Also see these tips -
The "Period (Full Stop) -
Plus - Save" trick
Third-party programs to automate
back ups
See also "Automatically
make backups of your document to help you recover your work"
Alternatives to the MULTISAV macros -
• See the SaveCopy macro in the Library,
which offers a way to save your currently opened file and
simultaneously make an archive copy of it on another (alternate) drive
using either the same relative directory (folder) name or a
user-specified directory.
• WordPerfect X7 now includes a macro similar to NewFN#.wcm, named Numbered Save.wcm.
Disclaimer
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Background and description
• Do you need MultiSav?
It depends.
The WordPerfect program already has
two built-in "Automatic save" options that can be enabled in Tools,
Settings, Files to help save your current work. (These perform separate functions from the macros in MultiSav.zip.)
One of these options will periodically and automatically save a temporary ("timed") copy of the current document when changes are made to it, which helps protect
against power outages or crashes. (The program deletes this timed copy when you save and close the document in a normal fashion.)
Experts generally suggest enabling this first option.
The other option will automatically save a backup copy on disk of the current document whenever you deliberately save it — but just one backup version for each saved file. However, this doubles the number of such personal documents you save to disk.
Whether to enable this second option is a matter of personal preference.
See "Automatically make backups of your
document to help you recover your work" for details on these two options.
• MultiSave.zip file: Function #1:
The MultiSave.zip file contains the NewFN#.wcm macro (explained below) which can make many separate, incrementally
numbered backups — also known as versioning — whenever you play the macro while editing a document.
This is particularly helpful with long or
richly formatted documents, since it might let you quickly recover work
from a presumably "known good" earlier version of the document if
something goes wrong with the current document.
[WordPerfect X7 now includes a similar macro, Numbered Save.wcm.]
• MultiSave.zip file: Function #2:
The MultiSave.zip file also contains two other macros: Period+Save.wcm and HRT+Save.wcm. They are designed to
help you make frequent saves of the current document while you type
by
automating the File, Save process whenever you press the period (full
stop) key — or, in the case of the HRt+Save macro, when you press a
special key twice.
Note that these two macros do not make separate backups of the current document (unless
you have also enabled the Save
option in Tools, Settings, Files). They simply make more frequent saves of the current document. However, you can use either one
with the NewFN# macro.
• Some of the material below is
informational — e.g., the "Period(full stop)-plus-save" trick —
and while it might be worthwhile reading please be aware that you
do not have to create the macros yourself. They are included in
the Download MULTISAV.ZIP link in the left
column, along with a Readme file.
(Instructions on downloading,
extracting, and placement of these macro files is given in the Downloading instructions ... link in the left side column of this and every other macro page in the Library.)
• You can assign a macro to a menu, toolbar, or
keystroke combination ("shortcut key").
This makes it quick and easy to play. The Period+Save macro most likely should be assigned to the period (or "full stop") key — hence the name — as
explained below (and in
the Readme file included with the macros).
• If you are not sure which macro is
best for you, see "Which macro to use?" below.
• If you need to make backup copies of
the currently open document to another drive, see the SaveCopy macro.
The MultiSav.zip archive contains
3 separate macros
(Which macro to use? See below)
• NewFN#.wcm ("New
FileName with Number") (v1.03)
This macro saves the
current file (in real time) with a new filename that has a numerical suffix appended
to the root name (e.g., Myfile.wpd becomes Myfile001.wpd).
Subsequent playing of the macro increases the filename's suffix (e.g., Myfile002.wpd,
Myfile003.wpd,
etc.) each time the macro saves the file — even when used on that particular file in a future WordPerfect session.
Thus you can
easily save your important work-in-progress with sequential versions, add
unique numbers to the filenames of correspondence to the same
recipient, etc.
How it works
If the current file is a new (unsaved)
file, the macro asks you to add a numeric suffix (e.g., 001) to the
filename, and then it saves the file.
If the current file has been
previously saved with a numeric suffix (e.g., ClientXYZ-004.wpd), it
increments the numeric (suffix) part of the filename and then it saves
the file under the new name (e.g., ClientXYZ-005.wpd).
You can set the minimum length of the
numeric suffix for the macro to use (and verify) in the redlined User
Modification Area of the macro's code. See here for Instructions. The
default is three digits, which allows creating up to 999 versions of
the file.
