Do TextExpander Snippet - Plugin Action

[bocciaman]

OK, I finally installed your Do TextExpander Snippet by Label action. When I tried it, I asked myself, "why are the extra steps of remembering the group name and label name needed?" If I wanted to add a TextExpander snippet to a Keyboard Maestro Macro, couldn't I just have Keyboard Maestro type my assigned abbreviation which I assume will trigger the TextExpander snippet if TextExpander is installed on my system?

Full disclosure: I am simply trying to understand because I would like to add more 3rd party actions plugins to my Keyboard Maestro. I actually want all my software to have actions available in Keyboard Maestro.

[appleianer]

@bocciaman

I asked myself, "why are the extra steps of remembering the group name and label name needed?

I'm using the TextExpander Plugin @bocciaman to reduce the abbreviations used to call the snippets. The same is true for calling macros or palettes. I use the gesture control of BetterTouchTool to avoid shortcuts.

With over hundreds of macros and snippets this is a relief for me and if a shortcut is necessary, I have a bigger choice

Here is an example of how I combine Keyboard Maestro and TextExpander to quickly assign my filenames:

The "Snippet by Label" is a very big help for me.

[bocciaman]

I've now tried both the "By label" and the "By abbreviation" plugin actions. I found that for me, I'd have to remember both the abbreviation and its trigger for Keyboard Maestro. That's a bit much for my taste. Although, I'm still keeping the action plugins, they may come in handy in the future.

[ianthekirkland]

This is good stuff! I'm definitely going to give these a try!

[appleianer]

@bocciaman

I found that for me, I'd have to remember both the abbreviation and its trigger for Keyboard Maestro

As already mentioned in my example, I don't need a shortcut, another abbreviation in Text Expander @bocciaman.
My Print Macro with integrate TextExpander actions is only called by a mouse click.

[appleianer]

@ianthekirkland

Do TextExpander Snippet by Label (if you want to reference the TextExpander snippet by name and group )

Hello @ianthekirkland, I use the plugin almost daily and it helps me a lot.

I just updated to TextExpander 6.8 and your snippet plugin doesn't work anymore. Will you update it?

[halloleo]

Well, what definitely still works is expanding a snippet through a KM Applescript action:

tell application "TextExpander"
    expand abbreviation ";yep"
end tell

I have just tried it with TE 6.5 (as of today that's for me the highest version).

[ianthekirkland]

Happy to hear it's been of service! Let me take a look.

Ian

[ianthekirkland]

Thanks for using! I'll take a look!

[halloleo]

I found out a bit more:

TE 6.5 has indeed still the expand abbreviation verb, newer versiosn like 6.8 do not do so.

We can hope Smile will add the verb back in but nothing is certain yet.

In newer versions of TE the only way is expand a snippet automatically seems to simulate typing the abbreviation.

[appleianer]

@ianthekirkland

Thanks for using! I'll take a look!

Thank you very much @ianthekirkland. That is very kind of you.

[halloleo]

What you can do @appleianer if you want to continue using this action, is to downgrade to TE 6.5.6. I can find the link to download it from Smile if this helps..

[appleianer]

@halloleo

if you want to continue using this action, is to downgrade to TE 6.5.6.

e@halloleo thanks for the tip. I was about this plugin from @ianthekirkland

@ianthekirkland

Do TextExpander Snippet by Label (v 1.0) - NEW!

Enter the snippet’s group name and label and off you go! If you're wondering why the group name is necessary it's because we're triggering snippets by their labels, which don't need to be unique across groups. (e.g. If you had a snippet labeled "VueJS" in your "CND" group and a different "VueJS" snippet in your "HTML Includes" group, how would the TextExpander know which "VueJS" snippet to expand?)

The advantage here was that I didn't need to create a text shortcut, but could call the TextExpander snippet just by the group name and the label.

I use Text Expander Snippets predominantly in a KM palette which I only call with a typed text string (here "mmanr") and then trigger the macro/snippet with the initial letter.

This is what it looks like in action:

At my age you don't have it anymore with all the shortcuts or typed text strings. Less is often more

[halloleo]

@appleianer

@halloleo thanks for the tip. I was about this plugin from @ianthekir

Exactly! In order to still use this plugin I reckon you need to downgrade to TE 6.5.6, where the expand verb is still available in TE's Applescript directory. I assume ianthekir's plugin uses this verb...

[appleianer]

@halloleo

Exactly! In order to still use this plugin I reckon you need to downgrade to TE 6.5.6

Please excuse the misunderstanding @halloleo. I had overlooked you including the plugin. I'll give it a try

[bocciaman]

@ianthekirkland

~/Library/Application Support/Keyboard Maestro/Keyboard Maestro Actions/

Does this still work on current Macs?