Allow to use files for "Insert text"

[qlixed]

The Motivation

When we want to paste large text templates will be useful to allow to select a file that contains the template instead of copying the text in the current input.

The Solution

Allow an additional entry in the config pane for the insert text that allow us to select a file as an alternative for the manual text input. Probably will be a good idea to associate both entries with radio buttons that allow us to select the manual entry mode or the point-to-a-file mode.

The Alternatives

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[Schneegans]

Thanks for the suggestion! I guess that this would be quite a edge use-case for just a few users. Therefore I would like to avoid cluttering the configuration interface for the "Insert Text" action even more. Here are two ideas which come to my mind:

• We could make the text entry of the "Insert Text" action a multi-line entry to emphasize that more than a simple word could be pasted.
• We could add a completely new action "Paste File Content" which would do what you suggest. Maybe this could even support data beyond text (e.g. paste image data in Gimp, etc.)

What do you think?

[Nickiel12]

I personally think the second option would be more natural.

[Schneegans]

Rescheduled to Fly-Pie 14, as Fly-Pie 13 will be released soon because it includes an important bug fix.

[Schneegans]

Rescheduled again as Fly-Pie 14 will focus on GNOME 42 support...

[qlixed]

I like the idea of a new Config interface, but still I think that it will be more streamlined that just add the option to the current "paste text" option as basically we're pasting text, but from another source.
Anyway, if you prefer to left that as a complete separate thing I will try to see if I can code something and put a PR.

[Schneegans]

If you could contribute this, it would be totally awesome! There's the guide for creating new actions, but I guess that you can simply start by copying the existing action. Let me know if you have questions!

[paulsen-it]

It would be very nice, If some macros are also allowed in "Insert Text". Like Date and Time.
For Example: "Posted at 13:05 o'clock on 28.07.2023"

[Schneegans]

It would be very nice, If some macros are also allowed in "Insert Text". Like Date and Time. For Example: "Posted at 13:05 o'clock on 28.07.2023"

We could even go one step further and add an action which pastes the output of a given shell command. Then you could create virtually anything! Pasting text files would be just as simple as cat /path/to/file.txt.

Currently, I do not have much time to work on Fly-Pie, as I focus on Kando instead. And I will definitely add this action type to Kando! But I would happily accept a pull request for Fly-Pie...