Add a README
- ID
4cc9b1b- date
2024-04-10 16:26:57+00:00- author
Alex Chan <alex@alexwlchan.net>- parent
9335e97- message
Add a README- changed files
1 file, 21 additions, 13 deletions
Changed files
README.md (545) → README.md (1590)
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index d76909b..8fbe298 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,13 +1,27 @@
# snippets
-This is a simple script for creating my Alfred Snippet collections.
+This repo has my (public) text expansion snippets.
-Stuff to write down:
+Text expansion apps allow me to save keystrokes when I'm typing common words -- for example, if I type `intl`, my computer expands it to `international`.
+That saves me 9 keystrokes.
+It may not seem like much, but I use these snippets dozens of times a day and it quickly adds up!
-* Why are text expansion snippets?
-* Why in Git?
-* Package format
-* Personal info
+This repo has a script that creates a collection of snippets to use [in Alfred](https://www.alfredapp.com/help/features/snippets/).
+
+## Motivation
+
+I use a script rather than an in-app snippet editor because I want to share snippets between my home and work computers.
+
+Most apps sync their preferences through some sort of cloud storage, e.g. Dropbox or iCloud.
+I don't want to connect my home and work computers that way -- I try to keep them separate.
+e.g. I don't log into my work email on my home computer, and I don't log in to my personal iCloud on my work laptop.
+
+By putting my snippets in a GitHub repo, I can check out the repo on both computers and get the same set of snippets, but in a way that maintains the gap between the machines.
+Neither machine can directly affect the other.
+
+I don't put all my snippets in this repo; just the ones I can make public.
+For example, my home computer has extra snippets for personal info like my phone number and my address.
+I configure those in the in-app editor, because I don't want to put them in a public Git repo and I don't need them on my work computer.
## Usage
@@ -15,10 +29,4 @@ Stuff to write down:
$ python3 create_snippets.py
```
-Then open the created `.alfredsnippets` files.
-
-## Notes
-
-It's possible to import Text Replacements in macOS Settings, and they sync to iOS devices.
-The behaviour is slightly different: you have to keep typing to accept the suggestion, rather than having it auto-expand.
-But might be worth checking out!
+This will open the newly-created snippets collection in Alfred Preferences.