Macro Express 3

Manual of Instruction

Copyright Insight Software Solutions, Inc.

Table of Contents

Introduction

About Macro Express ................................ ................................ ................................ ........... 8 Program Overview ................................ ................................ ................................ ............... 9 Program Navigation ................................ ................................ ................................ ............. 10

Installing Macro Express

Installing Macro Express ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 11 Advanced Installation ................................ ................................ ................................ .......... 12 Advanced License Information ................................ ................................ ............................. 15 Uninstalling Macro Express ................................ ................................ ................................ .. 16

Tutorial

Tutorial - Introduction ................................ ................................ ................................ ......... 17 Creating a HotKey Macro ................................ ................................ ................................ ..... 18 Creating a Shortkey Macro ................................ ................................ ................................ ... 20 Creating a Scheduled Macro ................................ ................................ ................................ . 23 Capture a Macro - HotKey First ................................ ................................ ............................ 27 Capture a Macro - HotKey Last ................................ ................................ ............................. 30 Create a Popup Menu ................................ ................................ ................................ .......... 32 Quick Wizard Capture ................................ ................................ ................................ .......... 35 Macro Scopes................................ ................................ ................................ ...................... 41 Sample Macros ................................ ................................ ................................ .................... 44 Advanced - Using Controls ................................ ................................ ................................ ... 46 Advanced - Copy and Paste Routine ................................ ................................ ..................... 50 Advanced - Using Text String Variables ................................ ................................ ................ 52

Playing Back Macros

Macro Activation ................................ ................................ ................................ ................. 54 HotKey Activation ................................ ................................ ................................ ................ 57 Shortkey Activation ................................ ................................ ................................ ............. 59

Scheduled Macros

Schedule Activation ................................ ................................ ................................ ......... 60 Scheduling - At Startup ................................ ................................ ................................ .... 62 Scheduling - Once ................................ ................................ ................................ ........... 63 Scheduling - Hourly ................................ ................................ ................................ ......... 64 Scheduling - Daily ................................ ................................ ................................ ........... 65 Scheduling - Weekly ................................ ................................ ................................ ........ 66 Scheduling - Monthly ................................ ................................ ................................ ....... 67 Scheduling - Time Out ................................ ................................ ................................ ..... 68 Scheduling - Other ................................ ................................ ................................ .......... 70 Scheduling - At File Load ................................ ................................ ................................ . 71

Window Title ................................ ................................ ................................ ....................... 72 No Activation ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................... 73 Popup Menu ................................ ................................ ................................ ....................... 74 Mouse Activation ................................ ................................ ................................ ................. 75 Floating Menu ................................ ................................ ................................ ..................... 76 Control Activation ................................ ................................ ................................ ................ 77 Stopping a Macro ................................ ................................ ................................ ................ 79

Using the Macro Explorer

Macro Explorer ................................ ................................ ................................ .................... 80

System Macros ................................ ................................ ................................ .................... 82

Menu Commands

File

File Menu ................................ ................................ ................................ .................... 84

Import/Export Macros

Importing Macros ................................ ................................ ................................ .... 86 Import Text Files ................................ ................................ ................................ ..... 87 Import Playable Macro ................................ ................................ ............................. 88 Exporting Macros ................................ ................................ ................................ ..... 89 Output Macro Information ................................ ................................ ........................ 90 Export Playable Macro ................................ ................................ ............................. 91

Macros

Add Macros ................................ ................................ ................................ ................. 92 Copy Macro ................................ ................................ ................................ ................. 97 Run Macro Now ................................ ................................ ................................ ........... 98 Recapture Macro ................................ ................................ ................................ ......... 99 Enable or Disable Macro ................................ ................................ .............................. 100 Search Explorer ................................ ................................ ................................ ........... 101 Delete Macro ................................ ................................ ................................ ............... 102 Place on Desktop................................ ................................ ................................ ......... 103 Macro Properties ................................ ................................ ................................ ......... 104

Category

Categories ................................ ................................ ................................ .................. 106

Options

Sort Macros ................................ ................................ ................................ ................ 108 View ................................ ................................ ................................ ........................... 110

Preferences

Appearance ................................ ................................ ................................ ............. 111 Backup Preferences ................................ ................................ ................................ . 113 Caching ................................ ................................ ................................ .................. 115 Capture ................................ ................................ ................................ .................. 116 Delays ................................ ................................ ................................ .................... 118 Dialogs ................................ ................................ ................................ ................... 119 Email Settings ................................ ................................ ................................ ......... 121 Email Recipients ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 122 File Paths ................................ ................................ ................................ ................ 123 Miscellaneous ................................ ................................ ................................ .......... 124 Miscellaneous - Advanced ................................ ................................ ........................ 127 Network ................................ ................................ ................................ .................. 128 Passwords ................................ ................................ ................................ ............... 129 Playback ................................ ................................ ................................ ................. 130 Scheduler ................................ ................................ ................................ ............... 132 Shortkeys................................ ................................ ................................ ................ 133 Startup ................................ ................................ ................................ ................... 136

Tools

Mouse Locator ................................ ................................ ................................ ............ 137 Remap Keyboard ................................ ................................ ................................ ......... 138 Remap - Select Character ................................ ................................ ............................ 140 Error Log Viewer ................................ ................................ ................................ ......... 141

Restore Program Defaults ................................ ................................ ............................ 142 Import Program Configuration ................................ ................................ ...................... 143 Export Program Configuration ................................ ................................ ...................... 144 Restore File Associations ................................ ................................ .............................. 145 Restore Keyboard Hooks ................................ ................................ .............................. 146 Restore Mouse Hooks ................................ ................................ ................................ .. 147

Building Macros with the Editors

Scripting vs Direct Editor ................................ ................................ ................................ ..... 148 Scripting Editor ................................ ................................ ................................ ................... 149 Direct Editor ................................ ................................ ................................ ....................... 152 Direct Editor Tips ................................ ................................ ................................ ................ 154

Editor Menu Items

Editor Menu Items ................................ ................................ ................................ ........... 155 Editor Menu - File ................................ ................................ ................................ ............ 158 Editor Menu - Edit ................................ ................................ ................................ ........... 159 Editor Menu - Debug ................................ ................................ ................................ ....... 161

Properties ................................ ................................ ................................ ........................... 162 Scope ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ . 164 Security ................................ ................................ ................................ .............................. 168 Notes ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ . 170

Macro Command Categories

CD-ROM

CD-ROM ................................ ................................ ................................ ......................... 171

Clipboard

Clipboard ................................ ................................ ................................ ........................ 173

Debug

Log Messages ................................ ................................ ................................ ................. 176

Desktop

Desktop ................................ ................................ ................................ .......................... 177

Dialogs

Multiple Choice ................................ ................................ ................................ ................ 178 Text Box Display ................................ ................................ ................................ ............. 181

Explorer

Open Explorer To ................................ ................................ ................................ ............ 184 Open Folder in Explorer ................................ ................................ ................................ ... 185 Open Folder using My Computer ................................ ................................ ...................... 186

