifying glass button toggles the display of the search input field. 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. CTRL-clicking the magnifying glass button opens the Find & Replace window. 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). Unwanted text suggestions can be quickly deleted from PhraseExpress by right-clicking the unwanted item in the popup menu (Take care to click them using the right mouse button). The text prediction feature can be temporarily disabled by clicking the PhraseExpress tray icon while pressing the CTRL-key. If you do not get any text suggestions check trouble-shooting section. How it worksSmart algorithms determine the phrase suggestions depending on the following parameters:
Depending on the settings, PhraseExpress only suggests individual words and/or single and complete sentences, optionally separated by punctuation marks followed by either ENTER, SPACE or TAB. PhraseExpress generally does not process or store Passwords. 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. We have chosen very conservative default settings, which generate only an occasional highly accurate text suggestion. You can change the settings via Settings PrecisionThe Precision affects how well a phrase fits 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 results after using PhraseExpress for a while, you can disable the automatic precision determination to make the setting permanent. Maximum 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. Single words vs. full sentencesYou can configure PhraseExpress to suggest single words and/or full sentences. Example: The word 'prediction' in the above example is a single word suggestion which appears while typing 'The text pre'(..). Please note that enabling the text prediction of single words will cause a large number of suggestions, which may be distracting. Another special setting is if you move the slider to level 3: PhraseExpress will then also suggest fractal sentences up to the point where multiple settings start to differ. Example: In the above example 'The house is...' represents the largest portion of the two differing sentences. If you do not want PhraseExpress to suggest partial sentences in order to reduce the number of suggestions, simply move the slider to the right position. 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). If you have a very large Outlook file, you may need to exclude older emails to be imported in order to limit the data amount. Minimum input savingsThe parameter Minimum input savings means the difference between what you have already 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 email.":
If Accepting the suggestion at this time would save you entering the remaining "u for your email." which equals 17 keystrokes. We recommend to setting 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. Therefore 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 an 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 that 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. Clipboard CacheWindows normally overwrites any contents you have copied to the Clipboard. The Clipboard Cache feature now caches previous clipboard contents and provides quick access via a special phrase folder. This feature also allows you to save multiple phrases in a batch if you simply copy multiple strings to 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 assigning 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. SmartSearchThe SmartSearch provides a very useful tool to do queries on your computer:
PhraseExpress will then open the selected web page with the search results. This even works for addresses in Google Maps. This useful function is actually not an additional feature of PhraseExpress but just uses various existing PhraseExpress macro functions for this task. You can change the hotkey to trigger the SmartSearch to a custom hotkey just like you can do with any other phrase. 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 expedite access to a limited set of phrases for repetitive insertion, e.g. when filling a batch of similar forms. We recommend setting 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 within the phrase tree in phrases. The system folder can be re-enabled in the program settings. Using 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 common phrases and use personal phrases at the same time. ImportantIf using the Network Edition, make sure to have the network function enabled in 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 the Status chapter). Network phrase file cachingWhile your 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 the Status chapter). These temporarily cached phrases cannot be modified to avoid version conflicts if the computer is re-connected to the PhraseExpress Server at a later time. 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 every time a client restarts. Only if the server can't be found anymore will the client 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 (whereas 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. Restricting Phrase Access in the NetworkIf you are using the PhraseExpress Network Edition you might want to have phrases that are exclusively visible to you. To define access rights of a phrase folder, open PhraseExpress and right-click the desired phrase folder from the phrase tree view and click from the context popup menu. Thy fly-out menu offers additional options. If you click you can precisely define access rights based on the domain, work groups, user groups or individual users. Important notes:
You are 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. Your private phrases are still stored on the central Server PC but they are only visible to you. The original owner/creator of the folder can always see that folder and its contents. Users with write access also always have read access. Read access can only be reduced in subsequent folders while write access rights can be freely assigned in subsequent folders 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 any macro function name in below list to get detailed information:
