johnboy691

Because I have such large macros I am running short on string variables. I am going to use environmental variables but am wondering how to manipulate the data in the environmental variable once it is established. I want to copy portions of it, maybe delete portions of it, perhaps append to it, etc. etc. But, in my modify variable command so many times I can't put the name of the environmental variable in because it has a drop down for the T variables. Has anyone used environmental variables and found "tricks" in manipulating them. Thanks for any help.

I will ditto what rberg said. I have processors in India that use our system through Citrix. What we found out that works best is we installed ME on the citrix server and had ME operate from there. I would assume if you could install ME on the computer your "calling" your keystrokes then would activate the commands using the local ME program on that computer. Of course your specific macros would have to be loaded on that computer's macro express. In addition, if you do this, when you go to invoke macros that are on the slave you need to terminate macro express on your computer. If I am working on the citrix screen and invoke a macro, usually my personal computer's macro express activates first. Therefore, I terminate my personal pc's macro express when I work on the Citrix screen. If you put ME on the slave computer you can then get specific as to windows to recognize. Hope this additional information helps. John

rberq Thanks for you comments. I took your advice and set up an excel file with 65,000+ lines and 28 columns full of data and saved as a csv file to a share drive. I made a macro that looped requesting a find of a random number every loop. I started that macro on 28 computers (at the same time) and haven't had an error out at all. If anything I may notice a slight delay other than running on just one...but only slight. Hopefully this information will help others. John

Hi Everyone: Has anyone had any experience with having a ASCII Delimited Text File on a share drive and multiple (dozens) of people accessing that file using a macro expres macro using the ME command to read the file? I would like to know if someones macro is reading the file and another persons macro needs to read the same file at the same time if there are any access or read problems for the second or third or .... persons getting access at the same time? Thanks for any comments anyone can give me! John

Hi Cory: First, thanks for all your help and comments in the past. I'm not always good at saying thanks right away. What I have done in situations like this I have the first IF OR if true, then have it hit another IF for the and. That way, if the first isn't true, it bypasses it, but if it is it goes to the next IF and if that is true will do that, else bypass it. It uses more scripting but I have found it works better. I'm sure someone else has better ideas. Here is a sample script. <IFVAR2:1:73:1:09><OR><IFVAR2:1:74:1:12><MSD:250><IFVAR2:2:01:1:3><MSD:250><TEXTTYPE:You have to look at this manually><MSD:250><TEXTTYPE:<NUMENTER><ARROW DOWN>><MSD:250><ELSE><MSD:250><TEXTTYPE:<ARROW DOWN>><MSD:250><ENDIF>

Kevin: Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!! I am red with embarrassment. I can't beleive how easy that was. In two minutes after reading your post I had it running. Again, thanks so very much! John

I've tried reading the book, previous posts and either it's not clicking and/or I'm just to dense....maybe someone can help me. I want a macro to capture the file name, extension and path to a ALL files say in My Documents. I know the path to My Documents, but how do I get the macro to capture all information for EACH file in My Documents? I want to capture it, in variables, then put it into an excel file. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Also, is there a error prompt that comes up? If you can capture something, either on the screen it should be on which it wouldn't be able to capture if connection didn't happen. Or if an error window pops up if it doesn't make connection you can have the macro note that and then go into a repeat loop. If so you can have an IF statement inside a repeat and have it wait a few seconds, minutes, etc and try again. Here is scripting I use in one program to "find" itself. <REM2:Tests to see if on the GF02 P1 PIC screen in right position. If not, macro will repeat 3 times ><REM2:then if still not found bring up a multiple choice to choose to continue or stop. ERROR PIC1><IFVAR2:1:20:8:NEXT><REP3:01:000001:000001:00005:0:01:><DELAY:10><TEXTTYPE:<SHIFTD><ARROW RIGHT><ARROW RIGHT><ARROW RIGHT><ARROW RIGHT><SHIFTU>><MSD:100><TEXTTYPE:<ALT>ec><MSD:100><TVAR2:20:03:><MSD:100><IFVAR2:1:20:1:NEXT><MSD:100><BREAK><MSD:100><ENDIF><MSD:100><ENDREP><MSD:100><IFVAR2:1:20:8:NEXT><MSD:100><REM2:Emulator error pic1><MENU2:2:T:53:CenterCenter:EMULATOR TIME OUTTHE GF02 PIC SCREEN P1 EMULATOR DID NOT GAIN FOCUS. IF YOU WANT TO CONTINUE AFTER LOCATING THE GF11 PIC SCREEN, PUT THE CURSOR ON THE FIRST POSITION OF WORD NEXT AND CHOOSE YES. IF YOU WANT TO STOP THE MACRO, CHOOSE NO. *** ERROR PIC1 *** &Yes, Continue from the GF11 &No, Stop the macro><IFVAR2:1:53:1:TB><MSD:100><TEXTTYPE:<ALTD><TAB><ALTU>><MSD:100><TEXTTYPE:<HOME>><MSD:100><REP3:01:000001:000001:00036:0:01:><TEXTTYPE:<ARROW RIGHT>><ENDREP><MSD:100><TEXTTYPE:<F2>><MSD:100><TEXTTYPE:, ><MSD:100><TEXTTYPE:ERROR PIC1><MSD:100><TEXTTYPE:<NUMENTER>><MSD:100><TEXTTYPE:<ARROW UP>><MSD:100><TEXTTYPE:<HOME>><MSD:100><TEXTTYPE:<ALTD><TAB><ALTU>><MSD:100><MSTOP><MSD:100><ENDIF><MSD:100><ENDIF><MSD:100><ENDIF>

