PGM { String - Reverse } setup help

[kunkel321]

I'm not positive if this is a PGM setup issue, or if I'm just doing MacExPro wrong in general...

I'm trying to learn to utilize the PGM functions. For now, I'm just experimenting with the String - Reverse tool.

I've imported the recommended components into my Macex.mex file (Though PgmFl_pro.mex is also open). See img.

 

 

I can run the "String Example - Reverse" script and it works (though it doesn't seem to be using the other imported macros, based on the "Last run time = Never"), but if I try to write my own script and call the { String - Reverse } function, it doesn't work.

 

Here is my script:

<VARIABLE SET STRING Option="\x01" Destination="%T10%" Mask="FALSE" OnTop="FALSE" Left="Center" Top="Center" Monitor="0"/>
<MACRO RUN Use_ID="FALSE" Name="{ String - Reverse }" ID="-1" Wait="TRUE"/>
<TEXT BOX DISPLAY Title="Result of String Reverse" Content="{\\rtf1\\ansi\\ansicpg1252\\deff0{\\fonttbl{\\f0\\fnil Tahoma;}{\\f1\\fnil\\fcharset0 Tahoma;}}\r\n\\viewkind4\\uc1\\pard\\lang1033\\f0\\fs16 ReverseString: %T\\f1 10\\f0 %\r\n\\par \r\n\\par Result\\f1  T[1]\\f0 : %T[1]%\r\n\\par \r\n\\par Result\\f1  T1\\f0 : %T1%\r\n\\par \r\n\\par \r\n\\par }\r\n" Left="Center" Top="Center" Width="800" Height="400" Monitor="0" OnTop="FALSE" Keep_Focus="TRUE" Mode="\x00" Delay="0"/>

I do notice that the "Function Calling Method" prompt never shows for my homemade script.

 

The header comments in the PGM script indicates

Local Variables -
T10 = Reverse string
T1, T2, N1

Does that mean I should be setting all of these var values before calling the PGM function?

Or should my script actually be working (which might suggest that my PGM installation might not be right.)?

Thanks All.

 

[kevin]

Or should my script actually be working (which might suggest that my PGM installation might not be right.)?

Did you do this (suggested in answer to your previous post)?

2. Add commands to create intermediate registry keys. Change lines like this:

 

Write Registry Value "%T[2]%" into HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Professional Grade Macros\Folders\Me3Home

to

Write Registry Value "%T[2]%" into HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Professional Grade Macros\Folders

Write Registry Value "%T[2]%" into HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Professional Grade Macros\Folders\Me3Home

From your follow up post it sounded like you simply changed the commands that read from the registry to ignore errors. You didn't mention if you had fixed the creation of the registry keys and values. It would not surprise me to find out that these registry keys and values are required in order for the PGM Functions to run correctly.

[kunkel321]

Thanks for the reply, Kevin. You are correct, when installing, I merely "passed over" the errors. I didn't write the needed registry keys/values. Everything seemed to install correctly, so I assumed everything was good. I suspect there will be quite a few registry items needed for the various functions, so I'll probably just wait and see if any new versions of MacExpPro are more lenient toward the PGM thing. No Worries. Thanks again. :-}

[kevin]

This answer has been posted in two threads to make it easier to find.

 

Update: Our previous conclusions about the cause of this problem were incorrect. It turns out that this is a permissions issue. Some of the registry values can only be created if Macro Express Pro is running as administrator.

Do this to install the PGM Functions Library:

1. Make sure Macro Express Pro is not running (click File, Terminate Macro Express Editor and Player)

2. Find the startup shortcut for Macro Express Pro and right-click on it.

3. Click on Run as Administrator.

4. Answer Yes to the UAC prompt.

5. Run the "PGMFunctionsLibrary setup.exe" installer for the PGM Functions Library.

6. Follow the on screen prompts.

After the PGM Functions Library has been installed it will run the { PGM Setup } macro to initialize registry entries and set things up to run the library.

Macro Express Pro does not need to be running as administrator to use the PGM Functions Library. After installing you may wish to terminate Macro Express Pro and restart it without running as administrator.

[kunkel321]

Hi Kevin,

Thanks for following up on this.

I haven't had a chance to tinker with it to the extent I did before, but I'm not sure it's working any better...

I fully exited, then ran as administrator. I took a couple screenshots while installing:

As before, the Example Scripts in the PGMFL_Pro.mex file do run, but I can't call any of them from my own maceex.mex macros.

 

I'll experiment more and see if there are any differences then there were in May.

 

Also, I'm not sure if this matters, but I am already an administrator for my computer (though it is a work computer).

[paul]

Ah, but are you THE administrator? (I don't know whether this is germane to the issue you raised, but I thought it worth commenting on).