Important
¤ All new files made with the NewFN#
macro are saved to the same folder as the previously edited/saved
version of the file — the same way that
WordPerfect treats its own automatic
backup files — to prevent the possibility of accidentally
overwriting a backup file (in a common backup folder) with another
backup file of the same name.
¤ NewFN#
is not automatic — you still must deliberately save the file.
However, to help boost productivity,
▸ you can use this macro along with the
Period+Save macro to help automate its use (see "Which macro to use?" below)
- or -
▸ like any macro, you can simply assign the macro to a keyboard shortcut, toolbar button, or menu choice (see here) and use it when desired.
¤ NewFN# cannot be used to save other macros (*.wcm) during macro
editing. It is meant to make saved iterations of regular WordPerfect documents.
• Period+Save.wcm
("Period plus Save") (v1.03)
When this macro is assigned to the period (full stop) key ("."), it will save the current file whenever you press the
period key — unless the period follows a number, a
space, or another period, or is inside a substructure. [In these cases the macro will not execute a
save. See the expanded section below for why.]
Unlike NewFN#.wcm above, it does not change
the current filename. It merely does the same thing as File, Save but it does it for you when you reach the end of a typical
sentence. (As noted above, if you have also enabled the automatic save as a backup option in Tools, Settings,
Files, then a new backup of the file will also be created each time.)
The normal functioning of the period
(full stop) key is unaffected. Pressing that key when the macro is
assigned to it will still type a period. It merely saves the file at the same time.
Tips
☼ See below
for more information about this macro's technique. As noted there, it may be best to assign the macro to the
period (.) key in a copy of your default keyboard. [See the step-by-step instructions in that section.]
☼ If you only need to use this macro for
specific projects — i.e., you don't want to use it in every document —
you can easily create a new, separate keyboard definition and toggle
it on/off as needed. See the "Assigning Period+Save to the period key" section below.
☼ Related tip for advanced users: Kenneth Hobson posted a macro on
WordPerfect Universe that saves after every five prresses of the period
key. See here.
• HRT+Save.wcm ("Hard Return plus Save") (v1.02)
This macro makes
special use of the backslash key ("\") to enter a hard return and save
the current file at the same time.
Unlike NewFN#.wcm above, it does not change
the current filename. It simply saves the file the same as if you use
File, Save. (As noted above, if you have also enabled the Save option in Tools, Settings,
Files, then a new backup of the file will be created each time.)
Unlike Period+save.wcm, it is not
completely "automatic": You must deliberately double-press the
backslash key (after it has this macro assigned to the backslash key —
easy to do!). This might be preferred by some users compared to a completely
automatic process.
The normal functioning of the
backslash key — i.e., one press of the "\" key followed by some other
key press — is not affected. You must press this key twice for
the macro to spring into action. Otherwise, you will simply type a single "\"
into the document.
Tips
☼ You need to assign this macro to the "\" key. Then
pressing the backslash key twice causes the macro to delete the
backslashes, enter a hard return, and save the file. (Actually, any
available key can be used; however, the backslash is normally located
just above the Enter key, which makes it especially easy to use to
enter a hard return and then save the file.)
☼ If you only need to use this macro for specific
projects — i.e., you don't want to use it in every document — you can
easily create a new, separate keyboard definition and toggle it on/off
as needed. See here.
☼ You can also change the number of
required backslashes in the macro code. (Just open the macro like any
other WordPerfect document to view the comments and instructions at the
top of the file.)
☼ For more on the general method for making a key do "double duty" by assigning a macro to it, see here.
[Download the 3 macros from the link
in the left sidebar.]
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Which macro to
use?
[Note that you can use
NewFn#.wcm in the same document with either Period+Save.wcm or HRt+Save.wcm.]
• NewFN#.wcm is not "automatic": It saves the current file only
when you deliberately play the macro. (This is particularly easy to do
if you assign the macro to a toolbar
button next to the normal Save button, or to a File menu choice, or an available keyboard shortcut, as shown here.)
As noted above, if it is a
new unsaved document it will ask you for a filename — one that has numbers
appended to the root of the name (e.g., "MyFile001.wpd"). It then saves the document under the new (now numbered) filename,
and it will use that numbered name to create new, incrementally
numbered files each time you deliberately play the macro.
Unlike the
other two macros it is not meant to simply save your document with the
same file name. (You can do that yourself with File, Save or with
either of the other two macros.) It is meant to create several
intermediate versions of a file — "works in
progress," so to speak — such as MyFile001.wpd, MyFile002.wpd, and so
on.