Files/Folders

Convert File Name ................................ ................................ ................................ ........... 187 File Manipulation ................................ ................................ ................................ ............. 188 Get File Version ................................ ................................ ................................ ............... 190 Process an ASCII Delimited Text File ................................ ................................ ................ 191 Process a Text File ................................ ................................ ................................ .......... 195 Set File Attributes ................................ ................................ ................................ ............ 197

Internet

Dial-Up Commands ................................ ................................ ................................ .......... 198 Get IP Address ................................ ................................ ................................ ................ 200 FTP ChMod Command ................................ ................................ ................................ ..... 201 FTP Connect ................................ ................................ ................................ ................... 202

FTP Directories ................................ ................................ ................................ ................ 203 FTP Directory Commands................................ ................................ ................................ . 204 FTP File Commands ................................ ................................ ................................ ......... 205 FTP Keep Alive ................................ ................................ ................................ ................ 206 FTP Send File ................................ ................................ ................................ .................. 207 FTP Site ................................ ................................ ................................ .......................... 208 FTP Site Command ................................ ................................ ................................ .......... 209 Ping Site ................................ ................................ ................................ ......................... 210 Send Email ................................ ................................ ................................ ..................... 211 Web Site ................................ ................................ ................................ ......................... 215

Keyboard

Keys Up or Down ................................ ................................ ................................ ............ 216 Toggle Keys ................................ ................................ ................................ .................... 217

Logic

AND/OR/XOR Logic ................................ ................................ ................................ ......... 218 If Commands ................................ ................................ ................................ .................. 220 If Control ................................ ................................ ................................ ........................ 224 If Message ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................... 225 If OS Version ................................ ................................ ................................ .................. 227 If Ping Successful ................................ ................................ ................................ ............ 228 If Registry ................................ ................................ ................................ ....................... 229 If Variable ................................ ................................ ................................ ....................... 230 Switch / Case Commands ................................ ................................ ................................ 231

Macro Control

Load Macro Text File ................................ ................................ ................................ ....... 234 Load New Macro File ................................ ................................ ................................ ....... 235 Macro Commands................................ ................................ ................................ ............ 236 Macro Control Commands ................................ ................................ ................................ 238 Password Protection ................................ ................................ ................................ ........ 239 Remarks ................................ ................................ ................................ ......................... 241

Macro Express

Macro Express Commands ................................ ................................ ............................... 242 Restart Macro Express ................................ ................................ ................................ ..... 243

Mouse

Mouse Click on Control ................................ ................................ ................................ .... 244 Mouse Commands ................................ ................................ ................................ ........... 245 Move Mouse to Tray Icon ................................ ................................ ................................ 249

Multimedia

Audio Controls ................................ ................................ ................................ ................ 250 Set Sound ................................ ................................ ................................ ....................... 251 Video Clip ................................ ................................ ................................ ....................... 252

Network

Map a Drive ................................ ................................ ................................ .................... 254

Registry

Create Registry Key ................................ ................................ ................................ ......... 256 Read/Write Registry ................................ ................................ ................................ ........ 257 Write to Registry ................................ ................................ ................................ ............. 229

Repeat

Break Command ................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 259

Repeat Options ................................ ................................ ................................ ............... 260

System

Control Panel ................................ ................................ ................................ .................. 263 Default Printer ................................ ................................ ................................ ................ 264 Empty Recycle Bin ................................ ................................ ................................ ........... 265 Get Pixel Color ................................ ................................ ................................ ................ 266 Hibernate ................................ ................................ ................................ ....................... 268 Lock Workstation ................................ ................................ ................................ ............ 269 Post Message ................................ ................................ ................................ .................. 270 Reboot or Shut Down ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 272 Screen Display Settings ................................ ................................ ................................ ... 273 Set System Date/Time ................................ ................................ ................................ ..... 274 System Controls ................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 275 System Dialogs ................................ ................................ ................................ ............... 277 Terminal Services Session ID ................................ ................................ ........................... 278

Text

Date ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................... 279 Date and Time ................................ ................................ ................................ ................ 280 Encrypted Text ................................ ................................ ................................ ................ 282 Symbols ................................ ................................ ................................ .......................... 283 Text Type ................................ ................................ ................................ ....................... 284 Time................................ ................................ ................................ ............................... 286

Timing

Delay ................................ ................................ ................................ .............................. 288 Pause ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................. 289 Speed ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................. 291 Wait For Commands ................................ ................................ ................................ ........ 292

Variables

Variables Overview ................................ ................................ ................................ .......... 296 Clear Variables ................................ ................................ ................................ ................ 298 INI Files and Variables ................................ ................................ ................................ ..... 299 Modify Decimal Variable ................................ ................................ ................................ ... 300 Modify Integer Variable ................................ ................................ ................................ ... 302 Modify String Variable ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 304 Run Macro in Variable ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 308 Save or Restore Variables ................................ ................................ ................................ 310 Set Decimal Variables ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 311 Set String Variable................................ ................................ ................................ ........... 313 Set Variable Integer ................................ ................................ ................................ ........ 315 Variable Set From File ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 321 Variable Set from Miscellaneous ................................ ................................ ....................... 323 Variable Set to ASCII Character ................................ ................................ ........................ 324 Variable Set to ASCII Value ................................ ................................ .............................. 325

Window Controls

Controls ................................ ................................ ................................ .......................... 326 Using Controls ................................ ................................ ................................ ................. 46 Capture Control ................................ ................................ ................................ ............... 331 Get Control ................................ ................................ ................................ ..................... 332 Post Message ................................ ................................ ................................ .................. 270 Set Focus ................................ ................................ ................................ ........................ 336 Variable Get Control Class ................................ ................................ ................................ 337

Variable Get Control Text ................................ ................................ ................................ . 338 Variable Modify Control ................................ ................................ ................................ .... 339 Variable Set Control Text ................................ ................................ ................................ . 341

Windows/Programs

Activate or Launch Programs................................ ................................ ............................ 342 Set Window Order ................................ ................................ ................................ ........... 344 Size or Position a Window ................................ ................................ ................................ 345 Terminate Process ................................ ................................ ................................ ........... 347 Window Commands ................................ ................................ ................................ ......... 348 Window Move and Size ................................ ................................ ................................ .... 350

Capture (Record) a Macro

Capture Macro - Introduction ................................ ................................ ............................... 352 Capture Settings ................................ ................................ ................................ ................. 116 Capture a Macro ................................ ................................ ................................ ................. 355 Capture a Macro - Hot Key First ................................ ................................ ........................... 27 Capture a Macro - Hot Key Last ................................ ................................ ............................ 30 Quick Wizard Capture ................................ ................................ ................................ .......... 35

Create a Macro with Quick Wizards

Quick Wizards ................................ ................................ ................................ ..................... 368 Text Wizards ................................ ................................ ................................ ....................... 370 Internet and Networking Wizards ................................ ................................ ......................... 371 Macro Wizards ................................ ................................ ................................ .................... 372 Multimedia Wizards ................................ ................................ ................................ ............. 373 System and Files Wizards ................................ ................................ ................................ .... 374

Using Popup and Floating Menus

Building Popup and Floating Menus ................................ ................................ ...................... 376 Properties ................................ ................................ ................................ ........................... 378 Scope ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ . 381 Notes ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ . 385 Icons ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .. 386

Macro Recycle Bin

Macro Recycle Bin ................................ ................................ ................................ ............... 389 Networking and Other Issues ................................ ................................ ................................ ... 390

Networking Questions ................................ ................................ ................................ ......... 391 Command Line Parameters ................................ ................................ ................................ .. 392

License and Support Issues

Support ................................ ................................ ................................ .............................. 394 Frequently Asked Questions ................................ ................................ ................................ . 395 Backup and Restore Macros ................................ ................................ ................................ . 390 End-User License Agreement ................................ ................................ ............................... 399 Licensing the Evaluation Copy ................................ ................................ .............................. 401 Upgrade Policy ................................ ................................ ................................ .................... 402

About Macro Express Macro Express is the premier macro utility on the market. With Macro Express, you can record, edit and play back mouse and keyboard macros. Its powerful tools and robust features will noticeably boost your productivity.

