AutoTyper For Mac

This app automatically types the contents of a text script into an app. It's goal is to make it easier to make screen recordings where typing is necessary. Instead of doing it manually, the app will do it for you. Faster and without flubbing keys.

You can check out an intro video here:

Installation

• Download the AutoTyper-v#.#.#.zip file. Unzip it and copy the AutoTyper.app file to your Applications folder.

Usage

1. Create a .txt file with instructions in it (the full list of available instructions is in the Instructions sections further below).

2. Use the 'Choose Instructions File' button to select your script file.

3. Click on the app you want to output the script to in the 'Select App' section.

4. Click 'Run'. You may be asked to allow the app permissions in the System Preferences. This is required to let AutoTyper simulate a keyboard to do that actual typing. (Note that sometimes you have to delete the AutoTyper item, click Run, and turn it back on to reset it.)

Examples

Here are a few instruction examples to get you started.

Hello, World
type: Hello, World!
Multiple Lines
type-line: Hello, type: World!
Type, Pause, Type
type: Hello, pause press: space type: World!	Note: the `pause` waits for you to press F4 at which point it types a space followed by World!.
Type A Block Of Text
start-lines Lorem ipsum dolor adipiscing elit. posuere ut volutpat. Suspendisse euismod id malesuada. Proin id aliquet. end-lines	Outputs the block of text between start-lines and end-lines
Type, Select, Overwrite In VS Code
type: alfa, bravo, charlie pause: 0.8 repeat: 2: option: left-arrow press: option: shift: right-arrow pause: 0.8 type: DELTA	This example types: alfa, bravo, charlie Next, it selects bravo and overwrites it with DELTA. Pauses are added in to make it easier to see what's going on. This works in apps like VS Code where option + left/right-arrow jumps words and option + shift + left/right-arrow selects words.
Type, Select, Overwrite In Neovim
press: escape type: i type: alfa, bravo, charlie pause: 0.8 press: escape type: 3bdwi type: DELTA	Presses escape to make sure you're not already in INSERT mode then i to switch to it. Next, it types alfa, bravo, charlie then pause before pressing escape again to switch to NORMAL mode and typing in the commands to back up 3 time, delete the word and switch back to INSERT mode before typing DELTA
Paste Contents Of A File
paste-file-lines: /path/to/sample.txt
Jump Between Windows
type: Window 1 press: command: ~ pause: 0.4 type: Window 2	AutoTyper only types into one app at a time, but you can jump between windows in apps like VS Code by using press: command: ~ Note that adding a pause: 0.1 or more is recommended to make sure the app has enough time to switch the window before typing continues.

General Notes

• The basic ways to type are type: TEXT, type-line: TEXT, and type-down:TEXT. For example:

  type: Hello, World

  type-line: Hello, World

  type-down: Hello, World

• The type: TEXT instruction doesn't add a return/enter after it finishes typing. (That it, it only types in the characters from your TEXT)

• type-line: TEXT presses return/enter after typing your TEXT

• type-down: TEXT presses the down arrow after typing your TEXT

• The press: KEY instruction is used for pressing a specific KEY. (The full list of available keys is in the Keys section further below)

• The press: MODIFIER: KEY instruction holds the specific MODIFIER while pressing the KEY. For example:

  press: command: a

• Multiple MODIFIER keys can be held while pressing a key like:

  press: option: shift: right-arrow

• The pause instruction pauses typing until you press F4 on your keyboard. This is the main thing I use to create breaks for talking when I'm doing scree recordings.

• The pause: TIME instruction pauses for the specified time (measured in seconds). I generally use this for little pauses (e.g. pause: 0.3) to make it easier to track when I do thing like highlight and delete code.

