Daniel Davis

I'm using mepro with Paradox database. I doubt the problem is with Paradox, but here's the situation:

For some reason, mepro will execute a macro I wrote to bring up a Paradox report, but it will execute it only once. If I go back into the editor and allow the macro tester to run it, it will run just fine...multiple times. But, when I go back to paradox and press the hot key, it won't run. Now, if I delete the macro, then use shift/control/alt/x to turn on the recorder, I can record the same macro by using the mouse instead of issuing the commands via script. Then, the macro runs just fine. It's not a timing issue...the command version will run just fine...once. I've set it up with a 3 second delay between each command, but it will still run only once.

Often, when I log in, the forum will not let me post. After 15 minutes or so of poking around trying to find out why, suddenly, it will allow me to post. Is there something I can do to solve this problem?

Quite often, while in the application I'm wanting to start a new macro for, I press

shift/control/alt/x to start MEP, butI hear the "ding" indicating the "Start Capture" dialog loads, but I can't see it. Instead, MEP pops up behind the application I'm using. When I minimize the application I'm using (in this case, WordPerfect) the MEP "Start Capture" screen is visible from the desktop. I need it to be visible in the app I'm using (WordPerfect) not the desktop...else, I'll have to begin the macro by reloading WordPerfect. Is there some setting I can select (like "display MEP always on top") to cause MEP to display the capture dialog while WordPerfect is onscreen? If there is such an option, I haven't found it.

Cory...I came across this post on the forum..was wondering if this might serve as an alt/tab alternative?

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Posted 01 January 2011 - 06:13 PM

Try putting this at the beginning of your macro:

Variable Set String %LastFocusedWin% to topmost window title

And this at the end:

Window Activate: %LastFocusedWin%

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Yes....When MEP encounters alt/tab...it simply stops. I tried to go in and edit the macro ... to change alt/tab to ACTIVATE wordperfect, but that hasn't worked either, so far.

Dunno why MEP cannot do alt tab. I'm still using TINYTASK to do just that. It copies to memory...alt tabs...and copies to wordperfect. Totally reliable. So why don't I just use tinytask? Actually, I am, by necessity..but would like to consolidate all macros to MEP. Please, whomever does programming for MEP....please...fix it so it can use alt tab reliably. With it...I can turn on the recorder, record the task, turn off the recorder...and store it to a key...saving hours of programming, debugging, and climbing the learning curve. Oh for the susperkey days.

Send me a script that:

1. copies a line of text in one word processor

2. uses ACTIVATE to bring up a second word processor

3. pastes that line of text into the second word processor.

4. uses ACTIVATE to return to the first word processor

Using the command editor, I can get some things done...but the mouse work can't be done w/o capture.

I'm not sure, Cory, as I'm not looking at the screen on the other laptop. However, it's the screen you see when you change a macro from global to program-specific....

down at the bottom of the screen. I thought it said "OK," but I may not be remembering it correctly.

Yes..I know the ### thing will do that, but it would be much easier if an invented word would do the same thing....instead of typing ###. Via this method, it would be easy to remember and type "words" (see below) that would insert what you want by simply pressing the 3rd letter of a word 3 times. Examples follow:

ackkk = acknowledged

deaaa= Dear customer representative:

briii = Bring all records to the meeting when you attend.

attt = attorney-client privilege

BTW..I have an overuse injury to my right hand, so reaching for the right shift key in order to type ### is literally a pain. I would imagine I could change it to aaa or some such, but that's not as efficient and memorable as the convention described above. Like I said, I can use that wp feature to get it done easily, but would like to use the same abbreviations in other apps.

I did this all the time in superkey. How I wish someone would port superkey to win7. Perhaps I can get used to MEP such that I can get most of the functionality out of it I used to get out of superkey. By far, MEP is the most intuitive and complete macro program I've encountered in the last 20 years since I surrendered DOS to windows.

In wordperfect (wp), I use "quick-correct" a lot to insert text. For instance, if I want the phrase "akd" to insert the word "acknowledged" I set that up and it works ok. However, I would like to do the same in other applications, without having to remember different commands for doing so. MEP could do this for me, I think. Is there a way to have akd, as exampled above, insert the word I want, or would I always have to precede it with ##?

