Creating and using macros

What Wintrack macros are...

Most menu commands have an equivalent macro statement. Macros are collections of such command statements in combination with additional statements which display dialogs for user input or provide the user with instructions by displaying guide windows. Macros are executed using the Run Macro command. Wintrack allows for nesting of macros: macros can call other macros. Macro statements usually have parameters that need to be specified. There are four ways to pass parameters to a macro statement:

• by explicit specification ("hard coding") in the macro text.
• by runtime specification in the Run Macro command,
• by having the macro run macro dialogs and display guide windows.
• By using scrollsheets as parameter tables,

Macros are plain text files (ASCII) which contain collections of macro statements and optional commentaries. You create and maintain macros using Windows™ NotePad or any word processing program that can save files as plain ASCII text. The general structure of a macro may look like this:

comment
[dialogs]

'comment
statement 'comment
statement 'comment

[main]

'comment
statement 'comment
statement 'comment
'comment
statement 'comment
statement 'comment

[end]
comment

How to create a Wintrack macro ...

1. Create a blank file using Windows™ NotePad or any word processing program that can save files as plain text.
2. If you want the macro to run dialogs:
   • On a new line, type [dialogs] to indicate the beginning of the dialogs section.
   • On the following lines, type the statements which control the dialogs.
3. On a new line, type [main] to indicate the beginning of the macro's main section.
4. On the following lines, type the statements which specify the actions the macro is supposed to carry out. You may use any meaningful combination of Wintrack macro statements as well as calls to other macros (see nesting macros).
5. When done typing statements, type [end] on a new line to indicate the end of the main section.
6. Above [dialogs] and below [end] you may enter any free text or commentary.
7. Save the file as plain text and give it the extension .MAK.

Additional information...

• For an overview of Wintrack documents and files see Wintrack documents and files.