I work as an automation assistant on campus. I often need to paste a list of names one at a time—about 1000+ names a day. While there are options to automate uploads with Selenium among others, student data security matters more, and the database is locked from external automation.
QueuePaste lets me copy whole lists at once, then use ⌥ Space to paste each item into the target database search tool, one at a time.
It took a 2-hour data entry task down to 20 minutes—roughly a 6× speedup.
copy → switch app → paste → repeat
Every context switch costs focus and time. Multiply that by a thousand names.
QueuePaste removes that loop: load your list once, then one hotkey advances through each item sequentially into any app.
QueuePaste is a native, lightweight, and highly performant utility for macOS designed to sequentially paste items from a loaded list across any target application with a single global hotkey. It is engineered with robust security, state preservation, and zero-context-switching in mind.
QueuePaste was built to eliminate the repetitive strain and error-prone nature of copying and pasting hundreds of text payloads repeatedly into target applications (e.g., rigid databases, internal campus portals, and restricted CRM platforms) that do not support automated API integration.
- Global Execution: Seamlessly register
⌥ Spaceacross macOS to securely advance paste buffers in any foreground application. - HUD (Heads-Up Display): A frictionless, non-intrusive floating
NSWindowbuilt securely above standard software layers. It persists target tracking without stealing key focus. - Deep System Integration: Leverages raw
CGEventsynthesis coupled withNSPasteboardautomation for guaranteed accuracy. - State Continuity: Built-in fault tolerance. Queue sequences and pointer indexes are atomically sequenced into
UserDefaults, ensuring zero data loss during application restarts or crashes. - Data Ingestion: Instantaneous processing of raw multi-line Strings and comma-separated
.csvstructures.
QueuePaste adheres strictly to the MVVM (Model-View-ViewModel) architectural pattern, leveraging Apple's modern concurrency paradigms (@MainActor) and the Swift 5.10 @Observable macro to power real-time UI synchrony.
For an engineering deep route into the internal mechanisms of this engine, please consult the directory-level Readmes:
- Models (Data Domain): The primitives governing state logic, Codable continuity payloads, and session structures.
- ViewModels (State Presentation): The Source of Truth acting as the principal conductor bridging user interactions to systemic low-level execution.
- Views (SwiftUI Interfae): An overview of the Windowing infrastructure, declarative routing, and HUD deployment.
- Services (AppKit/CoreFoundation Int): Pure Swift wrappers bridging system accessibility rights, memory pasteboards, and
CGEventtap interceptors.
To compile and execute this macOS binary, your environment must meet the following criteria:
- macOS: version 13.0 (Ventura) or later.
- Xcode: version 15.0 or later (with macOS SDK 14.0+).
- Swift: version 5.10.
-
Clone the Repository:
git clone https://github.com/tmarhguy/QueuePaste.git cd QueuePaste -
Open the Project: Locate and open the Xcode Project file (
QueuePaste.xcodeproj) to instantiate the workspace.open QueuePaste.xcodeproj
-
Compile & Run:
- Select your valid local internal Mac hardware as the active run destination.
- Execute Product > Run (
⌘R).
Due to the nature of global hotkey interceptions and keystroke simulations, QueuePaste fundamentally relies on macOS Accessibility frameworks.
Upon initial invocation of the global execution hotkey (⌥Space), the application will transparently prompt standard OS security dialogs to grant authorization.
If this bypasses silently, engineers can enforce the configuration via: System Settings > Privacy & Security > Accessibility > [Toggle QueuePaste On]
QueuePaste is composed of lightweight utility panes.
Pre-built macOS disk image:
- QueuePaste.dmg (from GitHub Releases)
Open the DMG, drag QueuePaste into Applications, and launch from there. On first run, macOS may show Gatekeeper prompts depending on notarization and your security settings.
-
Homebrew
brew tap tmarhguy/queuepaste https://github.com/tmarhguy/QueuePaste brew install --cask queuepaste
-
curl
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/tmarhguy/QueuePaste/main/install.sh | bash
The repository includes build_dmg.sh, which archives the Xcode project and packages QueuePaste.app into a DMG using create-dmg (brew install create-dmg). You need a valid Apple Developer signing setup for archive/export steps to succeed on your machine.
QueuePaste is also distributed as source for engineers who prefer to build in Xcode (see Build Instructions above).
This architecture is released securely under the MIT License. See LICENSE for categorical declarations.
Hi, I'm Tyrone Marhguy (Penn Engineering '28). I build systems from first principles. Whether designing discrete-transistor ALUs with 3,400+ transistors, routing ASIC tapeouts, or architecting 3D websites and native macOS software, my goal is to bridge the gap between raw silicon and elegant desktop utilities.
