TextExpander Quick Start

If you have never used TextExpander, I suggest that you Meet TextExpander and Run the Snippet Creation Assistant. After that, explore how to Create and Use Complex Snippets. Those two chapters should give you a sense of what TextExpander is and what it can do; after that, feel free to read around as your fancy dictates.

If you have used TextExpander before, you might benefit from reviewing Customize Group Settings and Set Expansion Options, and be sure to read Don’t Forget These Fine Features!, ahead a page or so. If you’re an advanced user, you may find that Script with Snippets can take you even further than you have gone before.

For all readers, I strongly suggest that you learn how to Back Up Your Snippets Automatically.

Preliminary steps:

• For tips on downloading and installing TextExpander, see Get TextExpander.
• If you’re curious about what changed between TextExpander 4 and 5, flip back to What’s New in This Edition?.
• Get a running start: Run the Snippet Creation Assistant.
• If you’re switching to TextExpander from another text-expansion utility, consult Add a Group from a File.
• To get an overview of TextExpander’s two interfaces and start building your first, simple snippet, read Know Your Interfaces and Make and Use a Simple Snippet.

Broaden your horizons:

• To learn about the wide variety of snippets you can make, and to discover what they can do, read Create and Use Complex Snippets.
• To keep your screen uncluttered while having ready access to TextExpander, read Manage Your Interfaces and Use Hotkeys.
• For ways to control when snippets expand, see Customize Group Settings and Set Expansion Options.
• See how to expand your snippet collection when you Save, Add, and Import Groups and Use Suggestions.

Get organized:

• Corral and catalog your snippet collection; read Make Groups and Arrange Them and Organize a Group’s Contents.
• Don’t get lost in a big snippet collection; read Find Your Snippets.

Cover your assets:

• To protect your snippet collection, see Back Up Your Snippets Automatically.
• Don’t keep all your snippets in one basket; read Share and Sync Snippets to see how you can have them in two (or more) places at once.

Flex your scripting muscles:

• Drive other applications from a snippet when you Script with AppleScript.
• Find out how to Script with the Shell to harness the power of Unix.
• Do calculations, text manipulations, and even automate your Mac when you Script with JavaScript.

Go mobile:

• If you have an iPod touch, iPhone, or iPad, visit Use TextExpander touch to see how you can use your snippet collection on the run.