Switching · All apps
Switch from aText
Save your aText library as a file and import it. Groups, abbreviations, labels, and text come across.
Step by step
1
Save your library
In aText, choose File ▸ Save… to save an .atext file. aText’s automatic backups and its JSON export work too.
2
Import it
In Shorthand, choose File ▸ Import Snippets… (⇧⌘I), click Choose File…, and pick the file. Each aText group becomes a group.
3
Turn off aText
Quit aText, or turn off its expansion, so snippets don’t expand twice.
4
Check the leftovers
aText’s variables (dates, fields, the clipboard) are stored in a way aText doesn’t document, so they stay as text, and Shorthand tells you how many. Rebuild them with Shorthand’s Insert menu.
Good to know
Script and picture snippets are left out; Shorthand tells you how many.
A % sign in your text stays a percent sign.
Not yet confirmed: Files from aText 2 are read exactly (tested with a real 914-snippet library). Files from aText 3 are read from a reverse-engineered description and haven’t been tested with a real file. If something doesn’t come across, email support@shorthandexpander.com.
Shorthand is a text expander for Mac. Your aText files stay exactly as they are.