Taurine

A fast, secure and easy to use automation software for text expansion and keyboard automation. Taurine helps you type less, automate repetitive work, and run keyboard shortcuts from anywhere on your computer.

taurine.mp4

Features · Install · Hotkeys · Scripts · AI · FAQ

What is Taurine?

Taurine is a local-first automation tool for people who type a lot.

It works like a text expander, but it can do much much more than replace short words with long text. Taurine can also run scripts, open apps, launch websites, generate values, and trigger automations with hotkeys.

The goal is simple: Stop repeating the same computer tasks every day.

Quick demo

Let's create a simple text expansion to see how Taurine works.

Open a terminal and run the following command:

1. Start the Taurine service:

   taurine up

2. Add your first shortcut:

   taurine add hello "Hello, world!"

3. Try it anywhere: Type >hello followed by a space in any text field (browser, editor, chat). It instantly expands to: Hello, world!

Tip

Prefer a UI? Simply run taurine to open the interactive Terminal UI and manage your automations visually.

Why Taurine?

A lot of computer work is repetitive.

• Typing the same things: Email addresses, signatures, and common replies.
• Opening the same apps: Switching between tools and websites manually.
• Running the same commands: Repeating terminal workflows.
• Copy-pasting AI responses: Switching to a browser just to get an answer.

Taurine saves time by turning short triggers into longer text, keyboard automation, script execution, and inline AI in one simple package.

Features

• Text expansion — turn short triggers into full text
• Keyboard shortcuts — run automations with hotkeys
• Scripts and commands — launch apps, open websites, and run local scripts
• Dynamic variables — insert names, dates, UUIDs, mock data, and more
• Inline math — calculate while typing
• Inline AI — use AI without switching apps
• CLI and TUI — manage automations from the terminal
• Import and export — backup and share your automations

Installation

Prebuilt binaries are available for Windows, macOS, and Linux. You can download them manually from our GitHub Releases page, or use one of the quick install scripts below:

Windows (PowerShell)

powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -c "irm https://github.com/ereinaimer/taurine/releases/latest/download/taurine-installer.ps1 | iex"

macOS / Linux (Bash)

curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -LsSf https://github.com/ereinaimer/taurine/releases/latest/download/taurine-installer.sh | sh

Install via Cargo

If you already have Rust installed, you can install Taurine directly from the repository using cargo:

cargo install --git https://github.com/ereinaimer/taurine

Build from source

Requirements:

Install Rust

You can install Rust using the official command from rustup.rs:

curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf https://sh.rustup.rs | sh

If you're on Windows, Download and run: rustup-init.exe

Once Rust is ready, clone and build the project:

git clone https://github.com/ereinaimer/taurine.git
cd taurine
cargo build -r

Run Taurine:

./target/release/taurine --help

Managing the service

The Taurine daemon must be running in the background for text expansion and hotkeys to work.

• Start the daemon: taurine up
• Check the status: taurine status
• Stop the daemon: taurine down
• Restart the daemon: taurine restart

Text expansion

Create shortcuts for text you use often.

taurine add em "jane.doe@gmail.com"

Then type this anywhere:

>em 

Taurine replaces it with your full email address instantly.

Usages

You can use text expansion for:

• Email signatures
• Common replies
• Addresses
• Links
• Code snippets
• Support messages
• Templates
• Notes
• Repeated phrases

Keyboard shortcuts and hotkeys

Taurine can also trigger automations with hotkeys.

That means you can press a keyboard shortcut to open an app, launch a website, run a command, or execute a script.

Here's how you can setup a hotkey to open a website you frequently visit through a Windows Powershell script:

taurine add script --hotkey 'alt+y' 'Start-Process https://youtube.com' -l powershell -m silent

Now press Alt + Y and Taurine will instantly open YouTube in your default browser.

Usages

For example, you could create hotkeys for:

• Alt + W = Opening WhatsApp
• Alt + C = Opening ChatGPT
• Alt + G = Opening GitHub
• Alt + N = Opening notes app
• Alt + P = Opening project folder
• Alt + R = Running a PowerShell script

Scripts and commands

Warning

Taurine can run scripts and type into other apps. This is a powerful feature, so only run automations you trust. Always read and verify any automation script before adding it to your system.

Taurine can run scripts when you trigger an automation.

This is useful when a normal text snippet is not enough.

Add an inline script:

taurine add script ip "Invoke-RestMethod https://api.ipify.org" -l powershell

Add a script file:

taurine add script build --file ./scripts/build.sh -l bash

Usages

You can create automations that:

• Open a website
• Run a shell command
• Insert command output into the current app
• Automate developer workflows

Dynamic variables

Taurine allows you to create flexible snippets using [variable_name] placeholders. You can pass values to these placeholders at expansion time by appending them to the shortcut with a colon.

For example, if you add this shortcut:

taurine add hi "Hello, [name]!"

Typing >hi:erein will expand to:

Hello, erein!

Default values

You can provide a fallback by using the [variable=default] syntax. If no value is passed, Taurine uses the default.

taurine add hi "Hello, [name=friend]!"

• With value: >hi:erein → Hello, erein!
• Without value: >hi → Hello, friend!

Arguments with spaces

If your argument contains spaces, wrap it in single (') or double (") quotes:

• Double quotes: >hi:"John Doe" → Hello, John Doe!
• Single quotes: >hi:'Jane Doe' → Hello, Jane Doe!

Usages

Dynamic variables are perfect for:

• Personalized Emails: Hi [name], checking in on [topic=our last meeting]...
• Support Work: Ref: Ticket #[id]. Status: [status=Resolved].
• Development: console.log("[label=DEBUG]:", [value]);
• Quick Links: https://github.com/search?q=[query]
• Templated Notes: Meeting with [person] regarding [project=Taurine].

