What if you could have a small window on your desktop with a list of the things that you enter repetitively? You could just click on the item to copy it to the clipboard. Then right click on your document, and the click 'Past'.

You could trade a few dozen keystrokes for just 3 mouse clicks!! No having to check for misspellings, or missed typed words. Fast, Simple, and Easy.

Will, such a thing is called a Snippet Manager. And this blog posts explains how to make a very simple one using python.

Many text/code editors have Snippet Managers built in. Usually with a very nice interface that allows the user to easily add their snippets to a save file.

Unfortunately, Idle (the code editor that comes pre-packaged with python) does not have one. But you can use the snippet.py script (bellow) to create your own.

How to uses snippet.py:

The python script (snippet.py) shown below, is a VERY simple example of a Snippet Manager. Please feel free to use it as a starting point to make your own.

To use it, run the script, and then move the window someplace out of the way on the right side of your screen. Click on an item you want from the list, this will copy the text to the clipboard. Then right-click on you document, website forum, email or whatever you want to past the text. The right-click should bring up a menu. And then just click 'Past'.

To add or change items on the list, edit the script following the examples I already have. And as always, be sure to also make a backup of your files.

I acknowledge that hard-coding your snippets into a script like this is a somewhat less elegant solution than using an 'add snippet interface'. But this is very simple, easy to learn and uses, and will work with anything that can accept text from the clipboard. And best of all, it's FREE.

try:
    from Tkinter import *
except ImportError:
    from tkinter import *
import datetime
import uuid

"""
snippets.py

Written by Joe Roten, 2019-02-04

This code is intended to be a 'starting point'
for people to create their own simple
Snippet Manager.

Clicking on an item in the listbox will
copy text to the clipboard.

"""

snippets = {}


# See the 'if' statments in SubClick() to see how these codes work.
# Please feel free to add your own codes.

snippets['* Todays Date (YYYY-MM-DD)'] = "*Code101"
snippets['* Todays Date (Full)'] = "*Code102"
snippets['* A unique UUID4 code'] = "*Code103"

# A few examples of short shippets.

snippets['Hydrocodone-Acetaminophen 30mg'] = 'Hydrocodone-Acetaminophen 30mg'
snippets['Dr. James K. Hollman'] = 'Dr. James K. Hollman'
snippets['Bariatric surgery'] = 'Bariatric surgery'
snippets['National Zoological Society'] = 'National Zoological Society'
snippets['www.python.org'] = 'www.python.org'

# Here are a few examples of a block of text.

snippets['+ My Shipping Address'] = """
Learn2Program.net
PO Box 82337
Kenmore, WA 98028-2337
"""

snippets['+Py: Read file into a list.'] = """
# Read a file into a list.
with open('C:/path/numbers.txt') as f:
    lines = f.read().splitlines()
"""

snippets['+Py: For Loop Example.'] = """
# For Loop Example.
for x in range(0, 3):
    print "We're on time %d" % (x)
"""

# Here is an example of a paragraph of text.
# This could be standard text used in legal papers,
#   or copyright verbage, or instructions on taking medication,
#   etc.

snippets['+ Tarzan, Paragraph One'] = """
I had this story from one who had no business to tell it to me, or to any other. I may credit the seductive influence of an old vintage upon the narrator for the beginning of it, and my own skeptical incredulity during the days that followed for the balance of the strange tale.
"""





def SubClick(event):
    """This function runs when an item on the list is selected."""
    try:
      index = listbox.curselection()[0]
      seltext = listbox.get(index)
      result = snippets.get(seltext, "Unknown Value")
      # Todays Date (YYYY-MM-DD)
      if result == "*Code101":
          result = datetime.datetime.now().date()
      # Todays Date (Full)          
      if result == "*Code102":
          result = datetime.datetime.now().strftime("%A, %B %d, %Y")
      # A unique UUID4 code          
      if result == "*Code103":
          result = str(uuid.uuid4())
      # Copy the result to the clipboard.
      master.clipboard_clear()
      master.clipboard_append(result)
      master.update()      
    except:
      pass  



if __name__ == '__main__':

  master = Tk()
  master.geometry("250x200")
  master.title("snippets.py")

  # Create the listbox.
  frame = Frame(master)
  scrollbar = Scrollbar(frame, orient=VERTICAL)
  listbox = Listbox(frame, yscrollcommand=scrollbar.set)
  scrollbar.config(command=listbox.yview)
  scrollbar.pack(side=RIGHT, fill=Y)
  listbox.pack(side=LEFT, fill=BOTH, expand=1)
  frame.pack(fill=X)
  listbox.bind("", SubClick)
  listbox.bind("<>", SubClick)

  # Add the text to the bottom of the window.
  w = Label(master, text="Click on an item to copy\n it to the clipboard.")
  w.pack()

  # Populate the listbox with the list.
  keylist = list(snippets.keys())
  keylist.sort()
  for key in keylist:
    listbox.insert(END, key)

  # tkinter mainloop
  mainloop()

Last updated: 2019-02-09

Written by Joe Roten

Computer tech, Graphic Artist, Photographer, Writer, Educator, Programmer, Jack of many trades, Social gadfly, and Scholar without portfolio. http://www.gsw7.net/joe/

Written by Joe Roten

http://www.gsw7.net/joe/

As always

The information on my website is FREE.
But donations to help pay for Coffee and Beer are always welcomed.
Thanks.