What is a Macro? A macro is a set of commands that can be played back at will to perform a given task. These tasks may be something

simple such as inserting your name and address into a word processor to something more complex such as launching a program, copying data from it, activating another program, pasting the data into it and repeating the steps several times.

Tasks performed by macros are typically repetitive in nature allowing significant savings in time by executing the macro

instead of manually repeating the commands.

Creating a Macro There are several ways to create macros with Macro Express. One method is to capture (record) your keystrokes and mouse movements. Another method is to use the Quick Wizards. The Quick Wizards guide you through a series of

questions and build the macro for you. Or you can build your own macros with the easy to use Scripting Editor or Direct

Editor. The tutorial provides examples of creating macros through each of these methods.

Playing Back a Macro Macro Express offers several methods for executing macros. These include the use of HotKeys, Shortkeys, Scheduled Macros, Window Activation, Mouse Clicks, Popup/Floating Menus and several others.

1. A HotKey is a combination of keys on the keyboard that are pressed to initiate a macro. This could include

pressing CTRL+ALT+R or CTRL+F12 or any number of combinations.

2. A Shortkey is a small string of characters. When a matching combination is keyed in from the keyboard, it is erased and the assigned macro executes. You could use the small string of #add to type out your address.

3. A Scheduled Macro executes on a given time schedule.

4. For Window Activation, a macro runs when a specific window gains focus (appears) on the screen.

5. A macro may be triggered by clicking on a specific area of the screen with the left, right or middle Mouse button.

6. A Popup Menu or Floating Menu is basically a list of defined macros. Once the list is displayed, click on the

desired macro or press an associated number or letter to execute the macro.

7. A macro can be activated through a Batch File or Command Line.

8. Macros may also be activated through Windows API calls or Windows Explorer .

9. Run a macro from the Macro Explorer by using the Run Macro Now option.

Macro Scopes Macro scopes allow you to place restrictions on your macros. You can assign macros to play back in all Windows

programs, in one specific window or program, or in every program except the one you define. The tutorial steps through

a few examples of how to do this.

Program Overview

Macro Express is a utility designed to help you automate repetitive computer tasks. This guide will explain a few basic

concepts of Macro Express that may help you better understand the program.

Starting Macro Express After installing the program, click on Start | Programs and open the folder that you chose for the shortcut (normally

Macro Express). Click on the Macro Express 3 shortcut to start the program. If you elected to put Macro Express in your StartUp folder during the installation process, Macro Express will load each time you start your computer.

You can chose to have the program run in hidden mode or place an icon in the System Tray. Click on Options |

Preferences | Appearance to make your selection. If runn ing in hidden mode, the default hotkey is CTRL+ALT+SHIFT+W to activate the program window.

Player and Editor Macro Express is split into two parts known as the Macro Express Player and the Macro Express Editor. The Macro Express Player is what executes the macros and it must be running in order for macros to play back. The Macro Express

Editor is the tool used to create the macros.

When you run Macro Express, you are really running the Macro Player. By default, the Macro Editor will also run when you start Macro Express, but this can be changed so that it does not run automatically. The Macro Editor cannot be run

by itself.

By default, the Macro Express Player shows up as an icon in the system tray. From this icon you can invoke the Macro Express Editor or shut down the Macro Express Player. You can optionally set the Macro Express Player to be completely

hidden so that no icon shows in the system tray. With this option set, you would need to use the System Macros to invoke the editor or terminate the program.

Macros A macro is a script containing commands that automate computer tasks. Each command performs one step, such as moving the mouse, launching a program or entering keystrokes.

There are several ways within the Macro Express Editor to create a macro. Using the Quick Wizards or Capture are the

simplest. The Quick Wizards ask a series of questions and build a macro for you. To Capture a macro, you start the Capture, enter your keystrokes and mouse movements, and then stop the Capture process. You can use the Scripting

Editor or Direct Editor for more control in writing your macro.

Macro Activation Once written, a macro needs an action to cause it to play back. The macro activation might be a combination of

keystrokes, a mouse click in a certain area of the screen or a macro may launch when a program starts up.

Files Macro Express allows you to create multiple files of macros. When installing the program, two macro files are also loaded. They are samples.mex and macex.mex. The samples.mex file contains a number of sample macros that you can

look at or use for reference. It is recommended that you not use this as your default file to create and store macros. The other file, macex.mex, is where you can save macros that you create. Or you can create a new macro file for this purpose

by clicking on File | New Macro File from the Macro Explorer. The Macro Explorer displays the macro file name and path

of the file you currently have opened.

Program Navigation

Macro Express consists of several components. The major components of the program may be accessed by clicking on

the icons in the Actions column. You may also access these components through the menu commands. Each of these components will be discussed briefly here. Links are provided for more detailed information about each component.

Macro Explorer By default, the program opens to the Macro Explorer. This displays the list of macros in the file that you have open. When saving macros in the editors or other options, the program will return to the Macro Explorer.

Scripting Editor The Scripting Editor is one of two editors available for writing or editing macros. If you have highlighted a macro in the

Macro Explorer list and click on the Scripting Editor icon, the contents of the highlighted macro will be displayed in the Scripting Editor. If you do not have a macro highlighted and click on the Scripting Editor icon, a message will appear

saying that you have not selected a macro to edit. Then it asks if you would like to create a new macro using the

Scripting Editor. If you click yes, the Add Macro window will appear and you can begin writing the macro. Double clicking on a macro listed in the Macro Explorer will load the Scripting Editor if you have it set as your default editor . Once in the

Scripting Editor you can then click on the Direct Editor and work on the macro in this editor.

Direct Editor The Direct Editor is the other editor available for writing or editing macros. If you have highlighted a macro in the Macro

Explorer list and click on the Direct Editor icon, the contents of the highlighted macro will be displayed in the Direct Editor. If you do not have a macro highlighted and click on the Direct Editor icon, a message will appear saying tha t you

have not selected a macro to edit. Then it asks if you would like to create a new macro using the Direct Editor. If you click yes, the Add Macro window will appear and you can begin writing the macro. Double clicking on a macro listed in

the Macro Explorer will load the Direct Editor if you have it set as your default editor . Once in the Direct Editor you can then click on the Scripting Editor and work on the macro in this editor.

