TypeSnap for Developers
Boilerplate code, git commit templates, CLI commands, API snippets — TypeSnap is a code snippet manager that works in every app on your Mac.
Who this is for
If you write code for a living, you already have snippets in your IDE. VS Code, JetBrains, Xcode — they all have snippet systems. The problem is they only work inside the IDE. TypeSnap works everywhere you type on your Mac: the terminal, Slack, GitHub comments, Jira tickets, Notion docs, email, and yes, also your IDE.
The problem
Developers repeat more text than they realize. It’s not just boilerplate code. It’s git commit messages that follow a convention. It’s CLI commands you run ten times a day but can never remember the flags for. It’s PR descriptions with the same structure every time. It’s the console.log statement you type and delete 30 times during a debugging session.
IDE snippets solve part of this, but only inside the editor. When you’re writing a Slack message explaining a deployment process, your VS Code snippets can’t help you. When you’re filing a bug report in Linear, your JetBrains live templates are useless. The repetition spans your entire workflow, not just your editor.
How TypeSnap solves it
TypeSnap runs at the macOS level. Any app, any text field. Type a trigger, get the expansion. Your code snippets work in Terminal, iTerm, Warp, or whatever shell you use. Your commit message templates work in the GitHub web UI. Your boilerplate code works in Slack code blocks when you’re helping a teammate.
Everything is stored locally in ~/Library/Application Support/TypeSnap/. No cloud account, no telemetry, no sync to a server. If you work on proprietary code, your snippet library stays on your machine.
TypeSnap also supports fill-in fields, so your snippets can prompt for variable names, descriptions, or any dynamic content before expanding. Type ;dev-clog, enter the variable name, and a properly formatted console.log appears. It’s the speed of a snippet with the flexibility of actually typing it.
Snippet examples
Here’s a starter set. Each trigger begins with ;dev- to keep developer snippets grouped.
| Trigger | Label | Expands to |
|---|---|---|
;dev-clog |
Console log | console.log('{{input:label}}:', {{input:variable}}); |
;dev-try |
Try-catch | A full try/catch block: try { {{input:code}} } catch (error) { console.error('{{input:context}} failed:', error); throw error; } |
;dev-gitfix |
Git fix commit | git commit -m "fix: {{input:description}}" |
;dev-pr |
PR description | A standard PR description template with Summary, Changes, and Test Plan sections |
;dev-todo |
TODO comment | // TODO({{input:author}}): {{input:note}} |
These are starting points. Most developers end up building snippets for their specific stack — Docker commands, Kubernetes manifests, SQL queries, API request templates, environment variable boilerplate. The snippet library grows naturally as you notice yourself retyping things.
Beyond code
Some of the most useful developer snippets aren’t code at all:
- Standup updates: a template for daily standups with Yesterday/Today/Blockers sections
- Code review comments: polite and constructive templates for common review feedback
- Incident response: runbook templates for when things go wrong at 2 AM
- Documentation: function documentation blocks, README section templates, changelog entries
If you type it more than twice, it’s worth a snippet.
Get started in 30 seconds
Download the free developer snippet pack and import it into TypeSnap. It includes the examples above plus additional templates for common development workflows.
Don’t have TypeSnap yet? Download TypeSnap for Mac — $17.99, one-time purchase. No subscription, no account required.