====== AutoBook Clip Manager: User Manual ======
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===== - Introduction =====
This user manual describes the Clip Manager module in Auto Book.
The Auto Book Clip Manager interconnects your clipboard with an infinite text repository and a flexible, powerful, extremely fast search function. It not only manages your session clips for later use but also keeps all previously clipped information available at your fingertips – for months, years and your whole life.
Whenever you press the hotkey (default: F6
), the **[[#The Clip Preview|Clip Preview]]** pops into the foreground. Double-click any clip or press CTRL
+ Number
to **paste a clip into the last active application** (see **[[#Keyboard and Mouse Shortcuts]]**).
To search, **simply start typing** after triggering the hotkey – results appear in real time. All options are detailed in Chapter **[[#Searching]]**.
**[[#Scrolling|Scroll forward/backward]]** in the clip archive or in search results using the mouse wheel or PgDn
/PgUp
key.
**[[#Pinning Clips|Pin clips]]** to keep them at the top of the table until unpinned – they'll persist across restarts.
**[[#Keywords|Add Keywords]]** to categorize your clips by holding CTRL
and double-clicking the Keywords column.
**[[#Keyword Presets|Use Keyword Presets]]** to apply user-defined keyword strings to clips in one click for even more convenient tagging. All Presets also appear in the pull-down Search menu for quick access to matching clips.
**[[#Pin Sets|Save and reload Pin Sets]]** for fast access to context-specific clips such as AI prompts, code snippets, or task-related content – loaded Pin Sets are auto-pinned to the top of the table.
**[[#Clip Searches|Save and rerun Clip Searches]]** for dynamic access to clips matching defined criteria – such as clips from last quarter containing the term "PO".
**[[#The Filter Tree|Organize clips in the Filter Tree]]** – file clips into folders and subfolders and filter the clip table down to any folder's contents with a single click. Clips can be dragged into folders straight from the clip table, or even [[#Grabbing Text from Other Applications|from other applications]].
**[[#The File Lister|Create file lists]]** by dropping files or folders from Windows File Explorer onto the tree's FileLister folder – with your choice of columns, straight into a clip, the clipboard, or a file.
**[[#The File Renamer|Rename files in batches]]** with wildcards, regular expressions, numbering and case conversion – previewed name by name before anything is changed, and undoable afterwards.
**[[#Hotstrings|Turn clips into hotstrings]]** – abbreviations that expand into your stored text automatically as you type, in any application. They live in the tree's Hotstrings folder and can be switched on and off folder by folder.
**[[#Modes|Five switchable modes]]** let you tailor the Clip Manager’s behavior to your current workflow and are easily toggled via hotkey.
You can also use the Clip Manager to **[[#Notes|take quick notes]]** or **[[math|perform calculations]]** by typing a formula followed by =
in the **[[#Full Clip View]]**.
The Clip Manager offers numerous **[[#Keyboard and Mouse Shortcuts]]** for an optimized user-experience. The logical concept makes memorization easy. In addition, the right-click **[[#Context menu]]** provides intuitive access to the most important clip operations.
**Pasting clips** is as fast as it gets – the Clip Preview opens faster than the brain can register, and clips are pasted into other applications leveraging the operating system’s native paste function, with the same speed as Ctrl
+V
.
To further streamline pasting, the Clip Preview remembers **two separate screen positions** – which can be on the same or different monitors – and can be **[[#Flipping the Gui|flipped]]** with a **[[#Shortcuts for Gui and Scroll Operations|dedicated hotkey]]** to quickly move the window out of the way.
Adjust the number of visible rows in the clip table (1–25) using Ctrl
+PgDn
/ PgUp
to suit your needs.
For maximum speed and minimal memory usage, the Clip Manager stores only **plain text**. Formatting is stripped; images are ignored; but file paths are captured when files are copied on the local computer.
Duplicates are automatically removed from the clip table before being displayed.
All your clip archive files are linefeed- and tab-separated plain text files. You will find these files in the folder [Auto Book program folder]\SystemData\Clips\, and you can access them with any text editor or spreadsheet application (but see important notes in section **[[#Manually Editing Clip Files]]**).
The Clip Manager uses a transactional, line-based **[[#The Database|database concept]]** that **minimizes disk usage**. Clip operations normally happen in-memory, and changes are only dumped to disk at predefined times.
====Use Case Examples===
* Capture information such as names, email addresses, URLs, bank account numbers, birthdays.
* Store email fragments or other text snippets for reuse, using the X search for quick retrieval.
* Include user instructions and knowledge for future reference.
* Include special symbols such Greek letters, foreign language characters, and emoticons and add keywords for easy access.
* Use the clip archive as a life-research tool for recalling past events, trips, or research.
* Store noteworthy chat comments or personal messages.
* Collect code snippets for efficient insertion into your code when needed.
* Add important local file paths or URLs for ultra-easy access; open via Ctrl
+Shift
+double-click.
===== - Starting the Clip Manager =====
1) [[Start|Download]] Auto Book.\\
2) Create a directory for Auto Book wherever you like, and place autobook.zip into that directory.\\
3) Unzip autobook.zip in this folder.\\
4) Double-click autobook.exe.
The Clip Manager is activated by default.
No installation is required. You can run Auto Book from anywhere, including USB drives.
For a quick start to dive in AutoBook, have a look at our intro videos. Some were made with a previous AutoBook version, but the core functions are the same.
* Introduction Video
* Basic Operations
* Search Functions
* Advanced Searching
===== - Basic Configuration=====
The basic settings for the Clip Manager are accessible on Auto Book's Clip
tab.
{{::clip_tab-white-small.png?direct|}}
==== - Activating/Deactivating the Clip Manager and Displaying Clips ====
To activate/deactivate the Clip Manager, check/uncheck the Activate Clip Manager
checkbox.
To display your clip archive, click the Show Clips
button or press the [[#Clip Preview Hotkey]].
==== - Capture Mode Checkbox ====
Toggle the [[#Capture Mode]] by switching the radio button between Capture by Default
and Capture only when using Alternative Hotkey
.
==== - Hotkeys ====
=== - Clip Preview Hotkey ===
The Clip Preview hotkey opens the [[#The Clip Preview|Clip Preview]] with a list of previously captured clips. This is the main interface for interacting with the Clip Manager, allowing you to run searches, paste clips, load pin sets, and perform many other functions.
=== - Alternative Hotkey for copying to Clipboard ===
The Alternative Hotkey for copying to Clipboard has a different function depending on the selected Capture Mode. In the Capture by default
mode, clips will be captured by default when pressing CTRL
+C
and will //not// be captured when pressing the Alternative Hotkey. In the Alternative Mode, clips will not be captured by default, but only when the Alternative Hotkey is pressed.
=== - New Note Hotkey ===
When you press the New Note Hotkey (F7
by default), a new clip is created and automatically opened in the [[#Full Clip View]] for editing. This works from any application, allowing you take quick notes with minimal friction. All clips also support [[Math]] so that the Clip Manager doubles as a calculator. The powerful [[#Searching Clips|Search function]] ensures you'll always have quick access to your notes and calculations.
==== - Changing Hotkeys ====
To change any of the hotkeys, click into the field showing the key combination and press the desired new combination.
Hotkeys that already have a system-white function cannot be chosen.
If you want to include the Windows key in your combination, do //not// press it. Instead, check the Win key
checkbox next to the hotkey field.
Once you have set your desired combination, click the Save
button.
==== - Capture Limits ====
You can set limits for which clips are captured and stored in your clip archive. In the Ignore Clips longer than (kB, 1-999)
field, set an upper limit in kB. It is recommended not to set this limit higher than necessary, as a high limit will result in the clip archive quickly growing in size if you're sometimes clipping large amounts of texts. 10kB may be reasonable for most use cases.
The Ignore Clips shorter than (chars, 0-999)
field allows you to set a lower limit in number of characters. Keep this at the default setting of 1 if you don't have a reason to exclude short clips.
==== - Save clips to disk Checkbox ====
When the Save clips to disk
checkbox is activated, all clips will be stored on your hard disk and remain available after Auto Book or the computer is restarted. If you deactivate this checkbox, all newly captured clips will remain in memory only for as long as Auto Book is running and will be discarded as soon as you shut down the application. To make full use of the Clip Manager's power, keep this checkbox activated.
==== - Rotational 2-path backup of all clips ====
When you activate the Rotational 2-path backup of all clips
option, your critical clip files will be backed up regularly based on the number of days you set.
These files are backed up:
* prioclips.txt.ab – this file contains all clips to which you have assigned [[#keywords]].
* clips.txt.ab – this file contains all remaining clips (without keywords)
Temporary files are not backed up (see chapter [[#The Database]] for more information).
⯈ How the backups work: Every time a backup is made, the file being backed up is saved in one of two paths (or locations).
For prioclips.txt.ab, these 2 paths are:
- [Auto Book program folder]\Backup\prioclips_backup.txt.ab
- [Auto Book program folder]\Backup\prioclips_backup**_alt**.txt.ab
For clips.txt.ab, these 2 paths are:
- [Auto Book program folder]\Backup\clips_backup.txt.ab
- [Auto Book program folder]\Backup\clips_backup**_alt**.txt.ab
⯈ Alternating between paths: After each backup, it switches between the two paths. So, for example, if the first backup is saved in Path 1, the second will go to Path 2, the third back to Path 1, and so on.
⯈ Old backups are preserved: After two backups (one in Path 1 and one in Path 2), the backup in Path 1 is overwritten. This means that for every two backup intervals, the system makes sure there is always a backup that is older than the set interval (the number of days you defined). This helps you "roll back" or recover from a backup that’s at least the chosen interval old, even if the most recent backup was just created.
In short: The system keeps two paths of backups, and after each two intervals, it replaces the older one, making sure you always have a backup that’s at least the interval length old.
==== - Operational Buttons ====
**Compact Clips:** This feature reduces the size of clips by removing unnecessary data, optimizing storage space. Compacting is automatically performed when a certain amount of overhead is detected, so you typically don't need to worry about it. However, //if you plan to manually edit the files in your clip archive folder// — for example, by deleting unwanted clips from the underlying text files — it is **absolutely mandatory** to compact the clips first. Then, shut down the Clip Manager (or Auto Book) while making edits and restart it only after you're done. Failure to do so may result in unintended loss of clips and other issues.
**Open Clip Folder:** Opens the folder where your clips are stored for manual access. Before editing any of the files, you must compact the clip archive (see note for [[#Compact Clips|compacting clips]].
**Delete All Clips:** Moves all clip files to the Recycle Bin. To permanently delete the clip files instead without using the Recycle bin, open the clip folder and delete the contained files manually.
**Restore Defaults:** Resets all settings to their original default values.
===== - The Clip Preview =====
The Clip Preview is the main interface for interacting with the Clip Manager, allowing you to run searches, paste clips, load pin sets, and perform many other functions.
It central feature is a table showing recent clips, with the most recent being topmost. Recent in this context means the clips what were last added, [[#Editing Clips|edited]], or [[#Bumping Clips|bumped]]. Bumping is performed by default after pasting, but can be toggled via the [[#Bump Mode]] setting.
Note that clips with manually assigned keywords are given priority over clips without keywords – when you start the Clip Manager, all your clips with keywords will be listed first. During the session, these will move further down in the table as you clips are added or bumped.
{{:image_2024-09-18_140707861-white.png?direct|}}
==== - Five Columns of the Clip Preview ====
=== - No. Column ===
Each clip in the table has a row number, shown in the first column, **No**. This row number can be used to paste clips by a keyboard shortcut – that is, by pressing CTRL + this number or only this number (see [[#Selection Mode]]).
The **checkbox** shown in this column is for [[#pinning clips]]. When you check it, a clip is pinned to the top of the table; when you uncheck is, the clip is unpinned.
Clicking on the header of this columns pins all clips, if no clips are currently pinned. This effectively freezes the [[#The Clip Preview|Clip Preview]]. If some clips are pinned already, clicking on the header unpins all visible clips; holding Shift while clicking also unpins those that are out of view. To pin or unpin only //selected// clips, press CTRL
+Enter
– see [[#Pinning/Unpinning selected Clips]].
=== - Date Added Column ===
The second column, **Date Added**, shows the time at which the clip was originally added to the database. You can click on the header of this column to switch to Date Used, which is the time of last usage. When running a [[#Date Search]], matching is performed against whatever is currently shown in this column, either date added or date used.
=== - Keywords Column ===
The third column, **Keywords**, shows the keywords assigned to each clip. You can add and edit these keywords by holding control and then double-clicking onto the keyword field. Clicking on the header of this column cycles the Keyword filter (Only Clips with Keywords → Only Clips without Keywords → All Clips).
=== - Clip Column ===
The fourth column, **Clip**, shows the actual clip content. The clip content can also be edited in the same way as keywords – by holding control and then double-clicking onto the clip field –, as long as the clip is shorter than 260 chararacters. For longer clips, click one of the [[#Full Clip View|triangle buttons]] to display the [[#Full Clip View]] which allows you to edit clips with convenience. Clicking on the header of this column cycles the Clip filter (Only Clips used before → Only Clips never used before → All Clips).
If the clip content consists of only a **link** – a local file path or an internet link – you can open the link by holding Ctrl
+Shift
and double-clicking the clip. Folders will be opened in Windows File Explorer, while URLs will be opened in your default browser. If the clip contains a list of links, the first link is opened.
=== - Length Column ===
The fifth and last column, **Length**, indicates the number of characters in each clip.
=== - Searching in Columns ===
In [[#Searching|Searches]], each column can be referenced by its initial letter, ie. d
, k
, c
, and l
, so that k Logitope
would a search for Logitope
in the Keywords column. For details, see [[#Search Modifiers]].
==== - Controls at the Bottom ====
Several input fields and buttons are arranged along the bottom of the window:
[{{:controls-at-the-bottom.png?nolink}}]
**Clip Search Box:** The wide input field on the left is the Clip Search Box. To search for clips, enter your search pattern here – see section [[#Searching Clips]].
**Find in Clip Box and Find button:** To the right of the Clip Search Box is the Find in Clip Box with a Find button. Use these control to find a term within a longer clip – see section [[#Finding Terms within Clips]].
**Delete button:** [[#Selecting Clips|Select]] one or more clips and press this Button to delete them. See [[#Deleting Clips]].
**Triangle buttons:** These two buttons open the [[#Full Clip View]] – the **down triangle** below the clip table, the **right triangle** to the right of it. Once open, the triangle reverses direction and the same button closes the panel again. See [[#Full Clip View]].
**ߓ/○**: This button enables you to [[#Toggling Always-on-Top mode|toggle the always-on-top mode]].
When the [[#The Filter Tree|Filter Tree]] is shown, a few additional controls appear below it – see [[#Showing and Hiding the Tree]].
==== - Status Bar ====
The grey status bar at the very bottom of the window normally shows the available [[#Search Modifiers]] and the number of total clips in your archive. It changes to display relevant information after certain user operations, for example number of deleted clips after deleting or the number of matches when [[#Searching]]. When you select a single clip, it shows which [[#The Filter Tree|Filter Tree]] folder that clip is filed into – see [[#Seeing Where a Clip Is Filed]].
In this example, the standard text is shown:
{{:info-bar.png?nolink}}
==== - Full Clip View ====
The Full Clip View is a larger panel for displaying and [[#editing clips]] with convenience. It can be opened either **below** or **to the right of** the clip table, whichever suits your screen and the clip you're working on.
Two small triangle buttons at the bottom of the [[#The Clip Preview|Clip Preview]] control it:
* The **down triangle** opens the Full Clip View //below// the clip table. The [[#The Clip Preview|Clip Preview]] grows downwards, and the panel fills all the remaining space down to the bottom of the screen.
* The **right triangle** opens it //to the right of// the clip table. The [[#The Clip Preview|Clip Preview]] grows to the right, and the panel fills all the remaining space up to the right edge of the monitor.
Once the panel is open, the triangle you used **reverses direction** – it now points the way the panel will close – so the same button closes it again.
