Macros for universal operation across all macro files

[Yehnfikm8Gq]

I have a few macros that I add or would like to add to all macro files. The problem is that if you have more than one macro file open, multiple copies of those macros try to run. You can't use pop-up menus because they are per macro file. You can't add to the System Macros.

 

I can't have a special macro file permanently open with those macros in because normally I only run one macro file at a time. Every File Open I close all other macros. Something like the System Macros but for the user's use would fit the bill.

 

Does anyone else have this issue or a solution?

[rberq]

I hadn't anticipated that issue. Thanks for the warning. My first idea, like yours, was an always-open mex file containing the common macros. I don't quite follow your explanation of why you can't do that. The problem only happens when you have more than one macro file open, but you normally have only one macro file open, so why is it a problem?

 

You could create a macro that disables the common macros, and another that enables them. Then run the disable just before you close a mex, and run the enable just after opening another mex. It would be an effort to remember to do it, unless you can come up with a way to do it automatically.

[paul]

I have a few macros that I add or would like to add to all macro files. The problem is that if you have more than one macro file open, multiple copies of those macros try to run. You can't use pop-up menus because they are per macro file. You can't add to the System Macros.

 

I can't have a special macro file permanently open with those macros in because normally I only run one macro file at a time. Every File Open I close all other macros. Something like the System Macros but for the user's use would fit the bill.

 

Does anyone else have this issue or a solution?

Can you provide a couple of specific examples of what you mean please?

[Yehnfikm8Gq]

Re: "The problem only happens when you have more than one macro file open, but you normally have only one macro file open, so why is it a problem? "

 

The problem there is that when I open the next macro, I tell it to close all open macros (as I sometimes have more than one open) so it would close the common macro file too. I could get round it by closing the open macro first then opening the new one "adding to the open macros". It's a nuisance having to do that and so easy to forget.

 

Re "Can you provide a couple of specific examples of what you mean please?"

 

I'm not sure what you're looking for there, the macros are really simple eg a better variant of Ctrl+F for text; converting uppercase to lower case; inserting context-sensitive variables such as %T[0]% with the 0 highlighted. They are things I use all the time whatever I'm doing.

 

As I noted, the best method by far would be to have a user mex that's treated like the System Macros - always there. Any short or hotkeys used would be taken off the available lists for all other macros. I presently have a System (ie MEPro) Maintenance macro file and having a permanent user mex would make global activities much easier.

[paul]

Re "Can you provide a couple of specific examples of what you mean please?"

I'm not sure what you're looking for there...

I think I'm confused by your terminology, and am having difficulty in deciding whether you're talking about opening one or more macro files in Macro Explorer, or running macros.

You say "open the next macro" - does that mean opening a new macro file?

You say "multiple copies of those macros try to run" - what does that mean?

You say "normally I only run one macro file at a time" - again, I'm confused by the use of "run".

I think you're talking about Macro Explorer, and having one or more macro files open - nothing to do with running macros. Am I right? If so, then I guess you're talking about having include functionality, like AutoIt's #include syntax. Right?

[kevin]

Having a set of macros available at all times is the very reason Macro Express Pro has the ability to have multiple macro files open at the same time. If you want a set of macros available all the time (including a popup menu macro) you can either 1) put them in a macro file and keep it open all the time or 2) put all of those macros in all of your macro files.

 

In addition to being able to load and close macro files from the user interface, you can use the Load New Macro File and Close Macro File macro commands to manage the macro files from within your macros.

[Yehnfikm8Gq]

Re Paul

Open a macro - sorry, I abbreviated a few times, Open/Close refers to Macro File. Where I referred to Run it was running a macro (except in one case where I was referring to a Macro File being open/active)

 

"multiple copies of those macros try to run" - if you put a copy of a macro in every Macro File and hit the hotkey for the macro, the macro will run out of every open Macro File. Two Macro Files open will run the macro twice etc. I have a hotkey macro that types %T[0]% (context sensitive) which is in all Macro Files. If I have two Macro Files open, it will type %T[0]%%T%]0[ or other variants %%TT[[00]]%%.

 

Re Kevin

If you have a number of Macro Files open at the same time, you have to be very careful about hotkeys. You cannot use the same hotkeys otherwise multiple copies run (see above). If you make the hotkeys different for the same macro in each Macro File it defeats the idea of having universal macros.

 

I mentioned that I normally have just one Macro File open at a time (to avoid confusion with hotkeys). The content of each Macro File is based on that assumption. I don't use Categories at all. I may have more than one Macro File open but then I'm very careful about what I do. I normally have the option "Close all other files before opening this file" active. I use the dropdown list from the Open File icon (but you would not know that cos you don't have the toolbar visible!). That would close the Macro File containing the universal macros. As I noted previously you can get round that with extra keystrokes but it's an annoyance.

 

If you are opening and closing Macro Files manually, Load and Close commands within macros are not in the picture.