jmazor

Followup..... Is there any to have a shortkey place the shortkey itself into a variable? For example, if the shortkey is "xyz", I'd like the first command in the macro to be: "Set Variable %T1% to "Current Shortkey" So that after the command, %T!% will equal "xyz". Tanks, Jeff Mazor

I'm stumped, and thought I'd plead for some advice before spending the next two days making changes manually. Can someone help? First, I have a few hundred text expansion shortkey macros that all start with a period and are entirely case insensitive. Examples: Shortkey Text .mso ====== Motion for Statutory Order .jrn ======= Jeffrey R. Nalor .tcj======== telephone conference with Judge .ta ======== termination agreement I realize now that the text strings that replace the shortkeys fall into these categories, which I expect to handle as indicated within the brackets: 1. The text will always be the same (might be all caps, all lower case, some caps, etc.). [shortkey ignores case entirely, and just types out whatever I store in the macro.] 2. First letter of (only the) first word may or may not be capitalized. [set the "Customize Macro Settings" choice to “Match Uppercase First Char Between ShortKey & Text”]. 3. All lower case OR the first letter of each word will be capitalized. [set the "Customize Macro Settings" to “Require Exact Upper/Lowercase Match on ShortKey” and create TWO shortkeys for each. Example: ..ta ========== termination agreement ..Ta========== Termination Agreement So question one is: Is this the best way to handle the upper/lowercase problem? If it is, then question two is: Is there any way to export the hundreds of existing shortkeys to a text file that I could mass edit with a text editor, and then import the modified shortkeys back into Macro Express?

This is probably an easy one - for someone who knows the answer. I want to make it easy to find a folder even if: (1) I only know which of 5 main folders it would be in and I have no idea of which of the scores of sub-folders might contain it; and, (2) I know part but not all of the folder name. First I enter the search term and assign it to %T91%. Then I use a MultiChoice Menu to select the likely main folder, and assign its name to %T94% Then I wanted to use a "Repeat with Folders" command to check each subfolder within the selected main folder. I tell it to look in "F:\WP\%T94% and its subfolder, to return full path folder names and to put them into %T93%. The program tells me: "The specified path "F:\wp\%T94% does not exist." Is the problem that the "Repeat with Folders" command won't accept variables? Thanks for any help you can give. Jeff Mazor Here's the code: Variable Set String %T91% from Prompt Variable Set String %T11% "ADMIN" Variable Set String %T12% "Cases" Variable Set String %T13% "CD" Variable Set String %T14% "ClientLeases" Variable Set String %T15% "Forms" Multiple Choice Menu: Which folder Text Box Display: Just after multiple Variable Modify String: Delete Part of %T94% Repeat with Folder <===== Where Folder=F:\WP\%t94% If Variable %T93% contains variable %T91% Text Box Display: %T93% and %N1% Else End If Repeat End

I'm feeling rejected. I keep getting kicked out of Macro Express and can't figure out why. "CaseList.txt" is a data file that another macro generates. * Each variable is in quotes and separated from others with commas. * Field 3 in each record contains a number which we only use as text. * Field 5 is sometimes over 250 characters long. * Some of records can be over 300 characters in total length. //Enter search term - a no.from 1000 to 4000999 Variable Set String %T91% from Prompt ASCII File Begin Process: "CaseList.txt" (Comma Delimited Text ) //Mx test for a record where 3rd field's value = T91 If Variable %T3% = variable %T91% Variable Set Integer %N99% to 1 Break Else End If Pause: Basic ASCII File End Process When I run the macro, just after the process starts, I get kicked out of ME all together. However, it seems that if I create another CaseList.txt file manually and keep it small, the macro works. Are there size limits to text variables assembled with "append" commands? Are there some size limits to record size? Is there some other reason for getting kicked out during an ASCII file process? Thanks for any ideas! Jeffrey R. Mazor

Thanks, Kevin.

