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Options for 'Macros'

If you choose this category in the Options dialog, the following dialog box opens:

In this dialog, macros can be defined using the commands of the batch mechanism, which can then be called in the 'Edit' 'Macros' menu.

Perform the following steps to define a new macro:

  • In the input field Name, you enter a name for the macro to be created. After the New button is pressed, this name is transferred into the Macrolist field and marked as selected there. The macro list is represented in a tree structure. The locally defined macros are positioned one below the other. If macro libraries (see below) are integrated, then the library names will be listed and by a mouse-click on the plus- resp. minus-signs in front of those entries you can open or close a list of the library elements.

  • The Menu field is used to define the menu entry with which the macro will appear in the 'Edit' 'Macros' menu. In order to be able to use a single letter as a short-cut, the letter must be preceded by the symbol '&'. Example: the name "Ma&cro 1" generates the menu entry "Macro 1". Example: the name "Ma&cro 1" will create a menu item "Macro 1".

  • In the editor field Commands you define and/or edit the commands that are to constitute the newly created or selected macro. All the commands of the batch mechanism and all keywords which are valid for those are allowed. You can obtain a list by pressing the Help button. A new command line is started by pressing <Ctrl><Enter>. The context menu with the common text editor functions is obtained by pressing the right mouse button. Command components that belong together can be grouped using quotation marks.

  • If you want to create further macros, perform steps 1-3 again, before you close the dialog by pressing the OK-button.

If you want to delete a macro, select it in the macro list and press button <Del>.

If you want to rename a macro, select it in the macro list, insert a new name in the edit field 'Name' and then press button Rename.

To edit an existing macro, select it in the macro list and edit the fields 'Menu' and/or 'Commands'. The modifications will be saved when pressing the OK-button.

As soon as the dialog is closed by pressing the OK-button the actual description of all macros will be saved in the project.

The macro menu entries in the 'Edit' 'Macros' menu are now displayed in the order in which they were defined. The macros are not checked until a menu selection is made.

Macro libraries:

Macros can be saved in external macro libraries. These libraries can be included in other projects.

  • Creating a macro library containing the macros of the currently opened project:

    Press button Create. You get the dialog Merge project, where all available macros are listed. Select the desired entries and confirm with OK. The selection dialog will close and dialog Save Macrolibrary will open. Insert here a name and path for the new library and press button Save. The library will be created named as <library name>.mac and the dialog will be closed.

  • Including a macro library <library name>.mac in the currently opened project:

    Press button Include. The dialog Open Macrolibrary will open, which shows files with extension *.mac. Select the desired library and press button Open. The dialog will be closed and the library will be added to the tree of the Macrolist.

Hint: The macros of a project also can be exported⮫ “'Project' 'Export'”.

The settings will be stored in the project.