Infinite Possibilities!

Transformers

Transformers allow you to manipulate text casing, encoding, and more using a simple dot notation. You can chain multiple transformers together (e.g., [variable.trim.upper]) for complex formatting.

Example 1: Formatting with Defaults

Combine transformers with default values to ensure your snippets always look perfect:

taurine add hi "Hello, [name.title=friend]!"

• With value: >hi:erein → Hello, Erein!
• Without value: >hi → Hello, Friend!

Example 2: Clean Search Links

Automatically encode text for use in URLs:

taurine add search "https://google.com/search?q=[query.urlencode]"

For a full list of available transformers and advanced chaining, check the Transformers Documentation.

System Variables

Taurine includes a wide range of built-in system variables that inject data directly from your machine or generate values on the fly. These use a [namespace.variable] syntax to avoid clashing with your custom variables.

Some of the most useful system variables include:

• Date/Time: [date.iso], [time.now], [date.tomorrow]
• Clipboard: [clipboard] (inserts your current clipboard text)
• System: [sys.os], [sys.hostname], [sys.cpu]
• Random: [random.password], [uuid.v4], [lorem.sentence]
• Environment: [env.USER] (access any environment variable)

For the full list of available namespaces and variables, refer to the System Variables Documentation.

Timestamping:

taurine add timestamp "Created on: [date.long] at [time.now]"

Generating test data:

taurine add user "Name: [mock.name]\nEmail: [mock.email]\nJob: [mock.job_title]"

Inline math

Taurine features a built-in mathematical engine that lets you use any text field as a quick calculator. Simply type a mathematical expression and press Space.

Example:

• >5+3 expands to 8
• >(10+5)*2 expands to 30
• >2pi expands to 6.2832

Supported Features

• Operators: +, -, *, /, % (modulo), ^ (power)
• Constants: pi, e (case-insensitive)
• Functions: sqrt(x), abs(x), floor(x), ceil(x), round(x)
• Implicit Multiplication: >2(3+4) → 14, >3pi → 9.4248
• Scientific Notation: >1.5e3 → 1500, >1e-2 → 0.01

Results are automatically formatted up to 4 decimal places.

Inline AI

Taurine brings AI directly into the app you are already using. Instead of switching to a browser, you can stream AI responses directly into your active text field.

Setup

1. Set your provider:

   taurine config set ai_provider gemini

   (You can also configure this through the Taurine TUI).

2. Set your API key: Input your API key when prompted. It will be stored safely on your system.

3. Choose your model: View available models for your provider:

   taurine ai models --provider gemini

   Set the model you want to use:

   taurine config set ai_model <model-name>

How to use

Trigger AI expansion just like any other shortcut:

1. Type >ai followed by a Space.
2. A backtick (`) appears. Type your prompt for the AI.
3. Close the prompt with another backtick (`).
4. Hit Space.

Taurine will generate the response and insert it right where you are typing.

Import and export

Taurine allows you to backup your automations, move them to another machine, or share them with others. Exports use the .tau file format.

Export

You can export your automations using the CLI:

taurine export <path> <flags>

By default, if no path parameter is passed, it exports to the current working directory.

Options:

• --no-encrypt: Export without encryption (default is encrypted).
• --with-settings: Include your app settings in the export.
• --with-metrics: Include your usage stats.

Import

To import automations:

taurine import <path> <flags>

Options:

• --on-conflict <action>: How to resolve trigger collisions (prompt, skip, overwrite).
• --include-settings: Overwrite local settings with imported values.
• --include-metrics [mode]: Include imported metrics (ignore, merge, overwrite).

You can also use the Terminal UI to manage imports and exports visually by pressing i or x in the library view.

Basic commands

Add a text shortcut:

taurine add em "jane.doe@gmail.com"

List your automations (alias ls):

taurine list

Remove an automation (alias rm):

taurine remove sig

Open help:

taurine --help

Documentation

Full documentation is coming soon. Use taurine --help for local command reference.

FAQ

Does Taurine work offline?

Yes, Taurine is local-first. Text expansion, scripts, and hotkeys work entirely offline. Only Inline AI requires an internet connection to reach the AI provider.

Do I need to know programming?

No. You do not need to be a programmer to use the basic text expansion features. If you can remember a shortcut like >sig, you can use Taurine.

Is Taurine only for developers?

No. While it has powerful features for developers, it is for anyone who repeats the same typing or computer actions every day, including writers, students, and support teams.

Does Taurine support Windows, macOS, and Linux?

Yes, Taurine is designed to be cross-platform and will have prebuilt binaries for all three major operating systems.

Can Taurine run scripts?

Yes. You can add scripts using the taurine add script command and trigger them with text triggers or hotkeys.

Is inline AI required?

No, Inline AI is an optional feature. You can use Taurine solely for text expansion and hotkeys without ever configuring an AI provider.

Where are my automations stored?

Your automations are stored locally on your machine in a secure database. Taurine is local-first and respects your privacy.

AI Usage

AI coding assistants were utilized during the development of Taurine for faster iteration. However, to ensure quality and security, the codebase is regularly audited through a comprehensive test suite of 700+ tests and manual review.

Credits

Taurine is built on the shoulders of some outstanding open source projects. See CREDITS.md for a full list of dependencies and tooling used in this project.

License

Taurine is source-available under the Aimer Software License (ASL). It is free for non-commercial personal use. Commercial rights are reserved.

See the LICENSE file for full terms.

Support Taurine

If Taurine helps you, you can support the project by starring the repo, reporting bugs, sharing feedback, or by directly shaping its future through contributions. Check out CONTRIBUTING.md to get started!