One early decision to make, when you start using Instant Text, is how you want to trigger expansions.
In the Instant Text terminology:
Expander Keys are only supported for expanding Phrase Entries.
For example, if we have typed iac for in any case then typing iac followed by a semicolon will yield:
A Word Marker is a Marker Key that can be used to expand Word Entries.
The Expansion Options let you specify which keys you want to use as Word Markers.
Note that a Word Marker can also be used to expand a Phrase Entry whenever the Word Expansion Table is empty.
A Phrase Marker is a Marker Key that can be used to expand Phrase Entries.
The Expansion Options let you specify which keys you want to use as Phrase Markers.
Note that a Phrase Marker can also be used to expand a Word Entry whenever the Phrase Expansion Table is empty.
A Phrase Expander is an Expander Key that can be used to expand Phrase Entries.
The Expansion Options let you specify which keys you want to use as Phrase Expanders.
Note that a Phrase Expander can only be used to expand Phrase Entries.
Marker Keys provide a more powerful method of working with Instant Text. They give you a better control on when to expand, making accidental expansions less likely.
With Expander Keys, unless you type the exact phrase short form, you will always need an extra step to highlight the entry you want to expand. With Marker Keys you can often spare this extra‑step.
Continuations are also easier to expand with Marker Keys.
So unless you are already very committed to habits developed while using another expansion program, we highly recommend to expand using Marker Keys.