Instructions

This is the list of available instructions

Instruction	Description
debug: on	Remove all delays and pauses to fast-forward until debug: off or the end of the script.
	Usage	debug: on
debug: off	Restores all pauses so the instruction runs with their specified delays and pauses.
	Usage	debug: off
down	Press the down arrow key one time.
	Usage	down
down: NUMBER	Presses the down arrow key the specified NUMBER of times.
	Usage	down: 3
end-lines	Ends capturing lines that will be pasted via 'command + v' one at a time followed by pressing 'return' to move to a new line. The capture is started with 'start-lines'.
	Example	start-lines Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Curabitur dignissim pretium justo nec tincidunt. end-lines
end-lines-down	Ends capturing lines that will be pasted via 'command + v' one at a time followed by pressing the down arrow. The capture is started with 'start-lines-down'.
	Example	start-lines-down Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Curabitur dignissim pretium justo nec tincidunt. end-lines-down
left	Presses the left arrow key one time.
	Usage	left
left: Number	Presses the left arrow key the specified NUMBER of times.
	Usage	left: 3
paste: TEXT	Pastes the TEXT by pressing 'command + v'.
	Usage	paste: The quick brown fox
paste-down: TEXT	Pastes the TEXT by pressing 'command + v' then presses the down arrow.
	Usage	paste-down: The quick brown fox
paste-line: TEXT	Pastes the TEXT by pressing 'command + v' then presses the return key to move to the next line.
	Usage	paste-line: The quick brown fox
paste-file: PATH	Pastes the contents of the file at the given PATH by pressing 'command + v'. Note: You can get the PATH for a file by right clicking on it in the Finder then holding the 'option' key. When you do, the 'Copy' menu item will turn into 'Copy ... as Pathname' which is what PATH uses.
	Example	paste-file: /Users/alan/example.txt
paste-file-lines: PATH	Pastes the contents of the file at the given PATH. Each line in the file is pasted individually via 'command + v'. The 'return' key is pressed after each line is pasted to move to the next line. Note: You can get the PATH for a file by right clicking on it in the Finder then holding the 'option' key. When you do, the 'Copy' menu item will turn into 'Copy ... as Pathname' which is what PATH uses.
	Example	paste-file-lines: /Users/alan/example.txt
paste-file-lines-down: PATH	Pastes the contents of the file at the given PATH. Each line in the file is pasted individually via 'command + v'. The down arrow is pressed after each line is pasted to move to the next line. Note: You can get the PATH for a file by right clicking on it in the Finder then holding the 'option' key. When you do, the 'Copy' menu item will turn into 'Copy ... as Pathname' which is what PATH uses.
	Example	paste-file-lines-down: /Users/alan/example.txt
pause	Pauses typing until F4 is pressed on the keyboard.
	Usage	pause
pause: TIME	Pauses typing for the given amount of TIME which is measured in seconds.
	Examples	pause: 1 pause: 1.2 pause: 0.3
press: KEY	Presses the given KEY one time. Note: Only lower case letters can be used with 'press:'. Use 'press: shift: KEY' to make them upper case. Note: The list of available keys is listed in the Keys section below.
	Examples	press: a press: space press: right-arrow
press: MODIFIERS: KEY	Press the given KEY one time while holding down the MODIFIERS. The MODIFIERS are: command control option shift One or more MODIFIERS can be used at a time. Note: Only lower case letters can be used with 'press:'. Use 'press: shift: KEY' to make them upper case. Note: The list of available keys is listed in the Keys section below.
	Examples	press: command: a press: option: right-arrow press: option: shift: right-arrow
repeat: KEY	Presses the KEY the specified NUMBER of times. Note: Only lower case letters can be used with 'repeat:'. Use 'repeat: shift: KEY' to make them upper case. Note: The list of available keys is listed in the Keys section below.
	Examples	repeat: 3: space repeat: 3: up-arrow
repeat: MODIFIERS: KEY	Press the given KEY the specified NUMBER of times while holding down the MODIFIERS. The MODIFIERS are: command control option shift One or more MODIFIERS can be used at a time. Note: Only lower case letters can be used with 'repeat:'. Use 'repeat: shift: KEY' to make them upper case. Note: The list of available keys is listed in the Keys section below.
	Usage	repeat: 3: shift: a repeat: 5: option: right-arrow repeat: 2: option: shift: right-arrow
reset-delay	Resets the minimum and maximum times that the random delay between key presses uses to their default values.
	Usage	reset-delay
return	Presses the 'return' key one time.
	Usage	return
return: NUMBER	Presses the 'return' key the specified NUMBER of times.
	Example	return: 3
right	Presses the right arrow key one time.
	Usage	right
right: NUMBER	Presses the right arrow key the specified NUMBER of times.
	Example	right: 3
set-delay: TIME	Sets the delay between key presses to TIME which is measured in seconds.
	Example	set-delay: 0.04
set-delay: MIN: MAX	Resets the minimum and maximum times that the random delay between key presses uses to MIN_TIME and MAX_TIME, respectively.
	Example	set-delay: 0.05: 0.1
space	Presses the 'space' key one time.
	Usage	space
space: NUMBER	Presses the 'space' key the specified NUMBER of times.
	Example	space: 3
start-lines	Starts capturing lines that will be pasted via 'command + v' one at a time followed by pressing 'return' to move to a new line. The capture continues until an 'end-lines' instruction is found.
	Usage	start-lines Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Curabitur dignissim pretium justo nec tincidunt. end-lines
start-lines-down	Starts capturing lines that will be pasted via 'command + v' one at a time followed by pressing the down arrow. The capture continues until an 'end-lines-down' instruction is found.
	Example	start-lines-down Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Curabitur dignissim pretium justo nec tincidunt. end-lines-down
stop	Stops the script from running.
	Usage	stop
tab	Presses the 'tab' key one time.
	Usage	tab
tab: NUMBER	Presses the 'tab' key the specified NUMBER of times.
	Example	tab: 3
type: TEXT	Types the given TEXT Notes: Neither the 'return' key or down-arrow is presses after the TEXT is types. This provides as way to edit text in the middle of a line without making or moving to a new line. Any spaces at the start of the TEXT are removed. Any spaces at the end of the TEXT are removed. Use a 'press: space' instruction to add spaces at either the start or the end of a piece of text if necessary.
	Example	type: The quick brown fox
type-down: TEXT	Types the given TEXT followed by pressing the down arrow key. Notes: Any spaces at the start of the TEXT are removed. Any spaces at the end of the TEXT are removed. Use a 'press: space' instruction to add spaces at either the start or the end of a piece of text if necessary.
	Example	type-down: The quick brown fox
type-line: TEXT	Types the given TEXT followed by pressing the 'return' key. Notes: Any spaces at the start of the TEXT are removed. Any spaces at the end of the TEXT are removed. Use a 'press: space' instruction to add spaces at either the start or the end of a piece of text if necessary.
	Example	type-line: The quick brown fox
up	Presses the up arrow one time.
	Usage	up
up: NUMBER	Presses the up arrow the specified NUMBER of times
	Usage	up: 3

