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Macros and Templates:
Downloading | Instructions & Documentation
| Modifications | Support |
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Downloading and Installing
Macros and Templates
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WordPerfect 11 users - be sure to read this! |
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How to
download macros or templates, where to put them, and how to use
them
 The majority of the
files on this site are found inside single, compressed archive
files known as "zip" files. [More
about ZIP files]
- Step 1. Just download the desired archive by clicking the
"Download" link on the relevant page on this site,
saving it to your Windows desktop or any convenient folder (a/k/a
"directory"). [Tip: More on file and folders in [Windows
XP][Windows
Vista].]
- Step 2. Extract the file or files inside the zip archive file.
This step is also known as uncompressing or unzipping
the archive.
- In Windows XP, for example, just double-clicking
the zip file will open an Explorer screen where you can choose
"Extract all files."
- You can also do this (and more) with a separate
program such as WinZip (now
owned by Corel), PKZip,
or the free program FreeZip.
- Note: Macros
have a special filename extension, .wcm. Templates use
the filename extension .wpt.
- Step 3. Once the individual file or files are extracted from
the zip file, the macro(s) then can be moved to your default or supplemental macros folder. The template(s) can be moved to your template folder.
To locate your own default folders for these items, click
Tools, Settings, Files, Merge/Macro (or Template).
[Tip: You can move them with Windows Explorer or My Computer,
or with any other file manager.]
No special installation
is required beyond placing the macro or template where WordPerfect
can find it. However, for some of
the macros on this site you might need to make some small changes
to a macro's configuration. See the next
section below before playing a macro for the first time.
- To play a macro once it is moved to one of
the folders described above, you simply use Tools, Macro,
Play. To make it even easier to play you can assign it to
a menu, toolbar, or keystroke combination. See this
page for how to do this.
- Most macros contain code that is extensively
annotated so you can learn how to create your own if you are
so inclined. (You can also modify them to
"tailor" them.) In fact, that was the original purpose
of this site.
- Note that some files provided here are in
Adobe Acrobat format (.PDF), which requires the free Adobe Acrobat
Reader, the full retail Adobe program, or a file viewer that
can read Portable Document Format (.PDF) files. You may already
have one of these on your computer, but if not, click here
to download the popular (and free) Acrobat Reader software directly
from Adobe.
- See also this site's Disclaimer,
Distribution of Materials, and Privacy Policy.
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Instructions and Documentation for Macros |
Most
macros on this site come with instructions or other documentation
These items are either in
the form of a separate text document accompanying the macro,
or in the form of programmer's remarks (i.e., lines preceded
by "//" marks) or inside text boxes at the top of the
macro code itself. [For a short explanation of these "commenting"
methods and how you can use them yourself, see "How to put instructions
or comments inside a macro"]
- Macros are just a special type of WordPerfect
document (a macro's filename ends
with .wcm). They contain commands that WordPerfect should
carry out. Just open the document like any other (with
File, Open, or -- once you have moved the macro into your Macros
folder -- you can use Tools, Macro, Edit) and read the comments
and instructions at the top. When you are finished, you can close the macro.
- Most of the macros here have information
or instructions at the top of the main macro code. There may
also be a redlined section in the macro's code that users can modify,
something usually called the "User Modification Area."
Follow the instructions there to modify various macro defaults,
such as initial menu choices or initial values for the macro
to use when it processes the document.
- If you have done nothing to the macro, you can close
it without saving it (to insure against accidental modifications)
with File, Close.
- If you have made modifications to the macro that might have been requested in
the instructions, you should save them with the Save & Compile
button that is on the Macro toolbar, which should be displayed
above the body text area. (If it is not, you can use File, Save.)
- Some instructions tell you
how to create needed files, etc., or explain the conditions under
which the macro will -- or won't -- work. You cannot always assume
that you can play the macro "out of the box" without
reading the instructions first.
- Know your "build"
number: Look in WordPerfect's
Help menu, and click "About WordPerfect". You will
see a four-digit number like 11.0.0.300. The first part of the
number is the major version number; the last part is the minor
version number, or specific build.
- WordPerfect 11: If your build is 11.0.0.233,
you have the first release of WP11, and it had a serious bug
in it that will affect many of your macros -- even some of those
shipped by Corel and used by the program, as well as many that
are included as part of a WordPerfect Project. See here for more information about how to
fix this problem.
- WordPerfect 10 and later
versions: - Should you enable the "Use WordPerfect 9 text
selection" setting in WordPerfect 10+? Here's
a discussion of the issues and potential problems, and some macro
solutions.
- WordPerfect 9 and later
versions: Are you
getting an error message when you play an older macro in WordPerfect 9 (i.e., 9.0.0.883, a/k/a Service Pack
4) or a later version of WordPerfect? If you play a macro that uses an "obsolete"
(but probably still valid) command, WordPerfect will attempt
to recompile the macro. You may get a PerfectScript Compiler
warning at that point, beginning with the words "A 'Warning'
was detected..." followed by a description and location
of the problem. This most likely is a harmless warning, and was
instituted in WP9 service pack 4. According to J Dan Broadhead,
developer of PerfectScript: "These are warnings only. Many
commands in the macro system have been improved since version
7. The old formats of these commands are still accepted, but
version 9 SP4 will remind you when using these old features.
These are "warnings" only, and not "errors".
You can ignore these by clicking on "Continue [compilation]",
and everything will be fine. And you won't see these messages
ever again unless the macro gets changed."
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Modifications |
Feel free to modify my
macros to suit your needs
...but please don't distribute
my macros in modified form or charge anything for them, or post
them without my explicit permission, since this violates my copyright
and sometimes gives me a big headache. Just tell your friends
about this web site. Thanks.
- If you are NOT using a U.S.
version of WordPerfect, you might need to change the language
code parameter in the first macro code line of some macros here
or elsewhere (i.e., the "Application..." line) from
"US" (used in WP6/7) or "EN" (used in WP8/9)
to your language code, then Save & Compile the macro. I have
re-compiled these macros using a generic Application command
(i.e., one without a language code parameter at the end of the
command line), which works for most users and should solve the
problem of having to modify the macro in this way. However,
if you have more than one language version of WordPerfect on
your computer, you may need to modify the Application command
in my macros according to the instructions in the macro. [NOTE:
As some have found, deleting the Application line entirely from
a macro generally produces no ill effects unless you try to compile
it directly using the PerfectScript utility, or try to access
an older macro that doesn't have this command by double-clicking
its name from Windows. Hence, it probably is best to leave the
Application command in your macros, using the appropriate language
code parameter.]
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Support for you (and
me) |
I am always interested in fixing any of my
macros and I will appreciate hearing form you if you are having
a problem or you have a suggestion. Many of my macros had their
genesis in user suggestions. However, I am no longer able
to provide support for any of my WP6, WP7, WP8, or WP9 macros.
(It's time to move on.) To contact me by e-mail, use my Contact
page.
Did you find something
useful here? Did it save you some time? A small donation (anonymous if you prefer) will be greatly appreciated
to help me keep this site alive. Donations can be made through PayPal.
Thanks very much for your support! |
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Barry MacDonnell's