Gerry Peters

I see, I tried your method hitting Enter instead of Double Clicking or right click: Modify Command and they all do the same thing. I can see why you don't use the Direct Editor much. I agree the Scripting Editor is much easier in instances like these, whereas in ME 3.0 the Direct Editor did almost the same thing as the Modify Command. It had some minor code in it at the beginning and the end of the text. So this has been a good tutorial for me - thanks.

Wondering if this is a bug, I simply copied the text from the Direct Editor and created a new ME 5 macro and pasted the text in it's Direct Editor. Upon looking at the Scripting Editor I saw the same behavior, but on closer look I see that the Scripting Editor simply does not show the complete list. It stops after a certain number of lines. There are 70 lines in my text macro. I have a feeling this is not a bug but the way it was intended. Maybe I'm wrong. So to me the bottom line is when I want to make adjustments to this macro, I'll go to the Scripting Editor and double click on the text this brings up the Modify Command. I can easily add the text in that window. Is this an acceptable way of working in ME 5? I'm still getting used to the changes from 3.0

I'm using ME 5. I created a text macro in 3.0 and it's hard to modify it in 5.0. The text macro types several paragraphs by hitting a hot-key. In 3.0 I could use the direct editor and the text was displayed pretty much exactly like the paragraphs and it was easy to add a new paragraph. In 5.0 the Direct Editor displays 2 long lines with my text embedded with lots of code, I can't simply just paste my new paragraph without lots of modification. If I go to the Scripting Editor, I see my text not as 1 block like 3.0, but 2 blocks. One marked 1 and below it 2. If I select 2 and right click and choose: Modify Command. I then see an easy box to add my paragraph. I added it and hit Save Macro. The macro does work and my new paragraph shows up in the Direct Editor, but it's not displayed in the Scripting Editor, unless I choose: Modify Command, then I see it in that box. So my first question is should I have added my new paragraph using a different technique? And secondly did I corrupt this macro by doing it this way since the Scripting Editor is not displaying my new paragraph?

Thanks so much for your help on my macro. I was able to get the new Facebook macro to work just fine. As of now it's pretty slow I needed to put delays in there to make it work. Later I can trim it up some, but it's really designed for me to let it run and walk away from the computer for a while. The way I handled it was to use the 1 1 macro folder I created with all the 1kb TXT files and simply rename the files to the music group names. What's nice is I can simply put whatever files I want to put in there and post to what groups I want to. Next song I do I can change it up how I want. All I need to do is to put the correct number of repeats in there and also paste my custom comments for each song I want to do. I simply copied and pasted some of the commands from the macros we were working with into my new macro I used Window activate: to move the focus to "1 1 macro" folder and the Chrome App. At the very end of the macro I use TABs to get to the bottom of the window and choose Post. While getting the kinks out of the macro I simply disabled the last TAB command so it would instead click on Cancel instead of Post. I'm sure there were other ways I could have accomplished inserting the Music Groups names in. I originally thought there would be a TXT file for this, yet using the file names like we used in our practice sessions worked just fine and is actually flexible. So again thanks for all the help and patience.

When I start working on a macro, many times I wish there was a "Save As" feature. Maybe there is and I haven't found it. I'd like to save the macro as 1,2,3 etc in various stages of development in case I need to go back. Right now what I'm doing is going to the main ME window and choosing to copy a macro. Then I have 2 versions the old one and the new one I'm editing. A little awkward, but a workaround

It seems the next step is for me to create a Notepad TXT file that has a list of music groups or any text strings and to paste them 1 at a time into Notepad Untitled. Or do you have something else in mind?

<<So after pasting a macro you should step through and open each command that includes reference to a variable, to check and get that automatic definition.<< does this only apply to ME Pro? I'm usnig the regular 5.0 What about the t before FileName? - %tFilename%

