Snippet Expander is a Linux desktop utility designed to save and expand frequently used text snippets.
It allows users to define abbreviations that automatically expand into longer pieces of text as they type, improving productivity for repetitive typing tasks. It includes a background daemon that manages snippets, a command-line interface for scripting and control, and a graphical interface for easier management.
The application also supports a search-and-paste workflow for environments where automatic expansion is not available, along with features such as snippet placeholders, import/export functionality, and configurable behaviour.
This is free and open source software.
Key Features
- Automatically expands user-defined abbreviations into full text snippets while typing.
- Provides a command-line interface for managing snippets, including adding, removing, listing, importing, and exporting entries.
- Includes a graphical desktop application with a search and paste window for quick snippet insertion.
- Runs a background daemon that stores snippets in an SQLite database and handles core functionality.
- Supports placeholders for dynamic content such as date, time, clipboard contents, embedded snippets, and cursor positioning.
- Offers import and export capabilities for backing up and transferring snippet collections between systems.
- Allows configuration of auto-start, auto-expansion, and keyboard shortcuts.
- Works with both X11 and Wayland environments using appropriate clipboard and input tools.
Website: git.sr.ht/~ianmjones/snippetexpander
Support:
Developer: Ian Jones
License: MIT License
Snippet Expander is written in Go. Learn Go with our recommended free books and free tutorials.
Related Software
| Text Expander Tools | |
|---|---|
| espanso | A smart and efficient cross-platform text expander written in Rust |
| Kanata | Cross-platform keyboard remapper |
| keymapper | Context-aware key remapper |
| Compress | Text compression for generating keyboard expansions |
| CrossMacro | Mouse and keyboard macro recorder and player |
| Snippet Expander | Save and expand frequently used text snippets |
| espansoGUI | GUI for espanso created with Rust and Iced |
| Snipt | Text snippet expansion tool |
| Texpander | Bash script that uses xclip, xdotool, and zenity to expand abbreviations |
| Snippet Pixie | Save often used text snippets and expand them. The tool is written in Vala |
Read our verdict in the software roundup.
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