Character map /w/ automatic character insertion?

[computerfreaker]

Does anybody know of a good character map with the ability to automatically insert special characters when a "magic word" is typed (for example, when I type (pi), the app automatically replaces that with π)?
Ideally, the "magic word" would be user-selectable, but that's not nearly as important as having the "magic word" capability in the first place.

Thanks!

[guinness]

Maybe Texter? But this requires a hotkey combo, you could create a program though

[computerfreaker]

Maybe Texter? But this requires a hotkey combo, you could create a program though

Yeah, I thought of Texter, but it doesn't have Unicode support. That really scrambles pi, theta, sigma, and all the other stuff I need for Calculus
As for creating my own program... I don't really have time atm, or I'd do it. I'll probably just keep using the Windows character map until the school year ends, then revive a (long-dead) character map I wrote and give it this capability.

Thanks anyway!

[Onesimus Prime]

I was trying to come up with something to help you out here...

My first thought was Accents by DonationCoder's Skrommel. Turns out this doesn't support Unicode, though, as it's AutoHotkey. I tried running it with AutoHotkey_L (which generally features Unicode support), but this did not work consistently at all. Well, it seemed to work at first, then totally stopped. (I'll see if Skrommel can/is willing to add Unicode support)

Just tonight, though, I saw freakazoid's post about HoeKey, which I think has a somewhat roundabout method of doing Unicode character insertion via the press of a hotkey (see the section titled "Accents and other funny characters").

[computerfreaker]

Thanks for the suggestions, guys! I eventually found PhraseExpress, which fits my needs nicely. It seems to be portable as well as long as -portable is passed as a command-line argument (although Sandboxie is strangely broken, so I can't check for sure).

PhraseExpressPortable.bat:

Code: Select all

start PhraseExpress.exe -portable

[freakazoid]

PhraseExpress looks really great! The video showcases a lot of cool features that I'd like to try out.

Looks like there's a PortableApps.com version as well:
http://www.phraseexpress.com/docs7/09/manual.htm#usb

[computerfreaker]

PhraseExpress looks really great! The video showcases a lot of cool features that I'd like to try out.

Yeah, it's pretty cool, but the interface is a bit hard to understand at first. It's powerful, though.

Looks like there's a PortableApps.com version as well:
http://www.phraseexpress.com/docs7/09/manual.htm#usb

Where? I wasn't able to find it anywhere on the site, and I halfway suspect the PAF version (if there is one) is for paying customers only.

[freakazoid]

They say there's a PortableApps.com version from their manual, but I couldn't find it myself!

I'm using the command line that you suggested for now.

[donald]

This is a link to a purported usb friendly version, from the application website.

http://www.phraseexpress.com/PhraseExpress_USB.zip

Has anyone tried this yet?
**************
Edit
**********
Found what you are talking about and see the quote below.

PhraseExpress is now portable!
Now you can take PhraseExpress with you wherever you go:

Use your software anywhere – When you place PhraseExpress on a USB memory stick, you can use it anywhere a Windows computer is available.
Safe and secure – When you remove the USB memory stick from a PC, all your information is secure and leaves with you.
No hassle – With a USB memory stick, it’s easy to work on multiple and shared computers. You always have your personal and private PhraseExpress and data with you.
PhraseExpress v7 will support SanDisk U3 and PortableApps soon. The command-line parameter -portable can now force PhraseExpress into the USB mode, even if it is installed on a non-removable storage medium.

The word soon could be interpreted as maybe in the future, or possibly never.

The last sentence of the quote could mean that you must pass the -portable switch to be portable, but I could also interpret this as meaning only in non removable drives use the portable switch.

Has anyone tried the portable package without using the portable switch?
********
Edit
******
Has anyone tried the following with an eye to the registry etc?
First

Download the ZIP Archive and extract the contents to any folder on your USB stick if you do not use a particular hosting software application for your USB memory device.

Next

PhraseExpress will automatically switch into a special USB mode if it is running from a USB memory device. This is indicated by either the word 'USB', 'U3' or 'PortableApps' in the title bar of the main program window.

Finally

In USB mode, PhraseExpress stores 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

In regards to the PortableApps mention I think the sentence below means to download the PortableApps 2.0 installer to install as portable application in PAF format(see directions at the installer link in this sentence.)

Download and install the PortableApps installation file if you are using this application to host your programs. More information about PortableApps can be found at http://www.Portableapps.com

Or in my best translation download a PortableApps format packager (PortableApps 2.0 installer) from the PortableApps website and make a PortableApps version yourself.

This may or may not be what they mean.

