Espanso Dynamic Forms

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FAQ ​

Quick answers to common questions about Espanso Dynamic Forms.

General Questions ​

What is Espanso Dynamic Forms? ​

Espanso Dynamic Forms is a desktop application that extends Espanso's text expansion capabilities by providing schema-driven, interactive forms with templated output generation. It bridges three technologies: Espanso (text expansion), JSON Forms (form rendering), and Liquid (template engine).

How does it work? ​

You type a keyword trigger (e.g., :demo) in any application, which launches a form window where you fill out fields, then click Submit to insert formatted output at your cursor position.

What platforms are supported? ​

Windows and Linux are officially supported. macOS has not been tested, but you may be able to build it yourself since it's an Electron application.

Installation & Setup ​

How do I install it? ​

  1. Install Espanso first
  2. Download Espanso Dynamic Forms from releases page

How do I create a trigger? ​

Add a trigger configuration to your Espanso config file (~/.config/espanso/match/base.yml on Linux/macOS or %APPDATA%\espanso\match\base.yml on Windows). The trigger must use type: script and pass the executable path with the --form-config argument pointing to your form definition file.

Why is force_mode: clipboard required? ​

This setting is required for multiline output insertion to work correctly.

Form Config ​

What file format do I use for forms? ​

Forms are defined in YAML or JSON files with at least three required sections: schema, uischema, and template.

Where should I store my form files? ​

You can store form files anywhere on your system. Reference them using --form-config in your Espanso trigger configuration.

Can I use clipboard content in my forms? ​

Yes, use {{clipboard}} in data to populate fields with clipboard content and in template to include clipboard data in output.

Can I use environment variables? ​

Yes, use {{env.VARIABLE_NAME}} tokens in your form configuration. You can also pass environment variables via the --env command-line argument.

Features & Capabilities ​

What field types are supported? ​

The application supports all JSON Schema field types including text, numbers, booleans, dates, enums (dropdowns/radio buttons), arrays, and objects. It also includes custom file upload controls.

How do I format output? ​

Use Liquid templating syntax in the template section of your form configuration. Liquid supports filters, control flow, and variable interpolation.

Can I validate form inputs? ​

Yes, validation is built-in through JSON Schema. Define validation rules in schema (e.g., required fields, string patterns, number ranges).

Where can I find examples? ​

Browse Forms Catalog for sample form configurations. You can also test the built-in demo form by typing :demo after installation.

Troubleshooting ​

Where do I report issues? ​

Please open an issue on GitHub.

Where can I learn more? ​

How do I debug my forms? ​

Press Ctrl+Shift+I while a form is open to access Developer Tools.

For more issues (like forms not opening at all), try running the application from the command line to see output logs:

powershell
& "C:/Program Files/Espanso Dynamic Forms/EDF.exe" --form-config "{{env.EDF_FORMS}}/demo.yml"

See CLI Reference for more details.