[{{:clip-preview-with-full-view-right.png?direct&800|The Full Clip View opened to the right of the clip table}}]
⯈ You don't have to close the panel to move it: if it is open at the bottom and you click the right triangle, it simply switches sides – and vice versa.\\
⯈ Tall, narrow clips are usually easier to read on the right, while the bottom position keeps the full window width available for long lines.\\
⯈ If there isn't enough room on the chosen side, a message tells you what to do – move the window up or [[#Adding and Removing Rows|reduce the number of rows]] for the bottom position, or move or narrow the window (or hide the [[#The Filter Tree|Filter Tree]]) for the right position.
The side you used last is **remembered across restarts**. Whenever the Full Clip View is opened automatically rather than by a button – for example when you press Enter
after a [[#Searching|search]] or create a [[#Notes|new note]] – it opens on that side again, falling back to the other side if there isn't enough space.
When the Full Clip View is open to the right, showing or hiding the [[#The Filter Tree|Filter Tree]] does not change the window width: the panel simply grows into the freed space, or makes room for the tree again.
Any changes you make to a clip in the Full Clip View are automatically saved.
==== - Menu Bar ====
The menu bar of the [[#The Clip Preview|Clip Preview]] provides access to various functions and settings.
=== - File Menu ===
The File menu is used for saving and managing [[#Pin Sets]] and [[#Clip Searches]], and also provides an option to shutdown the Clip Manager.
**Save Pin Set:** This option saves the currently pinned clips as a [[#Pin Sets|Pin Set]]. You'll be prompted for the Pin Set name.
**Add to Pin Set:** This option adds the currently pinned clips to a [[#Pin Sets|Pin Set]]. You'll be prompted to select the Pin Set.
**Save Clip Search:** This option saves the current search string shown in the search field as a [[#Clip Searches|Clip Search]]. You'll be prompted for the Search name (which can be identical to the search string).
**Manage Pin Sets:** Shows a dialog that allows you to delete, load, and rename [[#Pin Sets]].
**Manage Clip Searches:** Shows a dialog that allows you to delete, load, and rename [[#Clip Searches]].
**Manage Keyword Presets:** Shows a dialog that allows you to create, delete, modify and apply [[#Keyword Presets]].
**Shutdown:** Shuts down the Clip Manager. This is the same as unchecking the **Activate Clip Manager** checkbox on the **Clip** tab (see [[#Basic Configuration]]). When shut down, the Clip Manager will not capture any clips and the [[#The Clip Preview|Clip Preview]] cannot be displayed until you reactivate it again.
[{{:clip-preview-with-file-menu.png?direct&800|Clip Preview with File menu opened}}]
=== - Pin Set Menu ===
The Pin Set menu shows a list of all your saved Pin Sets. It is automatically updated whenever you create or delete a Pin Set. It is designed to allow you loading Pin Sets in the quickest possible manner:
You can load a Pin Set simply by clicking on its name in the menu.
=== - Search Menu ===
The **Search menu** provides quick access to your saved **Clip Searches** and also lists your defined **Keyword Presets**.
It is automatically updated whenever you create, modify, or delete a Clip Search or Keyword Preset.
== - Clip Searches ==
Clip Searches are user-defined search patterns that can include various modifiers. They allow you to build powerful, reusable filters for finding specific clips.
You can load a Clip Search simply by clicking its name in the menu. The search string is immediately shown in the search field, the search is executed automatically, and the clip table updates to display the results.
See [[#Clip Searches]] for how to define and manage your Clip Searches.
== - Keyword Presets ==
Below your Clip Searches, the menu also lists all your defined **[[#Keyword Presets]]**.
When you click on a Keyword Preset in the Search menu, it is automatically used as a **keyword-only search**. The Clip Search Box is updated to show the selected Preset, prepended with a k
(e.g., k #personal
) so that only the **Keywords column** is searched.
This makes it extremely quick and convenient to retrieve clips tagged with categories like #accounting
, #emails
, or #personal
, without needing to type anything manually.
=== - Tag menu ===
The Tag menu lists all your defined **[[#Keyword Presets]]**. Simply select a Preset to apply it too all currently selected clips.
A space is automatically inserted if the clip already has keywords.
This function, also available via the right-click [[#Context Menu]], makes categorizing your clips extremely efficient.
⯈ For more info, see [[#Creating and Managing Presets]].
=== - Filter Tree Menu ===
The Filter Tree menu provides access to the functions of the [[#The Filter Tree|Filter Tree]].
**Toggle Tree (CTRL+T):** Shows or hides the Filter Tree. See [[#Showing and Hiding the Tree]].
**Show Folder:** Shows your folder hierarchy as cascading submenus. Select **Show Contained Clips** for any folder to select that folder in the tree and display its clips in the clip table. If the Filter Tree is currently hidden, it is automatically shown.
**Add to Folder:** Shows the same folder hierarchy. Select **Add Clips here** for any folder to file all currently selected clips into that folder – a quick alternative to drag and drop. See [[#Adding Clips to Folders]].
**External DragDrop Hotkey:** Sets the hotkey for grabbing text from other applications – Capslock+Left Click, Ctrl+Right Click, Ctrl+Win+Left Click, F8, or Off. See [[#Grabbing Text from Other Applications]].
**Undo Last Action (Ctrl+Z):** Undoes the last folder operation. The menu entry shows which action will be undone. See [[#Undo and Redo]].
**Redo Action (Ctrl+Y):** Restores the last undone folder operation.
[{{:filter-tree-menu.png?direct|The Filter Tree menu}}]
=== - Extra Menu ===
The Extra menu provides access to various useful functions.
**Interrupt/Resume Search (CTRL+Shift+Space):** Aborts a search that is still running, or resumes it from the last position if it was aborted before. This is only ever needed for the rare, deliberately intricate search pattern that takes noticeably long. See [[#Aborting and Resuming Searches]].
**Copy Selected Clips (CTRL+C):** Click this option to copy all [[#Selecting Clips|selected clips]] into the Windows Clipboard. Multiple clips will be separated by linefeeds.
**Bump Selected Clips (CTRL+B):** Click this option to bump all [[#Selecting Clips|selected clips]], that is move them to the top of the clip table.
**Delete Selected Clips (CTRL+D):** Click this option to delete all [[#Selecting Clips|selected clips]].
**Edit Hotstring (WIN+H):** Available when exactly one [[#Hotstrings|hotstring]] clip is selected. Opens the abbreviation dialog pre-filled with the clip's current abbreviation and options, so you can change them in place. The key combination shown here is your configured Hotstrings hotkey. See [[#Editing a Hotstring]].
**Reset Column Settings (CTRL+R):** Click this option to reset the column settings for column 2 (date), 3 (keywords), and 4 (clip) to their defaults. Specifically, this means that the date column is reset to show the Date Added, if it's currently set to Date Used, the keywords column is reset to show all clips, whether they have keywords or not, and the clip column is also reset to show all clips, whether they have been used before or not. (See [[#Five Columns of the Clip Preview]] for more information).
**Reset Gui Position:** This option resets the screen position of the [[#The Clip Preview|Clip Preview]] to the default position. Both alternate positions are reset, the "flip" position as well as the "flop" position. (See [[#Flipping the Gui]].) Specifically, the normal (flip) position is reset to the top-left corner of the primary monitor, and the flop position the top-right corner.
**Delete Session Clips:** Click this option to delete all clips newly captured since Auto Book was started last time both from memory and from the hard disk, in case they already have been dumped to disk.
**Important note:** To protect the user from deleting clips that were meant to be kept, clips with manually assigned keywords are not eliminated with this function. You can delete such clips manually using the [[#Keyword filter]] or typing rk .
into the [[#Controls at the Bottom|Clip Search Box]]. Then, select and delete the clips you want to remove. Privacy note: This method of deleting clips doesn't purge the hard-disk as does the Delete Session Clips function for clips without keywords. To purge the hard-disk, you need to [[#Compact Clips|compact your clip archive]].
**Capture Exclusions...:** Opens a dialog in which you define text patterns that shall never be captured – a privacy filter for your clipboard. Every clip about to be captured is checked against your patterns first. If one of them matches, the clip is discarded on the spot: it never enters the archive and is never written to disk.
Enter one regular expression per line. Lines starting with a semicolon are inactive – remove the leading semicolon to activate a pattern. A comment line placed directly above a pattern serves as its plain-language name and is shown in the notification, so you can tell at a glance which pattern caught a clip.
A pattern matches anywhere in the clip. Wrap it in ^ and $ to exclude a clip only when it consists entirely of the matching text.
The file comes with five ready-made patterns, all of them commented out: credit card numbers, social security numbers, private key files in PEM format, API keys and access tokens (long random strings), and AWS access key IDs. Activate the ones you want, edit them, or write your own.
**Notify when a clip is excluded:** Shows a brief tooltip naming the pattern whenever a clip was not captured. Recommended – otherwise a clip silently going missing can be confusing.
**Restore Defaults:** Adds back any of the five built-in patterns that are no longer in the file. Patterns already present are left untouched, including ones you have edited. Click **Save** to keep the additions.
⯈ A pattern with a faulty regular expression is skipped rather than blocking clip capture altogether, so a typo can never stop the Clip Manager from working.
**Launcher Settings...:** Opens the settings for the [[#Launcher]], the system folder that holds one clip per installed application and lets you start programs straight from the Clip Manager.
**Launch Hotkey:** Opens the Clip Preview with the Launcher folder already selected and the cursor in the [[#Controls at the Bottom|Clip Search Box]], so you can type a few letters of the program's name and run it. The default is Alt
+Space
. Set it like any other hotkey: click into the field, press your key combination, and press **Save**. For combinations involving the Windows key, tick the **Win key** checkbox and press only the remaining keys. See [[#Changing Hotkeys]].
**Show Launcher (in the Clip Tree):** Uncheck this to hide the Launcher folder in the [[#The Filter Tree|Filter Tree]]. The clips stay where they are – they are just not displayed in the tree any more.
**Scan for Apps:** Searches your Start Menu – both the all-users and your personal one, including all subfolders – for program shortcuts, and offers to add one clip per application found. The clip's [[#Keywords Column|keyword]] is the name of the program, its content the path of the program file. You can run the scan as often as you like: applications already in the Launcher are skipped, no matter which subfolder you have moved them to. Every scan also performs the clean-up described next.
**Clean Up Missing Apps:** Removes all Launcher clips whose program no longer exists on this computer, after asking for confirmation. This cannot be undone.
⯈ You are free to organize the applications into your own subfolders below the Launcher folder. Neither the scan nor the clean-up is confused by that.
**Keywords:**
The Keywords sub-menu provides access to four options:
* Copy Selected Keywords (CTRL+SHIFT+C): Copies the keywords of currently selected clips. If multiple clips are selected, they will be copied as separate lines (that is, separated by linefeeds).
* Append Clipboard Content to Keywords (CTRL+V): Appends the current clipboard content to the keywords of the currently selected clips.
* Replace Keywords with Clipboard Content (CTRL+SHIFT+V): Replaces the keywords of the currently selected clips with the current clipboard content, or adds the clipboard content if there are no keywords yet
* Remove Keywords: Removes all keywords of the currently selected clips.
**Add rows (CTRL+PgDn/F12):** This option adds three additional rows to the clip table. The GUI is also expanded to make room for the larger table. The shortcuts add a single row at a time – see [[#Adding and Removing Rows]].
**Remove rows (CTRL+PgUp/F11):** This option removes three rows from clip table, and the GUI is also suitably shrunk. The shortcuts remove a single row at a time.
**Set lines per row:** Sets how many lines of a clip each row of the clip table displays – 1, 2, 3, 5 or 7 lines. The current setting is marked in the sub-menu; the default is 2.
The rows become correspondingly taller, and the [[#The Clip Preview|Clip Preview]] grows with them; the number of rows is not affected. Clips longer than the available lines end in an ellipsis. Showing several lines makes multi-line clips much easier to recognize at a glance, at the price of a taller window – one line per row gives you the most compact display.
[{{:clip-preview-with-extra-menu.png?direct&800|Clip Preview with Extra menu opened}}]
=== - Modes Menu ===
The Modes menu allows you to switch the Clip Manager's modes – [[#Afterpaste Mode]], [[#Bump Mode]], [[#Capture Mode]], [[#Restoration Mode]] and [[#Selection Mode]]. See [[#Modes]] for details.
===== - Modes =====
Five modes allow you to adjust the Clip Manager's behavior according to your use case and preferences.
Switching the modes is easy via the menu or a keyboard shortcut. You can even change the setting without interrupting the [[#Input state]] – that is, you can change the mode without the target application losing keyboard focus.
For all modes except Capture mode, the hotkey is Ctrl
+Shift
+[first letter of the mode's name], that is Ctrl
+Shift
+A
for Afterpaste mode, Ctrl
+Shift
+B
for Bump mode, Ctrl
+Shift
+R
for Restoration mode and Ctrl
+Shift
+S
for Selection mode. The Capture mode doesn't use the same pattern because it's taken for [[#copying keywords]]; instead, the Capture mode is switched by Ctrl
+Shift
+Q
.
==== - Capture Mode ====
In the default mode, all clips you make on your computer by pressing CTRL
+C
are automatically added to the text repository, provided they don't exceed the user-defined size limit (see [[#Capture Limits]]). By pressing an alternative hotkey (CTRL
+WIN
+C
by default; user-definable), capturing of clips can be suppressed for sensitive data.
In the alternative mode, clips are stored only when the alternative hotkey is pressed and are not captured when CTRL
+C
is pressed normally. To activate the alternative mode, click the **Capture only when using Alternative Hotkey** radio button on Auto Book's [[#Basic Configuration|Clip tab]] or select **Modes** – **Capture Mode** – ** Capture with Alternative Hotkey** from the [[#Menu Bar|Clip Preview menu]].
The Capture mode can be switched via the [[#Modes menu]] of the [[#The Clip Preview|Clip Preview]], the radio buttons on Auto Book's [[#Basic Configuration|Clip tab]], or the shortcut Ctrl
+Shift
+Q
, which does not interrupt the [[#Input State]].
Independently of the Capture mode, you can exclude clips from being captured by their content – see **Capture Exclusions** in the [[#Extra menu]].
==== - Afterpaste Mode ====
The Afterpaste mode determines the behaviour of the [[#The Clip Preview|Clip Preview]] after you have pasted the clip by double-clicking it or pressing a hotkey.
You may choose between Sent to Background
, Stay in Place
, and Repeat
.
**Sent to Background:** In this mode, the window is sent into the background after your clip has been pasted. It's best if you are focused on your target application and want to restore the same window arrangement you had before you opened the [[#The Clip Preview|Clip Preview]]. This mode is most suitable for most use cases.
**Stay in Place:** In this mode, as in the Sent to Background
mode, the focus is returned to the last used application after pasting a clip. However, the [[#The Clip Preview|Clip Preview]] it is not explicitly sent to the background, that is, it will stay above any other windows that may be on your screen. Choose this mode if you don't like the [[#The Clip Preview|Clip Preview]] disappearing after pasting a clip.
**Repeat:** This mode is designed for rapid pasting of multiple clips. After you have pasted a clip, the [[#The Clip Preview|Clip Preview]] automatically re-enters [[#Input State]], allowing you to paste the next clip by double-clicking it in the [[#The Clip Preview|Clip Preview]] or by pressing its shortcut. Optionally, additional symbols are inserted between consecutive clips, namely either Tab, Enter, Space, Comma, or Comma and Space. This is useful for example for filling an Excel table or web forms.
The Afterpaste mode can be switched via the [[#Modes menu]] of the [[#The Clip Preview|Clip Preview]], or the shortcut Ctrl
+Shift
+A
, which does not interrupt the [[#Input State]]. That means you can decide how the window should respond in the very moment before pasting a clip, without the target application even losing keyboard focus.
When you're done filling in the form or table, **remember to switch Repeat mode off again** for regular pasting.
==== - Bump Mode ====
The Bump Mode decides whether clips are "bumped", that is moved, to the top of the clip archive after having been pasted.
