Modula
Modula documentation
Creating and editing
The editor
The editor is the window where you create and edit your SmartTexts and SmartMails: the fields on the left, a preview of the result on the right. It warns you about anything that would cause trouble, and never lets you lose what you typed.
Creating a SmartText Starter
- Open the Options (Settings button in the icon menu), SmartTexts tab.
- Click + New SmartText.
- Give it a title, write the content, add a keyword if you like, then Save.
To edit an existing item, click it in the list.
Creating from a category or from a page Basic
- From a category: on the Categories page, a category's detail panel offers + New SmartText and + New SmartMail, already filed in it.
- From a web page: select some text, right-click, then + Add selection as SmartText in the Modula menu. The editor opens with the selection as content.
Camille has just written a well-turned reply in a ticket. She selects it, right-clicks, “Add selection as SmartText”: she'll never have to write it again.
The preview column Basic
To the right of the form, the preview shows the SmartText as it will appear in the Sidebar and the Launcher: formatting, fields in colour, category. It follows what you type, even before saving.
In a narrow window (less than 1080 pixels wide), the preview hides to make room for the form.
Choosing or creating a category Basic
The Category field offers your existing categories, with their icon, in the order you chose. Type a few letters to filter.
- For a new category, choose + Create “…” at the bottom of the list.
- If you save with a new name without having chosen it, Modula asks for confirmation: a typo doesn't create a duplicate category. If an almost identical category exists (“support” for “Support”), it offers to use it.
The keyword Basic
The Expander keyword is what you type to insert the item with the Expander. It is optional. It can't start with *: that character is reserved for searching by category.
Prefer a keyword that doesn't look like any real word: !ack rather than thanks.
Shared keyword, overridden keyword Expert
While you type the keyword, the editor flags two situations, without ever stopping you from saving:
| Signal | Situation |
|---|---|
| Red ⓘ | Another item already has this keyword. That's allowed: the Expander will ask you which one to insert. See Several SmartTexts for the same keyword. |
| Message below the field | With instant triggering, one keyword starts another: the longer one will never fire. See A keyword that overrides another. |
The comparison is exact: !bj and !BJ are two different keywords.
Duplicating Basic
To start from an existing item, open its ⋮ menu in the list, then Duplicate. The copy opens in the editor, with “(copy)” added to the title; it is only saved if you confirm.
Everything is copied, keyword included: remember to change it, or both items will share the same trigger. The favourite and the use counter start again from zero.
Closing without losing your changes Basic
If you close a modified form — ✕, Cancel or Esc — Modula asks:
- Discard: close without saving;
- Back to the form: keep editing;
- Save: save, then close.
A form you haven't touched closes without a question.
Linking fields with AutoFetch Advanced Pro
The ⚡ AutoFetch button, at the top of the editor, opens the AutoFetch panel on this item. It only shows for a saved item that has at least one field to link.
An item's history Advanced
Each saved change keeps the previous version: 1 version on the Free plan, 5 on Pro and during the trial, for 90 days. Several saves less than 10 minutes apart make a single version.
- Open the item, click 🕘 History at the top of the editor.
- Click a version: it appears next to the form, differences highlighted.
- Restore into the form reloads that version into the editor. Nothing is saved until you click Save.
Camille shortened her “Late delivery” reply and regrets it. She opens the history, compares with yesterday's version, restores it into the form and saves.
See History and undo.