Editors' Review
PhraseExpress allows you to create many different types of macros to automate various tasks on your computer. While you may barely notice this program running in the background at times, it will quickly make your life much easier and can significantly reduce your total keystrokes each day.
Pros
Demonstration Macros: There are quite a few different Demonstration Macros included in this program that can give you an idea of what the app is capable of. Options include Date and Time, Data Picker, Multiple Choice Text, Mouse Cursor Control, Keyboard Layout Switching, and Automatic Email Creation.
Basic interface: As soon as you install and open this app, it begins running in the background and is accessible from the toolbar in the lower right-hand corner of your screen. Clicking the icon brings up a straightforward menu, with some options that expand to show other, more detailed menus. There are no bells and whistles to be found here, but the streamlined design is efficient and effective.
Cons
Learning curve: This app offers tons of functionality, but it can take some time to learn all of the ins and outs. This isn't the type of program you can just install and begin to use right away, but the effort you put in to learn how to use all of its features will be worth it in the end.
Bottom Line
PhraseExpress is a versatile and efficient program that can help you ease all types of repetitive tasks. It's completely free, and although it may take some getting used to, especially for novice users, the benefits are worth the effort in the end.
| Category | |
|---|---|
| Category | Utilities & Operating Systems |
| Subcategory | Automation Software |
Publisher's Description
PhraseExpress eliminates repetitive typing and manages frequently used text snippets in customizable categories. Boilerplate templates can be stored together with bitmaps and RTF or HTML text formatting. The unique text prediction feature watches out for repetitive text patterns and offers to auto-complete such phrases. Smart algorithms analyze and learn your writing patterns, and suggest the most relevant ways to complete phrases and sentences. The Autotext feature allows assigning a frequently used text such as your address, your signature or a common phrase to a much shorter abbreviation. Whenever you type in the assigned abbreviation PhraseExpress will automatically replace it with the original text. For example, "ty" will be expanded to "thank you very much. Existing MS Office AutoCorrect entries can be imported for use in any Windows program, not just MS Office. PhraseExpress automatically recognizes unwanted Autotexts and suppresses the text replacement the next time you enter the Autotext.
The Clipboard Cache enhances the native Windows clipboard functionality by remembering all items that are copied to the clipboard and storing them for later pasting. PhraseExpress can optionally remove any text formatting from the clipboard contents. Powerful macro functions can add dynamic contents to static phrases such as the current date, counters or additional manual input. Phrases can be linked or nested. Macros can also launch programs or open documents triggered by shortcuts. Entering 'calc' may open the Windows calculator program or striking the hotkey CTRL-F8 may offer a Google search query of a highlighted text on-the-fly.
