Here is a simple way to edit an AutoCorrect.txt file

Question

Sometimes I need to make changes to the AutoCorrect file (or create one) and I don't know how to do that. Is there an easy way to edit the AutoCorrect.txt file? One answer is below!

Answer 1

I've built (with the help of Claude Code) a simple AutoCorrect.txt editor. It is launched from the custom tools in Paratext. The files can be found in this folder.

Note that there are three files that must be copied to the My Paratext 9 Projects\cms folder. 

•   autocorrecteditor.cms
•   autocorrecteditor.py
•   AutoCorrectEditorCms.exe

The AutoCorrectEditorCms.txt file contains basic instructions and a link to a quick video on how to use the tool. 

Comments

oops, I had not noticed that you had already answered your own question

I gave my +1 to your tool and video, since it is helpful when users can see how to improve their daily work in PT with auto-sequences, or keyboard-shortcuts etc. Each practical example should indeed be promoted, so people can know all the goodness hidden inside PT.

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This is really nice. I like how AI is helping make things like this possible. We all know the Paratext devs are too lazy to make something like this themselves. 

FYI, I think you can stop Paratext from showing the List window if you remove \toList and replace it with \toHtml or \toText in the .cms file.

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 Adding \toHtml to the cms stops the list panel from opening.

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Thanks Phil for the tool and the explainer video. 

A team wants the following sequences for keyboarding special characters. Does autocorrect.txt supports special keys like CTRL or ALT?

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I am not aware of any way to use Ctrl or Alt in the AutoCorrect.txt file. It is possible to build keyboards using the Keyman program that make use of Ctrl and Alt.

You might consider something like:

: + u = ü

: + U = Ü

ü + ~ = ü̃

Ü + ~ = Ü̃

e + [ = ə

E + [ = Ə

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To expand on Phil's answer, Autocorrect inside Paratext works by taking multiple typed characters together, in order, and replacing them with another character (or characters). Unfortunately, this means that any keys that don't produce a typed character when pressed (e.g. Shift, Ctrl, Alt, etc.) are not useable by Paratext's Autocorrect system.

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Thank you for the repsonses. The team used the above combinations while working on the NT, which was a long time ago. They are using new laptops now.
Anyways, I suggested that they create a new Keyman keyboard.

Answer 2

Since you asked about a easy way to edit:

For many years I have always edited the file with my trusted regular text-editor. It is a commercial tool (EditpadPro) but does nothing fancy or special. It is just very transparent and fair as in "not changing stuff behind my back", and is powerful for showing code-points at the cursor and very powerful for regex etc. 

All I am saying, is that any normal text editor should be fine. I never had any issues nor complaints from PT. We are using the latest available version 9, I believe.

Of course I always have PT shut down, while I edit such configuration details.

And maybe we are having a misunderstanding, since in my project folders (of Paratext, as per your tag) the file is called  autocorrect.txt  without any capitalisation, while you are naming it as AutoCorrect.txt. I am writing about the custom file, inside each PT-project-subfolder.

Or is your question about having nice highlighting? In my EPP, there are many included highlighting-shemes and I get a free tool, where I can write my own shemes, for stuff like USFM.

hth