**Bump Pasted Clips to Top:** In this mode, any clip that is pasted is bumped to the top of your clip archive.
**Keep Pasted Clips in Queue:** In this mode, clips stay where they are.
Note that clips that do not have manually assigned keywords appear only after all clips that do have keywords, even after having been bumped.
The Bump mode is switched via the [[#Modes menu]] of the [[#The Clip Preview|Clip Preview]], or the shortcut Ctrl
+Shift
+B
, which does not interrupt the [[#Input State]].
==== - Restoration Mode ====
The Restoration Mode determines the behaviour of the clipboard after pasting a clip.
**Restore Clipboard after Pasting:** In this mode, the clipboard will be restored to whatever content it had before the pasting operation.
**Keep Pasted Content in Clipboard:** In this mode, after pasting a clip, the clip will remain in the clipboard. This mode is useful if you want to paste a clip multiple times, as you won't have to open the [[#The Clip Preview|Clip Preview]] four consecutive times – pressing CTRL+V
is enough.
The Restoration mode can be switched via the [[#Modes menu]] of the [[#The Clip Preview|Clip Preview]], or the shortcut Ctrl
+Shift
+R
, which does not interrupt the [[#Input State]].
==== - Selection Mode ====
The Selection Mode is for toggling the keyboard shortcut combinations for pasting clips after the [[#The Clip Preview|Clip Preview]] has been opened, as an alternative to double-clicking the desired clip.
**Easy: Select by Number:** In this mode, the pasting operation is triggered by pressing simply the clip's row number (without control), //if//: The [[#The Clip Preview|Clip Preview]] is in [[#Input Mode]], or the [[#The Clip Preview|Clip Preview]] is in active state and the [[#Search field]] is blank.
This mode is useful if you want to paste clips using the keyboard and your hand is not big enough to hold control and at the same time reach their numbers further away on the keyboard like 8, 9, or 0, or you simply like the added convenience.
The downside of this mode is that you might accidentally trigger a pasting operation if you want to search for a string starting with a digit. Although you can bypass the pasting operation by first typing a single space into the search field and then the desired digit, it's easy to forget in everyday usage.
**Normal: Select by CTRL+Number:** In this mode, the pasting operation is triggered by holding control and then pressing the clip's row number. This mode avoids accidental triggering of pasting operations by pressing simple numbers, but you'll need big hands to reach the further-away positioned numbers if you want to operate single-handedly.
The Selection mode can be switched via the [[#Modes menu]] of the [[#The Clip Preview|Clip Preview]], or the shortcut Ctrl
+Shift
+S
, which does not interrupt the [[#Input State]].
===== - Keyboard and Mouse Shortcuts =====
==== - Main Shortcuts ====
* F6
: Open [[#The Clip Preview|Clip Preview]] [default – user-adjustable]
* F7
: Create a new [[#notes|note]] and open it for editing [default – user-adjustable]
* CTRL
+ Win
+ C
: Alternate Hotkey for copying to Clipboard – see [[#Capture Mode]] [default – user-adjustable]
==== - Shortcuts for Pasting Clips ====
=== - When in Normal Selection Mode ===
* CTRL
+ Number
: Paste clip with that number in the list into the target (previously active) application.
* CTRL
+ Shift
+ Number
: Paste clip with that number + 10 in the list into the target (previously active) application. Does not work with numbers on the keyboard's numeric keypad.
=== - When in Easy Selection Mode ===
* Number
: Paste clip with that number in the list into the target (previously active) application.
* Shift
+ Number
: Paste clip with that number + 10 in the list into the target (previously active) application. Does not work with numbers on the keyboard's numeric keypad.
==== - Shortcuts for Mode Selection ====
* CTRL
+ Shift
+ A
: Afterpaste Mode – Switch between //Send to Background//, //Stay in Place//, or //Repeat//.
* CTRL
+ Shift
+ B
: Bump Mode – Switch between //Bump Pasted Clips to Top// and //Keep Pasted Clips in Queue//.
* CTRL
+ Shift
+ Q
: Capture Mode – Switch between //Capture by Default// and //Capture with Alternative Hotkey//.
* CTRL
+ Shift
+ R
: Restoration Mode – Switch between //Restore Clipboard after Pasting// and //Keep Pasted Content in Clipboard//.
* CTRL
+ Shift
+ S
: Selection Mode – Switch between //Easy: Select by Number// and //Normal: Select by Ctrl+Number//.
==== - Shortcuts for Clip Operations ====
* CTRL
+ D
: Delete selected clips.
* CTRL
+ B
: Bump selected clips to top.
* CTRL
+ C
: Copy selected clips, separated by tabs for columns and newlines for each clip.
* CTRL
+ Shift
+ C
: Copy selected keywords.
* CTRL
+ V
: Append current clipboard content to keywords of selected clips.
* CTRL
+ Shift
+ V
: Replace keywords of selected clips with current clipboard content.
* CTRL
+ N
: Create a new clip. See [[#Creating a New Note]].
* CTRL
+ H
: [[#Hiding Clips|Hide/unhide]] selected clips.
* CTRL
+ Shift
+ H
: [[#Revealing Clips Temporarily|Reveal]] selected hidden clips until the view refreshes.
* CTRL
+ Shift
+ N
: Create a new clip and open it for editing. If the [[#The Filter Tree|Filter Tree]] has the keyboard focus, a new tree folder is created instead.
* CTRL
+ Enter
: [[#Pinning/Unpinning selected Clips|Pin/unpin the selected clips]].
==== - Shortcuts for Gui and Scroll Operations ====
* CTRL
+ Tab
: Flip [[#The Clip Preview|Clip Preview]] to alternate position.
* PgDn
: Scroll down (also with mouse wheel)
* PgUp
: Scroll up (also with mouse wheel)
* CTRL
+ PgUp
or F11
: Shrink [[#The Clip Preview|Clip Preview]] (remove one row from the list)
* CTRL
+ PgDn
or F12
: Enlarge [[#The Clip Preview|Clip Preview]] (add one row to the list)
* CTRL
+ Home
: Jump to beginning of list (when scrolled down)
* CTRL
+ End
: Jump to previous maximum scroll position for the current search/filter state.
==== - Shortcuts for Search, Filters and Pins ====
* CTRL
+ E
: Clear the [[#Controls at the bottom|Clip Search Box]] to reset the search.
* CTRL
+ R
: Reset column settings ([[#Filtering|filters]]).
* CTRL
+ Shift
+ E
: Clear the [[#Controls at the bottom|Clip Search Box]] and reset column settings ([[#Filtering|filters]]).
* F1
: [[#Pinning/Unpinning all Clips|Pin/unpin all clips]] – same as clicking on header of the [[#No. column]]. Hold Shift
to also unpin clips below the visible range.
* F2
: Switch between Date Added and Date Used – same as clicking on header of the [[#Date Added column]].
* F3
: Switch [[#Keywords Filter]] – same as clicking on header of the [[#Keywords column]].
* F4
: Switch [[#Clip Filter]] – same as clicking on header of the [[#Clip column]].
==== - Shortcuts for the Filter Tree ====
* CTRL
+ T
: Show/hide the [[#The Filter Tree|Filter Tree]].
* Del
: Remove the selected clips from the currently selected tree folder. The clips remain in the archive. See [[#Removing Clips from Folders]].
The following shortcuts apply while the Filter Tree has keyboard focus, that is, after you have clicked into the tree:
* CTRL
+ SHIFT
+ N
: Create a new folder.
* CTRL
+ X
: Cut the selected folder.
* CTRL
+ C
: Copy the selected folder (folder structure only, without clips).
* CTRL
+ V
: Paste the cut or copied folder into the selected folder.
* CTRL
+ SHIFT
+ Up
/ Down
: Move the selected folder up/down among its siblings.
* CTRL
+ Z
: Undo the last folder operation.
* CTRL
+ Y
: Redo the last undone folder operation.
==== - Shortcuts for Links ====
These shortcuts apply to clips whose content is a local file path or an internet link – see [[#Opening Links]].
* CTRL
+ Shift
+ Double-click, or CTRL
+ Shift
+ Enter
: Open the containing folder in Windows File Explorer (or the URL in your browser).
* CTRL
+ Alt
+ Double-click, or CTRL
+ Alt
+ Enter
: Open the file itself with its associated application. This is also how you open a generated list in the [[#The File Lister|File Lister]] folder.
===== - Basic Clip Operations =====
==== - Selecting Clips ====
You can select one or more clips in order to copy, delete, or bump them, for example.
To select a clip, simply click on it. The clip has been selected when it is highlighted with a blue background.
To select multiple clips, hold control and click them. To select a range, click the first clip of the desired range, then hold shift and click the last clip of the range.
==== - Copying Clips =====
Select the clips to copy, then press Ctrl
+ C
. Multiple clips will be separated by linefeeds. You can then manually paste the copied data wherever you like.
==== - Deleting Clips ====
Select the clips to delete, then press Ctrl
+ D
, or click the **Delete** button.
==== - Bumping Clips ====
Bumping a clip means moving it to the top of the clip archive so that it is shown before all other clips in the [[#The Clip Preview|Clip Preview]].
Select the clips to bump, then press Ctrl
+ B
. Alternatively, select the option **Bump Selected Clips** from the [[#Extra menu]].
==== - Editing Clips ====
{{:image_2024-09-18_141434394-white.png?direct|}}
There are two ways to edit clips. To edit short clips, that is clips shorter than 260 characters, you can hold your keyboard's Control key and double-click onto the clip. A small edit box will appear where you can make adjustments.
**Important note:**
When you open the [[#The Clip Preview|Clip Preview]] by the [[#Clip Preview hotkey]], it is initially in [[#Input State]], indicated by the blinking of the status bar. In the state, the window waits for the user to trigger a pasting operation, and the very first mouse-click you make onto the [[#The Clip Preview|Clip Preview]] will not count towards the double-click you need to make for opening the keywords editing box.
Therefore, when in [[#Input State]], first click once onto the window to enter the regular [[#Active State]], in which the status bar doesn't link any more. Then proceed to hold control and double-click to open the edit box.
=== - Editing in the Full Clip View ===
To edit larger clips, open the [[#Full Clip View]] by clicking one of the two triangle buttons at the bottom of the [[#The Clip Preview|Clip Preview]] – the down triangle to open it below the clip table, the right triangle to open it to the right.
When you select the clip in the clip table, its content is automatically shown in the [[#Full Clip View]]. Make adjustments as you please.
{{:clip-preview-with-full-view-s.png?direct|The Full Clip View has been expanded. It will be filled with data when a clip is selected.}}
==== - Editing Keywords ====
To edit keywords, hold your keyboard's Control key and double-click on to the clip's keywords column. A small edit box will appear where you can make adjustments.
Keywords cannot be displayed or edited in the [[#Full Clip View]].
The maximum length for keywords is 259 characters.
**Important note:**
When you open the [[#The Clip Preview|Clip Preview]] by the [[#Clip Preview hotkey]], it is initially in [[#Input State]], indicated by the blinking of the status bar. In the state, the window waits for the user to trigger a pasting operation, and the very first mouse-click you make onto the [[#The Clip Preview|Clip Preview]] will not count towards the double-click you need to make for opening the keywords editing box.
Therefore, when in [[#Input State]], first click once onto the window to enter the regular [[#Active State]], in which the status bar doesn't link any more. Then proceed to hold control and double-click to open the edit box.
==== - Running Searches ====
You can search clips by typing into the bottom left input box – the [[#Controls at the Bottom|Clip Search Box]] –, and search within a clip by typing into the slightly smaller input box (//Find in Clip//) to the right of it and clicking the Find button.
You can clear either field simply by double-clicking into it.
The [[#Controls at the Bottom|Clip Search Box]] can also be cleared using the shortcut Ctrl
+E
, which does not interrupt the [[#Input State]] – that is, you can clear the search without the target application losing keyboard focus.
For details on search options and patterns, see chapter [[#Searching]].
==== - Filtering ====
You can filter the clips displayed in the clip table by clicking the column header of the Keywords or Clip column.
The filters can be combined with each other and any search patterns. That is, any search run while a filter is active will only search through the filtered list of clips.
In addition, you can filter the clip table by folder using the [[#The Filter Tree|Filter Tree]]. The folder filter, the column filters, and any search pattern can all be combined.
=== - Keywords Filter ===
The Keywords filter filters clips based on whether keywords have been assigned or not. By default, all clips are shown. Click on the column to header or press F3
to cycle the filter to **Only Clips with Keywords** → **Only Clips without Keywords** → **All Clips**. The icon in the header reflects the change.
Pressing F3
does not interrupt the [[#Input State]], meaning you can switch the Keywords filter without the target application losing keyboard focus.
=== - Clip Filter ===
The Clip filter filters clips based on whether they have been used before or not, where "used" refers to operations such as pasting and bumping. This filter is useful, for example, when older clips with keywords are shown on top, but you want to focus on recently added clips that have not been used yet. Click on the Clip column header or press F4
to cycle the filter to **Only Clips used before** → **Only Clips never used before** → **All Clips**. The icon in the header reflects the change.
Pressing F4
does not interrupt the [[#Input State]], meaning you can switch the Clip filter without the target application losing keyboard focus.
=== - Resetting the Filters ===
There are three methods to reset the filters:
* Continue clicking on the column header until the filter setting has been cycled back to **All Clips**.
* In the [[#Menu Bar|Clip Preview menu]], select **Extra** → **Reset Column Settings**.
* Press CTRL
+SHIFT
+E
. This option also clears the [[#Controls at the Bottom|Clip Search Box]], ie resets the search.
==== - Scrolling ====
At any time, the clip table can be scrolled down to show additional "downstream" clips, that is clips further down in the clip archive (see [[#The Clip Preview]] for details on how clips are ordered).
You will notice there is no traditional scroll bar. Instead, the rows of the clip table are updated to show the further downstream clips as you scroll down, and the row numbers in the [[#No. column]] are increased correspondingly, allowing you to keep track of the scrolling position.
Scrolling is possible with or without active search pattern in the [[#Controls at the Bottom|Clip Search Box]] and with or without active [[#Filtering|filters]].
You can scroll until the end of the clip archive or until no more matches are found.
Any [[#Pinning clips|pinned clips]] will stay at the top of the clip table while you scroll. Only the rows below them are updated with the data of the downstream clips. Therefore, you can't scroll if //all rows// of the clip table are pinned.
**To scroll forward (showing older clips):** Scroll down using the mouse wheel or press PgDn
.
**To scroll backward (showing newer clips):** Scroll up using the mouse wheel or press PgUp
.
**To jump to the top of the list:** Press Ctrl
+Home
.
**To jump to the maximum scroll position:** Press Ctrl
+End
. The clip table will jump back to the maximum position to which you have previously scrolled in forward (or downward) direction. Note that this maximum position is reset when new clips are added to the archive and after some other clip operations.
[{{:clip-preview-scrolled.png?direct&800|The clip table has been scrolled downwards, now showing the row numbers 10 to 18}}]
==== - Pinning Clips ====
Pin clips to the top of the clip table by clicking the checkbox in the leftmost column (**No.**). A pin symbol – {{:pin.png?20&nolink|}} – will appear next to the checkbox for visual emphasis.
Unpin a clip by clicking the checkbox again.
Pinned clips will remain visible in the clip table until unpinned. Newly captured clips or search matches will always appear below them. Use this function to keep clips that you plan to use again in the near future immediately available.
Pinned clips will be retained across Auto Book restarts. In addition, you can save [[#Pin Sets|sets of pins]] for future use.
Newly pinned clips will initially stay in place. However, if you press the [[#Clip Preview hotkey]] again or if the clip table changes, e.g. because you run a search or change filters, they will be move up to the top of the table and stay there until unpinned.
Newly unpinned clips will behave similarly, but their position will also be updated immediately in case a search pattern is active, so that the clip table continues to reflect the correct search results. That is, if the clip was only shown because it was pinned, but didn't match the search pattern, it will be eliminated from the view as soon as it is unpinned.
