Custom keyboard shortcuts to paste text

Hi all

For my job, I have to send regular long-ish reports via a web interface. Obviously the reports vary depending on activity, but they always contain certain keywords, groups of words or expressions. Since I have to do this almost everyday, I'd like to speed up the process...
Is there a way to create custom shortcuts that would enable me to paste text directly as I type my report? ie Ctrl+Shift+1 pastes keyword A, Ctrl+Shift+2 pastes expression B, etc.

Firefox shortcuts (since I type directly in a web interface)? Apparently these control only Firefox features and browsing.
Ubuntu shortcuts? Same issue.
Text editor shortcuts?

Any ideas welcome!
Thanks in advance.

first install these tools

Code:

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sudo apt-get install xdotool xsel

---

predefined text can be pasted like this:
text typed explicitly

Code:

---

echo "text to paste" | xsel -pi; xdotool click 2

---

text from file

Code:

---

xsel -pi < text_to_paste.txt; xdotool click 2

---

xsel puts the text in (-i) the primary buffer (-p), which then gets pasted with middle click, emulated by xdotool.

create a key combo enter the code below

Code:

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sh -c 'echo "some text to paste" | xsel -pi; xdotool click 2'

---

or

Code:

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sh -c 'xsel -pi < text_to_paste.txt; xdotool click 2'

---

hotkeys don't like multiple commands so sh -c wraps everything up and acts as 1 cmd.

This looks great, thanks a lot! I knew there must be something like this.

I'll have a closer look at this and get back to you...

Thanks again!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Vaphell

first install these tools

Code:

---

sudo apt-get install xdotool xsel

---

predefined text can be pasted like this:
text typed explicitly

Code:

---

echo "text to paste" | xsel -pi; xdotool click 2

---

text from file

Code:

---

xsel -pi < text_to_paste.txt; xdotool click 2

---

xsel puts the text in (-i) the primary buffer (-p), which then gets pasted with middle click, emulated by xdotool.

create a key combo enter the code below

Code:

---

sh -c 'echo "some text to paste" | xsel -pi; xdotool click 2'

---

or

Code:

---

sh -c 'xsel -pi < text_to_paste.txt; xdotool click 2'

---

hotkeys don't like multiple commands so sh -c wraps everything up and acts as 1 cmd.

---

This looks great, but I need some clarification.
Could you please walk me through setting this up step by step?
I installed xdotool xsel, but am lost after that.

what do you want to achieve exactly?
either way you have to go to the hotkey config, create new entry and fill it with sh -c '<something>', where <something> is the xsel/xdotool sequence that does what you need.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Vaphell

what do you want to achieve exactly?
either way you have to go to the hotkey config, create new entry and fill it with sh -c '<something>', where <something> is the xsel/xdotool sequence that does what you need.

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OK, I just tried again and it seems to be working now. I guess I didn't read carefully enough.
Thank you.