[computerfreaker]

This is a link to a purported usb friendly version, from the application website.

http://www.phraseexpress.com/PhraseExpress_USB.zip

Has anyone tried this yet?

Yeah. It left junk in the My Documents folder, IIRC.

Found what you are talking about and see the quote below.
<quote snipped>

Nice work! Where did you see that?

Has anyone tried the portable package without using the portable switch?

Yeah, I did. It left stuff in the My Documents folder, IIRC, and it may have left stuff in %APPDATA% as well (although I don't recall for sure)

[donald]

computerfreaker

I saw the item mentioned previously at http://www.phraseexpress.com/docs7/09/manual.htm#usb

And thanks for the info, I know a lot of claims that something is portable are what might be called false or else using a different (failed,inferior) definition.

Most people have a very fast and loose definition of what is portable, and these definitions fail here hopefully prior to submission.

computerfreaker would you (and anyone else who is willing) try to send a few examples of a definition of what is portable to the developers of PhraseExpress. (I usually include links to some pages on TPFC or quotes of same.)

And send along anything that would allow them to understand what went wrong.

I will also contact the developers.

[Ruby]

I don't think portable programs should be poking holes in people's firewall.



That being said, I downloaded both the zipped installer (Inno SFX) and the zipped 'USB'.
The phraseexpress.exe, pexkey.dll, pexlang.dll, pexregex.dll in the zipped USB are identical
to the ones in the installer.

I found this in the install_script.iss:

Code: Select all

[Run]
Filename: "{sys}\netsh"; Parameters: "firewall add allowedprogram ""{app}\PhraseExpress.exe"" ""PhraseExpress"" ENABLE ALL"; StatusMsg: "{cm:firewall}"; MinVersion: 0.0,5.01.2600 Service Pack 2; OnlyBelowVersion: 0.0,6.0; 
Filename: "{app}\PhraseExpress.exe"; Description: "{cm:LaunchProgram,PhraseExpress}"; Tasks: "NOT UpdateSampleFiles"; Check: "NOT IsCommandLineParameter('nolaunch') AND NOT IsCommandLineParameter('norun') AND NOT IsLicensekeyProvided"; MinVersion: 4.1.1998,4.0.1381 Service Pack 2; 
Filename: "{app}\PhraseExpress.exe"; Parameters: "-import=""{app}\update.pxp"""; Description: "{cm:LaunchProgram,PhraseExpress}"; Tasks: "UpdateSampleFiles"; Check: "IsUpdate AND NOT IsCommandLineParameter('nolaunch') AND NOT IsCommandLineParameter('norun') AND NOT IsLicensekeyProvided"; MinVersion: 4.1.1998,4.0.1381 Service Pack 2; 
Filename: "{app}\PhraseExpress.exe"; Parameters: "-license={param:license}"; Description: "{cm:LaunchProgram,PhraseExpress}"; Check: "IsLicensekeyProvided and not IsProxyProvided"; MinVersion: 4.1.1998,4.0.1381 Service Pack 2; 
Filename: "{app}\PhraseExpress.exe"; Parameters: "-license={param:license} -proxyname={param:proxyname} -proxyname={param:proxyname} -proxypass={param:proxypass} -proxyaddr={param:proxyaddr} -proxyport={param:proxyport}"; Description: "{cm:LaunchProgram,PhraseExpress}"; Check: "IsProxyProvided"; MinVersion: 4.1.1998,4.0.1381 Service Pack 2; 
Filename: "{app}\docs7\{cm:langdir}\firststeps.htm"; Description: "{cm:ShowTutorialDesc}"; Tasks: "InstallSampleFile"; Check: "Not IsUpdate AND NOT IsItMe"; MinVersion: 4.1.1998,4.0.1381 Service Pack 2; 

[UninstallRun]
Filename: "{sys}\netsh"; Parameters: "firewall delete allowedprogram program=""{app}\PhraseExpress.exe"""; StatusMsg: "{cm:firewall}"; MinVersion: 0.0,5.01.2600 Service Pack 2; OnlyBelowVersion: 0.0,6.0; 

Through brief testing 'locally', it didn't write anything in the registry (Regshot) or outside it's own folder.
Program has a lot of features, probably more than I need.

For now I think I'll stick with ClipX: Save/Load History, win+v (hotkey).
ClipX (database entry).

Edit: ClipX latest beta -p (parameter)

[-.-]

Yadabyte Subtext – Portable Text Shortcuts
http://yadabyte.com/Yadabyte_Portables.php
its down towards bottom

havent used it before but tried other things they made before and they werent bad.