The "Categories" are really helpful for me in organizing my macros. If I know which category to look in, I can find macros easily. But I can't look at a macro's properties and see what category its in. Also, in the explorer Detail view, there are columns for Nickname, Activation, Scope, and Modified but I can't display one for Category. I must be missing something. Is the Category hiding in the macro "Properties" somewhere, like Activation and Scope? Is it possible to add a column for Category in explorer along with Nickname, Activation, Scope and Modified? Thanks for any ideas. Jeffrey R. Mazor

Hi. I have a case management program that displays a number of different record types for data entry, such as Contact, ToDo, CalendarItem, Email, etc. I have made a number of macros for each type -- macros that ease/speed the use of that particular type of record. But they would be much more useful if they could be triggered from a MultiChoice menu. Can anyone suggest how I might do the following: 1 When a record window becomes active, Mx would open the particular Multiple Choice Menu ("Sidebar Menu") that matched the type of record displayed, at one side of the screen and leave it open, sort of hybernating. 2. The user would continue to work on the record, and have the benefit of macros, such as those shortkeys that convert ".FL" to "State of Florida". 3. The user could also click on one of the items in the SideBar Multiple Choice Menu items to activate it and have it do whatever was clicked, and then the menu would either reappear if the Record was still open, or disappear if it was not. I can't think of any way to do this except to have a macro for each type of Record, and set up a hotkey that would start whichever macro corresponded to the Record type that was open. Thanks so much, Jeffrey R. Mazor, Esq.

Thanks, Joe. I'll use Mx's abiltiy to locate the MCM to put at the bottom of the screen, and then use its window sizing/location stuff to work around the menu. That should work out fine. Jeff

I'd like to be able to display a 14-item Multiple Choice Menu [MCM] window along side another window. This is because in order to easily decide which choices to make, the user will need to look at the contents of the other window. I'd like the menu to be shaped like a long rectangle standing up. That way it wouldn't cut into the other window too much. However, with 14 items, it automatically adopts a two-column format. It's about 1/4 screen high and 1/2 screen wide and it blocks too much of the other window. Re-locating it doesn't help much. 1. Does anyone know how to change the size and shape of a Multiple Choice Menu? 2. Is there a practical way for Macro Express to tile two specific windows vertically or horizontally while forcing one to take up only __% of the screen and the other to take up the remainder? Thanks for any suggestions. Jeff Mazor

Cory, What is the user doing when the file is first opened? How does the file get opened in the first place? Jeffrey R. Mazor, Esq. J. R. Mazor & Associates, P.A.

TOPIC ONE Hi there Cory! Good to talk to you again. Would you believe I'm writing Macro's again? I gotta make fuller use of TimeMatters, my case management program. MacroExpress to the rescue!! By itself, TimeMatters takes far too many mouse moves & keystrokes. But with Mx, it becomes faster & easier to create each appropriate record when: (1) I receive an email w/ attachments , (2) save the attachments to Document Records, (3) create an email to the client and attach the documents, (4) create a reminder to the client [ToDo Record], etc. Anyway..........can you point me to instructions on how to set and use environmental variables? Also, wouldn't that create more work in Windows or autoexec.bat files or logon scripts if they were to be used on multiple machines? TOPIC TWO While we're at it, can you tell me how to set up a macro that will fire once and only once when a window with a certain title opens. It would have to then stop, even if the window continues to have focue. It would also not re-fire when the window is minimized & later maximized. 'Look forward to hearing from you. Jeff

I can't always remember which variable is for what so I screw up coding. I've worked around this by setting up remarks at the top of each script, and using them to identify what each variable is used for in that script. Its awkward and time consuming. Is there a way to label each variable so the label would show in each command line that uses a labelled variable? Example: I might label %T96% as "XtraTab" so script that did look like this: *****************Variable Set String %T96% "Y" would instead look like this: *****************Variable Set String [XtraTab] %T96% "Y" 'Just can't figure out how to do anything like this. Thanks, Jeffrey R. Mazor

Joe, I was wracking my brain trying to figure out how to click a button that sat to the right of a data input field in my case management program. Problem was that nothing in the area was recognized as a Control. I was so lucky to happen upon your 2004 reply in this topic. Once I understood what you had done, it was relatively easy to write a script so that the mouse could move to the insertion point, drop down by the equivalent of 5 pixels (moving from the top of the insertion point to the middle), and then walk across the field one pixel at a time until it landed on a black pixel in the arrow symbol used in the button, and then edge over about another three pixels to center up on the button. Problem solved. Thanks, Jeff

