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I'm using Smile Software's excellent TextExpander software, translating small abbreviations into frequently used snippets of text. It's running on my main computer, where my keyboard and mouse are physically connected.

When I'm controlling another computer via Synergy, TextExpander on my main Mac tries to expand known abbreviations into snippets, but fails. Instead of the desired text, I get a lowercase v.

I believe TextExpander is using the clipboard in its process, so is there some way to dynamically update Synergy's shared clipboard quickly enough to enable these snippets across all connected computers? Barring that, it would at least be helpful to disable the text replacement on the connected computers.

asked 03 Apr '12, 12:34

BrentBillock's gravatar image

BrentBillock
1013
accept rate: 50%

i have the same problem and am glad you asked. I've got TextExpander running on both machines and assumed that it was a conflict in dual operation. It appears from your description of running TE just on the server that it doesn't matter that I have TE running on both machines. I plan to contact Smile Software to get their opinion.

(10 Apr '12, 14:15) scout

I misspoke. If I disable expansion on the server machine, I don't have the problem.

(10 Apr '12, 14:22) scout

Scout, I think there might be a slightly less labor-intensive workaround.

TextExpander does give you the option to only do expansion when you type a delimiter. You could set one delimiter on the host machine (e.g. semicolon) and use a different delimiter on the client machine (e.g. forward-slash).

Then as long as you can remember which delimiter goes with which machine, you could use the same shortcuts on two running instances of TextExpander.

link

answered 19 Apr '12, 10:50

BrentBillock's gravatar image

BrentBillock
1013
accept rate: 50%

That's clever!

(19 Apr '12, 11:34) scout

Brent - I just received a response from Smile. It was a bit more focused and stated, "Our engineers are currently looking into a workaround for the issue, as well as a more permanent solution." It sounds like they are spending some time on this which I appreciate.

  1. In the meanwhile, here is my work-around:
  2. type the shortcut by habit
  3. get reminded of the conflict
  4. erase the v and re-type the shortcut but don't expand it
  5. reach over to the client laptop and hit spacebar to expand the shortcut

Cheers!

link

answered 12 Apr '12, 12:52

scout's gravatar image

scout
412
accept rate: 0%

I contacted smile and this was their answer.

We should probably update our FAQ to more exhaustively list the "virtual computer" environments in which TextExpander does not work.

The problems here are: - TextExpander places the snippet content on the clipboard. Synergy has clipboard sharing, but I'm pretty sure it only "refreshes" the clipboard contents if you move the mouse back to the 'server' Mac. TextExpander puts the snippet on the clipboard, sends "Command-V", then restores the clipboard to its previous content. - It looks like the Command-V keystroke that TextExpander generates to Paste in the snippet is not being correctly sent/interpreted by Synergy, since you are seeing a "v" character.

I don't think we can solve or work around this unless we updated the Synergy code to have "hooks" for TextExpander to tell it to refresh the clipboard, and somehow fixed the Command key modifier issue with the generated keystroke.

Sorry, this is definitely an area where TextExpander falls a bit short, and more people seem to be using Synergy, Teleport, and other similar virtual control schemes these days. Unfortunately the solutions don't seem simple.

I suggested perhaps they could at least disable TextExpander on the Synergy host when the mouse is offscreen. That would allow me to run TE on both machines, without the instance on the Synergy host interfering with the instances on the Synergy clients. They said it would be worth adding to the list of things to look at in the future.

Maybe if you contact them separately with the same issue, it would elevate the priority a tiny bit.

Meantime, if you are using TE extensively on a document that's on one of your Synergy clients, you could set up a hotkey on the Synergy host machine to turn TE off until you're done with the document on the client. Kind of ruins the fluidity and seamlessness of Synergy, but it is a temporary fix for special circumstances.

If anyone from the Synergy community actually reads this, maybe they could come up with a way for Synergy to echo a hotkey on leaving and entering the host computer's screen. That would solve the whole thing for TextExpander and any other hotkey-savvy app that doesn't play nicely with Synergy.

link

answered 10 Apr '12, 14:28

BrentBillock's gravatar image

BrentBillock
1013
accept rate: 50%

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Asked: 03 Apr '12, 12:34

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Last updated: 26 Apr '12, 17:34

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