[{{:clip-preview-with-pinned-clips.png?direct&800|Clip Preview with several pinned clips, indicated by the pin icon}}]
=== - Pinning/Unpinning all Clips ===
Clicking on the header of the [[#No. Column]] **pins all clips**, if no clips are currently pinned. This effectively freezes the clip table. If some clips are pinned already, clicking on the header **unpins all clips** that are currently visible in the table.
If you click the header **while holding Shift**, //all// pinned clips are unpinned – **including any that have been pushed below the visible range** of the clip table. Use this if clips remain pinned after a normal header click because more clips were pinned than there are rows.
=== - Pinning/Unpinning selected Clips ===
To pin or unpin only certain clips, [[#Selecting Clips|select them]] and press CTRL
+Enter
, or choose **Pin/Unpin Selected Clips** from the [[#Context menu]].
If none of the selected clips is pinned, they are all pinned; if at least one of them is pinned, the selected clips are unpinned. If no clip is selected at all, the command falls back to pinning or unpinning all clips.
==== - Hiding Clips ====
Hiding a clip **masks its content in the clip table**, so that it is not readable by anyone glancing at your screen. Instead of the clip text, a row of dots is shown. Typical candidates are passwords, licence keys, account numbers, or anything else you would rather not have on display while presenting or working in company.
To hide clips, [[#Selecting Clips|select]] them and press CTRL
+H
, or choose **Hide/Unhide Selected Clips** from the [[#Context menu]].
The same command unhides them again: if any of the selected clips is currently unmasked, the command hides; only when every selected clip is already hidden does it unhide. This way a mixed selection always ends up in one defined state.
Hidden clips stay hidden across restarts.
=== - Revealing Clips Temporarily ===
To read a hidden clip without permanently unhiding it, select it and press CTRL
+SHIFT
+H
, or choose **Reveal Selected Clips** from the [[#Context menu]].
The clip is unmasked **in the current view only**. As soon as the clip table is repopulated – by a search, a filter change, or a new clip arriving – it is masked again automatically. The hidden state itself is not changed by revealing.
=== - What Hiding Does and Does Not Do ===
Hiding is a protection against **onlookers**, not an encryption feature. Specifically:
* The masked row of dots always has the same length and therefore does not betray the length of the actual content. The **Length** column, however, continues to show the real number of characters.
* The clip content is **still stored as plain text** in your clip archive files, and can be read there – see [[#The Database]].
* [[#Searching|Searches]] still match the real content, so a hidden clip can be found by searching for text that is not visible on screen.
* [[#Pasting Clips|Pasting]] and [[#Copying Clips|copying]] a hidden clip transfer the real content, not the mask. This is intentional – it is what makes hidden clips useful for passwords in the first place.
* The **Keywords** and **Date** columns are not masked, and remain editable.
While a clip is hidden and not revealed, its content cannot be [[#Editing Clips|edited]], as you would be editing text you cannot see. Reveal it first, or unhide it.
==== - Showing a Clip in the Archive ====
When you have found a clip through a [[#Searching|search]], a [[#Filtering|filter]] or a [[#The Filter Tree|Filter Tree]] folder, you often want to see it **in its natural surroundings** – that is, among the clips that were captured around the same time. This is frequently the fastest way to reconstruct a past context, since related material is usually clipped in one session.
Select the clip, right-click it, and choose **Show in Archive** from the [[#Context menu]].
The [[#Controls at the Bottom|Clip Search Box]] is cleared, the [[#Filtering|column filters]] are reset and any selected [[#The Filter Tree|Filter Tree]] folder is deselected. The clip table then jumps to the position of your clip in the unfiltered archive, showing it roughly in the middle of the visible rows with its neighbours above and below. The clip itself stays selected, so you can see at a glance where you landed.
From there, [[#Scrolling|scroll]] up and down to browse the surrounding clips as usual.
==== - Opening Links ====
If a clip content consists of only a link – a local file path or an internet link – you can open this link easily by holding Ctrl
+Shift
and then double-clicking the clip in the [[#The Clip Preview|Clip Preview]].
⯈ Folders will be opened in Windows File Explorer, while URLs will be opened in your default browser.\\
⯈ Files are //not// executed with this shortcut. Instead, Windows File Explorer opens with the file selected, so that you can see it in its folder.\\
⯈ To **open a file itself** with its associated application, hold Ctrl
+Alt
and double-click instead. Use this with care – it runs the file just as double-clicking it in Windows File Explorer would.\\
⯈ If the clip contains a list of links, the first link is opened.\\
⯈ Both operations are also available from the keyboard: Ctrl
+Shift
+Enter
opens the containing folder, Ctrl
+Alt
+Enter
opens the file. This works from the clip table as well as from either search box.\\
===== - Context menu =====
The context menu provides quick access to many common and advanced clip operations. Open it by **right-clicking** a clip (or multiple selected clips) in the [[#The Clip Preview|Clip Preview]].
==== - Overview of Options ====
**➕ Add To PinSet**\\
Adds the selected clips to a [[#Pin Sets|Pin Set]].
**➕ Tag**\\
Tags the selected clips with a predefined [[#Keyword Presets|Keyword Preset]]. A space is automatically inserted if the clip already has keywords. (The same function is available via the [[#Tag menu]] in the menu bar.)
**➕ Search**\\
Lists your [[#Clip Searches]] and [[#Keyword Presets]] for direct search – same functionality as the [[#Search menu]] in the menu bar.
**Create New Clip (CTRL+N)**\\
Creates a new empty [[#Creating a New Note|note or clip]].
**Create New Clip + Open (CTRL+SHIFT+N)**\\
Creates a new clip and opens the edit view immediately. See [[#Creating a New Note]].
**Copy Clip Content (CTRL+C)**\\
Copies the full clip content to the clipboard. See [[#Copying Clips]].
**Copy Keywords (CTRL+SHIFT+C)**\\
Copies the [[#Copying Keywords|Keywords]] from the selected clip(s) to the clipboard.
**Append Clipboard Content to Keywords (CTRL+V)**\\
Appends clipboard content to the Keywords field of the selected clips. See [[#Pasting Keywords]].
**Replace Keywords with Clipboard Content (CTRL+SHIFT+V)**\\
Replaces the existing keywords (if any) with the current clipboard content. See [[#Pasting Keywords]].
**Remove Keywords**\\
Clears the keywords from the selected clips. See [[#Assigning and Editing Keywords]].
**Bump (CTRL+B)**\\
Sends the clip to the top of the stack. See [[#Bumping Clips]].
**Delete (CTRL+D)**\\
Deletes the selected clips. See [[#Deleting Clips]].
**Remove from Tree Folder (Del)**\\
Removes the selected clips from the currently selected [[#The Filter Tree|Filter Tree]] folder. The clips remain in the archive. See [[#Removing Clips from Folders]].
**Pin/Unpin Selected Clips (CTRL+Enter)**\\
Pins the selected clips, or unpins them if at least one of them is already pinned. See [[#Pinning/Unpinning selected Clips]].
**Hide/Unhide Selected Clips (CTRL+H)**\\
Masks the content of the selected clips in the clip table, or unmasks it again. See [[#Hiding Clips]].
**Reveal Selected Clips (CTRL+SHIFT+H)**\\
Temporarily unmasks the selected hidden clips, until the clip table is next refreshed. See [[#Revealing Clips Temporarily]].
**Show in Archive**\\
Clears the current search and all filters and jumps to the selected clip's position in the unfiltered archive, showing it among its neighbouring clips. See [[#Showing a Clip in the Archive]].
**📁 Show Filed-In Folders**\\
Shows all [[#The Filter Tree|Filter Tree]] folders the selected clip is filed into, as a tooltip. See [[#Seeing Where a Clip Is Filed]].
**📁 Show in Folder**\\
Jumps to the clip's folder in the [[#The Filter Tree|Filter Tree]]: the folder is expanded, selected and its clips are shown. See [[#Seeing Where a Clip Is Filed]].
**Undo Rename**\\
Appears at the bottom of the menu, and only for the rename history clips of the [[#The File Renamer|File Renamer]]. Restores all files of that run to their previous names. See [[#Undoing a Rename]].
==== - Remarks ====
* The menu adapts to the current selection. Some options may be disabled depending on the active context.
* Many of the functions listed here are also available via keyboard shortcuts. See [[#Keyboard and Mouse Shortcuts]] for a full overview.
===== - Gui Operations =====
==== - Flipping the Gui ====
The [[#The Clip Preview|Clip Preview]] remembers two positions, a first position and a second position, herein referred to as "flip" position and "flop" position.
You can switch between the flip and the flop positions by pressing Ctrl
+Tab
. This function is meant to allow you to quickly move the window out of the way when you're trying to paste the clip into an application and the [[#The Clip Preview|Clip Preview]] appears right on top of it. The Ctrl
+Tab
hotkey does not interrupt the [[#Input State]], which means that you can flip the Gui position without the target application losing keyboard focus.
By default, the flip position is in the left top corner of the screen, while the flop position is in the right top corner of the screen. You can adjust either position simply by dragging the window to the desired position in the usual way. That is, when you're in the flip position, drag the window to the desired new flip position. The flop position will not change. Vice versa, adjust the flop position by dragging the window when you're in the flop position.
Both the flip and the flop position will be remembered by Auto Book across restarts.
You can also set either or both positions on secondary monitors. That is, it is possible to flip the [[#The Clip Preview|Clip Preview]] to another monitor by pressing Ctrl
+Tab
, effectively moving it out of the way.
==== - Adding and Removing Rows ====
By default, the [[#The Clip Preview|Clip Preview]] shows 9 rows of clips in the clip table. You can adjust the size of the clip table between 1 and 25 rows.
**To add rows to the clip table:** Press Ctrl
+PgDn
or F12
, or select **Add rows** from the **Extra** menu.
**To remove rows from the clip table:** Press Ctrl
+PgUp
or F11
, or select **Remove rows** from the **Extra** menu.
The shortcuts change the table by one row, the menu entries by three.
[{{clip-preview-large.png?direct&800|Clip Preview with 25 rows displayed}}]
==== - Toggling Always-on-Top mode ====
To set the [[#The Clip Preview|Clip Preview]] to stay on top of all other windows, press the ○ button at the bottom right corner of [[#The Clip Preview|Clip Preview]]. The button display then changes into ߓ. Click the ߓ button to undo the always-on-top setting.
This function is useful to keep the [[#The Clip Preview|Clip Preview]] in view for repeated pasting or search operations while you work with other applications.
===== - Pasting Clips =====
1. Open [[#The Clip Preview|Clip Preview]] by clicking Show Clips
or using the [[#Clip Preview hotkey]] (default: CTRL
+ ⊞ Win
+ V
. – See [[#Basic Configuration]].)
When the [[#The Clip Preview|Clip Preview]] is opened via its hotkey, it enters the so-called **Input State**.
====Input State====
The Input State is visually indicated by the status bar blinking yellow. As long as it is blinking, you're in Input State. When it stops blinking, the [[#The Clip Preview|Clip Preview]] has either switched to [[#Active State]] or has become deactivated.
The Input State can be understood as a "limbus" between inactive and active state:
In Input State, the [[#The Clip Preview|Clip Preview]] window isn't actually active yet – instead, the previously used window retains cursor focus. Nevertheless, the [[#The Clip Preview|Clip Preview]] is able to receive user input. It registers mouse-clicks, and if you start typing letters on the keyboard, they are automatically sent to the search field. That is, after pressing the [[#Clip Preview hotkey]], there is no need to click into the search field in order to run a search. You can start typing immediately.
The Input State is cancelled by a single mouse click anywhere, either within or outside the [[#The Clip Preview|Clip Preview]]. Pressing non-letter keys such as the arrow keys or control without any other letter also cancels the Input State.
However, pressing the shortcut for pasting a clip, or switching any of the Clip Manager's modes, or clearing or resetting the search (CTRL
+E
, CTRL
+SHIFT
+E
), or changing any of the column settings (F1
-F5
) does not cancel the Input State so that these operations can be performed without the target application losing keyboard focus.
====Active State====
If you single-click anywhere onto the [[#The Clip Preview|Clip Preview]], it is activated – just like any other window in Microsoft Windows – and the target application loses keyboard focus. In active state, you can generally //still// paste clips in the same manner as described below. //However//, in order to do that, the target application needs to be refocused – in most cases, this happens within a fraction of a second and you won't necessarily notice the slight delay. But there are some special cases – for example when the file name change field of File Explorer has keyboard focus – where refocusing and thus the pasting operation will fail when triggered from Active State. To paste into such special fields, you need to stay in [[#Input State]], that is, open the [[#The Clip Preview|Clip Preview]] via hotkey and then paste directly, without first clicking onto the [[#The Clip Preview|Clip Preview]] or running a search.
==== - Pasting Clips using the Mouse ====
Double-click the desired clip. Your clip will be pasted at the current cursor position of the target window.
Note:
⯈ Holding CTRL
while double-clicking will allow you to edit the clip content or keywords, respectively.
⯈ Holding CTRL
+SHIFT
while double-clicking will not paste the clip, but open any folder path or URL if the clip is a valid file/folder path or URL. If the clip contains a list of file paths, the folder of the first path is opened. Folders will be opened in Windows File Explorer, while URLs will be opened in your default browser.
[{{ :{{:Pasting-Shortcuts.png?direct&400|Press the number corresponding to the clip's position}}]
==== - Pasting using the Keyboard ====
Depending on the [[#Selection Mode]] setting, press either Ctrl
+Num
or only Num
, where Num is the row number of the clip in column 1 of the clip table.
Note:
* 0 means 10.
* You can increase the number by 10 by holding Shift in either Selection Mode.
These rules define the pasting shortcuts detailed below.
=== - Pasting in Normal Selection Mode ===
In Normal Mode, hold CTRL
and then press the desired number.
* To paste row number 1 to 9, press CTRL
+ (1
- 9
)\\
* To paste row number 11 to 19, press CTRL
+ SHIFT
+ (1
- 9
)\\
* To paste row number 10, press CTRL
+ 0
\\
* To paste row number 20, press CTRL
+ SHIFT
+ 0
\\
=== - Pasting in Easy Selection Mode ===
In Easy Mode, you don't need to hold CTRL
– simply press the desired number.
* To paste row number 1 to 9, press (1
- 9
)\\
* To paste row number 11 to 19, press SHIFT
+ (1
- 9
)\\
* To paste row number 10, press 0
\\
* To paste row number 20, press SHIFT
+ 0
\\
===== - Searching =====
The Auto Book Clip Manager includes an ultra-flexible search function that lets you quickly find clips in your archive.
To perform a search, simply type your terms into the **leftmost (larger) input field** at the bottom of the [[#The Clip Preview|Clip Preview]].
To search **within the content** of a selected clip, use the smaller **Find in Clip** field located to the right of the Clip Search Box.
If you press Enter
after a clip search, the [[#Full Clip View]] will automatically open (if not already open) and display the first matching clip. It will also scroll directly to the **first occurrence** of your search term within that clip. If you entered multiple search terms, the scroll position will correspond to the **first term** in your query.
==== - Searching Clips ====
=== - Search Concept ===
The Clip Manager's search syntax is designed to combine versatile search options with ease of entry for the user. All search options can be activated via simple and intuitive search patterns – you do not need to click any checkboxes or look through menus.
Searches are triggered automatically when you start typing into the [[#Controls at the Bottom|Clip Search Box]]. There is a intentional in-built delay of 300ms, barely noticeable, to allow you to type words without the table updating with every keystroke.
When a new search is started, only [[#Pinning clips|pinned clips]] stay in place, no matter if they contain a match or not. The other rows of the clip table are filled as soon as matches are found.
After completion of a search, the [[#Status Bar]] shows "Search completed" and some meta info such as the search time.
In the following, you'll find a comprehensive documentation of the search syntax. Although it's not hard and intuitive, writing it out in full length takes some space. If you prefer to just look at examples and absorb the syntax using your superior abstraction abilities, you may jump to the [[#Search Examples]] section.
