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

Macros to:

1) Toggle QuickCorrect, SmartQuotes, and other QC settings
2) Convert existing regular double or single quote marks to typographical quote marks, or vice versa

Download QC.ZIP (v1.04a, 12/13/06; 21,831 bytes) Compatible with WordPerfect 8 and later versions WordPerfect 11 users: See important information about using macros in the first release of WP11 (11.0.0.233) at the top of this page. Downloading, Documentation, Modifications, and Support  More macros in the Library... Disclaimer, Copyright and Distribution of Materials, and Privacy Policy

Related resources -

QuickCorrect - Information and tips about this WordPerfect feature's two related functions and five related modules 

■  Purpose This is a WordPerfect macro that toggles the state of various default and preferred settings in Tools, QuickCorrect, in that feature's five modules: □ QuickCorrect □ QuickWords □ Format-As-You-Go □ SpeedLinks □ SmartQuotes [You can open these program modules to view your current settings. Also see https://wptoolbox.com/tips/QCorrect.html for more on QuickCorrect.] In general, the QC.wcm macro has a few practical purposes. For example — [1]  Some people often find they need to toggle QuickCorrect (and SmartQuotes) on and off, usually to temporarily get rid of smart quotes (aka "curly" or "typographical" quotes), and they need to do this quickly and easily. [2]  Or, they have changed a QuickCorrect setting and forgot they did it (or exactly where they did it), and need to restore their preferred QuickCorrect settings. [3]  Or, when they are creating or editing a macro, or creating or loading a merge document, WordPerfect will automatically turn off several QuickCorrect settings temporarily — even in other currently open documents being edited. This last issue might be irritating, but it is "working as designed". If QuickCorrect were left on during macro creation/editing or during a merge "...imagine the havoc that could be wreaked on macro commands or on the abbreviated names of variables in merges that just might happen to match an abbreviation in QuickCorrect!..." [quoted from a WordPerfect Universe post]. Further, jumping back and forth between a macro or merge document and a "normal" document may require you to enable or disable SmartQuotes (i.e., typographical, "curly" quote marks) for the task at hand. Macro code, for example, needs "straight" quote marks, not "curly" quote marks. Since changes to WordPerfect's QuickCorrect settings often "stick," you may find that during typing in a document -  ▸ quote marks change from "curly" to "straight" marks (or the opposite); or ▸ QuickCorrect doesn't replace "incorrect" words in its list with correct ones (or the opposite: it replaces correct words with something different); or ▸ QuickWord abbreviations don't expand when they should (or the opposite: they expand when they shouldn't — such as during a merge). Hence there is a need for a practical, quick and easy method to quickly toggle certain QuickCorrect settings on or off — especially your preferred settings. The QC.wcm macro is such a method. ■  Operation The QC.wcm macro toggles these QuickCorrect and QuickWords settings on and off. It can also set certain other QC settings to your preferred defaults. [You may want to assign it to a toolbar button for easy access.] Specifically, if QuickCorrect, QuickWord, Format-As-You-Go, SpeedLinks, and/or SmartQuote settings are off when you play it, it will turn them on (i.e., just the ones you have specified in the macro — see below); if these settings are on, it will turn certain ones off (i.e.,, just the ones you specified). The basic idea is this: If you have preferred QuickCorrect settings (which you have specified inside the macro), and the program turns them off (or you do that deliberately) playing the macro again will restore your preferred settings -- your "defaults." (Play it once again and it will turn them off. And so forth, alternating between the off and on states.) Unlike most macros on this site, no menu appears when you play this macro. Instead, a brief message appears to tell you which way the toggle is working (i.e., whether settings were turned On or Off). Please note this about SmartQuote settings: The QC.wcm macro (optionally) restores the four Smart ("curly") quote marks found under QuickCorrect's SmartQuotes tab. Sometimes these two pairs of Open/Close quote marks are accidentally deleted from the SmartQuotes dialog (some users deliberately do this erroneously assuming this is the way to temporarily disable them), or they are changed to a different set of marks in the SmartQuotes dialog. This macro can restore them to their default or preferred values. Hence if you use Smart ("curly") quote marks other than the WordPerfect defaults you will want to either toggle this macro function off or enter your own quote mark values for the four items. You can do this by personalizing the macro's operation (see next section). ■  Personalize the macro's operation (PLEASE READ to better understand the macro) A WordPerfect for Windows macro file on disc has a .wcm filename extension. Most users should place the macro in their default (or supplemental) macro