This
is handy when you want to save some sections of your original
text as they were written, until the final draft of the document is
written. Sometimes we realize later that we should have kept the saved
material as part of the final document. "Versioning" can help you do
that. [Of course, you can always clip the possibly unwanted sections
to another document, using either cut-and-paste or something like the Clipper
macro. But that other document should also be saved to
disk as added insurance. A complete earlier version might be easier to understand your thoughts at the time.]
If you don't mind the extra files on disk — which can always be block-deleted in the future — the NewFN# macro might be very
useful, depending on your needs and preferences.
• Period+Save.wcm is "automatic" — if it is assigned to the period/full
stop key (.) and if the file already has a name — and it will play whenever you
deliberately type a period into the document, saving the document at the same time. [Note that it will not
perform a save (but it still will type a period) if the period follows
a number, a space, or another period; nor will it perform a save while
the cursor is in a header, footer, footnote, endnote, text box,
watermark, or other such substructure.]
If you are working on a new
(i.e., originally blank) WPD document it will pop a message to let you know
you should save the document; once saved, you should not see the
message again in that document.
It always saves the document using the
same filename and extension in effect at the time — the same as if
you use File, Save on any named document.
It is meant to help you save the
same document more frequently than you might do otherwise, helping avoid loss of text if you absently close the
program without saving many hours of work — even if you have set
the timed backup option (which, incidentally, works only to recover from an
abnormal program termination, not for failing to obey warning messages
about changed documents and the need to deliberately save or abandon
those changes. See here for more on the
timed backup feature). A significant downside for some people
is that when a document is saved without making a backup, the saved
version might not be the "best" version. (Sometimes automation can have
unintended consequences.) You can, however, use it along with the automatic save as a backup feature
in WordPerfect, although this might slow things down slightly if the
program needs to make a backup file as well as save the current file
each time you press the period key.
If these downsides are important to you consider using the HRt+Save macro instead. With it you must deliberately press a key twice in succession (e.g., the backslash "\") before the macro will save the document.
[Note also that the Period+Save macro will not play while editing a macro (WCM) or
template (WPT) document since it is doubtful you would want automatic
saves when creating such files. This limitation can be changed in the
macro's code.]
• HRt+Save.wcm is somewhat "automatic" — if it is assigned to a key that can do "double
duty" such as the backslash ("\") key.
(For the general procedure see Steps 2-4 below. The backslash key is further down the in list shown in Step 3, between the [square] bracket symbols.)
After assignment, press the key once and you get
a backslash character. Press it twice in a row and the macro plays
(instead of typing the character). It then creates a hard return (same as
pressingthe Enter key) and saves the file.
In effect the assigned macro simply saves you a few
keystrokes or having to use a mouse to save the file.
The "Period(full
stop)-plus-save" trick
The rationale behind the Period+Save macro
above (optional reading)
The following material in this section is optional.
You only need to download the actual macro and
assign it to the period (full stop) key as explained in the Related Tips section below. But if you have
time, read on to understand how it works. |
If you want to save
your work with sufficient frequency to minimize any potential loss and
you don't like the backslash-key macro (HR+Save) method above, you
could force WordPerfect to save the current file as you type,
without having to remember to press a special key, or click a toolbar
button or menu item.
(As noted above there can be a downside to the method, but it can be toggled on and off as desired. More on
this later.)
A logical point to
trigger a save with a reasonable frequency is when you press the period
("full stop") key. You could do this by creating a simple macro and
assigning it to the period key so that it plays immediately whenever
you press the period key. The macro would type the period and
immediately save the file — automatically. (If the file has not yet
been saved, it will pop up the Save File dialog to allow you to name
the file first.).
Here's a simple example of such a macro (don't create it;
please read on):
Type (".")
FileSave ()
Finally, you could assign this simple macro to the period key on your
default keyboard.
Note: To
assign the macro to the period [full stop] key, when you are in the
Keyboard Shortcuts dialog (as explained in the assign link and also below) you will need to check the box, "Allow
assignment of character keys" to display normal keyboard characters;
the period is just under the hyphen [-] and above the forward slash [/]
in the list, for most keyboards.
Then every time you
press the period key, the macro will play and type a period, then
immediately save the file. If the file has not yet been saved, it will
pop up the File Save dialog to allow you to name the file first.