Keys

This is the list of keys available for use in press: and repeat: instructions.

• =

• '

• ,

• -

• .

• /

• 0

• 1

• 2

• 3

• 4

• 5

• 6

• 7

• 8

• 9

• ;

• [

• \

• ]

• a

• b

• c

• caps-lock

• command

• control

• d

• delete

• down-arrow

• e

• end

• enter

• escape

• f

• f1

• f10

• f11

• f12

• f13

• f14

• f15

• f16

• f17

• f18

• f19

• f2

• f20

• f3

• f4

• f5

• f6

• f7

• f8

• f9

• F1

• F2

• F3

• F4

• F5

• F6

• F7

• F8

• F9

• F10

• F11

• F12

• F13

• F14

• F15

• F16

• F17

• F18

• F19

• forward-delete

• function

• g

• h

• help

• home

• i

• iso-section

• j

• jis-eisu

• jis-underscore

• jis-yen

• jis_kana

• k

• keypad-0

• keypad-1

• keypad-2

• keypad-3

• keypad-4

• keypad-5

• keypad-6

• keypad-7

• keypad-8

• keypad-9

• keypad-clear

• keypad-decimal

• keypad-divide

• keypad-enter

• keypad-equals

• keypad-jis-comma

• keypad-minus

• keypad-multiply

• keypad-plus

• l

• left-arrow

• m

• mute

• n

• o

• option

• p

• page-down

• page-up

• q

• r

• return

• right-arrow

• s

• shift

• space

• t

• tab

• u

• up-arrow

• v

• volume-down

• volume-up

• w

• x

• y

• z

• ~

Notes

• The app works on macOS 14.x. I'm not currently set up to test other versions.

• The app was built on a U.S. keyboard. I'm not currently set up to test other keyboards. I think there will be some work to do to get other character sets to work. I don't know enough about that yet to know what to expect or what would need to be done.

From alan w smith