Thanks, Cory. The macro is on the other laptop. I'll get it uploaded to you this weekend sometime. When dumping text from one app to the other, the source app (wordpad) will always be the same...as will the filename. But, the target app (wordperfect..where I want the text to end up) will always have the same app name, but the filename will be different at times. On the other hand,perhaps could keep a template wordperfect file set aside for that purpose so the filenames for both would remain the same. Maybe that would yield a more reliable macro. The confusing thing to me would be how to designate the location and filename of each file in the editor, to ensure that the macro only deals with the files I want it to.

All this is a bit of a learning curve for me, but I think MEP is worth that investment. If I can get things to work reliably, it'll save me a ton of time and work each week.

Thanks, Cory. The macro is on the other laptop. I'll get it uploaded to you this weekend sometime. When dumping text from one app to the other, the source app (wordpad) will always be the same...as will the filename. But, the target app (wordperfect..where I want the text to end up) will always have the same app name, but the filename will be different at times. On the other hand,perhaps could keep a template wordperfect file set aside for that purpose so the filenames for both would remain the same. Maybe that would yield a more reliable macro. The confusing thing to me would be how to designate the location and filename of each file in the editor, to ensure that the macro only deals with the files I want it to.

All this is a bit of a learning curve for me, but I think MEP is worth that investment. If I can get things to work reliably, it'll save me a ton of time and work each week.

After building a macro and making it program-specific (as opposed to global) when I look down at the bottom of the screen, "OK" is grayed out. However, OK works, and I'm then able to save my macro. Is it supposed to be grayed out?

A lot of what I bought MEP for is to copy data from one app to another. I was a superkey user for years back in the dos days, and got pretty comfortable with it, so I'm familiar with the concepts. I'm a new user of MEP, however.

I'm having a problem with MEP when I run a capture. If i have severa apps open, and I trigger the software via shift/control/alt/x, the recording start prompt pops up behind another open app as opposed to the one I'm looking at (and want to function from). That destroys my purpose...as I have to minimize the app I want the macro to work with in order to get to the start macro prompt. So far the only way I've found around this is to make sure I only have the two apps I want to work with open at the time the macro is recorded, and no more. Is there another way?

(Title of these posts should state "paste command" not "past command."

Thanks for the reply. I've responded to your post below between the ======= lines:

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I reccomend first you give up on the capture as you will want to use the Windows Activate commands instead of Alt+Tab. Capture is fine for a series mouse or keyboard events in one application or just to get started but honestly you want to get familiar with using the script editor.

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Actually, I'm fairly familiar with the script editor, and have used it. In fact, I once used it to build a macro...then captured some other actions...and tried to paste it into the script editor after I'd set up the commands. It didn't work, though I don't know why yet. I only get a little practice at a time with the program, which makes it hard to learn in depth. How can I insert alt-tab or its equivalent into a macro via the script editor?

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There are clipboard commands in MEP. Depending on your application they may work better than CTRL+C, CTRL+V.

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control/c and control/v work ok...it's just switching between 2 open programs that messes up. Actually, I already have the task automated via a freebie macro program (tiny task, I think)...and it works just fine switching between word and wordperfect.

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is not an MEP error. More likely it's an error from WP.

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Actually, the macro bombs before wp loads. Also, I mistakenly referred to the other program as WORD. Actually, it is WordPad.

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I don't know about WP as it's been a coon's age since I've seen it but I usually see this error in Excel when the destination worksheet has cells selected already. EG the source has 3 cells and in the destination you have 2 cells selected and it doesn't know what to do with it. But in most text editors if one has a selection in the destination application the pasted text simply overwrites it. I can't fathom how you could get this error in WP unless we're talking about tables. I suggest you run the macro and let it fail and then manually go to WP and try pasting again to see if you get the same problem.

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I've already done that. It works just fine. It just won't do its thing via the macro.

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Finally you might want to consider a little timing delays for events like activating a different Window. Each machine is different but I often find that 200mS is enough. But you can always start with a larger value and later decrease the amount with experimentation

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Ok, I'll give that a try.

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I can't find that error anywhere online regarding WP. Are you certain you're not switching to Excel?

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Absolutely. I never have used Excel. I don't know why, but I've never gotten into spreadsheets. I do word processing and light-duty databases.

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I've tried several times to set up a macro (via CAPTURE) to copy selected text from WORD, switch back to word perfect, and paste it there. I use alt-tab to switch from WORD to WP. However, when I execute the macro, as soon as the macro presses alt-tab to switch to WP to paste, I get:

"Paste command failed because the copy and paste areas are different shapes."

What causes this, and what can I do to correct it?