This documentation refers to PhraseExpress v7 beta. The documentation for current v6 is available here.
Reference
Phrase file states
Icons in the first tree level of the main program window indicate the phrase source and current status:
| Symbol | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Default state - Everything is fine. |
| The phrase file is reloading. |
| User access restrictions are applied. |
| |
| Another user is editing this element. Press F5 to update the status. |
Program states
PhraseExpress has different states that are indicated by its menu bar icon in the top right of the macOS desktop:
| Icon | Explanation |
|---|---|
 | PhraseExpress is ready to use. |
 | PhraseExpress is currently executing a phrase or a macro automation. |
| PhraseExpress is deactivated for the current application. |
 | PhraseExpress is currently busy with loading/processing a phrase file. |
 | Hotkeys, Autotext and the Autocomplete feature are temporarily disabled (see chapter "Temporarily disable PhraseExpress"). |
File locations
In portable mode, all PhraseExpress related files are stored in the program directory on the portable storage device. No file is written onto the host PC.
In a regular computer installation, PhraseExpress stores files in following locations:
| File | Purpose |
|---|---|
phrases.pexdb | The phrase file keeps all your text snippets including the phrase folder structure, folder access permission information, Autotext and hotkey definitions. The default path and phrase file name is "/Users/[YourUserName]/Library/PhraseExpress/phrases.pexdb" The file path may be different if you have loaded another phrase file. If Finder doesn't show the "Library" folder, press hotkey CMD-J and enable display of the "Library" folder. If you want to move your phrases to another computer, copy this file to the new computer. Backup this file frequently to an external storage media to prevent data loss of your personal phrases! File format and file extension changed with PhraseExpress for Mac v5. The old file extension "*.pxi" is not used anymore. |
| com.bartelsmedia.PhraseExpressOSX.plist | Settings file which hosts all program related settings. Storage path: "/Users/[YourUserName]/Library/Preferences/" |
The default backup location is "/Users/[YourUserName]/Library/PhraseExpress/PhraseExpressBackup"
The optional AI engine "Ollama" stores following files:
| File | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Several files | Ollama language model files which are required for operation. Storage path: "~/.ollama/models" |
Input validation
PhraseExpress can perform a syntax check on user input to prevent errors.
If syntax check is enabled, an input is required.
Syntax check options:
| Option | Description/Example |
|---|---|
| No validation | No check is made. Even no input is allowed. |
| Input required | An input of any kind must be made. No input is not accepted. |
| matt@trace.com | |
| URL | https://www.phraseexpress.com |
| File path | c:/folder/file.txt |
| Folder path | /folder/anotherfolder/ |
| letters | a-z, A-Z |
| Numbers | 0-9, dot and comma |
| Text | a-z, A-Z and punctuation mark |
System folder
Content of system phrase folders such as the Clipboard Manager or the Last Used phrases folder is managed exclusively by PhraseExpress. If necessary, move useful contents from system phrase folders to your phrase library because system folders are "volatile" and will be overwritten by newer contents or, depending on the configuration, deleted when PhraseExpress is terminated.