Capture This will start the process for recording or capturing a macro. Your keystrokes and mouse clicks/movements will be recorded and saved.

Quick Wizards This option will start the Quick Wizards. There are 25+ different wizards to guide you step by step through the creation

of different macro types.

Recycle Bin Macro Express has its own recycle bin. Any macros deleted from the Macro Explorer will be sent to the Recycle Bin. If you

deleted one by mistake you can restore the macro to its proper file. Or if you are sure you don't need the deleted macros, you can remove them permanently.

Installing Macro Express

The steps for installing Macro Express are fairly standard.

1. First download the program from www.macros.com.

2. Save the downloaded file to a folder on your hard drive.

3. Locate the downloaded file and double click the .exe file to start the installation process.

4. Follow the on screen instructions to complete the install.

To get started with the program, read the Introduction and the Tutorial sections of the Macro E xpress Help.

Licensing Macro Express

If you have purchased the license for Macro Express you will also receive a license code. From the Macro Explorer click

on Help | License Macro Express to activate the License Information window. Enter your name and code exactly as they appear on the license instructions you received when you purchased Macro Express. Press OK to save the license

information. Your license status will now display in the lower left corner of the Macro Explorer.

See the Advanced License Information topic for consideration of Administrator and non -Administrator login rights and Macro Express licensing.

Advanced Installation

Silent Install A silent install means Macro Express will be installed without the user having to answer any questions during the installation process. This is useful if you want to install Macro Express from within another setup program or when

installing from a server on a network.

Note: Because it requires command line parameters, a Silent Install cannot be run by clicking on the installation filename in Explorer. You may execute it from the Start | Run command or from a batch file that contains the proper command.

The /S command line parameter tells the Macro Express installer to do a Silent Install. For example: macex3.exe /S

Note: The Macro Express installation file can be named setup.exe or macex3.exe depending on where you obtained the file. In the examples shown, substitute the actual name of your Macro Express installation file. If you downloaded an

installation file in zip format, you must unzip setup.exe or macex3.exe from the zip file before running a Silent Install.

Installation options The Macro Express Install program allows you to use a text file to automatically respond to the install questions during

the installation process. By putting entries in the text file, you can choose things such as where to install the program, whether Macro Express should be put in the Startup folder so it is automatically launched when Windows starts, or

whether the Quick Start Guide should be displayed after Macro Express is installed.

To do this you need to create a text file with a name of your choosing and use t he /M= command line parameter. For this example, we will name the file ME3Setup.txt.

macex3.exe /M=c: \ME3Setup.txt

These are the options you can put in the setup file:

INSTALLPATH is used to override the default installation folder. If included, Macro Express will be installed in the folder specified by INSTALLPATH.

INSTALLPATH=c: \myprograms\Macro Express

STARTMENUFOLDR is used to override the default start menu used to load Macro Express. If included, the menus to

start Macro Express will be placed in the folder specified by STARTMENUFOLDR.

STARTMENUFOLDR=Utilities

STARTUP=Y puts Macro Express in Windows StartUp folder.

STARTUP=N does not put Macro Express in Windows StartUp folder.

LAUNCHNOW=Y Launches Macro Express after installation is completed.

LAUNCHNOW=N does not Launch Macro Express after installation is completed.

NOQUICKSTART = Y the Quick Start Guide will not be installed.

NOQUICKSTART = N the Quick Start Guide will be installed (default).

QUICKSTARTNOW=Y displays Quick Start Guide after installation is completed or when Macro Express starts

(default).

QUICKSTARTNOW=N does not display Quick Start Guide at the end of the installation.

QUICKSTARTNOW=P Prevents the Quick Start Guide from being displayed when Macro Express starts.

QUICKSTARTNOW=NP does not display Quick Start Guide at the end of the installation and also prevents the Quick

Start Guide from being displayed when Macro Express starts.

Note: NOQUICKSTART prevents the Quick Start Guide from even being installed. QUICKSTARTNOW just prevents

the Quick Start Guide from being displayed. When using QUICKSTARTNOW the Quick Start Guide can be installed but not automatically displayed.

WHATSNEWNOW = Y Displays What's New in this version after install

WHATSNEWNOW = N does not display What's New in this version after install

REBOOT=N suppresses the dialog suggesting a reboot after installation is completed, even if the installer has

determined that one is needed.

LICENSENAME and LICENSECODE are used to license the software during install:

LICENSENAME=Name used when Macro Express was licensed

LICENSECODE=Code received when Macro Express was licensed

CONFIGFILEPATH= path to optional configuration file. This allows you to set a specific configuration for M acro

Express at the time you install Macro Express.

To do this, install Macro Express on a computer and set all the preferences the way you want them. Then, click Tools

| Export Program Configuration to create a file containing the preferences you desir e. Then add CONFIGFILEPATH=c:\macexp.mcf to the MESetup.txt file.

This example assumes the preference information has been saved in the file c:\macexp.mcf.

NOEDITOR=Y the Macro Express Editor will not be installed

NOEDITOR=N the Macro Express Editor will be installed (default)

NOHELP = Y the Help file will not be installed.

NOHELP = N the Help file will be installed (default).

NOICONS = Y the sample icons will not be installed.

NOICONS = N the sample icons will be installed (default).

INSTALLOLDER = Y all files will be installed even if they are older than files already in the destination folder.

INSTALLOLDER = N newer files in the destination folder will not be overwritten (default).

MACROFILEDEST = Path and filename of where to inst all the macro file macexinstall.mex, if it exists

Listed below are the rules for installing a macro (.mex) file.

1. The macro file macexinstall.mex must exist in the same directory as the install file.

2. If the MACROFILEDEST silent install option does not exist, then a) the macro file will be installed in the same folder as the program and b) the name of the macro file is the default name for that program (macex.mex).

3. If the MACROFILEDEST silent install option is used, then the macro file will be installed in the folder and filename specified.

Sample Text File

Using Notepad, or some other text editor, create the file ME3Setup.txt containing the following:

INSTALLPATH=c:\Program Files\Mac Exp 3

STARTMENUFOLDR=Mac Exp 3

STARTUP=N

LAUNCHNOW=N

QUICKSTARTNOW=N

REBOOT=N

LICENSENAME=Jason Junior

LICENSECODE=AB3EX-45F9T-1200P-34CC3-6TY54

Note: The License Information is for demonstration purposes only. You should use the

License Information you received when you purchased Macro Express 3.

This example will cause Macro Express to be installed in the c:\Program Files\Mac Exp 3 folder. The start menu will be Mac Exp 3. Macro Express will not be launched when

Windows is started. Macro Express will not run at the end of the install. The Quick Start

Guide will not be displayed at the end of the install. The setup will not reboot the computer. After the installation is complete, the program will be licensed to Jason Junior.

Note: Only insert valid options into the ME3Setup.txt file. Do not include comments, blank

lines or remarked out options.

Silent Install with Options You may combine the Silent Install with the Installation Options listed above. After creating ME3Setup.txt you would install Macro Express 3 with the following command:

macex3.exe /S /M=c: \ME3Setup.txt

Related Topics

Advanced Licensing Information

Advanced License Information

Windows can be configured to allow different users to log into a single computer. Some versions of Windows require a

user to log in. Normally only one user is logged in at a time. One or more login names have access to the en tire

computer and are said to have administrative access rights. Other login names do not have administrative access rights. These login names have restrictions about what they can change on the computer.