By the way, this doesn't solve the problem at all, but I see that saving & reopening is not an issue since upon reopening the record, the window title says something different like "Event Form - Change". However, the problems remain: (1) constant activation while the initial Add record window is open, and (2) more constant activation when the window is restored or maximized from a minimized state. Jeff

Thanks again, Floyd. I'll try the If/Then. If its not feasible to pull the record number, then until/unless there is an option to Activate Once on Open, which also ignores the window when it is restored or maximized from a minimized state, I'll use a macro to (1) issue the "Add Record" command, and (2) then issue the command to display the AutoEntry forms, and (3) then stop. That way monitoring won't be an issue. Jeffrey R. Mazor

Floyd, Thanks so much for the input. The Window Title automatic activation looked like the answer, except, as you imply, there's no stopping it! When I tell my case management program ("TimeMatters") to allow me to add a record, it displays the "Event Form - Add" window, the macro fires and "types" the necessary command to cause the list of available "Auto Entry Forms" to display. The thing is that I don't want the macro to fire again for this particular record. I don't want it to fire again when the option window disappears, or when the "Event Form - Add" record is minimized and later maximized, or when the "Event Form - Add" record is saved and reopened for editing. I only want the macro to fire once per record. However, as soon as I click on an option, the option window closes, Mx "sees" the "Add Record" window title, and it fires the macro again, and again, and again..... I might be able to add some steps and have the macro grab and save the record's unique ID. That way it could start by always checking to see if it has previously seen that record, in which case, it would abort. 'Problem is that it will take time and it will stilll burn up cycles constantly Activating, testing, and activating again. Is there any way to make this Activation thing work once and only once for each record? Thanks in advance for any help you can give. Jeff

Paul, Thank you so much. It works very well I noticed that it doesn't always underscore, but I can't figure out why. Its not important. Also, while I'd like it to react to the typed letter alone without requiring the "Enter", you've shown me that the user does not have to move the mouse pointer to the "OK" button, and that just hitting the "Enter" key is enough. That is a big plus. Thanks again.

I need Mx to execute a few commands each time I add a record in my case management program. There are 12 types of records and one or more might be opened at one time. I thought Mx could monitor the program, waiting until, for example, window "A" opens. Then it should execute a set of commands one time. Then it should just ignore the window (whether minimized, maximized, closed, etc.) until another window "A" is opened, and then do it again. I came up with this solution. Problem is that it uses one variable for each menu plus one universal variable for a total of 13 variables. Can anyone see a better way to do this????? Repeat Until %T98% = "abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz" --Wait For Window Title: "Event Form - Add" --Keystroke Speed: 100 Milliseconds --Text Type: <ALTD><ALTD>e<ALTU><ALTU>a --Delay 2 Seconds --Repeat Until %T99% = "N" ----Delay 2 Seconds ----If Window Title "Event Form - Add" is running ------Variable Set String %T99% "Y" ----Else ------Variable Set String %T99% "N" ----End If --Repeat End Repeat End Thanks so much for any guidance you can give.

Mx is helping me tremendously in speeding up my use of my computer. But I must be missing something, because I can't figure out how to do this. Is it possible to choose from among a number of choices by just pressing one key and without having to take your hands off the keyboard and use the mouse to make the choice and to click on the OK button? For example, I'd like to display a Multiple Choice type of window like this: ******************************** Type the letter next to your choice: A Daffy Duck B Albert Einstein C H. G. Wells D Jerry Seinfeld ******************************** The user would not have to move the mouse to click in a radio button or checkbox. The user would not have to move the mouse to click on an "OK" button. Instead, the use would type JUST ONE LETTER and MacroExpress would accept that as the selection and assign it to a variable. It would be even better if we could select which letter within each choice could be used to pick that item. Example: ******************************** Type the letter next to your choice: Daffy Duck Albert Einstein H. G. Wells Jerry Seinfeld ******************************** In this case, the user would type just a D, E, W or S and Mx would assign a value to the variable and close the window.

