Mastering Keypirinha — Tips, Plugins, and Workflows
Keypirinha is a fast, lightweight launcher for Windows designed for power users who want to access apps, files, bookmarks, and custom commands without breaking their flow. This guide gives pragmatic tips, essential plugins, and ready-to-use workflows to help you get the most out of Keypirinha.
Why Keypirinha?
- Speed: Instant results with minimal resource usage.
- Extensibility: Python-based plugins and simple configuration files.
- Minimal UI: Focus on keyboard-driven productivity.
Getting started (quick configuration)
- Download and unzip Keypirinha; run the executable — no installer required.
- Open the configuration folder via the launcher: type keypirinha → Preferences.
- Copy default .cfg files from the Package folder into the User folder to safely customize (do not edit the originals).
- Set a hotkey (Defaults → Hotkey) if not set; common choice: Ctrl+Space.
Essential configuration tweaks
- Enable fuzzy matching: In user config, set scoring to prefer fuzzy matches for faster typing.
- Add custom catalog items: Define static entries in the catalog to launch scripts or folders.
- Adjust indexing: Exclude large folders (Downloads, node_modules) to keep search snappy.
Must-have plugins
- Catalog (built-in) — index apps, files, folders.
- Keypirinha PackageControl (community) — simplifies installing/updating plugins.
- ShellRun — run shell commands and elevated tasks.
- WebSearch — quick web searches with custom search engines.
- Calc — instant arithmetic and unit conversions.
- ClipboardHistory — access recent clipboard items (if available/compatible).
Install community plugins via PackageControl or drop them into the User\Packages folder.
Writing and using simple plugins
- Plugins are Python scripts placed in User\Packages.
- Basic structure: create a class inheriting from keypirinha.Plugin, implement on_catalog and onsuggest.
- Example workflow: a plugin that reads a config file of snippets and returns suggestions that paste snippets to the clipboard when selected.
Productivity workflows
- Launcher + Clipboard:
- Use ClipboardHistory to pick recent text, then a small snippet plugin to paste templates.
- App switcher:
- Configure Catalog to prioritize frequently used apps; create folders for work/personal contexts.
- Dev workflow:
- Add project folders to Catalog, use ShellRun to launch terminals at project roots, and set commands to run tests or builds.
- Web search + bookmarks:
- Define custom WebSearch engines (StackOverflow, MDN) and a bookmarks file parsed by a plugin for one-step navigation.
- Quick calculations & conversions:
- Type expressions directly; use Calc to convert units and format results for copying.
Example user catalog entry (User\Catalog\custom.ini)
Code
[My Scripts] type = folder path = C:\Users\You\Scripts[Todo] type = file path = C:\Users\You\Documents\todo.txt
Keybindings and macros
- Keypirinha supports keybindings for command activation. Use them for frequent actions (open TODO, paste snippet).
- Combine with AutoHotkey for more complex macros triggered from Keypirinha.
Troubleshooting common issues
- Index slow: exclude large folders, increase cache size.
- Plugin not loading: ensure file encoding is UTF-8 and class names match expected signatures.
- Conflicting hotkeys: check system/global hotkeys and adjust.
Resources and further reading
- Official docs and forum for package examples.
- Community GitHub repositories for plugins and snippets.
- Use PackageControl to discover and manage plugins.
Quick checklist to get productive:
- Set hotkey, copy default configs to User, install PackageControl, add project folders to Catalog, create 3 custom catalog entries, and install ClipboardHistory + WebSearch.
That’s a compact roadmap to mastering Keypirinha. Implement these tips and gradually create plugins and catalogs tailored to your daily tasks for maximum speed.
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