If the Name and Code are entered into the License Information dialog when you are logged in as an administrator, Macro

Express 3 will be licensed for all users. If, however, the License Information is entered when you are logged in as a non-administrator, Macro Express 3 will only be licensed for that user login.

Uninstalling Macro Express 3

To remove Macro Express from your computer follow the steps below:

1) Click on File | Terminate Macro Express Player and Editor to close Macro Express.

2) From the taskbar, click the Start menu button to open the Start menu. 3) Open the Windows Control Panel.

4) Based on the version of Windows you are running, select the option from the control panel used to uninstall applications.

5) Highlight Macro Express 3 in the list of installed programs.

6) Again, depending on your version of Windows click on the option to remove the program. 7) Follow the on-screen prompts to remove Macro Express from your computer.

Tutorial - Introduction

A macro is a set of commands that can be played back at will to perform a given task. These tasks can be something

simple such as inserting your name and address into a word processor to something more complex such as launching a program, copying data from it, activating another program, pasting the data into it and repeating this several times.

Tasks performed by macros are typically repetitive in nature allowing significant savings in time by executing the macro

instead of manually repeating the commands.

Macro Creation

There are several ways to create macros with Macro Express. One method is to capture (record) your keystrokes and

mouse movements. Another method is to use the Quick Wizards. The Quick Wizards guide you through a series of questions and build the macro for you. Or you can build your own macros with the easy to use Scripting Editor or Direct

Editor. This tutorial will give examples of creating macros through each of these methods.

Macro Playback Options Macro Express offers several ways to execute macros. These include the use of HotKeys, Shortkeys, Scheduled Macros, Window Activation, Mouse Clicks, Window Controls and Popup/Floating Menus.

1. A HotKey is a set of keys on the keyboard that are pressed to initiat e the macro. This could include pressing CTRL+ALT+R or CTRL+F12 or any number of combinations.

2. A Shortkey is a small string of characters. When a matching combination is keyed in from the keyboard, it is

erased and the assigned macro executes. You could use the small string of #add to type out your address.

3. A Scheduled macro is one that executes on a given time schedule.

4. For Window Activation, a macro runs when a specific window gains focus (appears) on your computer.

5. A macro may be triggered by clicking on a specific area of the screen with the left, right or middle Mouse button.

6. A Popup Menu or Floating Menu is basically a list of defined macros. Once the list is displayed, click on the

desired macro or press an associated number or letter to execute the macro.

7. A Control Activated macro allows you to start a macro when a specific Window Control, such as a button, edit

box, etc., is active.

Macro Scopes This guide will also discuss the scope of a macro - or the restrictions you have placed on the macro. You can assign macros to play back in all Windows programs, in one specific window or program, or in every program except the one

you define. We'll also go through a few examples of how to do t his.

Tutorial - HotKey

In this exercise we'll create a macro assigned to a hotkey.

Assigning the Macro Activation

From the Macro Express Explorer menu click on Macros | Add Macro to open Add Macro window. HotKey should already

be selected and the blinking cursor should be in the edit box. If the cursor is not in the edit box, click on the edit box to

place the text cursor there.

Next, hold down the CTRL key, the SHIFT key and the T key all at the same time and then release them. CTRL+SHIFT+T should appear in the edit box. This is the hotkey we will use to run the macro. We can choose to create the macro by

entering the macro command directly or by using a scripting editor. Other methods to create macros are to use one of

the Quick Wizards or capture (record) a macro. These options will be reviewed in other sections.

Creating the Macro

For this exercise click on the Direct Editor button to open the Direct Editor window.

1. Type your address into the Macro Text field.

2. Click on the Properties tab and type "My Address" in the Nickname field.

3. Click on the Scope Tab and make sure Global is selected. It is the default option.

When finished, click on File | Save to save your macro. Then click on the Macro Explorer button to see your newly

defined macro, My Address, added to the list of available macros.

Running the Macro To test the macro, open the notepad program. To start notepa d, click on the Windows Start button and enter notepad in

the search box. When found, click on the file to open the notepad program. On older systems, click on Start and then Run. Enter "notepad" and click the ok button.

Once notepad is running, hold down the CTRL key, the SHIFT key and the letter T. Then release all the keys. Your

address will type out into the notepad program.

Tutorial - Shortkey

This page demonstrates how to create a macro assigned to a shortkey.

Shortkey Settings

First, let's create some default settings that will apply to the playback of all shortkey macros. From the Macro Express

Explorer menu click on Options | Preferences to load the Preferences window. Click on Shortkeys from the list in the left

panel of the window to di splay the shortkeys options.

Select the Use Prefix Keys option and enter ## in the Prefix Keys entry space. This will require that ## be pressed

before typing the shortkey or the macro will not play back. Click the OK button to return to the Macro Explorer.

Assign the Activation

From the Macro Express Explorer menu click on Macros | Add Macro to open the Add Macro window. Select the Shortkeys option and enter "email" into the Shortkey edit field.

Creating the Macro We can choose to create the macro using the Direct Editor or the Scripting Editor. For this exercise click on the Scripting

Editor button to open the Scripting Editor window.

First, click on the Properties tab. In t he Nickname box, enter "My Email Address". Then click on the Scope tab and make sure Global is selected. Now click on the Script tab to return to the screen displayed above. Scroll down the list of

commands and click on the Text category of commands to expand this listing. Double click on the Text Type command found in this group.

From the Text Type window, enter your email address in the Keystrokes field. If you want to have the macro paste the

text into your applic ation via the Windows clipboard, select the Use Clipboard to Paste Text option. By default the text will type into the application unless another selection is made. Press the OK button to save the entry and return to the

Scripting Editor.

A new entry is listed in the Macro Script. This entry will read Text Type: followed by the email address that you entered. If you made a mistake entering your email address, you can double click on this entry and edit the address in the Text

Type window.

From the Scripting Editor, click on File | Save to save your macro. Click on the Macro Explorer button to see your newly defined macro, "My Email Address", added to the list of available macros.

Run the Macro To test out the macro, run the notepad program. To start n otepad, click on the Windows Start button and enter notepad in the search box. When found, click on the file to open the notepad program. On older systems, click on Start and then

Run. Enter "notepad" and click the ok button.

Once notepad is running, type the following: ##email. Your email address will type into the notepad program.

Tutorial - Scheduled Macro

This page will demonstrate creating a scheduled macro, one that will play back on the schedule that you choose.

Setting the Schedule

From the Macro Express Explorer menu click on Macros | Add Macro to open the Add Macro window.

Select Schedule to display the scheduling options. For this example select the Other option in the Run Macro section. To

simplify the example, select the Play Macro Indefinitely option. Next set the schedule to run every 1 minutes and 0 seconds. With these settings, the macro will play back once every minute.

Creating the Macro We can choose to create the macro by using the Direct Editor or the Scripting Editor. For this exercise, click on the Scripting Editor button to open the Scripting Editor pane.