Just a stab in the dark here...Is the Ignore Macro Speed Factor checked or unchecked in the Set Delay command if you have any of them in your scripting have anything to do with it?

Hi Zethgryn I'm not exactly sure what the end result is you are trying to get...other than stop the macro...so, without knowing all the details I will throw this out. The answer to your basic question is...NO. But...with Macro Express, if you expand the depth and width of what you are trying to do you can sometimes come up with a different method of getting what you want towork. Lets say you are in a particular program, window or screen that has a name. You keep hitting F1 till you get to a certain spot...does that action then change the name of the window? The scripting below shows how something like that would work. I used an excel spreadsheet for the test. When I switched to another screen during one of the delays, the macro copied the then active window and noticed it was different, so it stopped. If this isn't what you are trying to achieve, or window names don't change for you, see if you can find something that changes when the macro has hit the last F1 when you need to stop. What I'm saying is...is there something in the program your working with or the screens you are working with that comes up differently once you have hit the required number of F1's. If it does. You can capture it and have it compare to what was there, and if it's different, it knows to stop. Hope this gives you some ideas as to how you might be able to work around this "situation." John <REP3:08:000008:000001:0001:0:01:Microsoft Excel - TEST><DELAY:5><TVAR2:01:06:><DELAY:1><IFVAR2:1:01:8:Microsoft Excel - TEST><DELAY:3><MSTOP><ENDIF><TEXTTYPE:1<NUMENTER>><ENDREP>

Here's what I have done in the past. I have one browser based application that once in a while pops up a security warning...what you have to do then is click ok and it goes away and the macro goes on its merry way. This pop-up comes up after I have the macro text type a NumEnter or click. It's the same warning all the time at this point. What I did was put in a couple second delay and then an If Window Title "Enter Network Password" is on top do the NumEnter. If that window doesn't show up it goes on as if it wasn't there. Now, if you have pop-ups with other headings at this point you could still use the If Window command and an OR and then another If Window command with the second possibility...or more. Where I use NumEnter to just clear the pop-up you could insert a Stop Macro, or a Pause...or even a break if you wanted to put everything within a repeat and have it go and start on the next record. Hope this helps or gives you some ideas. John <DELAY:1.25><IFOTH:03:2:Enter Network Password><TEXTTYPE:<NUMENTER>><ENDIF><MSD:150>

Did you go to Macro Express help and type PING in the search. There seems to be a good tutorial/directions on how to get ME to do a ping and return results. You may have to manipulate it a little, but by using If statements and variables I would think you should be able to get the results you want. I have never used this tool, but it seems pretty easy to get the results you are looking for. Good Luck!

Can you give some more information. I have excel reports that have data at your limits and have no problems. Are you copying data from excel, manipulating it and trying to put it back? If you can give some specifics and exacatly what your errors are...other programs you are pasting to copying from, etc. Maybe myself or others can give you better help. Be as specific as possible. John

I use something like I think you want to do, seperating names and in other instances take out slash / marks out of dates. I'm sure you could alter this code to find the first slash and then delete everything from it on, leaving the month, regardless if it's one or two digits. Where I have this code find the first space you can have it find the first slash. Good Luck. <REM2:Copies Full Name><TVAR2:09:03:><MSD:75><TMVAR2:01:09:00:000:000:><REM2:Copies Full Name to T4><TMVAR2:09:12:09:000:000:><MSD:75><REM2:Finds position of the first space in T4><IVAR2:01:13:12: ><MSD:75><REM2:Copies First Name to T10 using N1 (1st position to space)><TMVAR2:10:10:12:001:N01:><MSD:75><REM2:Deletes the First Name from T4><TMVAR2:11:12:00:001:N01:><MSD:75><REM2:Finds position of the first space in T4 after First Name has been deleted.><IVAR2:01:13:12: ><MSD:75><REM2:Copies Middle Name to T11 using N1 (1st position to space)><TMVAR2:10:11:12:001:N01:><MSD:75><REM2:Deletes theMiddle Name from T4><REM2:Leaving the Last Name in T12><TMVAR2:11:12:00:001:N01:><MSD:75><TMVAR2:01:10:00:000:000:><MSD:75><TMVAR2:01:11:00:000:000:><MSD:75><TMVAR2:01:12:00:000:000:><MSD:75>

When I'm working with multiple choice menus and other windows I find ALT TAB works real quick in toggling back and forth between them. Also...sometimes if you need specific information always on the screen also consider putting it in a text box, then you can toggle to the multiple choice to actually make the selection, and once that's done have the text box close.