folder, as explained in the "Downloading..." insstructions. Just open the QC.wcm macro file with Tools, Macro, Edit and read the information at the top of the macro's code. Below that section in the code area is a redlined User Modification Area (with settings and instructions) where you can personalize the macro for your needs. When you have finished making changes to various default macro settings that will change your QuickCorrect settings (see table below) when you play the modified macro, click the Save & Compile button on the Macro Toolbar that should be displayed at the top of the editing screen. Play the macro whenever desired. It will [1] toggle basic WordPerfect QuickCorrect and QuickWords settings On and Off (a brief message appears), and [2] set various other QuickCorrect settings (e.g., Format-As-You-Go) to your preferred defaults. Here is a description of the QuickCorrect settings you can set to your preferences in the macro's code: Tip: ☼  As a reference while you are editing the macro, you can view your current settings by clicking Tools, QuickCorrect. (It's a draggable dialog.) You could also take screen shots of all that dialog's tabs for future reference before playing the macro. (QuickCorrect settings are stored in the Windows Registry, but it's probably easier for most users to restore them with this macro or by reference to screen images.) Notes: ¤  The macro's User Modification Area is laid out in five sections that correspond to the five tabs on the WordPerfect QuickCorrect dialog. (The list below summarizes them.) In those Modification Area sections you can set your preferred WordPerfect default state (e.g., On or Off) for any of the listed settings. ¤  In addition, there is another section of modifications (not shown here) to [1] allow displaying the brief message (or not), and [2] to restore any accidentally deleted smart ("curly") quotes when the macro plays. Be sure to view that section since it might apply to you. QuickCorrect settings QuickCorrect (tab)  [ >> see Notes below << ]   - Replace words as you type - Correct other mis-typed words when possible  QuickWords (tab) - Expand QuickWords when you type them SpeedLinks (tab) - Format words as hyperlinks when you type them Format-As-You-Go (tab) - Capitalize next letter after end-of-sentence punctuation - Correct TWo IRegular CApitals (make second letter lowercase) - Change two spaces to one space between words - Change two spaces to one space between sentences     (Radio buttons: None (Off) | one to two | two to one) - CapsFix - Correct accidental usage of cAPS LOCK key     (Tip: See some related tips for advanced users) - QuickBullets - Lists and Outlines created as you type - QuickIndent - TAB works more like Indent - QuickLines - Create graphic lines with (----, ====) - QuickOrdinals - Replace Ordinals (1st, 2nd...) with superscript - QuickSymbols - Replace (--,---) with (en-dashes,em-dashes) SmartQuotes (tab)  - Use double quotation marks as you type (Open & Close) - Use single quotation marks as you type (Open & Close) - Use straight quotation marks after numbers - [e.g.] 6'     [Be sure to see the caution note below about      this particular SmartQuotes option] [The availability of the next two settings depends on your Language edition/setting: If it does not require them, they will be dimmed out; hence the QC.wcm macro does not include them. Set them to your preferred state manually.] - Insert space after opening quotation mark - Insert space before closing quotation mark --------------------- Notes from the "QuickCorrect settings" table (above) ¤  Generally speaking, there is no need to customize the first QuickCorrect (tab) setting above (i.e., "Replace words as you type"). The macro's default setting is On (checkbox ticked), which allows the program to replace words with their corrections as you type them, The Off setting (checkbox cleared) will disable this feature -- i.e., not replace them when typing. Most users probably will want to keep the default setting in the macro's code — but the choice is yours. ¤  Many if not most users probably will not want to enable the second QuickCorrect (tab) setting ("Correct other mis-typed words when possible"), so they will leave this setting Off (checkbox cleared). Here's why, from WordPerfect's Help <F1>... When the "Correct other mistyped words when possible" check box is enabled, WordPerfect replaces typographical errors that have only one possible correction without notifying you of the change. Use this option only if you are confident that a document uses words found in a standard word list. Unusual spellings and proper nouns might be changed automatically when you enable this option. [Most power users disable (clear) this setting. They don't want strange "corrections" slipping into important documents unnoticed.] [For WordPerfect X3 and earlier: In the original release of WPX3 correct words were flagged as spelling errors if the option "Correct other mistyped words when possible" was active. This was remedied with WPX3/Service Pack 1.] ■  Tips •  For additional tips about QuickCorrect, see here on the Boilerplate page. •  You can assign this or any macro to a menu, toolbar, or keyboard shortcut ("hot key"). See here.

