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Klipper and Text Macros

vdicarlo

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Monday, January 15th 2007, 8:46pm

Klipper and Text Macros

The utility I've missed most since migrating from Windows is one called Shortkeys, which makes it easy to define keyboard macros that will insert a block of text in any open application. This makes using canned language to respond to similar inquires very easy.

I've tried using Klipper for this, but found it to be awkward. You want something that sits in the background waiting for any one of a set of sequences, then replaces that sequence with the canned text instantly. You can use an unusual combination like "qq" to start every relevant sequence, to make things easier for the processor.

I've wanted this badly enough that I've considered learning to develop KDE apps to get it, but I'm not sure how hard it would be to implement under Linux/KDE.

ddstretch

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Friday, February 16th 2007, 6:31pm

RE: Klipper and Text Macros

I would also welcome this addition.

As a useful halfway house, and, in my mind, even more useful, would be to allow us to organise persistant clips of text in Klipper into, say directories or folders, much in the same manner as is implemented in ClipCachePro (in WindowsXP, which I migrated from.) ClipCachePro's functionality is the major one thing I really really miss. You can read about it here:
http://www.xrayz.co.uk/clipcache/

I kept numerous small blocks of text in specific clipboard folders that I would routinely need in conceptually different places when editing various documents or online articles. My need for them was "interlaced" with my other uses of the clipboard, and so it made sense to have them be persistent clips (i.e., they could not be "shuffled" off the end of a list of clips), and also that they should be located in an easy to access place within the clipboard (i.e., in folders). The addition of programmable "shortcut keys" allowing such clips to be pasted into applications easily would enhance this and satisfy the needs of the OP. Klipper would be greatly enhanced if it had this functionality added to it.

kdewien

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Monday, March 26th 2007, 10:48pm

"Regional & Accessibility" in KControl has "Input Actions". You can define text blocks and have them inserted by pressing shortcuts (Win+something, e.g.). It is clumsy to configure but a good start.

However, I am missing Perfect Keyboard from Windows. The shortcuts were triggered by the Space bar. The program seems to monitor all keyboard input. It also counts the characters typed. When a certain combination has been typed, it sends the appropriate number of backspaces and inserts the desired stuff. Date codes could be inserted too, even mouse movements included in macros. See http://www.pitrinec.com/pkindex.htm. I've been using it for almost 10 years. My current shortcut file has ~500 items, easily remembered because of a logical naming scheme.

If the KDE developer taking care of input actions is reading this - please have a look at this program, it saves *very* much time and even the basic the functions would be great to have in KDE. "Input Actions" is a very good start. Thanks meanwhile, Andreas v.H., Vienna.
A. v. Heydwolff
Vienna, Austria

vdicarlo

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Tuesday, March 27th 2007, 5:55am

Thanks for pointing out the features available in regional settings. I think you're right that it's a good start, but it's way too awkward for saving and organizing, say the few hundred blocks of standard text, some several pages long, that I use.

But the existing feature does indicate to me that there are hooks in the system that would make it not too hard to write a usable text macro program like the ones we've been using under Windows. I've been looking for a reason to take the trouble to learn how to develop a KDE app. Who knows when I'll have the time, though. I'm hoping that before I get around to learning enough to write a clumsy one some real KDE developer will write a really good one. Just lazy, I guess.