I got the simple macro edited and it works! I'll post it below. I have a question about this statement at the beginning of the macro. It assumes you have defined the variable tFilename I didn't do anything to define it, but how do I do that if needed? // This macro will simply ask you to select any file in any folder and then display its name. // It assumes you have defined the variable tFilename Repeat Start (Repeat 5 times) Text Box Display: Initial Instructions Text Type (Simulate Keystrokes): <F2> // Switch to Edit mode Delay: 0.2 seconds Clipboard Copy Delay: 0.2 seconds Text Type (Simulate Keystrokes): <ESC> Delay: 0.1 seconds Variable Set String %tFilename% from the clipboard contents Delay: 0.1 seconds Text Box Display: This should show the filename // Disabled after testing Text Type (Simulate Keystrokes): <ESC> Delay: 0.1 seconds Window Activate: Untitled - Notepad Delay: 0.2 seconds Text Type (Simulate Keystrokes): %tFilename% Delay: 0.1 seconds Text Type (Simulate Keystrokes): <ENTER> Delay: 0.1 seconds Window Activate: 1 1 macro express Delay: 0.2 seconds Text Type (Simulate Keystrokes): <ARROW DOWN> End Repeat <COMMENT Value="This macro will simply ask you to select any file in any folder and then display its name."/> <COMMENT Value="It assumes you have defined the variable tFilename"/> <REPEAT START Start="1" Step="1" Count="5" Save="FALSE"/> <TEXT BOX DISPLAY Title="Initial Instructions" Content="{\\rtf1\\ansi\\ansicpg1252\\deff0\\deflang2057{\\fonttbl{\\f0\\fnil\\fcharset0 Tahoma;}{\\f1\\fnil Tahoma;}}\r\n\\viewkind4\\uc1\\pard\\qc\\b\\f0\\fs20 Open any folder and select any file.\r\n\\par \r\n\\par \\ul Then\\ulnone close this message.\\f1 \r\n\\par }\r\n" Left="Center" Top="485" Width="278" Height="163" Monitor="0" OnTop="TRUE" Keep_Focus="TRUE" Mode="\x00" Delay="0"/> <TEXT TYPE Action="0" Text="<F2>" _COMMENT="Switch to Edit mode"/> <DELAY Flags="\x01" Time="0.2"/> <CLIPBOARD COPY/> <DELAY Flags="\x01" Time="0.2"/> <TEXT TYPE Action="0" Text="<ESC>"/> <DELAY Flags="\x01" Time="0.1"/> <VARIABLE SET STRING Option="\x02" Destination="%tFilename%" NoEmbeddedVars="FALSE"/> <DELAY Flags="\x01" Time="0.1"/> <TEXT BOX DISPLAY Title="This should show the filename" Content="{\\rtf1\\ansi\\ansicpg1252\\deff0\\deflang2057{\\fonttbl{\\f0\\fnil Tahoma;}{\\f1\\fnil\\fcharset0 Tahoma;}}\r\n\\viewkind4\\uc1\\pard\\f0\\fs20 tFilename\\f1 = \\f0 %tFilename%\r\n\\par }\r\n" Left="Center" Top="Center" Width="278" Height="200" Monitor="0" OnTop="TRUE" Keep_Focus="TRUE" Mode="\x00" Delay="0" _COMMENT="Disabled after testing"/> <TEXT TYPE Action="0" Text="<ESC>"/> <DELAY Flags="\x01" Time="0.1"/> <WINDOW ACTIVATE Title="Untitled - Notepad" Exact_Match="FALSE" Wildcards="FALSE" _IGNORE="0x0006"/> <DELAY Flags="\x01" Time="0.2"/> <TEXT TYPE Action="0" Text="%tFilename%"/> <DELAY Flags="\x01" Time="0.1"/> <TEXT TYPE Action="0" Text="<ENTER>"/> <DELAY Flags="\x01" Time="0.1"/> <WINDOW ACTIVATE Title="1 1 macro express" Exact_Match="TRUE" Wildcards="FALSE" _IGNORE="0x0006"/> <DELAY Flags="\x01" Time="0.2"/> <TEXT TYPE Action="0" Text="<ARROW DOWN>"/> <END REPEAT/>

I'm glad I'm finally making progress. Just so I can have a better understanding of this, what is this? %tFilename% I assume that the % % are something that encloses a variable, any variable. And that Filename is a command to go to the File name that's in a folder. Is this all correct? Or is there more? And what about the t? what does that signify? Do I need to define what the t is in other macros? Thanks all your great help,

I'm glad I did the Code Tool right this time, so to reiterate. The correct way to do it is I can type my message in the Posting Window. Then if I need to share my macro, I'd first go to the Scripting Editor, select the commands and choose Copy Command Text. Then go back to my post and click on the Code Tool, paste the command text in that and hit insert into post. Then I can go to the Direct Editor and copy and paste that text into the Code Tool and insert it into the post. Is that correct? So I assume the Code Tool is only making subtle changes to the text, mostly leaving long lines for the commands. Is that right?

I went back to your original macro "to get a successful list in Notepad" and ran it again and this time it worked fine. The list in notepad was correct, not like what I posted yesterday. The only change I made to that macro yesterday was to put the name of my folder instead of the UK folder you had in 2 spots in the macro.