[{{:clip-preview-with-active-search.png?direct&800|Clip Preview with an active search for "Logitope"}}]
=== - Aborting and Resuming Searches ===
Although searches are normally real-time, it's possible, given enough determination and sophistication, to design more intricate search patterns that run longer.
If a search doesn't seem to end, as indicated by the [[#Status Bar]] showing "Searching...", you can abort it by pressing the shortcut CTRL
+SHIFT
+Spacebar
. Press the same combination to resume the search from the last position, if desired.
=== - Searching for a Single Term ===
Just type your term into the [[#Controls at the Bottom|Clip Search Box]].
By default, the 4 columns Date, Keywords, Clip, and Length are searched.
If a match is found in any of the columns, the clip is considered a match.
⯈ Keep in mind that when searching for numbers, the date and length columns are also searched. To search for numbers only in the Keywords and/or Clip column, use [[#Search Modifiers]].
⯈ The Date column shows either the Date Added or Date Used (see [[#Five Columns of the Clip Preview]]). The search refers to whatever date is currently shown.
=== - And Search ===
By default, and And search is executed when you enter multiple search terms.
Search terms are separated by spaces.
Example – to search for Auto
AND Book
AND Logitope
, enter:
Auto Book Logitope
=== - String Search ===
To execute a string search, use quotation marks.
Example – to search for the string Auto Book
, including the space, enter:
"Auto Book"
Adding quotation marks to a single term not including a space has no effect – these search patterns are the same:
Logitope
"Logitope"
By default, the all [[#five columns of the Clip Preview]] are searched. To restrict the search to one or more of the columns, use the related //search modifiers//.
=== - Not Search ===
To run a not search, type an !
(exclamation mark) immediately in front of the search term.
For example, to search for clips that do not contain Logitope
, enter:
!Logitope
In the same way, you can also negate a string search – to find clips that do not contain "Auto Book" as a string, enter:
!"Auto Book"
You can freely mix And, Not and String logic. Thus, the following patterns finds clips that contain Auto
//and not// the string Auto Book
, that is, clips with Auto
, but without Auto Book
:
Auto !"Auto Book"
=== - Search Modifiers ===
You can modify your search by typing search modifiers. Each search modifier is a simple letter which you type immediately in front of the search terms to which it should apply, separated from the terms by only a space.
Activate several options by typing all necessary letters consecutively without any separator. All modifiers can be mixed freely. All Modifiers must be **lowercase** letters and contain **no duplicate letters**. If these conditions are not met, the sequence will be treated as a search term instead.
The order of the modifiers does not matter – kir
is the same as ikr
.
A valid sequence of Search Modifiers is called a **Modifier Set**.
== - Modifier Overview Table ==
| Modifier | Effect |
| d | Date search |
| k | Search in keywords |
| c | Search in clip content |
| l | Length search |
| s | Case-sensitive search |
| i | Case-insensitive search |
| r | Regular expressions search |
| x | X search |
A Modifier Set of or more Modifiers applies to all terms in the search pattern until a new valid Modifier Set is encountered.
For example, the following patterns applies the Keywords search option k
to Logitope
and the length search option l
to <100
:
k Logitope l <100
Type terms to which no modifiers should be applied at the very beginning of the search pattern. (Alternatively, typing dkcl
– for selecting all columns – has the effect of "resetting" the modifications for the following terms.)
If a valid Modifier Set follows another valid Modifier Set, the second one will be treated as a Search term instead. That is, the following pattern is a case-sensitive search in the Clip column for the term "rick", although "rick" is a valid Modifier Set itself:
sc rick
== - Searching in Specific Columns ==
By default, all columns are searched. You can focus the search on selected columns of the clip table using the first 4 Modifiers in the table above. Type the initial letter of a column name (but lowercase) to search only in that column, that is, d
for Date, k
for Keywords, c
for Clip, and l
for Length.
To search for Logitope
in the keywords column, enter:
k Logitope
To search for Auto
in the Clip or Keywords column, Logitope
in the Clip Column, and 2025
anywhere, type:
2025 ck Auto c Logitope
== - Case-sensitivity ==
By default, searches are case-insensitive, as long as your pattern contains //no// uppercase letters.
If you type at least one uppercase letter, the search will be turned into a case-sensitive search.
In either case, you can override the default case-sensitivity assumption by typing the related modifier letter, that is either i
or s
.
Thus, the following will be the case-sensitive searches:
Logitope
s logitope
While these are case-insensitive searches:
i Logitope
logitope
== - Regular Expressions Search ==
Use the r
modifier to run a Regular Expressions ("Regex") search.
If you don't know regular expressions, you'll find many tutorials online (e.g.: https://www.regular-expressions.info/).
For example, to search for Auto as a separate word in any column, enter the following pattern, where \b
stands for a word boundary. This will be case-sensitive because an upper-case letter is included:
r \bAuto\b
The same logic for case-sensitivity applies as for normal searches, that is, the following patterns are both case-insensitive:
ri \bAuto\b
r \bauto\b
Combine Regex searches freely with other Modifiers. That is, to run a case-sensitive regular expressions search on only the keywords and clip columns for "\d\d" (two digits in regular expressions), enter:
srkc \d\d
That's exactly the same as:
kcrs \d\d
=== - X Search ===
"X Search" is just a name I made up for want of a better name.
The Clip Manager's X Search allows you to type only the initial letters of consecutive words that you want to find.
This enables you to quickly find sentences you have copied before by typing only a few letters and without needing to remember any configured search keywords, as long as you remember a few consecutive words. For example, the following pattern would find the sentence "Please find attached the invoice number xxx…":
x pfati
The same case-sensitivity logic applies as for other searches, and s
and i
override the default assumptions in the same manner. x
can also be combined with the Modifiers k
and c
to match only against keywords or clip content. Combining x
with d
or l
wouldn't be meaningful, however, and therefore doesn't work.
== - Ambiguity ==
You may have noticed that this syntax entails a degree of ambiguity as to what is a search term and what is a set of modifiers.
This design choice was made to enable entry of search patterns as quickly as possible, without having to type any special characters. In practical usage, search terms don't often consist of only the 8 available modifier characters so that misinterpretation is rare.
Here's an example, however, that's ambiguous:
rick morty
The Clip Manager will interpret this pattern as a case-insensitive (i) regular expressions %%(r)%% search in the clip %%(c)%% and keywords (k) columns for the search term "morty".
To run an AND search for rick and morty instead, enter:
"rick" morty
In other words, modifier letters can be turned into regular search terms by surrounding them with quotation marks.
In this case, you could also simply turn the terms around – because nothing then follows after "rick", this sequence also will be treated as a term, not a Modifier set:
morty rick
=== - Date Search ===
You can run a date search by typing the search modifier d
and then the date search pattern.
The date search functionality is highly flexible and allows you to search for individual days, months, years, hours and minutes as well as ranges of dates. The input syntax is very tolerant, meaning you don't really need to remember the precise syntax, as almost anything will work.
The following examples should sufficiently illustrate how it works:
| Search String | Meaning |
| d 2024 | Search clips of 2024 |
| d 2024-10 | Search clips of October 2024 |
| d 2024-10-11 | Search clips of October 11, 2024 |
| d 2024-Oct | Search clips of October 2024 |
| d 2024-October | Search clips of October 2024 |
| d October | Search clips of last October |
| d Oct | Search clips of last October |
| d Monday | Search clips of last Monday |
| d Mon | Search clips of last Monday |
| d today | Search clips of today |
| d yesterday | Search clips of yesterday |
| d today-366 | Search clips of today a year ago |
| d yesterday+1 | Search clips of today |
| d Tue-7 | Search clips of last last Tuesday |
| d Tue-14 | Search clips of last last last Tuesday |
| d Mon - Wed | Search clips from last Monday to last Tuesday (note: the spaces around " - " are mandatory)|
| d from 2024-10 to 2024-11 | Search clips from October to November 2024 |
| d 2024-10–2024-11 | Search clips from October to November 2024 (note: spaces around "–" [N dash] are optional) |
| d 2024-10 - 2024-11 | Search clips from October to November 2024 |
| d 2024-10 to 2024-11 | Search clips from October to November 2024 |
| d 2024-10 till 2024-11 | Search clips from October to November 2024 |
| d 2024-10 until 2024-11 | Search clips from October to November 2024 |
| d before 2025-02 | Search clips of before February 2025 |
| d older than 2025-02 | Search clips of before February 2025 |
| d after 2025-02 | Search clips of March 2025 |
| d newer than 2025-02 | Search clips of March 2025 or later |
| d after 2025-02-05 | Search clips of February 06, 2025 or later |
| d from 2025-02-05 | Search clips of February 05, 2025 or later |
| d from 10 to 11 | Search clips of from 10th to 11th of this month |
| d after 15 | Search clips of the 16th of this month or later |
| d from 15:00 to 16:00 | Search clips of today with time from 15:00 to 16:00 |
| d 2024-10-01 15:00 to 2024-10-01 16:00 | Search clips of October 1, 2024 with time from 15:00 to 16:00 |
| d today-6 to today | Search clips of the 7 days up to today |
| d from Monday | Search this week's clips |
| d from Mon-7 to Mon-1 | Search last week's clips |
| d from mon-7 before mon | Search last week's clips |
| d sun-6 to sun | Search last week's clips |
In other words:
⯈ –
(M dash), -
(hyphen with spaces around), to
, till
, and until
are equivalent.
⯈ Weekday names and their 3-letter abbreviations are equivalent: Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun.
⯈ Month names and their 3-letter abbreviations are equivalent: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec.
⯈ from
and to
and its variations are inclusive, while after
, before
, newer than
, and older than
are exclusive.
⯈ Weekdays are interpreted as the most recent day of that name that occurred. If today is Tuesday and you enter Mon
, it will be interpreted as yesterday. If you enter Wed
, it will be interpreted as last week's Wednesday.
⯈ Month names are interpreted as the most recent month of that name that occurred, including the current month. If now is March and you enter Mar
, it will be interpreted as this month. If you enter Jan
, it will be interpreted as January of this year. If you enter Dec
, it will be interpreted as December of last year.
⯈ You can add or substract days to any day by typing +/- any integer number immediately after a valid day pattern, without space.
⯈ You can enter incomplete dates, in which case the Clip Manager will guess what you mean.
Although a niche application, for the record, it's also possible to run [[#Regular Expressions Search|regular expression searches]] for the date column. For example, the following will find clips from July or September 2024:
dr 2024-0[79]
=== - Length Search ===
You can run a date search by typing the search modifier l
and then the length search pattern.
The length search is pretty simple and a few examples will hopefully suffice:
| Search String | Meaning |
| l 1-100 | Search clips with length between 1 and 100 |
| l >1 | Search clips with length greater than 1 |
| l >= 100| Search clips with length greater or equal 100 |
| l %%<=%% 100| Search clips with length smaller or equal 100 |
| l 100-| Search clips with length greater or equal 100 |
| l -100| Search clips with length smaller or equal 100 |
| l < 100| Search clips with length smaller 100 |
| l > 100| Search clips with length greater 100 |
| l !100-200 | Search clips with length smaller 100 or greater 200 |
| l >10 l <100 | Search clips with length between 11 and 99 |
=== - Advanced Combinations ===
Any and all options above can be mixed and combined.
In particular, the [[#Not Search]] can be combined with a [[#String Search]], a [[#Regular Expressions Search]] or an [[#X Search]]. The case-sensitivity options s
and i
are compatible with all of these as well.
The following examples illustrates this flexibility:
d 2024 ki Logitope cr \d !\d\d c !"Auto Book" l 1-100
This pattern will search for clips from the year 2024 with keyword Logitope
, but case-insensitive, and a single digit (regex \d
) in the Clip column, but //not more// than one consecutive digit (!\d\d\
) and //not// the string Auto Book
, and in addition requires a length between 1 and 100.
=== - Search Examples ===
**Simple Examples**
| Search String | Meaning | Why? |
| auto | Search for clips containing auto
anywhere (case-insensitive) | If there's no uppercase letter, searches are case-insensitive by default |
| Auto | Search for clips containing Auto
anywhere (case-sensitive) | If there is at least one uppercase letter, searches are case-sensitive by default |
| Auto Book | Search for clips containing Auto
AND Book
anywhere | Multiple terms separated by space are interpreted as And-Search |
| "Auto Book" | Search for clips containing the string Auto Book
anywhere | Terms in quotation marks are searched as strings |
| c Auto | Search for clips containing Auto
in the Clip column | The c
is a valid Search Modifier and restricts the search to the Clip column |
| "c" Auto | Search for clips containing c
and Book
anywhere | Anything in quotation marks, here the letter c
which would normally be a Modifier, is treated as a literal search term. |
| "" | Search for clips containing a single literal quotation mark anywhere | Double-quotation marks are treated as single literal quotation marks |
| c Auto Book | Search for clips containing Auto
AND Book
in the Clip column | The c
is a Modifier affecting all remaining terms since there is no other valid Modifier Set |
| c "Auto Book" | Search for clips containing the string Auto Book
in the Clip column | The Modifier c
restricts the string search to the Clip column |
| c !"Auto Book" | Search for clips not containing the string Auto Book
in the Clip column | The Not operator !
negates the string search |
| i Auto | Search for clips containing Auto
anywhere (case-insensitive) | The i
Modifier overrides case-sensitivity by default (due to uppercase letter)|
| s auto | Search for clips containing auto
anywhere (case-sensitive) | The s
Modifier overrides case-insensitivity by default (due to no uppercase letter)|
| l >1 | Search clips with length greater than 1 | Modifier l
indicates a Length search |
| l !>1 | Search clips with length 0 or 1 | The Not operator !
negates the Length search, so it's clips with a length not greater than 1. |
| l !100-200 | Search clips with length smaller 100 or greater 200 | The Not operator !
negates the Length range of 100 to 200, so all clips outside this range match. |
| l >10 l <100 | Search clips with length between 11 and 99 | All conditions must be fulfilled. Same as l 11-99
|
| d 2024-10 to 2024-11 | Search clips with date between October and November 2024 (inclusive). | The date search syntax is extremely flexible – see [[#Date Search]] for a broad range of examples. |
**Somewhat Complex Examples**
| Search String | Meaning | Why? |
| k Logitope c Auto Book | Search for clips containing Logitope
in Keywords and Auto
AND Book
in the Clip column | Each Modifier remains valid until an new Set of Modifiers is encountered – there here, the effect of k
ends at c
|
| k Logitope c Auto !Book | Search for clips containing Logitope
in Keywords and Auto
in the Clip column, but not Book
in the Clip column | The c
is valid for both Auto
and !Book
, and the Not operator !
negates the search for Book
|
| l >= 100 d before Oct c "Auto Book" | Search clips with length greater or equal 100, date before last October and "Auto Book" as a string in the Clip Column| d
defines a date search |
**Complex Examples**
| Search String | Meaning | Why? |
| l >= 100 d Mon - Tue c !"Auto Book" cr \d | Search clips with length greater or equal 100, date between last Monday and last Tuesday, //not// Auto Book
as a string in the Clip Column and at least one digit in the clip column| Auto Book
as a string is required not (!
) to be in the Clip column, and cr
requires a digit to be present in the Clip column |
| l d 2024 ki Logitope cr \d !\d\d c !“Auto Book” l 1-100 | Search for clips from the year 2024 with keyword Logitope
(case-insensitive), a single digit in the Clip column, but not more than one consecutive digit and not the string “Auto Book”, and a length between 1 and 100. | cr
(Regex search in Clip column) affects \d
and !\d\d
, \d
means one digit in Regex, and \d\d
two digits, which are negated by the preceding Not operator !
|
==== - Finding Terms within Clips ====
To find a term within the longer clip:
- In the clip table, [[#Selecting Clips|select]] the clip within which you want to search.
- Enter your search term into the [[#Controls at the Bottom|Find in Clip input box]] at the bottom of the [[#The Clip Preview|Clip Preview]].
- Press the **Find** button next to it.
If the [[#Full Clip View]] hasn't been opened yet, it will pop open automatically, and the first match, if any, will be highlighted.