First, click on the Properties tab. In the Nickname box, enter "Date and Time". Then click on the Scope tab and make

sure that Global is checked. Now click on the Scripting tab.

We will create this macro to only play back in the Notepad window and only if it is already running. To begin, click on the

Logic command to expand this category. Then double click on the If Window running command to open the If

Commands window. Make sure the If Window Running option is selected.

Enter Notepad for the Window Title and select the Partial Match option. Click on the OK button to save and see the

command inserted into the macro script.

Next expand the Windows/Programs category of commands and double click on the Window Activate command to open

the Activate/Launch Program window. Make sure the Activate Window Only option is selected.

Enter notepad for the Window Title and click on the OK button to insert this command into the macro script.

Next click on the Text category of commands to expand this category. Double click on Date/Time to open the Date/Time

window.

Enter dddd, MMMM dd, yyyy - h:mm:ss AMPM in the Format edit field. Select both the Type Out and Use Current Date/Time options. Click on the OK button to save and return to the Scripting Editor.

Then expand the Text category again and double click on the Text Type option to load the Text Type window.

Locate Enter in the yellowed area and click on it to insert into the Keystrokes field. This instructs the macro to

insert a carriage return after typing the current date an d time. The last step is to close the If statement. Expand the Logic category and double click on End If to insert the End If command directly into the Scripting Editor.

You should have five entries listed in the "Macro Script" area as shown in the Scripting Editor image above. You can

double click on any of these entries to make changes to what was previously input.

From the Scripting Editor, click on File | Save to save your macro. Click on the Macro Explorer button to see your newly

defined macro, Date and Time, added to the list of available macros.

Testing the Macro As long as Macro Express is running, a scheduled macro should be ready to execute. However, in our example the

scheduled macro will only perform if Notepad is running. To start notepad, click on the Windows Start button and enter notepad in the search box. When found, click on the file to open the notepad program. On older systems, click on Start

and then Run. Enter "notepad" and click the ok button.

Once Notepad is running, just wait and watch the date/time entered into Notepad each minute.

Close notepad and nothing will happen, because the macro cannot find a running copy of notepad.

Delete or Disable the Macro After viewing the playback you can either delete or disable this macro since you won't want this Scheduled Macro to continue executing every minute indefinitely! To delete the macro, highlight it in the Macro Explorer list and choose

"Macros | Remove Macro" from the menu.

If you prefer to keep this example but do not want it running every minute, then right mouse click on the macro. From the menu that appears, left click on the Disable Macro menu option. You will notice that the entry for this macro is now

italicized and in a lighter color. This means it is disabled and will not play back until the macro has been enabled.

Tutorial - Capture a Macro - Assigning HotKey First

In this tutorial we will capture the macro in the Windows Paint program. To start we first need to run the Windows Paint

program. To do so, click on the Windows Start button and enter mspaint.exe in the search box. When found, click on the file to open the Paint program. On older systems, click on Start and then Run. Enter "mspaint" and click the ok button.

Once Paint is running, we want to switch directly to Macro Express. If you are running Macro Express in the system tray, left click on the Macro Express icon in the system tray; otherwise, click on Macro Express in the taskbar.

Assign a Macro Activation From the Macro Express Explorer window click on Macros | Add Macro or click on the Capture icon. The Add Macro opens as shown below.

The HotKey option should already be selected and the blinking cursor should be in the edit box. If the cursor is not in the edit box, click on the edit box to place the text cursor there. Next, hold down the SHIFT key, the CTRL key and the Z key

all at the same time and release them. CTRL+SHIFT+Z should appear in the edit box. This is the hotkey we will be assigned to the macro we record.

Capture Settings Next click on the Capture Macro to open the capture settings window.

A number of capture options are available depending on what you are needing to capture. Default settings for each of

these options may be set in the Capture preferences panel. Those defaults would display in this window each time you started a capture. They may be temporarily overwritten as needed for each individual capture, which we will do now for

this capture.

1. Enter My Paint Drawing in the Nickname field.

2. Select the scope setting of Program. This indicates that the recorded macro will only play back in the program we

record it in.

3. Select the Capture Keystrokes and Capture Double for Menus options.

4. Make sure the Capture Mouse Relative to Window options are selected. Also make sure the Capture Window Size

option is checked.

5. Since we will be recording mouse movements as well as mouse clicks, the Only Capture Mouse Clicks option should

be unchecked.

6. Select the Capture At Actual Speed options.

7. We want to start capturing the macro inside of the Paint program. Under Choose the program to start capturing in, we want to select the Paint program. It should display in the dropdown list as "untitled - Paint".

Capturing the Macro With all settings in place, click on the Start Capture button which will minimize the Macro Express window. The last

program running prior to Macro Express should appear, which is the Paint program.

The macro is now recording. You can do something fairly simple in the Paint program such as drawing a face. Click on a color, and then draw a circle and place two eyes, a nose and mouth on it.

When the masterpiece is complete press the hotkey we assigned to the macro - CTRL+SHIFT+Z. A dialog appears that

the capture is complete.

Running the Macro Now it is time to run the macro we just recorded. Open the Paint program window. We need to start with a clean Paint window, so click on File | New from the Paint menu and don't save the changes to the previous drawing. With the clean

Paint window, press CTRL+SHIFT+Z. The face that you just drew is redrawn complete with any hesitations that you may have made while doing so!

Tutorial - Capture a Macro - Assigning HotKey Last

When running Macro Express, you will note that there are five h otkeys automatically assigned and displayed in the Macro

Explorer. These five hotkeys are System Macros (Scope indicates System). One of these System Macros is called Start / Stop Capture and by default is defined as CTRL+ALT+SHIFT+X. Pressing CTRL+ALT+SHIFT+X will start the recording of

a macro and pressing it a second time will stop the recording. This hotkey combination may be changed to another

available in Macro Express.

Capture Settings Before we record any macros using this System hotkey, we want to make sure we have our default settings in place. From the Macro Explorer click on Options | Preferences and select Capture to display the Capture default settings as

shown below.

These are the settings that are used when the System Start / Stop Capture hotkey function is invoked. These are also the

default settings that appear when doing a macro recording by Assigning HotKey First (see prior example) or when using

the Capture Quick Wizard.

1. Select the Scope setting of Program. This indicates that the recorded macro will only play back in the program we record it in.

2. Select the Capture Keystrokes and Capture Double for Menus options.

3. Make sure the Capture Mouse Relative to Window options are selected. Also make sure the Capture Window Size

option is checked.

4. Since we will be recording mouse movements as well as mouse clicks, the Only Capture Mouse Clicks option should

be unchecked.

5. Select the Capture At Actual Speed options.

6. Select the Prompt on Capture option which will display a message indicating that the capture is starting.

Click on the OK button to save the defaults. We are now ready to record.

An important thing to remember when recording a macro is to make sure that the program you plan to start recording in

is active and on top.

Our example recording will be in the Windows Paint program. To start the Windows Paint program, click on the Windo ws Start button and enter mspaint.exe in the search box. When found, click on the file to open the Paint program. On older

systems, click on Start and then Run. Enter mspaint and click the ok button.

