Macro Express News

March 9, 2012

This is the online edition of the Macro Express News email newsletter. You can have future editions delivered directly to your email inbox. Visit the Macro Express News page to subscribe or to view past issues.

Macro Express v 3.9.0.1

Macro Express v 3.9 is now available from www.macros.com/download. This release of Macro Express contains several enhancements and bug fixes including:

  • Enhanced and improved the look and feel with more readable fonts, updated icons, including the main program icon, and updated help.
  • Now includes new icons that can be assigned to macros.
  • Fixed issues with the display of custom icons.
  • If an icon assigned to a macro is not found, an empty icon with a red box around it is displayed.
  • Fixed a bug rounding negative numbers.
  • Clicking Find within the Explorer or the Editor now remembers previous search terms.
  • Audio Mute and Unmute commands now work on Windows 7 and Vista.
  • If the default string variable used by Variable Set From Prompt contains a CR then the default value is not highlighted.
  • The Command Line Parameter in the Preferences is now properly stored in the startup shortcut.
  • Improved support for non-default DPI settings on Windows 7 and Vista.
  • Several changes to improve stability.

A complete list of changes is available on the Revision History page.

Sample Macros: Insert Non-English Language Characters

For those who are multilingual, you may occasionally need to type something in your second language, but do not have that language’s keyboard installed. It is inconvenient looking for symbols or trying to learn different key combinations for characters not readily available on your keyboard.

We have created several macro sets that make this process much simpler. Just run a macro to display a popup menu of available non-English language characters. Select the menu item to insert the character into your application.

Macros sets for four different languages are currently available – French, German, Portuguese and Spanish. See the Insert Non-English Language Characters page for details and links to download the macros.

You are invited to make improvements to the current macros, create other language sets or submit your favorite macros for inclusion on our Shared Macros web page or in the Macro Express News newsletter. Send all macros to us via email.

Tip: Separate macros for individual users

Do you share a computer? Do you want each user to have their own macros? Or do you want all users to use the same macros?

Members of the same family or company or organization that share a computer may want to allow users to have their own macro file. To do this is simple. Save the macro file in the individual’s Documents (or My Documents in Windows XP and prior) folder.

Each user that logs on gets their own copy of the My Documents folder and consequently, their own individual macros.

But what if you want all users to share a single macro file? This too is simple. Put the macro file in a location that does not change between users. You might, for example, use the folder C:\Macros. All users will have access to this folder and will be able to share a single macro file. Changes made to the macro file will be available to any user that logs onto the computer.