Create your own macro commands: Symphony macros. (obvious macro code patterns may require subroutine creation)

CREATE YOUR OWN MACRO COMMANDS

Sometimes when you write a macro, you may wonder why Lotus Development Corp. didn't include a particular command in the Symphony Command Language. If you find yourself repeating a sequence of keystrokes throughout the body of a macro, you should invent your own commands.

Homemade macro commands are easy to create. Many commands require that you write only a single line of macro code. Some, however, entail extra effort and are worth creating only if you will use them again and again. (We've explored custom macro commands in past issues of LOTUS under the moniker subroutines.) Let's see how to create a macro command and look at a few custom commands that you might use in any macro.

CALL OF THE SUBROUTINE

You can create your own macro command by entering macro code and assigning it a range name. For example, the code shown in the following figure is the basis for a macro command named cur2:

Enter labels as you would when creating any macro. Then assign the label in column A as a range name for the adjacent cell of column B: Select MENU Range Name Labels Right and indicate cell A1.

You can test this custom macro command by pressing the USER key (the F7 key on most computers) and entering the macro's name (cur2). Sympthony immediately processes the commands stored in cell B1. Those commands are [MENU]FC2[is approx.][is approx.], and assuming that the current window is a SHEET window, they cause Symphony to format the current cell for currency with two decimal places.

Let's use this formatting macro as a custom macro command (also known as a subroutine call). Enter the following labels in the same worksheet in which you entered the macro named cur2:

Assign this macro's name as you did for the first macro, the move the cell pointer to cell A6 and give it a test run. To start the macro, …