Jeff Cleveland

Alan and Cory, I am running the latest MEPro on Windows 7 Home Premium Service Pack 1. I have noticed considerable latency at times with this operating system compared to Windows XP. There are times when MEPro goes absolutely dead (will not respond to HotKeys). If I change my current window to ME Explorer the problem disappears. Also, like you I encounter times that HotKey activation is extremely slow. I attribute these to problems with Windows 7 but I may be wrong.

Terry, Do you see any speed penalty for Packing every time? It would also be nice if the Pack window would indicate when the Pack is complete. I have asked for this as well. Thanks for your reply. Jeff

I asked for an automated Pack function a long time ago. ISS replied that it would look at it when time is available. Probably very low priority. Jeff

For me it is a big problem not being able to turn off variable substitution. I want to process my macro file to extract variable references and other information with MEP but cannot because I get variable substitution when I do not want it. Jeff

Cory, See my reply on the scope problem. It bit me and and I reported it. Good to see are still around also. I miss your old icon though. Regards, Jeff ** Some portions of this message inserted by ME Pro **

I entered a formal bug report [iSS8273] Macro Express Pro - Problem with Scope a couple of days ago. I have two macros that use Ctrl+1. The scope is shown in the attachment. About the time I installed 4.1.5.1 Ctrl+1 embedded in Eudora email program and Adobe Pagemaker quit working correctly. I have used Ctrl+1 often in these two utilities. By disabling one of the two macros the problem disappears. With the discussion above, looking at the scope for my macro, I do not see that hidden windows would come into play as my macro will only work if the window is on top (can hidden windows be on top?). Jeff

Peter, I have not seen you post in quite a while. I am sorry that we lost you to the Mac. Every time I use a Mac I get very frustrated that the Mac does not have easy keyboard controls. Jeff Cleveland Adjunct Professor of Mathematics and Engineering

Cory, Thanks for the macro. I will give it a try and use it for other purposes after this semester ends. Best Regards, Jeff

Cory, I am hesitant to use the registry. I need variables that are persistent across several macros. Do you have an alternative to suggest? Thanks, Jeff

I ran into a similar problem which I found my problem: I ran the test in the post indicated in the reply. I added a BEEP at the beginning of the macro. I get the BEEP immediately but the dialog box lags by a few seconds. I found where the problem lies. My original code was: Variable Restore: Restore Text Variables Variable Set String: Prompt for value When I move Variable Set String above the Variable Restore, the problem disappears. Evidently the Variable Restore has some long delay. Unfortunately I need the Variable Restore before the Variable Set String for the macro to perform correctly. Jeff Cleveland

I ran the test in the post indicated in the reply. I added a BEEP at the beginning of the macro. I get the BEEP immediately but the dialog box lags by a few seconds. I found where the problem lies. My original code was: Variable Restore: Restore Text Variables Variable Set String: Prompt for value When I move Variable Set String above the Variable Restore, the problem disappears. Evidently the Variable Restore has some long delay. Unfortunately, I need the Variable Restore before the Prompt. Jeff Cleveland

I have a macro that immediately brings up a dialog box that I enter control information into. The last version of MEP that I have been using in 4.0.1.1. When executing the macro in 4.0.1.1 the dialog box comes up immediately. In 4.1.0.1 the dialog box comes up very slowly. I cannot use 4.1.0.1 because it takes so long. Fast execution of this macro is essential to my operations. I have returned to using 4.0.1.1 Jeff Cleveland

I have noticed recently that some posts have very long lines. Is there a way to get the forum software to wrap these lines at the window edge so I do not have to scroll horizontally to read them? Thanks, Jeff

Friends, FYI, I use MEP at school. I have found that if I do not select "Backup every time ME is closed" the problem with MEP taking a long time to close on log-off disappears. I have disabled that function on all the computers I use at school. I now use a macro to backup my file. Jeff

Scasper, First, thanks for pointing out "Wait for Text Playback". I had not noticed that command. It may have been added in a later beta release. Yes, I feel it would be a nice addition to Text Type and other similar commands, particularly if I could set that as the default. Jeff

Cory, Way back when I was a practitioner in the computer engineering field, we learned about concurrent processes and the need for control of multiple processes that needed access to a service where only one process at a time could be allowed access to the service at a time. This was done with code that controlled access to what is called critical sections. Access to the service was controlled by a "named" lock, a different "name" for each service. Perhaps what we really need is a "named" lock capability. This is usually provided by computer language being used or the operating system. I think this might be a solution to the problems outlined. Jeff

Friends and Colleagues: I put in a Feature Request for MEP to backup the macro file on a Log off or Restart if that has been selected. Jeff Cleveland

Friends and Colleagues: I entered a Bug Report. Jeff Cleveland

Terry and Cory and others, It happens to me frequently at school where I have to log on to the system. I thought it was because MEP was backing up my macro file (which I found it was not). It can take a long time for MEP to terminate on a log off. I wonder what is going on. Did anyone submit a Bug Report? If not, I will initiate one. Jeff Cleveland

Terry, I do not know about ME3. I was a beta tester for Pro and have not used ME3 in a couple of years - I use Pro exclusively. Pro does backup on a Terminate but not Logoff or Restart. I really need automatic backup at Logoff or Restart. Jeff

I have not seen this on the formal release. I have a macro that runs at Startup. After Startup completed, the running man icon remained in the system tray. I terminated ME to check on another problem but the running man icon remained. Later, the running man icon disappeared when I moved the cursor over it. Minor problem. Jeff Cleveland

On examination of the file where my automatic macro file backups are kept, there is no indication of backing up the macro file on Logoff or Restart. Perhaps my assumption is incorrect that Logoff and Restart should cause file back up when I have selected Options > Preferences > General > Backup > "Backup every time the program is closed". I will enter a bug report if file backup is supposed to occur in this instance. Jeff Cleveland

Alan, See Variable Set String > Prompt for Value. That may do what you want. Jeff

Terry, No, the problem is not limited to pop-up menus. I do not use pop-up menus yet - mine are just typical execution style ShortKey macros where the conflict problem occurs. I use ; (semicolon) as a prefix ShortKey activation character as it is lower case on keyboards and is easier to enter. I use . (period) as a termination character so that all my ShortKey activations are unique (even though Pro does not think so). All my "conflict" macros do execute correctly. Jeff Cleveland

Terry, Yes, I have encountered the problem several times. I am quite sure I entered a bug report on the problem a long time ago. I use . (period) as a termination character for ShortKey activations. If I have a ShortKey macro whose activation is a. and create another whose activation is aa. then creation of the aa. macro will result in the conflict error message you described. Investigation of the macro file reveals that there is no conflict. Evidently, the algorithm used is incorrect. I just ran a test case and I still get the conflict error message so it has not been corrected. Jeff Cleveland