 

In Windows 7 (and, I believe, 8 and 10) there is a hidden account which is THE administrator account. In order to use it you need to make it visible. You can also rename this account, but the process is not straight-forward. In any case, this account is not the same as making yourself an administrator.

 

Also, I'm not sure if this matters, but I am already an administrator for my computer (though it is a work computer).

[kunkel321]

I don't know if I'm "The" administrator or not....

I do know that if I browse to the Users folder, I see this:

 

There are certain settings that I can't change (like the 'ignore' list for our antivirus) because they are controlled centrally by the company (school district) I work for.

[kunkel321]

*forgot to point out... in the above picture, I'm "swkunkel."

[kunkel321]

This screen shot indicates that I am indeed some sort of administrator..

 

Also, I'm able to manipulate this dialog, though oddly, swkunkel doesn't show up in the list....

[kunkel321]

This thread and the "Install error" thread seem to be the same topic; so please see reply there

http://pgmacros.invisionzone.com/topic/7795-pgmacros-install-error/

that is also relevant to this thread.

[terrypin]

On 20/10/2015 at 7:12 PM, kevin said:

This answer has been posted in two threads to make it easier to find.

 

Update: Our previous conclusions about the cause of this problem were incorrect. It turns out that this is a permissions issue. Some of the registry values can only be created if Macro Express Pro is running as administrator.

Do this to install the PGM Functions Library:

1. Make sure Macro Express Pro is not running (click File, Terminate Macro Express Editor and Player)

2. Find the startup shortcut for Macro Express Pro and right-click on it.

3. Click on Run as Administrator.

4. Answer Yes to the UAC prompt.

5. Run the "PGMFunctionsLibrary setup.exe" installer for the PGM Functions Library.

6. Follow the on screen prompts.

After the PGM Functions Library has been installed it will run the { PGM Setup } macro to initialize registry entries and set things up to run the library.

Macro Express Pro does not need to be running as administrator to use the PGM Functions Library. After installing you may wish to terminate Macro Express Pro and restart it without running as administrator.

Kevin,

Found this old thread while searching for help on the following problem.

About 12 years ago I bought Joe Weinpert's 'Macro Express Explained'. I think that its accompanying CD was the source of the PGM macros I used occasionally for a while, with help from Paul, on successive PCs. But for a long time now these have all been inaccessible, requiring a password. So I want to delete these 30 or so old inaccessible macros. But I cannot even delete them without a password. Classic Catch 22!

 

 

BTW, using your instructions above I have successfully installed the full PGM library (and will export it awaiting very rare use).

Terry, East Grinstead, UK

[paul]

1 hour ago, terrypin said:

About 12 years ago I bought Joe Weinpert's 'Macro Express Explained'. I think that its accompanying CD was the source of the PGM macros I used occasionally for a while, with help from Paul, on successive PCs. But for a long time now these have all been inaccessible, requiring a password. So I want to delete these 30 or so old inaccessible macros. But I cannot even delete them without a password. Classic Catch 22!

 

 

BTW, using your instructions above I have successfully installed the full PGM library (and will export it awaiting very rare use).

Terry, East Grinstead, UK

Actually, from memory, it's not one password, I seem to remember I wrote some macros to programatically generate a password for each macro. I'll try and look at the code for you so that I can send you the generated passwords. One word of warning: several months ago I needed to rebuild my Raid array of several Tb, so I backed up the Raid array, then set about destroying it, and recreating it with new disks, etc. When I came to populate my new Raid array with the backed up data, I experienced remarkable, sequential and catastrophic hardware failures of 3 of my backup disks, and I therefore lost a heap of data. I suspect the PGM macros were a casualty. So if I can't locate a copy, I'll contact Joe to see if he can help - all of which may take a bit of time!

[terrypin]

Thanks Paul, pleased to see you're around! Any help you can give me to (safely!) delete these would be welcomed. One macro I use quite frequently, built largely by Cory, needs 33 manual Escapes to bypass those PGM macros, before it will proceed to search my MEX file! A simple succession of TextTypes fails for some reason.

Glad to know you're in contact with Joe. Lke others, I enquired after him in the forums two or three years ago:

 

[paul]

On 02/08/2017 at 1:38 AM, terrypin said:

Thanks Paul, pleased to see you're around! Any help you can give me to (safely!) delete these would be welcomed. One macro I use quite frequently, built largely by Cory, needs 33 manual Escapes to bypass those PGM macros, before it will proceed to search my MEX file! A simple succession of TextTypes fails for some reason.

Glad to know you're in contact with Joe. Lke others, I enquired after him in the forums two or three years ago:

 

I've not had any response from either of the email addresses I have for him, so I'm not holding my breath!