I can get ME to do wonderful things, but have not worked with the File/Folders commands much. Looked in older postings but didn't see anything to help (or that I undeerstood). So here goes... I have a processing application that I work with by loggin into it through Internet Explorer Version 6 by going to the URL set up by our company to work in it. After done I need to run a report that is generated. When the report is ready I double click on the blue words DOWNLOAD FILE. When I do that I get the File Download Pop-up and can choose OPEN, SAVE or CANCEL. I click on the SAVE button. The SAVE AS pop-up comes up. Are there ME file/folder commands I can use to set the Save in: path and the file name; instead of finding positions using mouse movement control and mouse clicks (which isn't always accurate, depending on processors screen set-up, etc.) I did a right click on the DOWNLOAD FILE from the IE screen, but cannot save this way. The only way to get the file seems to be with the File Download pop-up and the Save as pop-up. Is there a way to automaticall (using ME) have these come up with the folder and name of the file I want it to save in my desktop? Anyone with any ideas would help. I'm not a tech person. Thanks, John

This is a simple way...in addition to the MORE selection, also have a PREVIOUS selection on menu 2, 3 and 4. Put a IF statement with a repeat in it and it will start back at the top (menu 1). You could put additional IF's in for specific menu's, but that would mean using (wasting) more selections. I've used the above to go back to the first then quickly choose the More till I get to the one I wanted. Good Luck!

Ok, I'll share what I have done to find some numbers in a string (possibly up to 69 characters in length). It was made a couple years ago when I was still green behind the ears when it came to ME. I'm sure there are better ways to do it, but it works for me and I haven't had the time to re-work it. Maybe it will give you an idea. I'm sure you can replace where I have my numbers with a date format. Now, I don't want anyone laughing at this I process over 40,000 claims a week using it. What this scripting does is copies the line of information and then moves across the line character by character grabbing and comparing 4 characters at a time. In my world it is possible there could be three or four of these numbers in the row of the string copied. Hope this helps or gives you some ideas. <TEXTTYPE:<SHIFTU>><MSD:100><TEXTTYPE:<ALT>ec><MSD:100><TVAR2:20:03:><MSD:100><REM2:Copies 1st four digits from T20 string><REM2:If T20 = nothing or is null, macro will break out of edit search and continue><REP3:01:000001:000001:00001:0:01:><IFVAR2:1:20:1:><BREAK><ENDIF><REM2:Modifies the first four digits of T20 to T14><TMVAR2:10:14:20:001:004:><IFVAR2:1:14:1:4051><OR><IFVAR2:1:14:1:4054><OR><IFVAR2:1:14:1:4050><OR><IFVAR2:1:14:1:4056><OR><IFVAR2:1:14:1:4065><IVAR2:10:01:4051><ENDIF><IFVAR2:1:14:1:4055><IVAR2:11:01:4055><ENDIF><IFVAR2:1:14:1:4026><IVAR2:12:01:4026><ENDIF><IFVAR2:1:14:1:4058><IVAR2:13:01:4058><ENDIF><REM2:Modifies the second four digits (5-8) of T20 to T14><TMVAR2:10:14:20:005:004:><IFVAR2:1:14:1:4051><OR><IFVAR2:1:14:1:4054><OR><IFVAR2:1:14:1:4050><OR><IFVAR2:1:14:1:4056><OR><IFVAR2:1:14:1:4065><IVAR2:10:01:4051><ENDIF><IFVAR2:1:14:1:4055><IVAR2:11:01:4055><ENDIF><IFVAR2:1:14:1:4026><IVAR2:12:01:4026><ENDIF><IFVAR2:1:14:1:4058><IVAR2:13:01:4058><ENDIF><REM2:Modifies 6th to 9th digits of T20 to T14><TMVAR2:10:14:20:006:004:><IFVAR2:1:14:1:4051><OR><IFVAR2:1:14:1:4054><OR><IFVAR2:1:14:1:4050><OR><IFVAR2:1:14:1:4056><OR><IFVAR2:1:14:1:4065><IVAR2:10:01:4051><ENDIF><IFVAR2:1:14:1:4055><IVAR2:11:01:4055><ENDIF><IFVAR2:1:14:1:4026><IVAR2:12:01:4026><ENDIF><IFVAR2:1:14:1:4058><IVAR2:13:01:4058><ENDIF> goes on and then ends with.... <TEXTTYPE:<SHIFTU>><MSD:100><TEXTTYPE:<ALT>ec><MSD:100><TVAR2:20:03:><MSD:100><REM2:Copies 1st four digits from T20 string><REM2:If T20 = nothing or is null, macro will break out of edit search and continue><REP3:01:000001:000001:00001:0:01:><IFVAR2:1:20:1:><BREAK><ENDIF><REM2:Modifies the first four digits of T20 to T14><TMVAR2:10:14:20:001:004:><IFVAR2:1:14:1:4051><OR><IFVAR2:1:14:1:4054><OR><IFVAR2:1:14:1:4050><OR><IFVAR2:1:14:1:4056><OR><IFVAR2:1:14:1:4065><IVAR2:10:01:4051><ENDIF><IFVAR2:1:14:1:4055><IVAR2:11:01:4055><ENDIF><IFVAR2:1:14:1:4026><IVAR2:12:01:4026><ENDIF><IFVAR2:1:14:1:4058><IVAR2:13:01:4058><ENDIF><REM2:Modifies the second four digits (5-8) of T20 to T14><TMVAR2:10:14:20:005:004:><IFVAR2:1:14:1:4051><OR><IFVAR2:1:14:1:4054><OR><IFVAR2:1:14:1:4050><OR><IFVAR2:1:14:1:4056><OR><IFVAR2:1:14:1:4065><IVAR2:10:01:4051><ENDIF><IFVAR2:1:14:1:4055><IVAR2:11:01:4055><ENDIF><IFVAR2:1:14:1:4026><IVAR2:12:01:4026><ENDIF><IFVAR2:1:14:1:4058><IVAR2:13:01:4058><ENDIF><REM2:Modifies 6th to 9th digits of T20 to T14><TMVAR2:10:14:20:006:004:><IFVAR2:1:14:1:4051><OR><IFVAR2:1:14:1:4054><OR><IFVAR2:1:14:1:4050><OR><IFVAR2:1:14:1:4056><OR><IFVAR2:1:14:1:4065><IVAR2:10:01:4051><ENDIF><IFVAR2:1:14:1:4055><IVAR2:11:01:4055><ENDIF><IFVAR2:1:14:1:4026><IVAR2:12:01:4026><ENDIF><IFVAR2:1:14:1:4058><IVAR2:13:01:4058><ENDIF> .......so on and so on.