<COMMENT Value="This macro will simply ask you to select any file in any folder and then display its name."/> <COMMENT Value="It assumes you have defined the variable tFilename"/> <REPEAT START Start="1" Step="1" Count="5" Save="FALSE"/> <TEXT BOX DISPLAY Title="Initial Instructions" Content="{\\rtf1\\ansi\\ansicpg1252\\deff0\\deflang2057{\\fonttbl{\\f0\\fnil\\fcharset0 Tahoma;}{\\f1\\fnil Tahoma;}}\r\n\\viewkind4\\uc1\\pard\\qc\\b\\f0\\fs20 Open any folder and select any file.\r\n\\par \r\n\\par \\ul Then\\ulnone close this message.\\f1 \r\n\\par }\r\n" Left="Center" Top="485" Width="278" Height="163" Monitor="0" OnTop="TRUE" Keep_Focus="TRUE" Mode="\x00" Delay="0"/> <TEXT TYPE Action="0" Text="<F2>" _COMMENT="Switch to Edit mode"/> <DELAY Flags="\x01" Time="0.2"/> <CLIPBOARD COPY/> <DELAY Flags="\x01" Time="0.2"/> <TEXT TYPE Action="0" Text="<ESC>"/> <DELAY Flags="\x01" Time="0.1"/> <VARIABLE SET STRING Option="\x02" Destination="%tFilename%" NoEmbeddedVars="FALSE"/> <DELAY Flags="\x01" Time="0.1"/> <TEXT BOX DISPLAY Title="This should show the filename" Content="{\\rtf1\\ansi\\ansicpg1252\\deff0\\deflang2057{\\fonttbl{\\f0\\fnil Tahoma;}{\\f1\\fnil\\fcharset0 Tahoma;}}\r\n\\viewkind4\\uc1\\pard\\f0\\fs20 tFilename\\f1 = \\f0 %tFilename%\r\n\\par }\r\n" Left="Center" Top="Center" Width="278" Height="200" Monitor="0" OnTop="TRUE" Keep_Focus="TRUE" Mode="\x00" Delay="0" _COMMENT="Disabled after testing"/> <END REPEAT/>

I got your simple macro to repeat 5x. I'm not sure if I put the start repeat where you wanted it. I put if at the very beginning, so each time a window popped up asking me to select a file in a folder and it displayed it. This happened 5x. I did this using the scripting editor under "Repeat" - "repeat start" "end repeat" I'll go to the Direct Editor, select the text and paste it into the Code Tool in the next post

<COMMENT Value="This macro will simply ask you to select any file in any folder and then display its name."/> <COMMENT Value="It assumes you have defined the variable tFilename"/> <TEXT BOX DISPLAY Title="Initial Instructions" Content="{\\rtf1\\ansi\\ansicpg1252\\deff0\\deflang2057{\\fonttbl{\\f0\\fnil\\fcharset0 Tahoma;}{\\f1\\fnil Tahoma;}}\r\n\\viewkind4\\uc1\\pard\\qc\\b\\f0\\fs20 Open any folder and select any file.\r\n\\par \r\n\\par \\ul Then\\ulnone close this message.\\f1 \r\n\\par }\r\n" Left="Center" Top="485" Width="278" Height="163" Monitor="0" OnTop="TRUE" Keep_Focus="TRUE" Mode="\x00" Delay="0"/> <TEXT TYPE Action="0" Text="<F2>" _COMMENT="Switch to Edit mode"/> <DELAY Flags="\x01" Time="0.2"/> <CLIPBOARD COPY/> <DELAY Flags="\x01" Time="0.2"/> <TEXT TYPE Action="0" Text="<ESC>"/> <DELAY Flags="\x01" Time="0.1"/> <VARIABLE SET STRING Option="\x02" Destination="%tFilename%" NoEmbeddedVars="FALSE"/> <DELAY Flags="\x01" Time="0.1"/> <TEXT BOX DISPLAY Title="This should show the filename" Content="{\\rtf1\\ansi\\ansicpg1252\\deff0\\deflang2057{\\fonttbl{\\f0\\fnil Tahoma;}{\\f1\\fnil\\fcharset0 Tahoma;}}\r\n\\viewkind4\\uc1\\pard\\f0\\fs20 tFilename\\f1 = \\f0 %tFilename%\r\n\\par }\r\n" Left="Center" Top="Center" Width="278" Height="200" Monitor="0" OnTop="TRUE" Keep_Focus="TRUE" Mode="\x00" Delay="0" _COMMENT="Disabled after testing"/>

// This macro will simply ask you to select any file in any folder and then display its name. // It assumes you have defined the variable tFilename Text Box Display: Initial Instructions Text Type (Simulate Keystrokes): <F2> // Switch to Edit mode Delay: 0.2 seconds Clipboard Copy Delay: 0.2 seconds Text Type (Simulate Keystrokes): <ESC> Delay: 0.1 seconds Variable Set String %tFilename% from the clipboard contents Delay: 0.1 seconds Text Box Display: This should show the filename // Disabled after testing