Text macros (macros) make it possible to assign text strings, text
rulers and text styles, or any combination of these, to just two
definable key presses (these are called key bindings). Some of the
possibilities are sketched out below:
The simplest use of macros is as phrase keys
to generate
not just individual letters, but entire words, sentences or even
complete chapters. One of the best examples of using a text macro is
to avoid having to type the words "Yours sincerely" followed by blank
lines at the end of each letter. You can even adorn these words with
text styles and position them carefully with text rulers.
If you use a lot of tables in your documents, you may choose to save the text ruler for the tables as a macro to obtain matched tables. That way, the tab-stops will be always in the same place.
The options described in the Text style module offer you the chance of altering the appearance of the text. Text macros allow you to save the current text style as defined in the Text style module, so you can enter a new style from the keyboard instead of clicking your way through the icons in the Text style module.
The word macro
comes from the Greek and as a prefix means
something like large
or long
.
You may execute a macro either by typing the macro call key(s)
(see Key bindings editor
in the Tools function group) followed
immediately by the defined keys (see below), or by clicking on the
macro name in the list with the mouse. Depending on the macro contents
and whether you have selected a text block, Calamus will carry out
certain actions:
If no text block is marked, the macro text will be inserted at the cursor position. If a text block is marked, the block will be deleted, and the macro text inserted in its place.
If no text block is marked, the ruler saved in the macro will be inserted at the cursor position. If a text block is marked, two rulers will be inserted: The ruler saved in the macro before the block, and a copy of the previous ruler after the block.
The same applies as for macros containing rulers: If no text block is marked, the style information saved in the macro will be inserted at the cursor position. If a text block is marked, two style buttons will be inserted: The macro style before the block, and a copy of the previous style after the block.
Even when using a small font the function field only has room for 24 macros. Calamus can, of course, use many more. To see the others you have to scroll through the list. This is accomplished with the scroll bars at the left edge of the list.
