Text expander and clipboard enhancer tools

Posted by PhraseExpress
Dec 3, 2013 at 08:11 PM

>I type the abbreviation, PE expands it. THIS time I do not want that, so
>I undo the expansion.

Got it. This is the point where our idea and your use scenario starts diverging:

PhraseExpress: “OK, he wanted to type the abbreviation but didn’t wanted the expansion because he undo it. So, when he types the abbreviation again to return to the state right before the text expansion, I will ignore it this time.”

Franz: “I entered the abbreviation but NEITHER want the abbreviation nor the text replacement anymore on this occasion”.

If this is correct, then indeed, the unwanted Autotext detection is not for you and you can/should disable it.

>Even more annoying is: That the third time PE changes behaviour again.

If you undo a text replacement for three times during one session, PhraseExpress assumes that you actually do not want this particular text replacement at all and offers(!) you to remove the item from the library. This behavior is connected to the “unwanted Autotext detection” and can be disabled.
PhraseExpress best intention is: Why would anyone undo a text replacement for three times in a row while still wanting to have it in the library?

>Don’t you understand that a user wants software to work this way: When
>the user does A, he wants the software to reliably do B. He doesn’t want
>it to do C and then the next time again B. How do you expect your users
>to rely on the software, if it does strange things (“by design”)?

Please put yourself into Joe Average’s seat to understand the motivation of the feature:

Joe types “FBI” and PhraseExpress expands it to “Federal Bureau of Investigation”. But on this specific event, Joe wants only the short form, so he undo the expansion and types “FBI” again.

Any other Autotext software we are aware of would enforce the expansion again. Joe would probably say “What the heck is going on? Haven’t I just removed this ******-****** stuff. I don’t want the expansion! Leave me alone. I want to write “F B I” and nothing else. Dammit! Get out of the way!”.

Joe would probably even use stronger words after the third time of undoing the unwanted text expansion and throw his computer out of the window.

However, we don’t like being hit by computers while walking on the street. So, with PhraseExpress, Joe simply undo the expansion and re-type FBI and Joe is happy because PhraseExpress holds back this time.

The next time, Joe might want the expansion again and PhraseExpress behaves as expected. If he doesn’t like the expansion at all, he undo again and again and PhraseExpress reacts on it and suggest to remove this expansion from the database,

—

I have difficulties to understand why you enter an abbreviation, undo the expansion and then surprisingly completely give up entering the abbreviation again (as this is what you did firsthand). Why have you entered the abbreviation in first place at all?

Perhaps we really miss out a use scenario here? This would be really interesting to learn.