Certain macros are not compatible with HTML/RTF formatted phrases as indicated in above table. Macro functions can be added to phrase text as normal 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}. Nesting macro functionsYou can also nest macros into each other to powerful and flexible tasks. Example of a nested macros: {#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 and syntax. Certain macros can only be used in phrases without text formatting. If required, split formatted phrases into two separate formatted phrases. Then create a new unformatted phrase, retrieve the first formatted phrase using the #insert macro, add the desired macro function(s) and finally retrieve the second half of the formatted phrase using #insert. Adding the current date to a PhrasePhraseExpress includes macro commands to add dynamic contents to your text phrases. 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 taken from the regional settings as listed in MS Windows. Formatting of the date and timeThe more 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. 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 that have passed of the current year. {#datetime -w} outputs the number of weeks that have passed of the current year. Open Calendar PopupThe macro function {#calendar -head window title -f date format -s timeshift -def default value -manual} opens a calendar and pastes the date selected by the user in the defined format as text. Example: Please choose a date: {#calendar -head Select a date!} You can use the same date formatting options as in the macro #datetime. By default, the current date is highlighted in the calendar. You can however either enter a fixed default date or a dynamic date shift relative to the current date. The optional parameter -manual adds a manual input field underneath the calendar. If you require the selected date in various places within a phrase, simply use the identical window title for the calendar macro. In such event, PhraseExpress opens the calendar only one time and inserts the same selected date in all occurrences of the calendar macro within the phrase. Link a phrase with another phraseA very powerful function is the ability to nest phrases by retrieving phrases out of another phrase. This is useful e.g. to create 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 '##' plus a random number. You can insert formatted phrases into an unformatted phrase but not into another formatted phrase. Benefits of using nested phrases
We strongly recommend that you try using nested phrases. They are extremely useful and you will 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 if the phrase should be converted into a variable. In the right window you need to define a , the , optionally an and - most importantly - 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 {#insert ..} where it could be used as an order number: Hello, Your order number is {#insert 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. Placing the cursor within a phraseThe macro function {#cursor} places the cursor to the macro position within a phrase after insertion of that phrase. Example: The cursor will be here: {#cursor} and not at the end of the phrase. This macro only works for phrases without text formatting that are pasted using the key-by-key paste method. The cursor position can be affected by {#ASC ..} or {#SIMKEY ..} macros. Adding a manual text input into a phraseThe macro function {#input -head windowtitle} allows you to enter additional text, which will be inserted into 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 retrieve 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 it will be used for all instances. Output a message windowThe macro function {#msgbox -head window title -text message texst -yes Autotext -no Autotext -cancel Autotext -defaultno} interrupts the phrase output and opens a standard message window with the given message text. The message window may have one of these button combinations:
You can define an Autotext of another phrase for each button, which would be inserted if the user presses that button. This allows you to branch to different phrases by user demand. If the user clicks Cancel, then the phrase insertion will be cancelled at the position of the #msgbox macro function. The optional parameter -defaultno opens the message box with input focus on the No/Cancel button. 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%} The above phrase is rendered at the time of execution 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 its 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 -attach file path(s)} 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 You can define multiple files as an attachement by listing the file locations separated by a vertical line. Example: -attach C:\file1.txt|C:\file2.txt The #mail macro offers additional features if using Microsoft Outlook, such as definition of a file attachment and unlimited body text length. On the other hand, email sent using the mailto: system command only offers a limited body text length. 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 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 just as you would when using 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. Performing a calculationThe macro function {#CALC formula} calculates a formula and outputs the result as text. Example: {#CALC 4+5} This example would output the result 9. This macro function becomes interesting by combining it with other macro functions: {#CALC {#INPUT -head Number?}*45} The #input macro of this example will first prompt the user to input a number and then will multiply this input by 45 and output the result. Instead of the fixed number 45, you could even use the #insert macro to point to a value which is stored in the phrase containing the defined Autotext: {#CALC {#INPUT -head Number?}*{#INSERT examplephrase}} If you enter 5 and the phrase with the Autotext 'examplephrase' has the value of 12, then the above example would output 60. 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 takes time 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 (if you 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). Create/Alter a Phrase{#SETPHRASE -description phrase description -content phrase contents -autotext phrase autotext -folder folder autotext } This powerful macro function can create a new phrase with the given phrase description name and custom contents in any existing folder as defined with the -folder parameter. If you use this macro with an existing phrase Autotext, then the existing phrase's contents will be overwritten with the new provided contents. This macro can be used to create a text variable that can be embedded into other phrases using the {#INSERT ..} macro. Please note that the phrase file is stored after each execution of a phrase which contains this macro. If you use the PhraseExpress Network Edition, then all clients are updated in this case. Please use this macro function with care.