If you press the Find button **without entering any terms** into the [[#Controls at the Bottom|Find in Clip input box]], but you have entered a search pattern into the [[#Controls at the Bottom|Clip Search Box]] (the larger input box for finding clips), **this search pattern will be used** for searching within the clip. Since the in-clip search functionality is more limited, however, this won't work for more complex searches such as regular expressions searches. In this case, enter your search term manually into the Find in Clip input box.
===== - Keywords =====
Keywords refer to text that is manually assigned to clips that have been captured, separate from the clip content itself.
When pasting a clip, only the clip content is pasted to the target application, but not the keywords.
Keywords allow you to find clips by text that is not part of the clip content, and are useful for categorizing or tagging clips.
==== - Assigning and Editing Keywords ====
To add or edit keywords, hold control and double-click the desired clip in the Keywords column. A small input box will appear where you can make your adjustments. Use the same method to delete keywords by simply removing all text.
**Important note:**
When you open the [[#The Clip Preview|Clip Preview]] by the [[#Clip Preview hotkey]], it is initially in [[#Input State]], indicated by the blinking of the status bar. In this state, the window waits for the user to trigger a pasting operation, and the very first mouse-click you make onto the [[#The Clip Preview|Clip Preview]] will not count towards the double-click you need to make for opening the keywords editing box.
Therefore, when in [[#Input State]], first click once onto the window to enter the regular [[#Active State]], in which the status bar doesn't blink any more. Then proceed to hold control and double-click to open the edit box.
==== - Copying Keywords ====
You can copy keywords when the edit box is opened, but there's also a direct keyboard shortcut.
Simply select the clip of which you want to copy the keywords, and press Ctrl
+Shift
+C
.
In addition, you'll find a related option in the [[#Extra menu]] under **Keywords**.
==== - Pasting Keywords ====
In order to quickly categorize multiple clips using Keywords, you can paste Keywords without needing to open the edit box for each clip.
In the Clip Preview, select all clips for which you want to paste certain Keywords.
There are two pasting modes:
* **Append** the current clipboard content to the keywords of the currently selected clips using Ctrl
+V
.
* **Replace the keywords** of the currently selected clips with the current clipboard content or add the clipboard content if there are no keywords yet using Ctrl
+Shift
+V
.
===== - Keyword Presets =====
Keyword Presets are predefined, reusable keyword strings that simplify tagging and searching. A preset can contain one or more keywords — in fact, it can be any arbitrary string. Examples might include:
#accounting
#emails
#personal
==== - Creating and Managing Presets ====
You can manage your list of Keyword Presets via the **File → Manage Keyword Presets** dialog.
This dialog offers the following actions:
* **Create** – Create a new preset
* **Delete** – Remove the selected preset
* **Modify** – Edit an existing preset
* **Apply** – Apply the selected preset to currently selected clips
* **Exit** – Close the dialog
Simply type a Keyword string into the input field and click **Create** or press Enter to add this string as a new Preset. All related menus (see below) are updated automatically.
⯈ Note that if your Keyword string contains at least one upper-case letter, the search will be interpreted as case-sensitive if you later select the Preset from the [[#Search menu]].
==== - Adding Presets to Clips ====
Once you have created presets, there are several convenient ways to add them to clips:
* Use the **Tag** menu in the menu bar. This is a dropdown menu listing all available presets. Selecting one will add it to all currently selected clips.
* In the **Clip Preview**, right-click a clip (or multiple selected clips) to open the context menu, then hover over **Tag**. A submenu with the same functionality will appear.
This makes it fast and easy to categorize clips using pre-defined tags with a single click.
==== - Searching for Keyword Presets ====
You can also search for clips by keyword presets. Keyword Presets are automatically listed in the [[#Search menu]] below your user-defined [[#Clip Searches]].
When you select a Preset from this menu, a keyword-based search is automatically triggered. The search term is prefixed with the k
[[#Search Modifiers|Search Modifier]] to restrict the search to keywords only.
For example, selecting the Preset #personal
from the Search menu triggers a search for the search pattern:
k #personal
You can combine this with other search parameters:
k #emails c invoice
This will find clips tagged with #emails
and containing the word invoice
in the clip content.
See chapter [[#Searching]] for more details.
===== - Pin Sets and Clip Searches =====
The Clip Manager allows saving and reloading both Pin Sets and Clip Searches.
==== - Pin Sets ====
Pin Sets are sets of pinned clips. They are useful for loading and automatically pinning selections of clips for use in specialized context. For example, you could create a set of clips to be used as AI prompts, sets of clips with special characters such as math symbols, or a set of clips with email templates.
The ability to directly re-load Pin Sets from the [[#Pin Set menu]] makes Pin Sets extremely efficient for accessing clips depending on context without having to run a search.
As all clip files in Auto Book, Pin Sets are saved as linefeed- and tab-separated plain text files. You will find these files in the folder [Auto Book program folder]\SystemData\Clips\PinSets.
=== - Saving a Pin Set ===
To save a Pin Set, first [[#Pinning Clips|pin the clips]] that you want to save as a Pin Set.
Then, choose **Save Pin Set** from the [[#File menu]]. In the dialog that opens, enter the Pin Set name and click **Save**.
[{{:clip-preview-with-pinned-clips.png?direct&800|Clip Preview with several pinned clips, indicated by the pin icon}}]
=== - Adding Clips to an existing Pin Set ===
[[#Pinning Clips|Pin the clips]] that you want to add.
Then, choose **Add to Pin Set** from the [[#File menu]]. In the dialog that opens, choose the Pin Set to which you want to add the clips and click **Add**.
When adding clips to an existing Pin Set, already existing clips in the existing Pin Set will not be added again. That is, you don't need to worry about whether you have already added a certain clip. If unsure, just add it again – it will be ignored if it's already included in the Pin Set.
=== - Removing Clips from an existing Pin Set ===
Removing clips is possible by loading the Pin Set, unpinning unwanted clips and saving it again:
- Load your Pin Set
- Uncheck the clips you want to remove, thereby unpinning them.
- Choose **Save Pin Set** from the [[#File menu]].\\
- Select your existing Pin Set. Click **Save** to overwrite it.
=== - Deleting and Renaming Pin Sets ===
You can delete and rename Pin Sets via the **Manage Pin Sets** option of the [[#File menu]].
=== - Loading Pin Sets ===
To load a Pin Set, simply click its name in the [[#Pin Set menu]].
The clips in that Pin Set are immediately added to the clip table in pinned state.
=== - Unpinning Pin Sets ===
Clips from Pin Sets can be unpinned in the same manner as manually pinned clips, that is, by clicking their checkboxes. Alternatively, click the Pin symbol in the column header to unpin all pinned clips at once; or select multiple pinned clips and hold the Shift key while clicking the Pin symbol in the column header to unpin only these clips.
==== - Clip Searches ====
In addition to Pin Sets, you can also save and reload Clip Searches, or search patterns.
This saves time retyping the pattern for searches that you perform regularly.
While Pin Sets are more useful for collecting a set of defined pins, Clip Searches are more useful in scenarios where new clips need to be included dynamically.
For example, you might save the following search pattern to show clips of the last 7 days containing "PO":
d today-6 to today c PO
=== - Saving a Clip Search ===
To save a Clip Search, type the search pattern into the [[#Controls at the Bottom|Clip Search Box]].
Then, choose **Save Clip Search** from the [[#File menu]].
The dialog that opens shows two input fields, one for the display name and one for the search string (that is, the search pattern). Both fields are pre-filled with the search pattern you typed into the [[#Controls at the Bottom|Clip Search Box]].
The display name is the name that will be shown in the [[#Search menu]]. Change it from the search pattern if you like.
The dialog also allows you to adjust the search pattern, if the pattern typed into the [[#Controls at the Bottom|Clip Search Box]] is not what you want to saved.
Click **Save** when done.
=== - Deleting and Renaming Clip Searches ===
You can delete and rename Clip Searches via the **Manage Clip Searches** option of the [[#File menu]].
=== - Loading Clip Searches ===
To load a Clip Search, simply click its name in the [[#Search menu]]. The search string is immediately shown in the search field, and the search is automatically executed and the clip table updated as matches are found.
===== - The Filter Tree =====
The Filter Tree is a folder tree shown on the right-hand side of the [[#The Clip Preview|Clip Preview]]. It allows you to organize your clips into folders and subfolders and to filter the clip table down to any folder's contents with a single click.
[{{:clip-preview-with-filter-tree.png?direct&800|The Clip Preview with the Filter Tree on the right}}]
==== - Basic Concept ====
Tree folders look like the folders you know from your file system, but they work a little differently:
* A clip can be filed into **any number of folders** at the same time. Filing a clip into a folder neither moves nor duplicates it – think of it as attaching a label to the clip.
* Filed clips **always remain in your clip archive**. Removing a clip from a folder, emptying a folder, or deleting a whole folder never deletes any clips from the archive.
* Clicking a folder **filters the clip table** to the clips filed into it. The [[#Searching|search function]] and the [[#Filtering|column filters]] stay fully available and are combined with the folder filter, so you can search //within// a folder.
Folders are independent from [[#Keywords]]: keywords are searchable text attached to a clip, while folders give you a browsable structure. Use whichever suits your workflow – or both.
The upper part of the tree contains your own folders. At the bottom, several **[[#System Folders|system folders]]** are anchored – Unfiled, Folder Sets, Hotstrings, FileLister, FileRenamer, Launcher, and Saved Searches.
==== - Showing and Hiding the Tree ====
Press CTRL
+T
or select **Toggle Tree** from the [[#Filter Tree Menu]] to show or hide the Filter Tree. The [[#The Clip Preview|Clip Preview]] is automatically widened or shrunk to make room for the tree, and the setting is remembered across restarts.
Pressing CTRL
+T
does not interrupt the [[#Input State]], meaning you can toggle the tree without the target application losing keyboard focus.
When the tree is shown, a few additional controls appear below it:
* The **Search Subs** checkbox – see [[#Filtering by Folder]].
* The **Search Tree** box – see [[#Finding Folders]].
* The **-** and **+** buttons, which collapse and expand all folders – see [[#Expanding and Collapsing]].
* The circular-arrow button, which deselects the current folder and thus resets the folder filter.
==== - Filtering by Folder ====
Click any folder to display the clips filed into it in the clip table. As with searches, [[#Pinning Clips|pinned clips]] stay at the top of the table, and the [[#Status Bar]] shows the number of matches.
**Search Subs:** When this checkbox below the tree is activated, clips in subfolders of the selected folder are included. When deactivated, only clips filed directly into the selected folder are shown.
While a folder is selected, you can type into the [[#Controls at the Bottom|Clip Search Box]] as usual – the search pattern and the folder filter are combined, and all [[#Searching|search options]] are available. For example, select a folder Invoices
and type d 2025
to see only this folder's clips from 2025.
To reset the folder filter, click into the empty area below the folders, or click the circular-arrow button below the tree.
==== - Creating Folders ====
Right-click into the tree and select **Create Folder**, or press CTRL
+SHIFT
+N
while the tree has keyboard focus.
The new folder is created inside the right-clicked (or selected) folder; if no folder is selected, it is created at the top level. It appears with an editable name – type the desired name and press Enter
.
Folders can be nested to any depth. Sibling folders must have unique names – if the name already exists, a number in parentheses is appended automatically.
==== - Adding Clips to Folders ====
=== - Drag and Drop from the Clip Table ===
[[#Selecting Clips|Select]] one or more clips in the clip table and drag them onto a folder. While dragging, a tooltip confirms the target folder, and hovering over a collapsed folder briefly expands it, so you can reach nested subfolders in one movement.
By default, the dropped clips are //added// to the folder – they also remain in any other folders they were filed into before. Two modifiers are available:
* Hold SHIFT
while dropping to also **remove the clips from all other folders** – that is, to //move// them.
* Hold CTRL
while dropping to **file a duplicate** – a copy of the clip is created and filed into the target folder, while the original clip remains untouched.
Note: Clips displayed from a loaded [[#Pin Sets|Pin Set]] are always filed as duplicates.
=== - The Add to Folder Menu ===
Select the clips to file, then choose **Add to Folder** from the [[#Filter Tree Menu]]. Navigate the folder hierarchy in the cascading submenus and click **Add Clips here** for the desired folder. This method works even while the Filter Tree is hidden.
[{{:add-to-folder-menu.png?direct&800|Filing clips via the Add to Folder menu}}]
=== - Dropping Files from Windows Explorer ===
You can drag files or folders from Windows File Explorer onto a tree folder. A new clip containing the full path(s) is created and filed into that folder. (Remember that you can open such clips later by holding CTRL
+SHIFT
and double-clicking them – see [[#Opening Links]].)
Dropping files onto the FileLister or FileRenamer [[#System Folders|system folders]] triggers their special functions instead – see [[#The File Lister]] and [[#The File Renamer]].
==== - Grabbing Text from Other Applications ====
The external drag & drop function lets you grab text from any application and file it directly into a folder, in one movement:
- Select some text in any application – for example in your browser or word processor.
- Point at the selection, then press and hold the External DragDrop Hotkey (default: CTRL
+WIN
+Left mouse button). The text is captured, the [[#The Clip Preview|Clip Preview]] comes to the foreground, and the mouse cursor changes to indicate the drag.
- Drag onto the desired folder in the Filter Tree and release the mouse button. The text is added to your clip archive as a new clip and filed into that folder.
The hotkey can be changed via **Filter Tree** → **External DragDrop Hotkey**. Available options are Capslock
+Left Click, CTRL
+Right Click, CTRL
+WIN
+Left Click, F8
, and Off. (When using the F8
option, press F8
while the text is selected, then click the target folder.)
==== - Removing Clips from Folders ====
First select the folder so that its clips are shown. Then [[#Selecting Clips|select]] the clips to remove and press Del
, or right-click them and choose **Remove from Tree Folder** from the [[#Context Menu|context menu]].
The clips are removed //from the folder only// – they remain in your clip archive (and in any other folders they are filed into).
If the **Search Subs** checkbox is active, the table may show clips that are actually filed into a //subfolder//. To remove those, select the subfolder itself first.
To remove //all// clips from a folder at once, right-click the folder and choose **Empty Folder**. Only the clips filed directly into the folder are removed – subfolders and their clips are not affected.
==== - Seeing Where a Clip Is Filed ====
A clip can be filed into several folders at once, and the clip table itself does not show which ones. Three functions answer that question, from a quick glance to full detail.
=== - The Status Bar ===
Whenever you select a **single** clip in the clip table, the [[#Status Bar]] tells you where it is filed, instead of showing its standard text:
* With the [[#Full Clip View]] closed, it shows for example Filed in: Tree > Projects > Invoices
.
* With the [[#Full Clip View]] open, the folder is appended to the usual editing message, for example Clip ready for editing. (in Tree > Projects > Invoices)
.
If the clip is filed into more than one folder, the first one is shown, followed by a count of the others – for example (+2 more)
.
The standard text is shown again as soon as the information no longer applies: when no clip or more than one clip is selected, when the selected clip is not filed into any folder, and when you click into the [[#Controls at the Bottom|Clip Search Box]]. It also remains unchanged if the folder path would be too long for the available width. In all these cases, use the two context menu options below instead.
=== - Show Filed-In Folders ===
Right-click the clip and choose **📁 Show Filed-In Folders** from the [[#Context menu]] to see //all// folders it is filed into, with the complete path of each one, one per line.
The information appears as a tooltip at the position you right-clicked, and stays there until your next click – unlike the status bar, it is not limited in length, which makes this the reliable option for clips filed into several folders or deeply nested ones.
=== - Show in Folder ===
Right-click the clip and choose **📁 Show in Folder** from the [[#Context menu]] to jump to its folder in the tree. All other folders are collapsed, the containing folder is expanded and selected, and the clip table is filtered to that folder – exactly as if you had clicked the folder yourself, including the [[#Filtering by Folder|Search Subs]] setting.