Capturing the Macro With the Paint program open and on top, press CTRL+ALT+SHIFT+X. A notice may appear warning about the use of the ALT key. Click OK. Then a notice appears stating that the macro is about to start recording. Click the OK button to start

the capture.

The macro is now recording. You can do something fairly simple in the Paint program such as drawing a face. Click on a color, and then draw a circle and place two eyes, a nose and mouth on it.

When the masterpiece is complete, terminate the macro capture by pressing the same SYSTEM hotkey we started with,

CTRL+ALT+SHIFT+X. This action open the Capture Complete window as shown below.

Assigning Macro Activation At this point we assign a hotkey or another type of macro activation to the macro we just recorde d. We also give the

macro a nickname and we can also override the Scope default setting at this point.

1. Enter My Paint Drawing #2 in the Nickname field.

2. Make sure Program is still selected as the Scope.

3. Select HotKey as the Default Activation. Now move the cursor to the hotkey edit window, press CTRL+SHIFT+S and

release. CTRL+SHIFT+S should appear in the edit box. Click on the Save button and the capture process is complete.

Running the Macro Now it is time to run the macro we just recorded. Op en the Paint program window. We need to start with a clean Paint

window, so click on File | New from the Paint menu and don't save the changes to the previous drawing. With the clean Paint window, press CTRL+SHIFT+Z. The face that you just drew is redrawn complete with any hesitations that you may

have made while doing so!

Tutorial - Popup Menu

This example will show how to create a popup menu. Before starting, you need to already have some macros available to

place in the menu . If you have not done so, then first create both a hotkey macro and a shortkey macro as described in the hotkey and shortkey sections. This example is based on the assumption that you have created these macros.

Setting the Activation

From the Macro Explorer menu click on Macros | Add Macro. A new window should appear titled Add Macro.

Select the Popup Menu option. Click on the edit box to place the cursor inside. Next, hold down the ALT key, the SHIFT

key and the Z key all at the same time and then release them. ALT+SHIFT+Z should appear in the edit box. This is the

hotkey we will use for the popup macro. Next, click on the Build Menu button to activate the menu builder.

Setting the Menu Properties The Available Macros section displays all macros created. The Macros in Menu is the list of macros assigned to the popup menu. But first click on the Properties tab and enter My Menu in the Nickname field. Select Nickname and Scope as the

How to Display option.

In the Icons area click on the Change button to open the Select an Icon window. Click on the Browse button to display several icon folders and a number of icons. Select the black 4 icon (black 4.ico) and click on the Open button. This

displays the 4 icon as the current icon. Press OK to return to the Properties Tab. Select the Place Menu in System Tray

option. We'll use the icon later on.

Building the Menu Now click on the Editor tab. Under the section t itled Available Macros, highlight the macro CTRL+SHIFT+T (the one we created earlier) and then click on the Add button. Next highlight the email macro (created earlier) and click on the Add

button. These two macros should now reside in the Macros In Menu section. We are finished defining the menu so click

on the Save button or File | Save Menu to save the menu.

Click on the Macro Explorer button to see your newly defined popup macro, ALT+SHIFT+Z, added to the list of available

macros.

Testing the Menu Nickname and Scope

Let's test out the popup menu macro using notepad. To start notepad, click on the Windows Start button and enter notepad in the search box. When found, click on the file to open the notepad program. On older systems, click on Start

and then Run. Enter "notepad" and click the ok button.

Once notepad is running, hold down the ALT+SHIFT+Z keys. A menu similar to the one above should appear, listing the two macros we have previously defined. We can either press the corresponding letter or number next to the macro or

double click on the macro in the menu and it will play the selected macro back in notepad.

Another way to invoke the popup menu is to right click on the "black 4" icon in the system tray. The "black 4" icon should now be showing in your system tray, because of the Properties settings we made previously. The popup menu may be

displayed in four different forms. One of these, Nickname and Scope, is displayed above.

First part of Macro

Let's take a quick look at the other options. Highlight the Popup Menu macro listed in the Macro Explorer and click on the

menu item Macros | Menu Builder to reopen the Menu Builder. Click on the Properties tab and select the First Part of Macro option from the How to Display Menu section. Click the Save icon. Click on the "black 4" icon in the system tray to

open the menu. This time it lists the first part of the contents of each macro, as shown above.

Icons Only

Cancel out of the popup menu and return to Macro Express. Right mouse click on the My Menu macro and select the Edit

with Menu Builder option. Then click on the Properties tab and select the Icons Only option from the How to Display Menu section. Next, select the Horizontal option and enter 10 for Maximum Icons per Row. Click the Save icon. Now click

on the "black 4" icon in the system tray. The menu should display, but this time, it will show a list of icons. Click on one of the icons in the menu to run th e macro.

Windows Default

Return to the Macro Explorer and double click on the My Menu macro to activate the Menu Builder. Click on the Properties tab and select the Windows Default option from the How to Display Menu section. Click the Save icon. Now

click on the "black 4" icon in the system tray. The menu will display as shown above. Click on the macro you want in order to execute the macro. Windows will also assign underscores to each of the macros, where possible. So in the

example above, pressing the M key will also activate the My Email Address macro.

Tutorial - Quick Wizard Capture

Using the Quick Wizards may simplify the process of creating a macro. The wizard prompts you step by step through the

to be done.

come page.

1. This page displays types of macros that can be created using Quick Wizards. To create a reminder, select Text and click on the Next button.

2. Choose the Create a Reminder option and click on Next to proceed.

3. This panel shows a few things that can be done with the Reminders. Click next to continue.

4. Enter a reminder message into the edit field. We can also choose to have a sound play back to alert us of the

the

simpler than remembering later to manually delete the macro.

5. We only want it to play back one time, so select the Once schedule option. Set it to run a couple of minutes from now

so that you can see it run. Click next to continue.

6. Now we need to assign a Nickname to the macro. Enter a nickname to help remember what the macro does. Then

click the Finish button to return to the Macro Explorer window. Our quick wizard macro is now listed as a Sche duled macro.

7. The last step is to wait for the reminder message macro to run at the time you scheduled.

Tutorial - Macro Scope

Macro Scope Scope indicates under what conditions a macro should play back. Four Scope categories are available - Global, Global Except, Window Specific and Program Specific. A global macro will play back in any Windows program. The Global Except

option allows a macro to run in any Windows program except the application you specify. A Window Specific macro will only start in a window that matches the window title specified in the macro. A Program Specific macro will only play back

in a given program. We'll look at some real examples of how this works.

To illustrate the process, we need to run two different programs that we can potentially have the macros play back in. For this example we'll run Windows Notepad and WordPad.

To start notepad, click on the Windows Start button and enter notepad in the search box. When found, click on the file to

open the notepad program. On older systems, click on Start and then Run. Enter "notepad" and click the ok button. Follow the same steps for WordPad, just substitute WordPad for notepad.

Global Macro We already created a couple of Global macros in other tutorials. If you have not created these macros, please refer to the

hotkey tutorial for instructions on creating the CTRL+SHIFT+T macro. A global macro plays back in all Windows programs. To illustrate, bring Notepad to the foreground and press CTRL+SHIFT+T. Your address is typed into the

notepad. Now bring WordPad to the foreground and press CTRL+SHIFT+T. Your address types out into WordPad.