■  Purpose This macro (included in the download QC.ZIP file above) - converts existing regular ("straight") double or single quote marks to typographical quote marks (a.k.a. smart quotes or curly quotes)  or the opposite: it converts existing typographical quote marks to regular quote marks. Tips WordPerfect's Tools, QuickCorrect, SmartQuotes options — if enabled — can automatically convert existing regular ("straight") double or single quote marks to typographical quote marks by simply finding and replacing them. Here's how. 1. Use Edit, Find and Replace and insert the same regular double marks in the "Find:" and "Replace with:" fields using your keyboard (i.e., do not insert WordPerfect symbols for these items). 2. Then, with the cursor at the top of the document, click Replace All. 3. Repeat 1 and 2 using regular single quote marks. There's no need for a macro with this method, but you may prefer to use the Convert quote marks macro instead for its convenience and added functions. ■  Instructions Once the Convert quote marks.wcm macro file is located in either your default or supplemental macro folder (as shown in Tools, Settings, Files, Merge/Macro) you can just play it with Tools, Macro, Play. (If you need detailed instructions about locating such custom macros, see here.) A menu pops up to let you choose which conversion type, where to start converting, etc. ■  Notes, cautions, and suggestions •  If text is selected before you play the macro, it will convert just the quote marks that are inside the selected text. •  The macro takes advantage of WordPerfect's Tools, QuickCorrect, SmartQuotes feature to convert the quote marks to those that you have previously specified on the SmartQuotes tab. [Advanced users: See the macro's code for the technique.] •  You can set default values for the macro's menu at the top of the macro code. •  You can assign any macro to a menu, toolbar button, or keyboard shortcut ("hot key"). See here. •  As with using WordPerfect's native SmartQuotes feature (i.e., Tools, QuickCorrect, SmartQuotes), an option (check box) on the Convert quote markks.wcm macro's menu lets you use regular [i.e., straight] quote marks after numbers (e.g., 10'5"). CAUTION: Be aware that the program's native SmartQuotes setting for the  "...quote marks after numbers" setting will be left On after the macro plays if you choose that option with the checkbox on the Convert quote markks.wcm macro's menu. Reason: Currently there is no way in the PerfectScript macro language to detect the initial state of that specific WordPerfect setting and change it back to that state when the macro is finished. In other words, it will ignore your preference for the setting. So you might want to manually turn it Off later (if desired) with Tools, QuickCorrect, SmartQuotes if you used the this macro with the option enabled. Suggestion: The need to quickly restore the use of typographical quotes when typing in regular documents after editing a macro file is another reason why you might want to use the QC.wcm macro above, personalized to your needs. You can then restore this and any other QuickCorrect/QuickWords settings to your preferences with a mouse click. Related CAUTION: If you (or the macro) have turned (or left) On the "use regular quote marks after numbers" setting in WordPerfect's SmartQuotes section, that setting will also use regular, straight quote marks if they are typed immediately after a numeric date (e.g.: ...the year was 2006"...) instead of typographical marks even when the first two SmartQuotes settings are turned On. Suggestion: While this issue of straight quote marks following date numerals is generally not desirable when using typographical marks for quotes elsewhere in the document, the program doesn't know that, so more caution is advised when turning this specific option On (or leaving it On) when editing such documents. [Or see the next suggestion.] Suggestion: If straight quote marks are needed when typing certain numbers (e.g., to indicate feet, inches, etc.) you can simply use WordPerfect symbols (shortcut key: Ctrl+W) as needed to insert a double (") or single quote ('). These straight quote mark symbols are found at the top of the ASCII set in the Symbols dialog (0,34 and 0,39). [Tips:    You can use shortcut keys to insert the symbols: press Ctrl+W, then press 3 keystroke in sequence: 034 or 039, then press Enter.    These symbols can also be accessed with a mouse more quickly if they were recently used by adding the "Symbols MRU" button on a toolbar (it is found under the Insert feature category on the Toolbar Editor; see here for details on creating new buttons on a toolbar and to start (launch) a WordPerfect feature with them.] Tip: There's a macro by Marc-André Roberge, a senior member on WordPerfect Universe (WPU) that might help in these situations: See "A macro to fix straight or curly quotation marks after numbers". (I have not extensively tested it, but it's fairly popular with WPU members.) •  Advanced users: If you have edited a macro file during the session the macro editor will turn SmartQuotes Off — and they may remain off even after rebooting. If you then use quote marks you may find that you are entering straight, non-typographical quote marks into the current document instead of typographical quotes! This is by design since macro code requires regular quote marks wherever quote marks are used in macro commands. And the program doesn't know if you need to return to the open macro document during the session so it leaves the SmartQuotes settings off. Suggestion: If this happens — especially after typing significant amounts of text — you can use the QC.wcm macro above to turn SmartQuotes (and other optional QuickCorrect settings) back on, then play Convert quote marks.wcm to convert all regular quote marks that you typed into typographical quotes.