{Whoops. I meant to post this in this forum}. The following gives very fast access from anywhere to websites, programs, files and folders. Maybe it will be of use to others. Before using the macro, I set up a folder ("c:\!Mnemonics") and I populate it with OneWord Internet Shortcuts to websites and regular Links to programs, folders or files. First the macro prompts for the keyword, and then sets T1 to equal a full path file name composed of the path to the !Mnemonics folder plus the keyword the user types in. Example: "c:\!Mnemonics\Newsweek". Then the macro changes the filename into an Internet Shortcut formatted name by appending ".URL" (i.e., "c:\!Mnemonics\Newsweek.URL") and checks to see if such a file exists. If so, it uses the Web Site command to launch IE and navigate to the website. If not...... The macro then appends the ".LNK" extension to create the name of a typical link file (i.e., "c:\!Mnemonics\Newsweek.LNK"). Once again the macro checks to see if such a File Exists in the folder. If so, it uses the Open Folder command to launch the program, open the folder, or open the file (with its associated program). Finally, if no corresponding Internet Shortcut or Link is found in the !Mnemonics folder, the macro tells the user and opens the !Mnemonics folder so that the user can make his/her own selection. So far it seems to work just fine for shortcuts to every website, program, folder or file that I have tried it with. What I really like is that its very fast and it uses only the keyboard - no mouse handling required. Special thanks to Cory and Joe for all the ideas that enabled me to do this. Thanks, Jeff Mazor COMMAND TEXT VIEW // Set T1 to 'c:\!Mnemonics\Hook', where "Hook" is the word provided by the user Variable Set String %T1% "C:\!Mnemonics\" Variable Set String %T2% from Prompt Variable Modify String: Append %T2% to %T1% // Set T3 to "c:\!Mnemonics\Hook.URL" Variable Set String %T3% "%T1%" Variable Modify String: Append ".URL" to %T3% If File Exists "%T3%" Web Site: %T3% [Default Browser] Macro Stop Else // Set T3 to "c:\Mnemonics\Hook.LNK" Variable Set String %T3% "%T1%" Variable Modify String: Append ".LNK" to %T3% If File Exists "%T3%" Open Folder: %T3% Macro Stop End If End If Pause: Complex Open Folder: c:\!Mnemonics\ Macro Stop DIRECT EDITOR VIEW (I think) <REM2:Set T1 to 'c:\!Mnemonics\Hook', where "Hook" is the word provided by the user><TVAR2:01:01:C:\!Mnemonics\><TVAR2:02:02:FEnter Mnemonic:TFCenter:Center><TMVAR2:08:01:02:000:000:><REM2:Set T3 to "c:\!Mnemonics\Hook.URL"><TVAR2:03:01:%T1%><TMVAR2:07:03:00:000:000:.URL><IFOTH:01:2:%T3%><HTTP2:1:F:%T3%><MSTOP><ELSE><REM2:Set T3 to "c:\Mnemonics\Hook.LNK"><TVAR2:03:01:%T1%><TMVAR2:07:03:00:000:000:.LNK><IFOTH:01:2:%T3%><MYCOMP:%T3%><MSTOP><ENDIF><ENDIF><PAUSE2:000147,000385Can't find %T2%. Click 'Resume' to see list.T><MYCOMP:c:\!Mnemonics\><MSTOP>

