I’m a heavy user of SmileOnMyMac’s TextExpander, which springs out snippets of text by typing abbreviations. There are alternatives to TextExpander (we’ve tried them all), but none of them come close to the polish and functionality of TextExpander. I even store bits of code within TextExpander, and have been satisfied. But as with great software, one sometimes needs to shown the solution, before one realises there is a problem. Snippet, from Fuel Collective, is one such application.

While most ‘snippet’ repositories are geared towards general purpose usage, Snippet is geared for the programmer. If you’re into HTML, CSS, Javascript, or the more advanced programming languages, you might want to read on.

Snippet resides in your menubar, waiting to accept or provide any little bits of code. To create a snippet, select a bunch of text in any application, and hit Shift+Cmd+6 and the New Snippet window loads. Set the snippet type, whether it is a Javascript code or a C++ string, add some tags, and close the window. Snippet colour codes your text so it’s much easier to read, and even adds line numbers so you’re not lost. You can even add plain text ‘Notes’, which can be used to store techniques or instructions, and can be quickly reproduced.

There’s no library you have to manage, nor do you get to see where your snippets are stored. It’s all based on search. When you need to enter in a snippet while working on something, hit Ctrl+S and start typing part of the code or the tags. Snippet will load any matches in a list, with a generous preview of what’s going on. To select one of the listings, you just hit Cmd followed by the number. This will copy the text to your clipboard, and bump you back to the application you’ve been working on. When you open a “Note”, it springs out in a floating palette instead of copying it to the clipboard.

Snippet is also a beautiful app, fluidly animated, and minimal in design. There’s no clutter whatsoever, the animations are just enough to grab your attention, and the colour palette makes your code super easy to read. Snippet also syncs with MobileMe; you just have to enter your username and password for it to sync up and down.

At $13 for a license, Snippet is a no brainer buy for the code collector. With a 15 day trial to boot, I’d highly recommend you try it out.