Hoggy Posted February 8, 2009 Report Share Posted February 8, 2009 Due to a medical problem, I'm trying to reduce the amount of typing I do each day, but still get the job done. I'm a computer programmer, so not typing isn't much of an option. I've made some progress, I've created a macro that asks for a name and then generates a basic shell of a function. I've got another that allows me to select from a list, and it inserts a suitable 'snippet' of code. Together these save me somewhere around 5000 & more keypresses a day. What else could I do? Do you have something similar that has worked for you? Any ideas are welcome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terrypin Posted February 8, 2009 Report Share Posted February 8, 2009 Due to a medical problem, I'm trying to reduce the amount of typing I do each day, but still get the job done. I'm a computer programmer, so not typing isn't much of an option. I've made some progress, I've created a macro that asks for a name and then generates a basic shell of a function. I've got another that allows me to select from a list, and it inserts a suitable 'snippet' of code. Together these save me somewhere around 5000 & more keypresses a day. What else could I do? Do you have something similar that has worked for you? Any ideas are welcome. Well, it will depend greatly on the sort of work you do. But the most obvious recommendation is just to do more of the same. IOW, use macros to replace frequently-typed text, whether code or data. I activate some of mine with hotkeys but the majority with shortkeys that are reasonably easy to remember. They cover a wide range of stuff, such as my email ID, PC spec, full address, various signatures for forums and newsgroups, words that I often otherwise mis-type, like 'appreciate', file paths for use in Open and Save As boxes, etc, etc. An additional tactic could be setting up your various working environments. A hotkey or mouse click could pop-up a menu, and a click on one of its choices would open a set of applications, folders, utilities, etc, and take you to your typical start point for that particular 'work type' or task. -- Terry, East Grinstead, UK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randallf Posted February 9, 2009 Report Share Posted February 9, 2009 I think I see what you are getting at: you see that more is possible but you aren't sure where to head. I realized frequently over the years that I simply didn't know a certain thing was a candidate until long after the fact. One thing that I can recommend is just to pay attention to repetitive tasks. Things like filling out an email that is a standard form using data taken from applications are generally great candidates for automation. With resources like this forum there is almost no technical limit to what you can do, you just have to identify the task as something that fits a process... macros CAN account for changes and check data and respond to parameters based on input, etc. Even fields with many possible entries can be boiled into lists and selection menus to reduce keystrokes. If you can describe in more detail what it is that you do I am certain we can make some suggestions. Edit: as a programmer, you probably have a lot of back-office crap to do... TPS reports or bug analysis or standard forms... maybe you can make a macro that saves your current project to a certain file for you, or something that emails your boss at the end of the day or whatever... In more complex and technical roles I have successfully used macros to all but eliminate the administration and forms and other bullshit and just be able to concentrate on the technical nature of the work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoggy Posted February 10, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 10, 2009 Thanks guys, both posts have given me ideas. It's amazing how easy it is to become comfortable with 'ritual' and just how hard it is to break it. I need to spend a few days writing ideas and notes (to get more ideas) and see where it goes. While I'm at it, I need to improve my ability with Macro Express itself, I've just scratched the surface, it seems... Regards Hoggy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
margaret Posted February 16, 2009 Report Share Posted February 16, 2009 Due to a medical problem, I'm trying to reduce the amount of typing I do each day, but still get the job done. I'm a computer programmer, so not typing isn't much of an option. I've made some progress, I've created a macro that asks for a name and then generates a basic shell of a function. I've got another that allows me to select from a list, and it inserts a suitable 'snippet' of code. Together these save me somewhere around 5000 & more keypresses a day. What else could I do? Do you have something similar that has worked for you? Any ideas are welcome. Have you thought about trying voice recognition? Dragon Naturally Speaking Professional has very extensive macro capabilities, which would be very easy for you to use with your programming background, and you can use it in combination with Macro Express. It is expensive, but may be worth it in your situation. The less expensive version, Dragon NaturallySpeaking Preferred, has much more limited macro capabilities, but I believe you would be able to speak the shortcut keys that you have programmed into Macro Express. Also, some programmers have come up with ways to write more macros in Dragon NaturallySpeaking Preferred by using additional languages. I don't know much about that because I have the Professional version. If you'd like more info, please send me a private message through the menu next to my username. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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