I previously wrote about my need for very, very fast access from anywhere to websites, programs, files and folders, to be accomplished by just typing a keyword (i.e., mnemonic). [i also wanted to "home in on" the keyword as I typed, but that seems to be more trouble than its worth for this purpose]. The following script accomplishes my purpose. Maybe it will be of use to others. Before using the macro, I set up a folder ("c:\!Mnemonics") and I populate it with Internet Shortcuts to websites and regular Links to programs, folders or files. I like to keep them as short as my memory, i.e., just OneWord! The macro first prompts for the keyword, and then sets T1 to equal a full path file name composed of the path to the !Mnemonics folder plus the keyword the user types in. Example: "c:\!Mnemonics\Newsweek". Then the macro changes the filename into an Internet Shortcut formatted name by adding ".URL" to the name (i.e., "c:\!Mnemonics\Newsweek.URL") and then checks to see if such a file exists. If so, it uses the Web Site command to launch IE and navigate to the website. If not...... The macro then takes the Path&Filename (i.e., "c:\!Mnemonics\Newsweek") but this time it appends the ".LNK" extension to create the name of a typical link file (i.e., "c:\!Mnemonics\Newsweek.LNK"). Once again the macro checks to see if such a File Exists in the folder. If so, it uses the Open Folder command to launch the program, open the folder, or open the file (with its associated program). Finally, if no corresponding Internet Shortcut or Link is found in the !Mnemonics folder, the macro tells the user and opens the !Mnemonics folder so that the user can make his/her own selection. So far it seems to work just fine for shortcuts to every website, program, folder or file that I have tried it with. What I really like is that its very fast and it uses only the keyboard - no mouse handling required. Let me know if you like it or have any other ideas on this type of macro. Special thanks to Cory and Joe for all the ideas that enabled me to do this. Thanks, Jeff Mazor COMMAND TEXT VIEW // Set T1 to 'c:\!Mnemonics\Hook', where "Hook" is the word provided by the user Variable Set String %T1% "C:\!Mnemonics\" Variable Set String %T2% from Prompt Variable Modify String: Append %T2% to %T1% // Set T3 to "c:\!Mnemonics\Hook.URL" Variable Set String %T3% "%T1%" Variable Modify String: Append ".URL" to %T3% If File Exists "%T3%" Web Site: %T3% [Default Browser] Macro Stop Else // Set T3 to "c:\Mnemonics\Hook.LNK" Variable Set String %T3% "%T1%" Variable Modify String: Append ".LNK" to %T3% If File Exists "%T3%" Open Folder: %T3% Macro Stop End If End If Pause: Complex Open Folder: c:\!Mnemonics\ Macro Stop DIRECT EDITOR VIEW (I think) <REM2:Set T1 to 'c:\!Mnemonics\Hook', where "Hook" is the word provided by the user><TVAR2:01:01:C:\!Mnemonics\><TVAR2:02:02:FEnter Mnemonic:TFCenter:Center><TMVAR2:08:01:02:000:000:><REM2:Set T3 to "c:\!Mnemonics\Hook.URL"><TVAR2:03:01:%T1%><TMVAR2:07:03:00:000:000:.URL><IFOTH:01:2:%T3%><HTTP2:1:F:%T3%><MSTOP><ELSE><REM2:Set T3 to "c:\Mnemonics\Hook.LNK"><TVAR2:03:01:%T1%><TMVAR2:07:03:00:000:000:.LNK><IFOTH:01:2:%T3%><MYCOMP:%T3%><MSTOP><ENDIF><ENDIF><PAUSE2:000147,000385Can't find %T2%. Click 'Resume' to see list.T><MYCOMP:c:\!Mnemonics\><MSTOP>

We have to very quickly and repeatedly access many, many files, folders and websites. I do that by opening a folder containing an organized list of lots of shortcut links, scrolling through over a hundred of these links, and eventually finding and clicking on the one I need. Additional links are added every so often. We would like to drastically speed up the process by using easy-to-remember nicknames for some of the links, so that we could type the nickname from anywhere and thereby trigger the link. I looked over the PopUp and Floating Menus, but I think that they would require more time & effort to modify over time. Is there a way to do something like this: 1. Dump all my links into one folder and give each of them a simple, mnemonic nickname, and 2. Have a little dialog box either reside as a taskbar toolbar or pop-up when triggered by a hotkey, and 3. Then I would start to type in the nickname, Mx would display an alphabetical listing of the links, and Mx would "home-in" on the target link alphabetically, getting closer and closer as I typed more and more of the nickname. For example, say that I need to go to the USNetwork link to open a folder, launch a spreadsheet or have IE open a website. I go to the toolbar or dialog box, which contains a list of links like these: AppleComputer pcMacros USAirForce USArmy USNavy USNetwork * At first, AppleComputer would be highlighted. * Type "U", and the list scrolls to highlight "USAirForce". * Type "S", and nothing changes. * Type "N", and the list scrolls to highlight "USNavy". * Type "e", and the list scrolls to highlight "USNetwork". * Doubleclick or press "Enter" to trigger the "USNetwork" shortcut. I know that I've seen this "homing in" type of process before, someplace, but I can't figure out how to do it with MacroExpress. Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks, Jeff Mazor

