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Click to See Complete Forum and Search --> : Anyone else use Macro Express or similar programs?


OuTpaTienT
03-28-2000, 02:17 AM
I had a need for a macro program and went looking for one. I found this: Macro Express (http://www.macros.com/index.htm) This is a pretty cool utility and by sheer coincidence it's also endorsed by our friend Steve Gibson.

This thing is very powerful. You can do many of the traditional things you'd do in a batch file, like accept input from the user, run a counter (n=n+1), store/read data from files, use IF/THEN/ELSE statements, and all in the Windoze enviorment. Of course it also does the typical macro stuff like recording/playing-back mouse movements & keystrokes.

One cool feature is it identifies windows by the text in their title bar, which means it can automatically run a task whenever a specific window appears. It also means you can use the same key strokes to activate the appropiate macro for that window. Example is I can hit ctrl+alt+B here at SysOpt.com to make things bold using UBB code, but on another board the same ctrl+alt+B might make things bold using html code.

Something else that's kinda cool is the many ways you can trigger the macros. Of course the traditional <ctrl>+<alt>+<shift>+<anykey> can be used, but other triggers can be; a specific window coming to focus or losing focus, or on a time schedule, or even mouse clicks at user defined areas of the screen. Which means one could have a complete "icon-less" desktop and still have everything just a click away. Neat stuff.

Needless to say I'm having fun with this toy. I'm seriously considering purchasing it. I'm curious if anyone uses or knows of similar software I should check out before buying this?

OuTpaTienT
04-02-2000, 03:26 PM
Well gee. I guess nobody is using a macro program? That's too bad. You guys must have no idea just how useful this thing is. I've automated almost every repetative I have to do in windows.

Plus, the other day at work, this macro program turned a 3-day tedious project into a 2-hour almost fun task. Ok, you think the word "fun" might be stretching it bit, huh? But seriously, it was kinda fun to only hit a single key and then watch the computer do about 25 tasks on it's own (opening/closing windows, copying/deleting files, typing in descriptions, etc.)

[This message has been edited by OuTpaTienT (edited 04-02-2000).]

Mntsnow
04-02-2000, 04:28 PM
Hmmmm...Thanks for pushing this one to the top Out! I'm in the process of checking it out now http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif

WOW...I will have to get it (even though it's a bit expensive IMHO for what I will use it for) just because they are a UTAH company!
Insight Software Solutions, Inc.
P.O. Box 354
Bountiful, UT 84011, USA


Mntsnow

[This message has been edited by Mntsnow (edited 04-02-2000).]

happyhamster
04-02-2000, 04:55 PM
I'm not sure how I missed it the first time... At first glance it seems very nice. One of the advantages of linux over win IMO is that you can automate so much with shell scripts. On win, I somehow has been getting by using plain old batch files, scheduling an lots of typing. But I'll see if this utility can make the life easier.

I've been loking at Windows Scripting Host( http://msdn.microsoft.com/scripting/default.htm?/scripting/windowshost/default.htm ) for basically the same purposes. However, I haven't got really familiar with it yet.

OuTpaTienT
04-02-2000, 11:41 PM
The joys of this thing seem endless. I just made a macro to enable/disable Java on the fly...very convenient.

And of course I don't have to type my name/password anywhere any longer. I just click in the name field and whaalaa. This is fun.