writejb Posted April 6, 2006 Report Share Posted April 6, 2006 Hi, I have a strange problem with running macros in Adobe FrameMaker 7.1. The macros worked fine in Adobe FM 6, but no longer. Macro Express 3.5e Windows XP Home Dell P4, 1.6 Ghz, 768 Mb RAM The macro includes a <SHIFT><END> command to select a line, and a <CTRL>4 command to select a text format for the selected text. After rebooting, the macro will run once or twice without any problems. However, after that first time or two, it will develop serious problems. One symptom is that <SHIFT><END> selects 2 lines, not one. If I manually press Shift+End, the second line is then selected when I release the Shift key. Also, the <CTRL>4 command stops working as well. If I restart FrameMaker, I can manually use Shift+End to select a line, but the macro has the same problem the first time I run it. If I reboot the computer, the macro will work once or twice again before getting strange again. I have tried loading ME last, tried Tools > Restore Keyboard Hooks, and tried Options > Preferences > Miscellaneous > Auto Restore Keyboard Hooks. I've also tried slowing the macro down to a crawl. It seems that running the Macro somehow affects the way FrameMaker is responding to combination key presses (Shift+ or CTRL+ key combinations). Alt+ key combinations seem to be unaffected, but there are no <Alt> commands in the macro. It also seems that the problem remains "in memory", because while stopping and restarting FrameMaker will make pressing Shift+End work again, I can't run the macro even once without the problems. It only starts working again when I reboot the computer. I wonder if this is related to a previous post, which might suggest a problem with Adobe products (http://pgmacros.com/community/index.php?showtopic=805). Thanks, John B. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason Posted April 11, 2006 Report Share Posted April 11, 2006 Things like this sometimes happen after upgrading software. It is possible that the macro speed needs to be adjusted as the new version of FrameMaker may take more system resources causing it to respond more slowly than the older version. If you have not already done so, you should try stepping through the macro using the debug tools to see exactly where it gets hung up. This will tell you where you will need to make changes in your macro. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
writejb Posted April 22, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 22, 2006 Hi Jason, (three emails compiled together below) Sorry - I should have mentioned that I already tried that. When the macro goes awry, the <ShiftUp> step causes the additional line to be selected. And of course, leaving out the <ShiftUp> step causes the Shift key to remain pressed for the rest of the macro. Also, after the macro goes awry, pressing Shift+End manually causes 2 lines to be selected instead of one. In other words, the macro messes something up with the way FrameMaker responds to the keyboard. I have to change focus away from FrameMaker, and then go back to FrameMaker to cause the program to respond properly to the keyboard. In other words, something continues to be affected after the macro ends. Any other suggestions? BTW, there is a "tryout" version of Adobe FrameMaker at http://www.adobe.com/products/tryadobe/main.jsp#product=22 if you want to try to replicate the problem. Thanks, John B ----- Original Message ----- From: Jason Lunt To: J. B. Sent: Wednesday, April 12, 2006 12:47 PM Subject: Re: Problems running macros with Adobe FrameMaker Hi, Instead of using the <Shift> command, you may want to try using the <Shift Down> command found in the Text Type commands. This will hold the shift key down when the End key is pressed. You will then need to follow the <End> command with the <Shift Up> command also found in the Text Type command. Jason Lunt Insight Software Solutions, Inc. On Tue, 11 Apr 2006 14:40:58 -0400, J. B. wrote: > Hi Jason, > > I tried running is waaay slow - 1 second in-between steps. It ran > two times without a problem. The third time it ran, when it came to > the steps > > <TEXTTYPE:<HOME>> > <MSD:500> > <TEXTTYPE:<SHIFT><END>> > > It selected not just the current line, but also the line following > the current line. The previous two time through, it had only > selected the current line (as it should). Also, a Ctrl key > combination immediately following the Shift+End step does not work. > Same is true when I step through using the debugger. > > In addition, manually selecting text in FrameMaker with SHIFT key > combinations changes, so that text is selected as expected > (Shift+arrow keys), but then additional text is selected when I > release the Shift key. If I use Shift+End to select a line, the > next line is selected when I release the Shift key. If I use > Shift+arrow key to select a character, the next character is > selected when I release the Shift key. > > This stops happening when I change the focus to another program, > and then come back to FrameMaker. I can manually select text with > Shift key combinations as expected. However, if I try to run the > macro again, the macro does not work again. > > If I close FrameMaker and restart it, the macro may run properly > for a couple times, then the Shift and Ctrl key combinations will > stop working properly. Eventually, I have to reboot the computer to > get the macro to run properly even once. > > I can manually type the same keystrokes that in the macro over and > over again without causing any problems (much faster than 1 second > in between steps). > > Here is the macro. As you can see, there is nothing special about > it. It is all TEXTTYPE and DELAY commands. I select one or more > paragraphs in FrameMaker, then run the macro. > > <SPEED:00002><TEXTTYPE:<CONTROL>x><MSD:500><TEXTTYPE:<ENTER>><MSD:500><TEXTTYPE:<UP ARROW>><MSD:500><TEXTTYPE:<ul>><MSD:500><TEXTTYPE:<F9>><MSD:500><TEXTTYPE:<ENTER>><MSD:500><TEXTTYPE:</ul>><MSD:500><TEXTTYPE:<HOME>><MSD:500><TEXTTYPE:<SHIFT><END>><MSD:500><TEXTTYPE:<CTRL>4><MSD:500><TEXTTYPE:h><MSD:500><TEXTTYPE:<ENTER>><MSD:500><TEXTTYPE:<RIGHT ARROW>><MSD:500><TEXTTYPE:<RIGHT ARROW>><MSD:500><TEXTTYPE:<RIGHT ARROW>><MSD:500><TEXTTYPE:<RIGHT ARROW>><MSD:500><TEXTTYPE:<ENTER>><MSD:500><TEXTTYPE:<CONTROL>v> > > If there is anything else you would like me to try, please let me > know. > > Thanks, > John B. > > >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: Jason Lunt >> To: J. B. >> Sent: Tuesday, April 11, 2006 12:51 PM >> Subject: Re: Problems running macros with Adobe FrameMaker >> >> >> Hi, >> >> Things like this sometimes happen after upgrading software. It >> is possible that the macro speed needs to be adjusted as the new >> version of FrameMaker may take more system resources causing it >> to respond more slowly than the older version. >> >> If you have not already done so, you should try stepping through >> the macro using the debug tools to see exactly where it gets hung >> up. This will tell you where you will need to make changes in >> your macro. >> >> Jason Lunt >> Insight Software Solutions, Inc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
writejb Posted April 26, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 26, 2006 BTW, I did a little more research. Executing the same keystrokes with the AHK macro program does not cause the problem. Possibly it's something to do with the way that ME passes the keystrokes to FrameMaker? Thanks, John B. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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