Program Specific Macro We will now change the CTRL+SHIFT+T macro to become a Program Specific macro. First minimize Notepad and

WordPad. With Macro Express the active window, highlight the CTRL+SHIFT+T macro (nickname of "My Address") from

the Macro Explorer and click on the Scripting Editor button. Click on the Scope tab and select the Program Specific

option. Next click on the Select button to open the Select Programs window as shown below.

On the left is a list of all current programs that are running on your computer. Scroll through the list of programs running

and find notepad.exe. Highlight it in the list and click on either Add button. This will place notepad.exe in the Program

Name edit box.

(You may also note that there is a button called "Select from list of installed programs". You could click on this button for

a list of all programs installed on your computer and select from this list.)

Make sure the Run If On Top option is selected and then click on the OK button. Click on File | Save to save your macro changes. Click on the Macro Explorer button and note that the scope for the CTRL+SHIFT+T macro (nickname of "my

address") has changed from Global to Program Specific:notepad.exe.

To see what effect the changes have on the macro, bring Notepad to the foreground and press CTRL+SHIFT+T. Your address types into the program. Now bring WordPad to the foreground and press CTRL+SHIFT+T. Nothing happens. You

have defined CTRL+SHIFT+T to only work in the Notepad program.

Global Except We will now change the CTRL+SHIFT+T macro to become a Global Except macro. First minimize Notepad and WordPad.

With Macro Express the active window, highlight the CTRL+SHIFT+T (nickname of "my address") macro from the Macro Explorer and click on the Scripting Editor button. In the Scripting Editor, click on the Scope tab and choose the Global

Except option. Click on the Select button to open the Select Programs window.

This time you will select the program that the macro will not work with. On the left is a list of all current programs that

are running on the computer. Notepad.exe should already be selected. If not, scroll through the list of running programs and click on notepad.exe. Click on the Add button to place notepad.exe in the Program Name edit box.

(You may also note that there is a button called "Select from list of installed programs". You could click on this button for

a list of all programs installed on you r computer and select from the list.)

Click OK to save the program choice and return to the Scripting Editor. Then click on File | Save to save the macro

changes. Click on the Macro Explorer button and note that the "scope" for the CTRL+SHIFT+T macro has changed from

Program Specific to Global Except.

To see what effect the changes have on the macro, bring Notepad to the foreground and press CTRL+SHIFT+T. Nothing

happens. The macro is defined to not work with Notepad. Now bring Wordpad to the foreground and press

CTRL+SHIFT+T. Your address types into the program.

You have defined CTRL+SHIFT+T to work in all programs except the Notepad program. Activate another program that

accepts text input such as your email program and press CTRL+SHIFT+T. Your address should type out into that

program as well.

Window Specific Macro Lastly, we will change our CTRL+SHIFT+T macro to become a Window Specific macro. First minimize WordPad and Notepad. From Macro Express, highlight the CTRL+SHIFT+T macro from the Macro Explorer and click on the Scripting

Editor button. With the Scripting Editor open, click on the Scope tab and choose the Window Specific option. Click on the

Select button to open the Select Window dialog.

We will use this option to select a specific window that the macro will run in. (A Window Title is the text that appears in

the top caption bar of most windows). Notepad.exe is most likely listed in the Selected Window field. Highlight this .exe and click on the Remove button to clear out the selected windows.

On the left is a list of all current windows that are running on your computer. You could browse through this list, but for

this example just enter notepad in the Selected Window edit box and click on the Add button to the immediate ri ght of the edit box. Select the Run If On Top Option and then click on the OK button to return to the Scripting Editor. Click on

File | Save to save the macro changes. Click on the Macro Explorer button and note that the scope for the My Address macro has changed from Global Except to Window Specific:notepad.

To see what effect these changes have on the macro, activate the Notepad window and press CTRL+SHIFT+T. Your

address will type out into the program. Now activate the WordPad window and press CTRL+SHIFT+T. Nothing happens. You have defined CTRL+SHIFT+T to only work in a Notepad window.

Sample Macros

The Macro Express help file contains comprehensive information on how to use each part of the program. It contains

screen shots of almost every element in the program with explanations of how to use each element. There are also many written examples of how to use the commands in macros.

We have also included a number of sample macros with the program. This section will briefly review each of these

macros. First, to have access to the sample macros, open the Macro Explorer. Then click on "File | Open Macro File" and select the "samples.mex" macro file. With this macro file loaded in, you can see and review any of the sample macros.

Floating Menu Using Icons This sample macro demonstrates how to setup and use a Floating Menu macro. A floating menu macro is simply a toolbar

or window that floats on top of all other programs. The toolbar or window contains a list of other macros which you can

activate at will by clicking on a macro in the toolbar or window.

If you edit this macro, you will be shown a list of all macros available for inclusion in the floating menu and a list of all

macros currently in the floating menu. You can add or remove macros from the menu at will. There are options available

to choose the menu style, whether it will be a toolbar with icons or a window with text selections.

Hide a Program This sample demonstrates how to hide (make it invisible) a window and how to display it again . It uses the notepad program for its example. It also demonstrates the use of launching a program, using a variable and displaying messages

in a text window.

Launch Program This sample demonstrates how to launch a program. It launches the Microsoft Paint program. It also demonstrates the

use of If / then / else conditioning by testing to see if the Paint program exists. Displaying messages in a text window is also demonstrated.

Maximize and Minimize This sample demonstrates how to minimize, maximize and restore a window. It uses the notepad program for its

example. It also demonstrates the use of launching a program, using variables, activating a window and displaying

messages in a text window.

Menu and Question This sample demonstrates how to use a question and a menu of choices in a macro. It asks the user a question and then asks the user to choose from a list of choices. It also demonstrates the use of if / then / else co nditioning, using variables

and displaying messages in a text window.

Open Explorer Folder This sample demonstrates how to open up an Explorer folder. It opens up the Windows Explorer to the Recycle Bin. It

also demonstrates displaying messages in a text window.

Paste Text This sample demonstrates how to paste text into an application. It pastes our company address into the notepad program. It also demonstrates the use of launching a program, displaying messages in a text window and various

clipboard commands.

Popup Menu Using Nicknames This sample macro demonstrates how to setup and use a Popup Menu macro. A popup menu is very similar to a floating

menu except it only appears on the screen when you need to use it. It doesn't hang around. A popup menu mac ro is simply a toolbar or window that pops up on top of all other programs when you press a hotkey or click on an icon in the

system tray. The toolbar or window contains a list of other macros which you can activate at will by clicking on a macro

in the to olbar or window.

If you edit this macro, you will be given a list of all the macros available to be put in the popup menu and a list of all th e

macros that are currently in the popup menu. You can add or remove macros from the menu at will. There are opti ons

available to choose the menu style, whether it will be a toolbar with icons or a window with text selections.

Process a Text File This sample demonstrates how to process a basic text file. This macro first creates a small file named mesample.txt. The

text file simply contains a short list of names where each name is on a line by itself. The macro reads in each name out

of the tex