Boilerplate text managers are utilities that allow you to store and insert commonly used phrases into your e-mail, documents and other programs. For example, rather than typing "We have received your order," you can select the phrase from a list, press a hotkey, or type a brief shortcut text command, and then it will be automatically inserted without you having to type the whole thing.

These things are immensely useful. I save about 30 minutes a day by using one.

The old copy (version 3.0 "Lite" from 1999) of a commercial product called Perfect Keyboard which is excellent but I've just discovered a free utility called Phrase Express that's just as good.

Phrase Express's feature list is impressive: it has no limit to the number of insertion items, it allows multi-line inserts, it can handle nesting of inserts within inserts, it allows the insertion of names, dates and other variables within inserts, it allows abbreviations to be automatically expanded, and more.

It also allows you launch a program or go to a web page instead of inserting text and that's really handy.

Also handy is the built-in auto-correct feature similar to the one in Microsoft Office. It automatically fixes common typing errors like "and" instead of "annd". Unlike the Microsoft version it works in any program not just Office.

Usage is simple. To create an item just highlight and copy the text, click the Phrase Express tray icon and select "Create phrase from clipboard." To insert text you simply click the tray icon and select the phrase from the list shown. It will then be automatically inserted.

Phrases can also be inserted by assignable hotkey or by automatic expansion, i.e. abbreviations you type like "BTW" can be automatically expanded to "by the way."

So what's wrong with it? Nothing actually, apart from the fact that it can't handle formatted text or image inserts. Apparently that will be remedied in the next version. Some users have complained that the program nags you that commercial use is not permitted.

Phrase Express
Website: http://www.phraseexpress.com
Download link: http://www.phraseexpress.com/download.htm
Author: Bartels Media
License: Freeware
Operating Systems Supported: 2000/XP/2003/Vista
Additional Software Required: None
64 Bit Capable: Unknown
Portable Version Available: No
Non-English languages supported: None
Other relevant information: None