Ultimate Code Collection tool for Programmers

Flashpaste is an awesome little desktop software widget; a clipboard manager application made for Windows. I say little, only because you'd never know it was there, aside from the wonderful enhancement it brings to the clipboard functionality. It's simple to use, and since it stays tucked away in the system tray, its helping hand is available at your fingertips no matter what other software you're running. In retrospect, for the amount of time and effort it saves, I don't know how I've gotten along so far without it!

Flashpaste gets its name because it enables the user to save, then paste any string of text '... in a flash! ...' Despite the name, Flashpaste has nothing whatsoever to do with Adobe (Macromedia) Flash, the web animation / scripting software. Do not let the name put you off, or expect it to act as a Flash add-on, although an ActionScript programmer can use Flashpaste as a solution for saving reusable bits of code. Flashpaste - Features:

String Collection

Flashpaste is essentially a user-defined Clipboard Manager, but its user-friendly (moreover, programmer-friendly), intuitive features amount to so much more!

Flashpaste enables the user to maintain a collection of text clips, or paste code snippets. You can open the Flashpaste main window from the system tray or with a custom keyboard shortcut. I use Ctrl+I, for “insert snippet.” My saved strings include a collection of PHP date format strings. Personally, I have difficulty remembering all of the PHP-specific characters for outputting certain date() formats, but Flashpaste has saved me from having to use a cheat sheet. Because I can give each string a descriptive name, when I need to enter some date() code, I just hit [Ctrl+I] and select my desired date-format from my saved list!

Flashpaste - In Action:

When you find a text fragment or code snippet you want to reuse, open the main window from the Flashpaste tray menu. Click Add String to create a new entry.

Give the new string a descriptive label, then type or paste the text into the editor. The label will help you find it later.

Any text you can save in a text editor can also be saved as a string in Flashpaste. Your strings remain in the database until you remove them, so they are still available after you restart your computer.

Flashpaste - At Your Service

Recalling saved strings is easy. I use my configured Ctrl+I shortcut to open the Flashpaste main window, which lists each string by its label. Selecting a label inserts the saved text or code snippet. Most of my strings are PHP date formats: when I need one, I press Ctrl+I and select the format I want. My collection is available in any code editor, and I can choose whatever shortcut suits me.

Flashpaste - a Very Brief Case Study

Take another look at my own collection of Flashpaste Strings; the several PHP code snippets I've saved. One of my saved strings is a PHP date() format string. It may look like gibberish to someone unfamiliar with PHP date(), but actually, that is precisely the point of the illustration. Even experienced programmers can often forget things such as format strings, the special characters required by the programming language for interpreting at runtime the preferred format of parsed output. For example, in PHP, date() has a great many options for its format string, and depending upon what the programmer enters for that format string, the output will be formatted accordingly. Using the format string 'M d, Y' as in date("M d, Y"), will result in a date output format such as: Nov 22, 2007. A completely different output will result if the programmer chooses to use the following format string, 'Y-m-d' as in date("Y-m-d"), which would result in the following output if applied to the same timestamp: 2007-11-22. Thus, by using the powerful clipboard management capabilities of Flashpaste, even if I've restarted my computer several times over, because Flashpaste uses its own simple database for storing all of your saved strings, I can recall all of my saved strings and place them, or Flashpaste them into my code in the blink of an eye, without the need to reference the PHP Manual, should my memory fail me on precisely the PHP Date Format String I should use for my desired date output.

Summary

Every programmer should have a clipboard manager. I highly recommend you try Flashpaste for its ease of use, rapid learning curve, and moreover, its simple, straightforward effectiveness. Flashpaste is an excellent choice for the Windows user who wishes to have the program start with Windows so it is available without the need to launch it during your session, while it stays stowed away in the System Tray, available as needed without inhibiting system performance.

This article was written by Jeffrey Sabarese for his blog.