With this example
macro, the most you are likely to lose if you forget to save before
closing a file is one sentence. Other than using the WordPerfect automatic backup
feature (Tools, Settings,
Files, Doucment tab, "Save original file as a backup..."), this is
about as automated a periodic save as you will get with WordPerfect.
Note: Both methods — using an auto-save macro
and WordPerfect's automatic backup feature — can be used together, if
you wish. The WordPerfect automatic backup feature makes just one
backup of the current file; however, this is a separate file
from the current file, located in the same directory/folder but with a
.BK! filename extension.
On the other hand, the "period-plus-save" method saves the same
file over and over: no separate backup file is created (unless, of
course, you have the automatic backup feature turned on).
However, the simple two-line macro
above has some limitations (which are overcome in the download version):
It cannot tell if the cursor is located
inside a "substructure" such as a dialog box — a place where File,
Save will not work.
Also, it doesn't notice when you type ellipses
("..." or ". . ."), and it saves even when you are entering numerical
data, which (slightly) slows such data entry.
Therefore, the
two-line example macro above can be elaborated to
• check if the period
you want to type at the cursor location follows a digit, another
period, or a space; and
• check if the cursor
is inside a a substructure.
In this case, if both conditions are
true the macro would not save the file, thereby avoiding
potential problems with saving and reducing any (very slight) slowdown
in your work. If both conditions are false, the macro would proceed to
save the file.
A macro (Period+Save.wcm)
that does both these things is included as part of the MULTISAV.ZIP file on this page. Also this ready-to-use macro -
• pops an information
message (screen shot) in an unsaved or read-only document (just save the file once and continue editing);
• does not auto-save
the document when you are writing or editing a macro or a template (most
macro writers probably do not want frequent auto-saves while they code
a macro).
These two features can be changed with a simple setting in
the macro's User Modification Area. (Just open the macro with Tools, Macro, Edit and look for that area.)
Assigning Period+Save to the period (.) key
(recommended
reading)
It may be best to
assign the Period+Save macro to the period (full stop) key in a copy
of your default (or other) keyboard.
That is, instead of assigning the Period+Save macro to the keyboard you use all (or
most) of the time — such as <WPWin Keyboard>, <WPDOS 6.1 Keyboard>, etc. — you can easily create a copy of
that keyboard (or even the factory installed default keyboard) and use the copy when assigning this
macro to the period key.
You can then use your mouse or a keystroke combination
(see next paragraphs) to quickly toggle between keyboards, depending on
whether or not you want to use the period-plus-save method to
automate saving your files.
[While creating and using a copy of
your favorite keyboard is not strictly necessary — you could simply
edit your favorite keyboard and assign the macro to the period key
there (as explained here and in the steps below) — it does have the advantage
of not requiring you to remember how to remove the keyboard assignment
at some distant date: You would simply stop using (or delete) the copied
keyboard. A disadvantage is that you might need to
maintain two customized keyboards if you wish them to contain the same future
changes.]
Here's how to do it. (And once you have done it you should find it was easier to do than to explain!)
Step 1. Make a copy of the desired keyboard.
Which keyboard to copy?
Unless you prefer to copy an existing user-customized
keyboard, you can just copy the standard default WordPerfect for Windows keyboard, as in the
example below.
It just depends on whether you want to have access to your previously
user-customized keys ("shortcuts") along with the new macro-assigned key, or whether you want to
start fresh with a new non-customized keyboard and assign the macro to the period key.
[The latter method gives you a way to practice assigning a macro to a
key. You can then delete the practice keyboard later.]
• From the main WordPerfect menu click on Tools, Settings, Customize. The
Customize Settings dialog below opens.
• Click on the Keyboards tab if it's not already in use.
• The
highlighted keyboard in the "Available keyboards" list (as in the image below) is the currently selected
(i.e., enabled) one. If it's not the one you wish to copy, click on the desired one to select it.
• Click the Copy button.
The following images assume
you wish to copy the factory shipped default keyboard (<WPWin
Keyboard>). Also, the images show the use of WordPerfect X7 [U.S.
edition], but any WordPerfect for Windows version/edition should use
the same steps:

• The Copy Keyboard(s) dialog below opens.
• The
"Template to copy from" and "Template to copy to" list buttons (highlighted in the image below) should be set to the default template file for your
version of WordPerfect — such as (e.g.) "wp17US" for the WordPerfect X7 U.S. edition.