Defines counter variable and its incrementThe macro function #setvar can change the value and increment of a counter variable which is identified via its Autotext. {#SETVAR -var VariableAutotext -value NewValue -inc NewIncrement} This macro is useful especially if you want to reuse the same variable multiple times without increasing its value after insertion. Just set the increment to zero before pasting the variable and redefine the actual increment at the end of the phrase: {#SETVAR -var Counter -inc 0}The Counter has the value: {#INSERT Counter} The Counter still has the same value: {#INSERT Counter}.{#SETVAR -var Counter -inc 1} Hier ist the text output of above example: The Counter has the value: 5 The Counter still has the same value: 5 Without use of #setvar , calling the counter would increase its value from 5 to 6: The Counter has the value: 5 The Counter still has the same value: 6 Please note that the phrase file is stored after each execution of a phrase which contains this macro. If you use the PhraseExpress Network Edition, then all clients are updated in this case. Please use this macro function with care. Embed External Text File{#TEXTFILE file} This macro function inserts the contents of a plain text file into the phrase at the time that 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 Pasting 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 keystroke). 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. This macro command does only work with the key-by-key paste method "VK-Packet" (see expert options). Advanced String OperationsSeveral string operations allow advanced text processing. Programming skills are necessary in order to take advantage of these functions.
Useful Sample Application:Dear Mr.{#uppercasefirst{#trim {#input -head Name? -def {#insertclipboard} -single}}} This nested macro is processed from the inside to the outside: At first, #input prompts the user to enter a name. The current clipboard contents is offered as a default to the user by the macro function #insertclipboard. The macro #trim then removes any unwanted spaces before and after the manual input. Finally, #upperfirstcase assures that the first letter of the entered name is in caps. Changing the Keyboard LanguageThe macro function {#SETLAYOUT Language-ID} allows the user to change the Windows keyboard layout to the defined language. Example:{#SETLAYOUT 00000407}This text will be pasted with German keyboard layout settings. {#SETLAYOUT 00000409}This text will be pasted with US-American keyboard layout settings. {#SETLAYOUT 00000407}This text will be pasted with German keyboard layout settings again. This macro changes the Windows keyboard settings permanently. The additional macro {#GETLAYOUT} retrieves the language scheme which is currently set in Windows. This macro together with the macro {#SETPHRASE ..}allows you to temporarily override the current settings, change it to any custom keyboard layout and afterwards reset the layout to its original setting: {#SETPHRASE -description Current Layout -content {#GETLAYOUT} -autotext currentkeyboardscheme} This macro saves the keyboard layout into a new phrase 'Current Layout" which is identified by its Autotext "currentkeyboardscheme". After any custom changes of the keyboard layout, you can retrieve the original settings with this macro phrase: {#SETLAYOUT {#INSERT currentkeyboardscheme}}{#SETPHRASE -content -autotext currentkeyboardscheme} The final {#SETPHRASE ..} macro with its empty -content parameter deletes the temporarily used phrase. A list of 'language identifiers' is available at Microsoft MSDN. Program SettingsThe PhraseExpress program settings can be accessed via the PhraseExpress system tray icon Alternatively, you can quickly access frequently used items in PhraseExpress if you click the PhraseExpress task tray icon while holding combinations of either the SHIFT-/CTRL- or ALT-key:
If the menu item is missing, please contact your system administrator, who may have disabled the option to avoid operating errors Most settings provide additional information if you hover over a program settings item. Several options in the settings dialog are described so we can avoide redundant descriptions such as "The Option Activate Autotext activates Autotext". Please just experiment with the settings. If you have any particular question, do not hesitate to contact us. Expert ModeYou can switch between the Easy- and Expert Mode under Settings The Export Mode reveals additional options and features which are intentionally hidden by default in order to provide an easy entry for beginner users:
Any Expert Mode features still take effect in Easy Mode even if they are hidden. Expert OptionsImportant NoteThe Expert options are reserved for advanced users who really need to adapt PhraseExpress to special usage scenarios. In most cases, we will provide instructions on request. We do not provide technical support in the event that you change the expert options. Before contacting support, please revert the expert options to defaults.
Delays
Paste MethodPhraseExpress uses two different methods to paste contents into the target application:
PhraseExpress can use one of three internal mechanisms for the key-by-key paste method:
We cannot provide a recommendation for any paste method. Please try and experiment with the settings. Miscellaneous
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. Temporarily disable PhraseExpressYou do not need to exit PhraseExpress in order to disable it. Simply click the PhraseExpress task tray icon while holding the CTRL-key to temporarily disable PhraseExpress. This is indicated by a grey exclamation mark in the PhraseExpress icon. Simply click the task tray icon again with the CTRL-key to re-activate PhraseExpress. You can also define hotkeys under Settings Registering the Pro EditionIf you are using PhraseExpress in a commercial/educational environment, you will need to purchase either a Pro Edition or Network license. 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. Important NoteIf PhraseExpress is running from a USB memory device, the license key will be authorized online and permanently tied to the specific USB device. You cannot unlink the license key from the device later. You need a separate license for each installation on additional USB memory devices.
