Optional Inject/Copy By Match

[shiribailem]

This should be a relatively simple feature given that there's already code to automatically pick one or the other per match.

Basic gist would be to add something like a "method" value to a match that takes "inject" or "copy" and overrides the input method used for that match.

I ask this because I've got a single match that needs inject, but auto picks copy. So instead I have to set all my matches to use inject for that one to work.

[smeech]

I agree - it would be useful if the backend: Auto|Inject|Clipboard could work when included in the expansion code.
See Options.
Testing seems to suggest it doesn't, sadly.

As a temporary solution, increasing the figure in clipboard_threshold might work. I think this sets the point at which Inject turns off and Clipboard turns on as a backend.

Alternatively, if your match is used in one app, and you're not in Wayland, use an app-specific configuration and set the backend there to Inject or Clipboard, depending on which works best.

[shiribailem]

Unfortunately clipboard_threshold isn't any use for me here because the one match I have that requires Inject is my longest one. So to force inject on it I've got to put all of them on inject, which is why I made this request.

[smeech]

Sorry - missed your comment in my last edit, above. Would an app-specific configuration help?

[shiribailem]

It would not, these are almost all in the same app

[smeech]

Can you try force_mode: keys in your problematic expansion, please?

[smeech]

This is possibly solved.

Inspection of the code reveals an additional (currently undocumented) expansion option: force_mode: keys|clipboard, which forces a particular replace: to use inject or clipboard respectively.

I would welcome some testing by others, or @federico-terzi might comment.

Without an easy way of telling which method is being used, I have resorted to an expansion:

  - trigger: :long
    replace: |
      xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
      xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
      xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
      xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
    force_mode: clipboard

which I use in a Thunderbird compose window, which tends to lose keystrokes if Inject (keys) is used, and which is visibly slower.

[AucaCoyan]

Smeech, force_clipboard: true is not documented to date, right? the closes point I can get is the Injection mechanism chapter

[smeech]

I consider it deprecated in favour of force_mode: clipboard, which does the same job. Consequently I didn't mention it in the docs. I'll change the above example to reduce confusion for anyone who comes across it.

[AucaCoyan]

Then I think it's a good idea to deprecate the force_mode, so we clean the code. I'll file an issue!

[smeech]

Deprecate force_clipboard:, not force_mode:.

[AucaCoyan]

Oh, right! I thought it right, but I've written it reversed 😆 . Issue is #1939

[shiribailem]

On first attempt this looks like it solves it exactly!

Guess the fix instead is for someone to update the documentation lol

[smeech]

Good to hear. I agree!

I'll leave this for a couple of days in case Federico wants to comment.

The code is marked “TODO” and “test” but is two years old and a valuable feature, so I hope it's left in, although force_mode: inject (rather than keys) and scrapping of force_clipboard: true in favour of force_mode: clipboard would be more intuitive. Even more so would be the ability to use backend: Auto|Inject|Clipboard within expansions instead, as was my first thought.