TypeIt4Me

A lightweight, secure text expansion tool for Windows built with .NET 8 and WPF.

Features

• Text Expansion: Create shortcuts (e.g., eml) that expand into full text (e.g., my.email@example.com).
• Global Hotkeys: Trigger snippets anywhere using global hotkeys.
• Search: Built-in search bar with debouncing for fast, responsive filtering.
• Themes: Switch between Dark and Light modes to suit your preference.
• Mini Mode: Collapse the window to a compact view for screen efficiency.

Security Architecture

TypeIt4Me prioritizes the security of your snippets with enterprise-grade cryptography.

• Encryption: Snippets are encrypted using AES-256-CBC with HMAC-SHA256 authentication (Authenticated Encryption).
  • Version 3 (Current):
    • Uses AES-256 encryption with randomly generated 32-byte salt and 16-byte IV per save
    • HMAC-SHA256 authentication prevents tampering and detects corrupted data
    • Separate derived keys for encryption and authentication (defense-in-depth)
    • Each save generates unique encrypted output, preventing pattern analysis attacks
  • Key Derivation: Your PIN is strengthened using PBKDF2-SHA256 with 600,000 iterations (OWASP 2024 recommendation) to derive encryption and authentication keys
• PIN Storage:
  • Your PIN is never stored in plain text
  • Hashed using PBKDF2-SHA256 with a unique, randomly generated 32-byte salt
  • Minimum 4-character PIN enforced, 6+ characters recommended
  • Stored securely in settings.json alongside its unique salt
• Memory Safety:
  • Cryptographic keys and sensitive buffers are explicitly zeroed from memory immediately after use
  • Helps mitigate RAM scraping and memory dump attacks
  • Note: PIN remains in memory as a .NET string during session (immutable string limitation)
• Input Validation:
  • Maximum snippet size enforced (100 KB) to prevent denial-of-service attacks
  • Auto-lock timeout validated (0-1440 minutes)
  • Cryptographic buffer length validation prevents buffer overflow attacks
• Auto-Lock: Configure an idle timer (1-1440 minutes) to automatically lock the application when you step away
• Input Injection: Uses Windows SendInput API for text expansion, completely avoiding the system clipboard. This prevents snippets from appearing in clipboard history managers or being logged by clipboard monitoring tools.

File Locations

• Snippets: %AppData%\TypeIt4Me\snippets.json (Encrypted if PIN is set)
• Settings: %AppData%\TypeIt4Me\settings.json
• Portable: Can be run as a standalone executable.

Installation

1. Download the latest release.
2. Extract the Dist folder.
3. Run TypeIt4Me.exe.

Usage

1. Add: Click + New Snippet, enter content, save.
2. Use: Type your hotkey or use the Play (▶) button.
3. Config: Click the Menu (☰) for Settings (Themes, Auto-Lock), PIN management, and Import/Export.
4. Tray: The app minimizes to the system tray. Double-click the tray icon or use the hotkey to restore.

Special Keys & Commands

TypeIt4Me supports special key presses and commands using curly bracket syntax. These can be combined with regular text in your snippets.

Navigation Keys

Command	Key	Aliases
{TAB}	Tab
{ENTER}	Enter	{RETURN}
{ESC}	Escape	{ESCAPE}
{BACKSPACE}	Backspace
{DELETE}	Delete	{DEL}
{INSERT}	Insert	{INS}
{HOME}	Home
{END}	End
{PAGEUP}	Page Up	{PGUP}
{PAGEDOWN}	Page Down	{PGDN}
{SPACE}	Space

Arrow Keys

Command	Key	Aliases
{UP}	Arrow Up	{ARROWUP}
{DOWN}	Arrow Down	{ARROWDOWN}
{LEFT}	Arrow Left	{ARROWLEFT}
{RIGHT}	Arrow Right	{ARROWRIGHT}

Modifier Keys

Command	Key	Aliases
{SHIFT}	Shift
{CTRL}	Control	{CONTROL}
{ALT}	Alt
{WINKEY}	Windows Key	{WIN}, {LWIN}, {RWIN}

Toggle & Special Keys

Command	Key	Aliases
{CAPSLOCK}	Caps Lock	{CAPS}
{NUMLOCK}	Num Lock
{SCROLLLOCK}	Scroll Lock
{PRINTSCREEN}	Print Screen	{PRTSC}

Function Keys

{F1} through {F12} - All function keys are supported.

Sleep Command

Use {SLEEP <milliseconds>} to pause between actions (1ms to 60,000ms):

• {SLEEP 500} - Pause for half a second
• {SLEEP 2000} - Pause for 2 seconds

Example Snippets

Hello{TAB}World{ENTER}

Types "Hello", presses Tab, types "World", then presses Enter.

{CTRL}a{CTRL}c{TAB}{CTRL}v

Select all, copy, tab to next field, paste.

Starting...{SLEEP 1000}Done!

Types "Starting...", waits 1 second, then types "Done!".

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.

The Application Icon is from Material Symbols by Google, licensed under the Apache License Version 2.0.

See LICENSE for details.

Credits

Author: Léon "Avic" Simmons (@Avicennasis)