Joe, 'Sorry for the delay in responding. I really wanted my assistant to respond because he can do a better job explaining how he may have solved the problem. I hope he can do so before he leaves for college. The data on each case resides in a case mangement database. The data can be "sent to" ME and then processed either (I think) of these two ways: 1. An export to CSV data file process coupled with reading and assigning each value to a variable which is then used to write a shortkey text definition file. 2. Through a "formattable clipboard" (in which the values in the fields are essentially merged with a form using the clipboard, resulting in what amounts to a shortkey definition file). I think that Andre took the second approach. I don't know how he got around the problem of having a number of shortkey definitions for a given shortkey read into ME one after the other. Thanks again, Jeff Mazor

['Wondering if PGM Variable Management functions would apply here] I would like to make simple text shortcuts, like ".cn" to type out a client's name. Whenever I type ".cn", for example, Mx would type out the client name for the case I was on. While I would always type ".cn" to get a client's name, Mx would type different client names depending upon which case I was on. I can easily have my office database export a CSV or text file containing the relevant data. Presumably it would contain one record (line) and many fields. I see two methods: A. The values of T1, T2, etc. would be cleared, new values would be loaded from the data file, and Mx would type out the values of those variables when the corresponding shortkey is entered. For example, typing ".cn" might type out the value of variabe T1, ".cr" might type out the value of the variable T2, etc. B. Mx would use the values in the CSV or text file to write a Mx text file like: <ITEM NAME>.cn Cleint's Name John Smith <ITEM NAME>.cr Case reference Number Smith vs. Jones but when I went onto the next case, I'd export the data and Mx would use the values in the new CSV or text file to write a Mx text file like this: <ITEM NAME>.cn Cleint's Name Penny Lane <ITEM NAME>.cr Case reference Number Lane vs. Avenue Two problems: (A) approach "A" would limit me to 99 variables, and I would like to have about 125; ( approach "B" doesn't seem to work. I had thought that importing a new text file would replace the previous definitions of each variable with the new definition, but instead the first definition persists and the subsequent ones are ignored. Can anyone suggest a better approach? Thanks, Jeff

Thanks to you, our fax project is near completion....report to follow. This item is probably old hat to you guys, but the solution eludes me. I would like to make simple text shortcuts, like ".cn" to type out a client's name. Whenever I type ".cn", for example, Mx would type out the client name for the case I was on. While I would always type ".cn" to get a client's name, Mx would type different client names depending upon which case I was on. I can easily have my office database export a CSV or text file containing the relevant data. Presumably it would contain one record (line) and many fields. I see two methods: A. The values of T1, T2, etc. would be cleared, new values would be loaded from the data file, and Mx would type out the values of those variables when the corresponding shortkey is entered. For example, typing ".cn" might type out the value of variabe T1, ".cr" might type out the value of the variable T2, etc. B. Mx would use the values in the CSV or text file to write a Mx text file like: <ITEM NAME>.cn Cleint's Name John Smith <ITEM NAME>.cr Case reference Number Smith vs. Jones but when I went onto the next case, I'd export the data and Mx would use the values in the new CSV or text file to write a Mx text file like this: <ITEM NAME>.cn Cleint's Name Penny Lane <ITEM NAME>.cr Case reference Number Lane vs. Avenue Two problems: (A) approach "A" would limit me to 99 variables, and I would like to have about 125; ( approach "B" doesn't seem to work. I had thought that importing a new text file would replace the previous definitions of each variable with the new definition, but instead the first definition persists and the subsequent ones are ignored. Can anyone suggest a better approach? Thanks, Jeff