• Select (click on) the keyboard to copy and click on Copy.
In our example you would click on <WPWin 7 Keyboard> for the
factory shipped default Windows keyboard. (You can actually select more
than one keyboard with <Ctrl+click> but for this example just
select the one you wish to copy.)

• The Copy/Rename Object dialog below opens.
• Give the
new keyboard a new name (e.g., <Auto-Save Keyboard>). [Since you chose to copy the keyboard into the same template (see dialog image above) you must give it a new name.]

• Click OK to
return to the Customize Settings dialog.
Step 2. Edit the new copy of the keyboard.
• Back in the Customize Settings dialog (see image below), select
(i.e., click on) the keyboard to which you want to assign the macro (here, the <Auto-Save Keyboard>)
and then click Edit.
[Notice that when you select the new keyboard: (1) the name appears
under the current template's filename (e.g., wp17US), and (2) a new
button appears that lets you Delete the new keyboard when or if you no longer
need it.]

• The Keyboard Shortcuts dialog opens (left side shown below).
Step 3. Assign the macro to the period (full stop) key.
• On the left side of the Keyboard Shortcut dialog:
(1) First check (tick) the box at the bottom of the dialog, "Allow assignment of character keys."
(2) Then scroll down to the period/full stop. For most keyboards it's just under the
hyphen [-] and above the forward slash and numbers [/01234...] in the list). Choose (click) it:

• On the right side of the Keyboard Shortcut dialog:
(1) First click on the Macros tab to choose it.
(2) Then click on the "Assign
Macro to Key" button.

• The Select Macro window appears. [No image shown here since it is a normal operating system window.]
• Select the Period+Save.wcm macro in the window in order to assign to the period key.
• Click Close.
• A small message appears (shown below) asking if you wish to
save the macro with the full path (i.e., drive, folder, and filename)
or just with the macro's filename.
Tip: There's no
need to save it with the full path if the macro file is located in your default or
supplemental macros directory/folder. WordPerfect will find it by name
alone if it's in either of those locations. (This is also helpful if
you relocate your macros to a different computer where the path to
macros might be different than what was assigned originally. On the
other hand you might need to use the full path if certain macros should
always be located separately from the default or supplemental folders on your computer.)

• Click the desired choice, Yes or No (suggested).
Step 4.
• Click OK/Close on the Keyboard Shortcuts dialog until you are back at the
main document screen.
Step 5.
• Then, to switch keyboards:
either -
Right-click
the Status Bar (the very bottom of the WP window that shows the names
of currently opened documents) and choose Settings. When the Settings
dialog appears, check the box, "Keyboard," then click OK. You can then
click the keyboard icon that appears on the Status bar to select the
desired keyboard.
or -
Create two
simple macros. Using them will require three fewer mouse clicks to
change keyboards than the method above.
[This
second method is almost as easy to set up. First create two macros (which are
recordable with Tools, Macro, Record), then assign them to toolbar buttons or keystrokes — one macro to select the new keyboard and one to select
your default keyboard. That way, you can use your mouse or a keystroke
combination to quickly toggle between keyboards, depending on whether
or not you want to use the period-plus-save feature.]
You can now use your
mouse or a keystroke combination to quickly toggle between keyboards,
depending on whether or not you want to use the period-plus-save method
of automating the saving of your files.
Sidebar: For those who use the commercial utility As-U-Type:
The macro doens't work
properly with the As-U-Type spell check and speed typing program, when
a period follows a word that is in As-U-Type's Correction Database. If
you use As-U-Type, just toggle it off temporarily with
<LeftShift+RightShift>. Or use this tip from the author of
As-U-Type:
'...To fix [this],
please ... remove the period from As-U-Type's expander characters set:
Right click the program's running icon and choose the "Options..."
command. Then click the "Others" item on the left, and remove the
period from the "Expanders" box on the right. (The Expanders box
contains all characters which trigger expansion). Of course after
removing the period from the box, As-U-Type no longer expands text when
you type the period (so "admin." still stays as "admin.", while
"admin," continues to be expanded to "administration,")....'
For more on As-U-Type — which is otherwise an excellent program — see http://www.asutype.com/.
Third-party
software to automate making backups
If you need real-time, automatic, or
sequential backups of designated types of files, see the (fairly
short) list of third party backup
software programs at the bottom of this page: Automatically make backups of your
document to help you recover your work.
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