FastTyping

FastTyping is a productivity extension for Visual Studio Code that helps you type faster by automatically replacing custom character sequences with predefined symbols or snippets — in real time as you type.

Whether you're coding or writing documentation, FastTyping helps reduce keystrokes and makes repetitive typing smoother.

💡 Example Use Case

• Typing -- instantly becomes ->
• Typing ;; in a .php file becomes .

🚀 Features

• 🔁 Replaces character sequences live as you type
• 🧠 Language-aware (based on file extension, like php, js, etc.)
• ⚙️ Easily configurable through settings.json
• 🪶 Lightweight and intuitive

⚙️ Default Shortcuts

FastTyping comes with built-in default shortcuts, divided into common (global) and language-specific groups:

🔁 Common Shortcuts (applies to all file types)

🐘 PHP-Specific Shortcuts

🟨 JavaScript-Specific Shortcuts

🛠️ Customizing Shortcuts

You can fully customize the shortcuts through your VS Code User Settings (settings.json).

👉 Steps:

1. Open the Command Palette with Ctrl+Shift+P (or Cmd+Shift+P on macOS)
2. Search for and select: Preferences: Open Settings (JSON) or FastTyping: Open Extension Configuration
3. Add or modify your configuration under the following key:

"fasttyping.shortcuts": {
  "common": {
    "--": "->",
    "àà": "@",
    "ùù": "%",
    ">>": "→"
  },
  "php": {
    ";;": ".",
    "**": "{}"
  },
  "js": {
    "cl": "console.log()",
    "fn": "function() {\n  \n}"
  }
}

You can override, add or remove any shortcut per language or globally under "common".

❌ To disable a default shortcut

To disable a default shortcut, simply remove its entry from the configuration. For example, to disable the -- shortcut in the common group and the ;; shortcut for PHP:

"fasttyping.shortcuts": {
  "common": {
    // "--" has been removed
    "àà": "@",
    "ùù": "%"
  },
  "php": {
    // ";;" has been removed
    "**": "{}"
  }
}

Once removed, FastTyping will no longer trigger those shortcuts.

⚙️ Configuration Options

fasttyping.maxShortcutLength

Control the maximum length of shortcuts FastTyping will detect and replace.

"fasttyping.maxShortcutLength": 10

• Default: 10
• Min: 1 (single character shortcuts only)
• Max: 50
• Example: Set to 15 to support long shortcuts like asyncfunction

📌 Important Notes

• User Configuration Priority: If you define any custom shortcuts in your settings, FastTyping will use only your configuration and ignore the built-in defaults. If you want to keep some defaults, you must explicitly include them in your settings.
• File Extension Matching: Language-specific shortcuts are matched based on file extension (e.g., .js, .php). The scope is determined by the file's extension, and scope-specific shortcuts take priority over common shortcuts.
• Buffer Persistence: FastTyping maintains a character buffer while you type normally. The buffer resets when you click elsewhere or move the cursor without typing, ensuring accurate shortcut detection for multi-character patterns.

🐛 Issues and Contributions

Don't hesitate to open an issue if you find a bug.

Release Notes

For more information, please see CHANGELOG.md