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Barry MacDonnell's
Toolbox for WordPerfect

Macros, tips, and templates for Corel® WordPerfect® for Windows®
© Copyright 1996-2024 by Barry MacDonnell. All Rights Reserved.

 Page updated Mar 3, 2023

Macros and Templates:

Downloading | Instructions & Documentation | Modifications and Distribution | Support

"An explanation in words makes any activity seem more complex than it is in practice. 
- Roy 'lemoto' Lewis (Corel C_Tech; WordPerfeect Universe Moderator)

Downloading and Installing Macros and Templates

For links to other resources on creating your own macros and templates, see here.

WordPerfect 11 users - be sure to read this!

How to download macros or templates from this site (or any other WordPerfect site)
¤  Where to put them
¤  How to use them
¤  How to remove them

Note: The majority of the files on this site are found inside single, compressed archive files known as "zip" files. [More about ZIP files]. Many other sites, such as WordPerfect Universe, often use the same technique.
Step 1

[a] DOWNLOAD the desired Zip archive file by clicking the "Download" link on the relevant page on this site. 

The download link is found in a box at the top of the left column on each macro's download page. For a comprehensive page of links to various download pages, see the Library. (Some download links -- usually for individual or minor macros -- are found elsewhere on the web page.)

[b] SAVE that Zip file to your Windows desktop or any convenient folder (a.k.a., "directory"). 
Step 2
EXTRACT the file or files inside the Zip archive. This step is also known as uncompressing or unzipping the archive.
 
▸ You must extract macros and templates from the Zip archive. You cannot play them from inside the archive or by just clicking on the archive's name.

▸ Typically you would extract the archive's contents to the same folder as the Zip file to keep everything together (at least, temporarily).

▸ In modern versions of Windows, just right-clicking on the zip file's name will open a context menu where you can then choose "Extract all (files)".  (Double-clicking on the zip file will open it in Explorer to let you view, drag, drop, etc., the zip file's contents.)

▸ You can also perform extraction (and more) with a separate program such as the free program FreeZip.  [More about ZIP files]
Step 3
COPY OR MOVE the extracted file(s) where WordPerfect can find them.

¤  How to do it?

You can copy or move the extracted files with File Explorer (in older Windows versions it was named Windows Explorer), or with any other file manager program. For more help: Use the Windows search feature (e.g., press the WindowsKeyWindows Key + S key) and search for "Help with files and folders" to learn how to use File Explorer. (File Explorer should be accessible with WidowsKeyWindows Key + S + "File Explorer").

¤  Copy or move?

The choice is yours, but moving the files to the folders described below might be best since in that case you will not have duplicate files on your system, which might cause confusion later.

¤  Where to put them?

Any folder will do, including the Windows Desktop, as long as it's not a Windows system folder (such as the \Programs folder). But see Important notes below.

¤  What exactly are those files?

▸ Files with the special filename extension of .wcm are macro files.
They contain the instructions (macro commands) that perform the tasks for which the macro was written (or recorded). Generally speaking they automate much of what you could do with your mouse and keyboard.

You can open such files just like any other WordPerfect document; hence, they can be considered "open source" programs or apps. (The best way to open them is with Tools, Macro, Edit.)

▸ Templates use the filename extension .wpt. These files "spawn" new copies of themselves, and they can also be opened and edited as explained on the Templates page on this site.

▸ Some download ZIP files also contain ordinary documents (.wpd or .txt) which can be left on the Windows desktop (or wherever you downloaded them) or moved to any convenient folder, such as your Documents folder. Be sure to read them since they often contain "how to" instructions.
IMPORTANT NOTES
¤  If you plan on using the macro more than a few times, macro files (.wcm) and any associated helper files can be copied or moved to either your Default macros folder or your Supplemental macros folder.

Most users use the Default macros folder. This makes them easy to play since the program (by default) expects to find them there when you play them with Tools, Macro, Play.

To locate these two special folders on your system:
Open WordPerfect and click Tools, Settings, Files, Merge/Macro tab. Note the paths to these folders in the two fields in that dialog.

Suggested alternative location (can be done any tme): If you have several downloaded or custom macros (i.e., not Corel-shipped macros) that you want to frequently access, see this page about setting up your own separate, "default" macro folder in your Documents folder.

¤  Template files (.wpt) can be copied or moved to your Default template folder.
To locate your own folder for these items:
Open WordPerfect and click Tools, Settings, Files, Template tab.

¤  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 "Instructions" section below before playing a macro for the first time.

Step 4
OPEN ("launch") the WordPerfect program.

For macros:

¤  First: Be sure to read any instructions that come with the macro (also see "Instructions" below) or that are posted on the download page.

¤  Play the macro. To play a macro once it is moved to one of the folders described above, you simply use Tools, Macro, Play or use the keyboard shortcut, Alt+F10. Select the name of the macro and click 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.

For templates:
¤  Load a new document based on the template with File, New From Project (or just New in WordPerfect 8). For more information on the default template or creating more custom templates, see here.

Step 5 (Optional)

To remove a downloaded macro or template from your computer:
First, be sure to close WordPerfect.

Then use File Explorer, Windows Explorer, or My Computer (Computer in Windows Vista or Windows 7+) to navigate to the directory/folder where the macro or template file was placed (Step 3 above).

Delete that file like any other Windows file. (It does not need to be "uninstalled".)

However...

Since a macro doesn't (and can't) do anything until you play it (or set up WordPerfect to automatically play it), and since it takes up very little disk space, you can leave it on your computer in case you might need it again.

Notes

¤  Most macros contain code ("commands") that is extensively annotated so you can learn how to create your own if you are so inclined. In fact, that was the original purpose of this site. (You can also modify them to "tailor" them — they often contain instructions at, or near, the top of the file.)

¤  For links to other resources on creating your own macros and templates, see here.
¤  Some files provided here are in Adobe Acrobat format (.PDF), which requires the free Adobe Acrobat Reader or any other 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 (un-check the Optional offer boxes if you don't need them).

¤  See also this site's Disclaimer, Copyright, Modifications, Distribution of Materials, and Privacy Policy.
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."
Modifications and Distribution
Feel free to modify my macros to suit your needs

Modifications
For help with modifying macros see Instructions above.

Notes
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.

[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.]

Distribution

See this site's Disclaimer; Copyright, Modification, and Distribution of Materials; and Privacy Policy here.
[Short form:] 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.
Support for you (and me)
I am always interested in fixing any of my macros

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 WP6.1 - WPX5 (v.15) 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!