If the clip is filed into several folders, the first one is used. To reach the others, note their paths with **Show Filed-In Folders** first, then click the desired folder in the tree.
⯈ Folders that no longer exist are ignored by all three functions. If a clip still refers to a folder you have deleted in the meantime, that entry is silently skipped rather than shown as a dead path.
==== - Managing Folders ====
All folder management functions are available in the tree's right-click context menu, most of them also via [[#Shortcuts for the Filter Tree|keyboard shortcuts]].
[{{:filter-tree-context-menu.png?direct|The Filter Tree context menu}}]
=== - Renaming Folders ===
Right-click the folder and choose **Rename Folder** – or click the name of the already-selected folder once again, as in Windows File Explorer. Type the new name and press Enter
; Esc
cancels.
=== - Deleting Folders ===
Right-click the folder and choose **Delete Folder**. The folder is deleted together with all its subfolders.
As always, the contained clips remain in the clip archive. Clips that were filed only into the deleted folder(s) will subsequently be listed under [[#Unfiled]].
There is no confirmation prompt – if you deleted a folder by mistake, press CTRL
+Z
to [[#Undo and Redo|undo]].
=== - Moving and Copying Folders ===
Folders are moved and copied via Cut, Copy and Paste – available in the context menu and via the usual shortcuts CTRL
+X
/C
/V
while the tree has keyboard focus.
**To move a folder:** Cut it, then select the destination folder and paste. The folder is moved together with its subfolders and all clip assignments. A cut folder is shown greyed out until it is pasted. It's not possible to paste a folder into itself or into one of its own subfolders.
**To copy a folder:** Copy it, then select the destination folder and paste. Note that this duplicates the **folder structure only** – the clips are not copied along. To duplicate a folder structure //including// its clips, use a [[#Folder Sets|Folder Set]], which can also share clips instead of duplicating them – see [[#Copied Clips and No-Clone Folders]].
If no folder is selected when pasting, the folder is pasted at the top level.
=== - Reordering Folders ===
To change a folder's position among its siblings, right-click it and choose **Move Up** or **Move Down**, or press CTRL
+SHIFT
+Up
/Down
while the tree has keyboard focus.
=== - Expanding and Collapsing ===
Use the **+** and **-** buttons below the tree, or the **Expand All** and **Collapse All** options in the context menu, to expand or collapse all folders at once. The expansion state of each folder is remembered across restarts.
==== - Undo and Redo ====
All folder operations – creating, renaming, deleting, moving, pasting – can be undone and redone. Press CTRL
+Z
/ CTRL
+Y
while the tree has keyboard focus, or use the corresponding entries in the [[#Filter Tree Menu]], which also show //which// action is going to be undone or redone.
Note that filing clips into folders and removing clips from folders are clip operations, not folder operations, and are therefore not covered by the tree's undo function.
==== - Finding Folders ====
If you have many folders, type a part of a folder's name into the **Search Tree** box below the tree. The first folder whose name contains the typed text is highlighted. Double-click the box to clear it.
==== - Pinning all Clips of a Folder ====
Right-click a folder and choose **Pin Folder Clips to Table** to [[#Pinning Clips|pin]] all clips filed directly into that folder to the top of the clip table. If there are more clips than visible rows, you'll be warned before proceeding.
This is handy for keeping a whole folder's content at your fingertips while working – similar to loading a [[#Pin Sets|Pin Set]].
==== - Folder Sets ====
Folder Sets are reusable folder templates – for example a standard subfolder structure that you set up for every new project.
**To create a Folder Set:** Build the desired folder structure inside the **Folder Sets** system folder – create folders there directly, or copy/paste an existing folder into it.
**To use a Folder Set:** Right-click the target folder and choose **Add Folder Set (folders only)** or **Add Folder Set (folders + clips)**, then pick the set. The first variant inserts the empty folder structure; the second brings the clips along as well.
=== - Copied Clips and No-Clone Folders ===
By default the clips are **copied**: each new folder receives its own duplicates, and from then on the copies and the originals lead separate lives. Edit the copy in one project and nothing happens anywhere else. That is what you want for a folder like //Original// or //Target//, which starts afresh in every project.
Sometimes the opposite is useful: a single list that appears in every project and stays //one// clip wherever you look at it. Right-click a folder inside **Folder Sets** and choose **⭐ Don't clone contained clips**. The folder is then marked with a star in the tree.
When the set is added, the clips of such a folder are not duplicated. Instead, the clips you already have are filed into the newly created folder //in addition to// the folders they are in already. This works because a clip can be in any number of folders at once – see [[#Adding Clips to Folders]].
Worth knowing before you use it:
* It really is the same clip. Edit it in one project and it changes in all of them – that is the point, but it cuts both ways.
* Deleting it deletes it everywhere. To take it out of a single project, **remove it from that folder** instead of deleting it – see [[#Removing Clips from Folders]].
* The clips are picked up at the moment you add the set. A clip you put into the folder inside **Folder Sets** afterwards does not appear retroactively in projects created earlier.
* The affected clips move to the top of the clip table. With many clips you'll be asked for confirmation first.
⯈ The star marks the //template// only. The folder created in your project is an ordinary folder – it just happens to contain clips that live in other folders too.
=== - Example: a Project Folder Set ===
Say you start a new project for every client job, and every job needs the same scaffolding. Build it once inside **Folder Sets**:
Folder Sets
└── Project
├── Files
│ ├── Original
│ └── Target
├── Accounting ⭐ don't clone contained clips
└── To Do
//Original//, //Target// and //To Do// hold your usual starting material – boilerplate paragraphs, a checklist, standard replies. //Accounting// holds the clips you use for expenses and invoicing, and is marked as a no-clone folder.
Now a new job comes in. Create a folder **Nordwind**, right-click it, and choose **Add Folder Set (folders + clips)** → **Project**. You get:
^ Folder ^ What happens ^
| Files / Original, Files / Target | Fresh copies of the template clips. Rewriting the boilerplate for Nordwind leaves every other project untouched. |
| To Do | A fresh copy of the checklist, ready to be ticked off for this job only. |
| Accounting | No copies. The expense clips themselves now also appear under **Nordwind → Accounting**. Add a new one there and it shows up in every project's Accounting folder, because there is only one of it. |
**The other direction.** Suppose the //Expenses// clip in your template is also filed into a plain **Accounting** folder somewhere else in your tree, outside the Folder Sets folder. Copies keep every folder membership that lies outside the set, so each new project's copy is filed into that outside folder as well – and it quietly grows into a list of the expenses of //all// your projects, without you doing anything.
So the two mechanisms complement each other: a no-clone folder pushes one shared list //into// every project, while an outside folder collects what every project produces //out of// them.
⯈ A folder set can mix both freely. Mark only the folders that should stay shared and leave the rest alone – that is the whole point of setting the flag per folder rather than per set.
==== - System Folders ====
The folders anchored at the bottom of the tree are system folders. They cannot be renamed, deleted, or moved.
[{{:filter-tree-system-folders.png?direct|The system folders at the bottom of the Filter Tree}}]
=== - Unfiled ===
A virtual folder that shows all clips that are not filed into any folder – useful for reviewing and sorting new material. Nothing can be filed into Unfiled directly, and the Search Subs checkbox has no effect here.
=== - Saved Searches ===
Lists all your saved [[#Clip Searches]]. Selecting one runs the search, just as if you had selected it from the [[#Search Menu]], and you can combine it with an additional pattern typed into the [[#Controls at the Bottom|Clip Search Box]]. The folder is updated automatically whenever you create, modify, or delete a Clip Search.
=== - Hotstrings Folder ===
Clips filed into the Hotstrings folder become active //hotstrings// – text shortcuts that are automatically expanded as you type in any application. Filing a clip into the reserved **Inactive** subfolder deactivates it, and whole folders can be switched on and off via **Toggle Active for Hotstrings** in the context menu, active folders being shown in bold.
See chapter [[#Hotstrings]] for details.
=== - Launcher ===
The Launcher folder holds one clip per installed application, allowing you to launch applications directly from the Clip Manager. It is filled via **Extra** → **Launcher Settings**, and you can organize the applications into your own subfolders. See **Launcher Settings** in the [[#Extra menu]] for the app scan and its options.
=== - FileLister ===
Drop files or folders from Windows File Explorer onto this folder to generate a list of their contents. A dialog lets you choose the columns, the folder handling, and where the list should be saved; hold CTRL
while dropping to skip the dialog and reuse the last settings. The finished list is added to this folder as a clip.
See chapter [[#The File Lister]] for details.
=== - FileRenamer ===
Drop files or folders from Windows File Explorer onto this folder to batch-rename them using a match and replace mask, with a live preview. Each completed run leaves a history clip in this folder that allows you to undo the renaming.
See chapter [[#The File Renamer]] for details.
===== - The File Lister =====
The File Lister creates a **list of files and folders** from anything you drag in from Windows File Explorer – a single folder, a whole drive, or any selection of files. You choose which data to include and where to put the result.
Typical uses are documenting the contents of a project folder, preparing a file inventory for a spreadsheet, or simply keeping a snapshot of what was in a folder at a given time.
==== - Creating a File List ====
Drag one or more files or folders from Windows File Explorer onto the **FileLister** folder in the [[#The Filter Tree|Filter Tree]] and drop them there. (The Filter Tree must be visible – press CTRL
+T
if it isn't.)
The [[#The File Lister Dialog|File Lister dialog]] opens, where you set your options and click **Create File List**.
⯈ **Shortcut:** Hold CTRL
while dropping to skip the dialog entirely and generate the list immediately, using the settings from your last run.\\
⯈ All settings are remembered, so once you have found your preferred format, generating a list is a matter of one drag and one click.\\
⯈ The File Lister is also available outside the Clip Manager by dropping files onto the Databases panel of Auto Book's main window.
==== - The File Lister Dialog ====
The dialog shows your options on the left and a **live Preview** on the right. The preview updates with every change you make, so you can see the resulting columns before generating the actual list.
[{{:file-lister-dialog.png?direct&800|The File Lister dialog with the live preview}}]
=== - Which data to get ===
**Folder/file name only:** One column with the name.
**Name, size, and date modified:** Three columns. The size is given in kB; folders have no size.
**Extended information (all details):** Eight columns – Name, Size, Date Modified, Date Created, Date Accessed, Extension, File type (in words), and Full path.
=== - Path information ===
**Don't show path:** Only names are listed.
**Show path in separate column:** The containing folder is added as its own column.
**Show path and file/folder name together in the first column:** Path and name are combined into one column.
* **ONLY for folders:** Available with the previous option. The path is prepended only to folder entries, while files are listed by name alone.
* **Use absolute instead of relative paths:** By default, paths are shown relative to the common parent folder of everything you dropped, which keeps them short. Activate this option to list full paths instead. (Not available if you chose //Don't show path//.)
=== - Where to put the data ===
These options can be combined freely. Independently of them, the list is **always** added to the FileLister folder as a clip when you started from the Filter Tree – see [[#The Generated Clip]].
**Copy file list to clipboard:** Puts the finished list into the Windows clipboard, ready to be pasted into a spreadsheet or text editor. Note that this particular clipboard content is //not// captured into your clip archive.
**Save file list as a Database:** Saves the list as an Auto Book Database. You'll be prompted for a name.
**Save file list to parent folder:** Saves the list as ABfilelist.txt in the common parent folder of the dropped items. If that folder cannot be written to, you'll be offered alternatives.
=== - File and Folder Options ===
The first four options concern folder structure and are only available if you actually dropped at least one folder. If you dropped only files, they are greyed out.
**Include all subfolders:** Descends into all subfolders. Without it, only the top level is listed.
**Don't list the folders themselves (only their content):** Lists files only, leaving out the folder entries.
**Indent folder structure:** Indents each entry by one column per folder level, which reproduces the folder hierarchy visually. In this mode the columns are numbered instead of named, because their meaning shifts with the indentation depth. Indentation is supported up to 25 levels.
**Show a folder symbol before folder names:** Prefixes folder entries with a small folder symbol so they stand out among the files.
**Exclude hidden files/folders** and **Exclude system files/folders:** Leave out files and folders carrying the "hidden" or "system" attribute. If you drop a //single// item that is itself hidden or system while the matching exclusion option is active, the File Lister points out the conflict rather than silently producing an empty list.
==== - The Generated Clip ====
When the File Lister is started from the Filter Tree, the finished list is saved as a text file in [Auto Book program folder]\SystemData\Clips\FileLists\, named after the folder it was made from. A **clip pointing to that file** is then added to the FileLister folder:
* The **Clip** column holds the full path of the generated list file.
* The **Keywords** column holds the name of the source folder, so you can retrieve your lists by typing k
followed by the folder name into the [[#Controls at the Bottom|Clip Search Box]] – see [[#Searching]].
To **open the list**, hold CTRL
+ALT
and double-click the clip. To open its folder in Windows File Explorer instead, hold CTRL
+SHIFT
and double-click – see [[#Opening Links]].
Existing list files are never overwritten. If you generate a second list for the same folder, the new file is given a "- copy" suffix, so your earlier lists remain intact.
Since these clips are ordinary clips, everything else in this manual applies to them as well: you can [[#Pinning Clips|pin]] them, assign further [[#Keywords]], move them into your own [[#The Filter Tree|tree folders]], or [[#Deleting Clips|delete]] them. Deleting the clip does not delete the generated text file – remove that from the FileLists folder manually if you no longer need it.
==== - Long-running Lists ====
Listing a large folder tree can take a while. If generation takes longer than about two seconds, a small window appears showing the progress, with a **Cancel** button.
Cancelling discards everything produced so far, including partially written files, and leaves your clip archive untouched.
===== - The File Renamer =====
The File Renamer renames whole batches of files and folders in one go, using a match and replace mask. A live preview shows you exactly what every single name will become //before// anything is touched on disk, and a successful run can be undone afterwards.
==== - Renaming Files ====
Drag the files or folders you want to rename from Windows File Explorer onto the **FileRenamer** folder in the [[#The Filter Tree|Filter Tree]] and drop them there. (The Filter Tree must be visible – press CTRL
+T
if it isn't.)
The File Renamer dialog opens. Enter your masks, check the preview, and click **Rename**.
[{{:file-renamer-dialog.png?direct&800|The File Renamer dialog with the live preview}}]
==== - The Rename Mask ====
The **Match** mask selects what is to be replaced; the **Replace** mask defines what it is replaced with. Both fields remember your last ten entries in a dropdown, so recurring renaming jobs don't have to be typed again.
There are three ways of matching, and you don't need to switch between them – the Clip Manager picks the right one from what you type.
=== - Simple Text Replacement ===
If your Match mask contains no *
and no ?
, it is treated as **plain text to be found anywhere in the name** and replaced.
| Match | Replace | Result |
| draft | final | report-draft.docx
becomes report-final.docx
|
| _ | (leave blank) | my_file_name.txt
becomes myfilename.txt
|
=== - Wildcard Replacement ===
As soon as your Match mask contains a *
or a ?
, it must match the **whole name**, as known from Total Commander and similar file managers. *
stands for any number of characters, ?
for exactly one.
The wildcards in the Replace mask refer back to the wildcards in the Match mask, in the order in which they appear: the first *
or ?
in the Replace mask stands for whatever the first wildcard in the Match mask captured, the second for the second, and so on.
| Match | Replace | Result |
| *.txt | *.bak | notes.txt
becomes notes.bak
|
| IMG_*.jpg | Holiday_*.jpg | IMG_0413.jpg
becomes Holiday_0413.jpg
|
| *-*.pdf | *_*.pdf | invoice-2025.pdf
becomes invoice_2025.pdf
|
⯈ Wildcards in the Replace mask beyond the number available in the Match mask are simply dropped.
=== - Regular Expressions ===
Activate the **Use Regex** checkbox to interpret the Match mask as a [[#Regular Expressions Search|regular expression]]. In the Replace mask, refer to captured groups as $1
, $2
and so on.