I purchased the book right after I found Macro Express loaded on my company computer. That was over two years ago and my copy is now worn and very used. Well worth my investment.

The ME default for a shortkey is ##. However, you can change this, which I have, to other symbols. I chose - - Anyway, I have also found that shortkeys don't always work with other applications because you have to type the two pre or suf fixes and the indentifying digits. If your system doesn't allow this, because of the way fields, etc. are set up, the shortkey won't work, or work sporadically. And that's not because of ME, but always because of the way your application is set up to accept keystrokes. I would suggest using two pre or suf fixes instead of a space. If you don't see better results, use hotkeys instead of shortkeys.

You have a repeat start and a repeat end. Use an integer variable to grab the hour and IF it's great than 4AM have it do a break. You can also use a combination of AND or OR if you start it before midnight, etc. Put these right before the repeat end. Should work.

I'm not sure from your post how many different options you have when it goes to another web page, but I'll give you a general idea as to what I have done in this instance a couple times. If I know it's going to go to a specific screen next, so find something on that page you can capture in a variable, either a word, a control or a pixel color. (There are several articles on this here on the board.) I put this in a repeat loop, so after 10 seconds it looks for that word, control or pixel color. If it finds it, the macro "knows" it's on the browser page it needs to be on. If it doesn't find it, the macro waits another 10 seconds and tries again. You can do this repeat every 10 seconds for infiinity. Once it finds the word, control or pixel color you macro can continue doing what you need it to do. By using this you can also have if statements if there are maybe two or three (or more) pages you know it "might" go to. I'm sure there are much smarter people out there with other ideas, but this one worked for me and was easy to do. John

Depending on the program I am working with I sometimes have a problem with the results coming out the way I want them using a shortkey. Why not try using a hot key. I never seem to have a problem if I use a hot-key. That may correct your problem. Maybe someone else has some idea.

Jerome: Hope this helps. To access Device Manager, press [Windows][break] to access the System Properties dialog box. Then, use the arrow keys to access the Hardware tab. Press the [Tab] key, select the Device Manager button, and press [Enter]. John

Also, one more thing. We have macro express loaded on the servers...so the processor actually uses Macro Express from the Citrix session. ME is NOT loaded on the processors individual computer.