General HintsOf course, we 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 motivated users:
Time savings calculationBased on your individual typing skills and the amount of letters pasted by PhraseExpress, the daily time savings can be accurately calculated. 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 these statistics, click the PhraseExpress program symbol In this section you can also enter your average typing speed (in keystrokes per minute) and hourly rate. Of course, this information is never used and/or transmitted to us. Overview about common typing rates
Calculation exampleGiven an average typing speed of 60 chars a minute, you would need approx. 2 minutes to enter a text containing 120 letters. When using PhraseExpress you would only required approx. 5 seconds to select the phrase or to trigger the Autotext. Thus, your time savings is 115 seconds for each phrase. Given an hourly rate of $20, PhraseExpress saved you 64 cent ($20 per hour * (120 seconds - 5 seconds) / (60 seconds * 60 minutes) = $.64). PhraseExpress uses the currency as defined in the Windows regional settings. 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. If not, simply disable it. Statistics can be disabled in the Pro/Network Edition only under Settings Alternatively, you can disable the statistics function on all workstation installations if removing the statistic columns 'time saved' and 'money saved' from the monitor of the Client Manager. Storage Location of Your Personal DataTo retrieve the current storage location, Click the PhraseExpress task tray icon The following storage locations are available:
Changing the phrase file location To open a specific local phrase file, click File The phrase file must reside on a local hard disk. The separate Network Edition allows the user to access a phrase file over a network connection and sharing 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. The phrase contents, Autotexts and descriptions are ZIP compressed and AES 256 encrypted.
PhraseExpress saves data in the following locations:
PhraseExpress on USB memory devicesPhraseExpress recognizes if it is running from a USB memory device and will automatically store any user and application data into the same directory the program is running from. The program will not write any data on the host PC while in USB mode. Important NoteMake sure to close PhraseExpress before removing the USB stick in order to prevent data loss!
Phrase file structurePhraseExpress uses an non-encrypted XML file with the file extension .pxp, which is then encrypted using 256 Bit AES and compressed using the ZIP compression. The resulting ZIP file also has the file extension .pxp. The ZIP file may also contain any bitmaps stored within the phrase file. PhraseExpress can also load XML files directly and you can use your own XML files, e.g. created from your database application and rendered as XML in the following format: <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> The file must be stored in UTF-8 format. Importing a Phrase FileClick the PhraseExpress system tray icon You can alternatively right-click the desired phrase file in Windows Explorer and select from the Explorer context menu. PhraseExpress will import the phrase file into the root path and additionally offer to filter out duplicate entries and to organize your phrases. You can also import phrase archives from GhostTyperXML by selecting the appropriate .GTX file type Text data from other applications 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. PhraseExpress also 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 to private, as the user's AutoCorrect files are most likely used solely by the user and not be shared with all 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. The Importer can be downloaded free of charge from our website. Exporting PhrasesRight-click the desired folders that include the phrases you would like to export. Select Export from the pop-up menu and then define the phrase file target directory. 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 when 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 an external storage media to eliminate the slightest risk of losing your data in case of hard disk failure. Keep PhraseExpress Up-to-DateWe continuously improve PhraseExpress and we strongly recommend keeping the program up-to-date with the conveniently provided built-in internet update check. To check manually for updates, connect your computer to the internet and click the PhraseExpress system tray icon Here you can also configure the update check to only notify you about either critical, minor or experimental updates.
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. 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, everyday users and can be safely disregarded . Installation logicThe following installation scenarios are recognized by PhraseExpress:
Command line parameters for the program file
Additional command-line parameters for the installation file can be found in the PhraseExpress Network Edition manual. These are useful for remote installations when using the PhraseExpress Network Edition. Uninstalling PhraseExpressPhraseExpress can be uninstalled via Start To avoid data loss, the phrase file is not deleted when uninstalling PhraseExpress. You can safely delete this file manually if you do not need your personal phrase file anymore. If the Uninstaller informs the user 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 end the process. For general technical reasons, PhraseExpress cannot delete any data that is located in User folders, as Windows prevents access to them. TroubleshooterProblems with Autotext or hotkeys?Are unsuitable Autotext phrases triggered?PhraseExpress offers two options to cope with unwanted text replacements:
Does a certain Autotext/hotkey/text suggestion not work at all?Trouble-shooting video tutorial
Are you getting no text suggestions at all?
We thank K. Minchew and D. Knoch very much for proofreading this manual.
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