Unlike the wildcard mode, a regular expression does //not// have to match the whole name – it replaces whatever part of the name it matches.
| Match | Replace | Result |
| ^\d+_ | (leave blank) | Removes leading digits and an underscore from the start of the name |
| (\d{4})-(\d{2})-(\d{2}) | $3.$2.$1 | Report 2025-08-20.pdf
becomes Report 20.08.2025.pdf
|
While a regular expression is incomplete or malformed – which it usually is while you're still typing it – an **Invalid pattern** warning is shown next to the Match field, and the preview leaves all names unchanged.
==== - Rename Options ====
**Case-insensitive matching:** When activated, the Match mask ignores upper and lower case. This applies to all three matching modes.
**Preserve file extension:** When activated, the Match mask, the Replace mask and the Change Case option only ever see the **base name** – the extension is carried through untouched. Folders are not affected by this option, as they have no extension.
**Change Case:** Converts the name to //UPPER// case, //lower// case or //Title// case, in addition to any replacement. Note that Change Case is only applied to names that the Match mask actually changed. With the Match mask *
, that is every name; with a more specific mask, names excluded by that mask keep their case as well.
**Numbering:** Type one or more #
characters into the Replace mask to insert a consecutive number. The amount of #
characters determines the zero-padding: #
produces 1, 2, 3 …, while ###
produces 001, 002, 003 … Set the first number in the **Start** field and the increment in the **Step** field.
| Match | Replace | Result |
| * | Photo_###.jpg | Photo_001.jpg
, Photo_002.jpg
, … |
| IMG_*.jpg | Trip_##_*.jpg | Trip_01_0413.jpg
, Trip_02_0876.jpg
, … |
⯈ The counter only advances for files that are actually renamed, so unchanged or skipped files don't consume a number and leave gaps in the sequence.
==== - File and Folder Options ====
**Include all subfolders:** Descends into all subfolders of the dropped folders. Without it, only the top level is renamed.
**Don't rename the folders themselves (only their content):** Restricts renaming to files, leaving folder names as they are.
**Show a folder symbol before folder names:** Prefixes folders with a small folder symbol in the preview, so you can tell them apart from files at a glance. This affects the display only, not the resulting names.
**Exclude hidden files/folders** and **Exclude system files/folders:** Leave out files and folders carrying the "hidden" or "system" attribute.
**Only rename selected rows in the preview below:** Renames just the rows you have selected in the preview, ignoring everything else. Select rows as usual, holding CTRL
or SHIFT
for multiple selections.
==== - The Preview ====
The preview lists every affected file and folder with its **Current Name** and its **New Name**, updating after every change you make to the masks or options. The small icon in front of each row tells you what will happen to it:
* **No icon:** The name is not changed – the Match mask doesn't apply to this file.
* **Checkmark:** The file will be renamed as shown.
* **Warning sign:** There is a **conflict**, and this row will be skipped.
A conflict is reported when two or more files would end up with the same new name, or when the new name already exists on disk. Conflicted rows and unchanged rows are never renamed, so a partially incorrect mask cannot destroy anything – correct the mask and watch the warnings disappear.
==== - Performing the Rename ====
Click **Rename** to carry out the renaming. If more than 100 files are affected, you'll be asked to confirm first.
The dialog stays open while the renaming runs. Each row is updated the moment its file has actually been renamed on disk, so you can follow the progress of a large batch and see exactly what happened to each entry. Rows that could not be renamed – because a file is open in another application, locked, or write-protected – are marked with an error icon and listed afterwards.
When the run is finished, a summary reports how many files were renamed, skipped as unchanged, in conflict, or in error.
The Match and Replace fields become editable again so that you can perform a **second pass** with a different mask without closing the dialog – the preview then works on the new names. Click **Close** when you're done.
==== - Undoing a Rename ====
Every successful run is recorded as a **history clip** in the FileRenamer folder:
* The **Keywords** column shows Rename in
followed by the name of the folder concerned.
* The **Length** column shows how many files were renamed.
To undo the renaming, right-click this clip in the clip table and choose **Undo Rename** from the [[#Context menu|context menu]]. All files are restored to their previous names.
⯈ Undoing is possible only once per history clip. Afterwards, its keywords are prefixed with (undone)
and the option is no longer offered.\\
⯈ Files that have been moved, deleted, or renamed again by other means in the meantime cannot be restored and are reported as errors.\\
⯈ The history clip is an ordinary clip and can be [[#Deleting Clips|deleted]] like any other once you no longer need it.
===== - Hotstrings =====
A **hotstring** is a short abbreviation that is replaced automatically by a longer text as you type – in //any// application, not just in Auto Book. Type btw
and get "by the way"; type myad
and get your full postal address.
In the Clip Manager, hotstrings are simply **clips filed into the Hotstrings folder** of the [[#The Filter Tree|Filter Tree]]. The clip content is the text that gets typed out, and the clip's **Keywords** column holds the abbreviation. That means everything you already know about clips applies to your hotstrings too: you can search them, edit them, organize them in subfolders, and back them up along with the rest of your archive.
==== - Switching Hotstrings On ====
Hotstrings have a master switch on Auto Book's **Extra** tab: the Activate Hotstrings
checkbox. When it is unchecked, no hotstring fires, whatever your folders contain.
Right below it you'll find the **Hotstrings hotkey** (default: WIN
+H
), which is used to create and edit hotstrings, and the **Rescan Hotstrings** button – see [[#Rescanning]].
==== - Creating a Hotstring ====
- Select the text you want to be typed out, in any application.
- Press the Hotstrings hotkey (default: WIN
+H
).
- Enter the abbreviation in the dialog that opens, set the options if needed, and click **Commit**.
The hotstring is active immediately, and a new clip containing your text is added to the Hotstrings folder of the [[#The Filter Tree|Filter Tree]].
=== - The Abbreviation Dialog ===
The dialog shows the text to be expanded, an input field for the abbreviation, and three checkboxes:
**Don't require ending character:** By default, a hotstring only fires once you type an **ending character** after the abbreviation – a space, a full stop, Enter
, and so on. This lets you type the abbreviation as an ordinary word without triggering it. With this option activated, the replacement happens the moment the abbreviation is complete.
**Allow in-word replacements:** By default, an abbreviation is only recognized at the start of a word. Activate this option to have it recognized inside a word as well – so that, for example, an abbreviation ave
would also fire in "Ave" within "HaveIt".
**Case-sensitive:** By default, the abbreviation is recognized regardless of case. With this option, only the exact spelling you defined fires the hotstring.
Your settings are remembered as the defaults for the next hotstring you create.
⯈ The dialog warns you – but still lets you proceed – if your abbreviation contains a space or tab, or if it is shorter than three characters and might therefore fire accidentally.
==== - How Hotstrings are Stored ====
Each hotstring is one clip in the Hotstrings folder:
* The **Clip** column holds the expansion text – the text that will be typed out. Multi-line texts are fully supported.
* The **Keywords** column holds the abbreviation, optionally followed by option letters.
Because the abbreviation lives in the Keywords column, you can find all your hotstrings by selecting the Hotstrings folder in the tree, and search them like any other clip.
=== - The Abbreviation Format ===
The Keywords entry of a hotstring clip has the form **abbreviation:options**, where the options part may be omitted:
| Keywords entry | Meaning |
| btw | Fires on btw
, with an ending character required, at the start of a word, case-insensitive |
| btw: | The same – a trailing colon without letters means "no special options" |
| btw:* | Fires as soon as btw
is typed, without waiting for an ending character |
| btw:? | Also fires inside a word |
| btw:C | Fires only on exactly btw
, not on BTW
or Btw
|
| btw:*?C | All three options combined |
The option letters correspond exactly to the three checkboxes in the [[#The Abbreviation Dialog|abbreviation dialog]]: *
= don't require ending character, ?
= allow in-word replacements, C
= case-sensitive. Their order does not matter, and unknown letters are ignored.
You can therefore also create or change a hotstring by simply [[#Editing Keywords|editing the Keywords]] of a clip in the Hotstrings folder – no dialog needed.
⯈ The expansion is always typed out **literally**, exactly as stored in the clip. Special characters have no escaping function.
==== - Organizing Hotstrings in Folders ====
You can create subfolders under Hotstrings like anywhere else in the [[#Creating Folders|Filter Tree]], and each folder can be switched on and off independently. This lets you keep whole sets of hotstrings ready – for example one folder per client, per project or per language – and enable only what you currently need.
=== - Active and Inactive Folders ===
A folder inside Hotstrings is only in force when it is marked **active**. Active folders are shown in **bold** in the tree.
To switch a folder on or off, right-click it and choose **Toggle Active for Hotstrings**. The [[#Status Bar]] confirms the change, and the hotstrings are re-registered immediately.
The Hotstrings folder itself is active by default, so hotstrings you create with the hotkey work right away.
=== - The Inactive Folder ===
Directly under Hotstrings there is a reserved subfolder named **Inactive**. It cannot be renamed or deleted.
Filing a clip into this folder suppresses its hotstring **regardless of which other folders the clip belongs to**. This is the quickest way to switch off one single hotstring without moving it out of the folder where it belongs – simply drag it into Inactive, and drag it back out when you need it again.
==== - Editing a Hotstring ====
To change the abbreviation or the options of an existing hotstring, select its clip in the [[#The Clip Preview|Clip Preview]] and press the Hotstrings hotkey (default: WIN
+H
), or choose **Edit Hotstring** from the [[#Extra Menu]]. The same dialog opens, pre-filled with the current values. The change takes effect immediately.
Alternatively, edit the Keywords of the clip directly – see [[#The Abbreviation Format]].
To change the **expansion text**, simply [[#Editing Clips|edit the clip]] as you would any other – in the clip table or in the [[#Full Clip View]]. The hotstring switches over to the new text as soon as the edit is saved; there is nothing else to do.
Deleting a hotstring clip deactivates its hotstring immediately.
==== - Rescanning ====
The **Rescan Hotstrings** button on Auto Book's **Extra** tab re-reads the whole Hotstrings folder and re-registers everything that is currently active. A message reports how many hotstrings are active afterwards.
Normal edits take effect on their own, so you won't need this often. It is useful after changes made outside the Clip Manager – for example after editing your clip files directly – or simply to confirm how many hotstrings are currently in force. Restarting Auto Book has the same effect.
==== - Warnings you may encounter ====
**Duplicate abbreviations:** If two active clips use the same abbreviation, only one of them can ever fire. On rescan, the Clip Manager lists the affected abbreviations so you can make them unique. Two hotstrings that differ only in case may coexist if //both// use the case-sensitive option.
**Rejected hotstrings:** If an abbreviation cannot be registered, it is listed by name so that you can correct or remove it in the Hotstrings folder.
===== - Notes =====
==== - Overview ====
The Auto Book Clip Manager also supports quick note taking – press a single hotkey and start typing and/or calculating. Notes are auto-tagged (keyworded) with #note
so that [[#searching]] for k #note
returns all your notes.
Technically, a note is simply a clip, but instead of any clipped content, it initially only contains a placeholder text with a time stamp:
[New Clip - YYYY-MM-DD hh:mm:ss]
==== - Creating a New Note ====
To create a new note from anywhere – even a 3rd party application –, simply press the New Note Hokey (default: F7
).
A new note will be create and opened immediately. Edit it as you would edit a clip.
The New Note Hotkey can be adjusted on Auto Book's [[#Basic Configuration|Clip tab]].
⯈ You can also perform **mathematical calculations** in your notes (or in any clip, for that matter). Simply type a formula and end it with an equal sign (=
). The result will be pasted instantly.
===== - The Database =====
All your clip archive files are linefeed- and tab-separated plain text files. They are designed to be human-readable and editable with any text editor so that you always remain in charge of your data. If you do intend to edit them, however, you must follow the rules outlined below in section [[#Manually Editing Clip Files]].
You will find these files in the folder [Auto Book program folder]\SystemData\Clips\, and you can access them with any text editor or spreadsheet application.
Within each file, individual clips are separated by linefeeds. Each line, representing one clip, consists of four columns. These four columns are separated by tabulators. The four columns are **Date Added**, **Date Used**, **Keywords**, and **Clip Content**.
Within each column that can contain user-defined text – that is, the keywords and the clip columns –, linefeeds and tabulators are masked as
and .
The clip folder should contain these files:
* clips.txt.ab
* prioclips.txt.ab (if you have assigned [[#keywords]] to any clips)
* ClipSearches.abdat (if you have saved any [[#Clip Searches]])
* KeywordPresets.abdat (if you have saved any [[#Keyword Presets]])
* A subfolder FileLists\ containing the lists generated by the [[#The File Lister|File Lister]], if you have created any
* Some temporary files if the clip archive is not in compact state, for example:
* deletedclips.txt.ab
* deletedprioclips.txt.ab
* addclips.txt.ab
* addprioclips.txt.ab
The file clips.txt.ab is your **primary clip archive**. It stores all basic clips (those without assigned keywords) in plain text format. prioclips.txt.ab contains only clips that have keywords assigned to them. This separation allows for faster keyword-based searches.
Note: Newer versions store additional, technical columns after the Clip Content column – among them the clip's [[#The Filter Tree|Filter Tree]] folder assignments. When editing clip files manually, leave these additional columns and their tabulators intact. The Filter Tree structure itself is stored in [Auto Book program folder]\SystemData\Clips\Tree\ClipTree.JSON.
The Clip Manager **tracks changes transactionally** in order to minimize disk operations and maximize speed. These transactions are stored in temporary files:
The files addclips.txt.ab and addprioclips.txt.ab contain new clips pending consolidation into the main files.
The files deletedclips.txt.ab and deletedprioclips.txt.ab keep track of clips marked for deletion. The clips marked for deletion won't be shown in the Clip Manager anymore, but still exist on the hard-disk. They will be physically removed when [[#Operational Buttons|compacting is performed]].
==== Manually Editing Clip Files ====
You can manually edit clip files, but the following rules must be followed.
For normal editing and deletion, it is recommended to use the Clip Preview's built-in function instead. However, there may be certain situations where you want to use text editors, for example for deleting a very large quantity of clips.
**Important Note:** It is absolutely mandatory to compact the clip archive before editing using the [[#Operational Buttons|Compact Clips button]].
Due to the Clip Manager's transactional database system, if you do not compact first, clips will be unintentionally flagged as deleted and not be shown anymore in the [[#The Clip Preview|Clip Preview]].
To avoid conflicts, also shut down the Clip Manager using the [[#File Menu]] or by deactivating the [[#Activating/Deactivating the Clip Manager and Displaying Clips|checkbox on the Clip tab]] before you edit the text files.
Restart the Clip Manager only after you're done editing.
After you have compacted your clip archive, you should only see the following files in your clip folder:
* clips.txt.ab
* prioclips.txt.ab (if you have assigned keywords to any clips)
* ClipSearches.abdat
If you see files such as addclips.txt.ab, deletedclips.txt.ab, or other similar names, it means your clip archive has not been properly compacted. In that case, return to the [[#Basic Configuration|Clip tab]] and execute the compacting operation first.
Edit your clips without keywords in clip.txt.ab and clips with keywords in prioclips.txt.ab. Both are plain text files, with individual clips separated by linefeeds. Each line, representing one clip, consists of four columns that are separated by tabulators. Both files have the same four columns – **Date Added**, **Date Used**, **Keywords**, and **Clip Content** –, but in clips.txt.ab, the Keywords column is always blank.
**Important Note:** When editing, be very careful not to delete any of the tabulators between the columns. Depending on the editor you use, the tabulators may be displayed with a very short or even zero length, making it hard to distinguish them from regular spaces. If you inadvertently delete tabulators, the columns will become misaligned and the [[#The Clip Preview|Clip Preview]] will show improper data. This rule also applies to the blank Keywords column in clips.txt.ab.
**Important Note:** Within each column that can contain user-defined text – that is, the keywords and the clip columns –, linefeeds and tabulators are masked as
and
. You may not insert any actual linefeeds or tabulators within the clip columns, as these would be interpreted as the beginning of a new clip or new column, respectively. If you need to add linefeeds or tabulators to a clip or its keywords, mask them using the same tags:
for linefeeds and
for tabs.