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     MacroKey v1.00 Program Documentation (11/08/2004):
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  OVERVIEW:
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MacroKey is a Windows utility program that uses Visual
Basic's SendKeys function to produce keyboard macros when
the <ALT>+P key combination is pressed.

The SendKeys function throws keystrokes to the Windows
environment as if you had typed them from the keyboard.
SendKeys will not work for programs that are not running in
the Windows environment (command prompt or console
applications).

MacroKey holds 10 storage slots worth of recorded macros
that you can quickly change between for various tasks.

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  INSTALLATION:
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Unzip macrokey_v1_00.zip and run setup.exe.

After installation, run
c:\Program Files\macrokey\macrokey.exe (or macrokey.exe in
the directory you installed the program to if you changed
the default folder during installation).

This will run the program, which puts a MacroKey icon in the
Windows system tray.

You can manually add the program to the Windows startup menu
or create a shortcut as you desire.

MacroKey has been tested and runs under Windows 98, Windows
98SE, Windows NT4, Windows 2000, and Windows XP.

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  FILES INSTALLED:
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The default MacroKey installation creates the program folder
'c:\program files\macrokey\' and places the following files
in it:

  macrokey.exe          ' MacroKey program executable
  macrokey_macro.txt    ' MacroKey macro storage
  macrokey_key.txt      ' MacroKey secondary key storage
  readme.txt            ' MacroKey text documentation
  macrokey.htm          ' MacroKey html documentation
  macrokey.gif          ' Image for html documentation
  ST6UNST.LOG           ' Uninstall information file

The default MacroKey installation also places the following
files in 'c:\windows\system\':

  Threed32.OCX          ' VB6 support file
  MFC40.DLL             ' VB6 support file

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  USING THE MACROKEY PROGRAM:
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Whenever you press <ALT>+P, MacroKey will send the current
macro that has been selected from the macro storage slots.
When MacroKey loads, the first macro in the list is the
default.

To add a new MacroKey macro that is produced when you press
<ALT>+P, right-click the MacroKey icon, click one of the
empty macro storage slots in the list to hold the macro and
enter the macro text in the macro input box. Click 'Ok' to
save your changes.

Maximum macro length is 255 characters. Lines longer than
255 characters will be truncated. This is 255 characters of
macro text, not 255 keystrokes. Some macro text requires
multiple macro characters to produce a single keystroke
(see SendKeys documentation below).

To change an existing macro, right-click the MacroKey icon,
click the macro storage slot you wish to change and modify
the macro text in the macro input box. Click 'Ok' to save
your changes or 'Cancel' to leave whatever was there before.

To select a different macro from the list, right-click the
MacroKey icon and either click the macro storage slot you
wish to use, and click 'Ok', or, double-click the macro
storage slot you wish to use.

There is a text file in the same directory as macrokey.exe
named 'macrokey_macro.txt'. You can also edit this text
file to change the macro that is produced by MacroKey.

If you modify the macrokey_macro.txt file, you need to exit
MacroKey before modifying the file and restart the program
to make MacroKey recognize any changes.

Modifications made to the file while MacroKey is running
will be overwritten by the program.

The first 10 lines of this file that do NOT start with a
semicolon (;) will be loaded into MacroKey.

Blank lines are valid entries and will be used.

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  *** IMPORTANT NOTE *** :
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Do NOT use the <ALT>+P key combination in your macros.

This will cause MacroKey to endlessly call itself which will
inevitably crash the program and your computer.

This may result in data loss and/or corruption of any
existing files on your computer including the operating
system and/or its support libraries.

Although this scenario is unlikely, it is entirely possible
(depending on the macro used) to completely destroy
essential files and render your computer useless.

Do NOT use the <ALT>+P key combination in your macros.

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  MODIFYING THE SECONDARY KEY:
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The secondary key ('P' by default) can be changed by the
user. The <ALT> primary key may not be modified.

To change the key combination from <ALT>+P to <ALT>+another
key, double-click the secondary key icon on the form.

This will open an input window where you can enter the key
of your choice to use in combination with <ALT> to run your
macros.

Only letters A-Z and numbers 0-9 are valid in MacroKey.
Other entries will be ignored.

Click 'Ok' to change the key or 'Cancel' to close the
secondary key entry window without making any changes.

Note that numbers 0-9 are the standard number keys (located
above letters Q-P), not the number keys on the numeric
keypad.

Once you change the secondary key, the key icon and system
tray tool tips will display the new MacroKey key
combination.

There is a text file in the same directory as macrokey.exe
named 'macrokey_key.txt'. You can also edit this text file
to change the secondary key that is used by MacroKey.

If you modify the macrokey_key.txt file, you need to exit
MacroKey before modifying the file and restart the program
to make MacroKey recognize any changes.

Modifications made to the file while MacroKey is running
will be overwritten by the program.

The first line of this file that does NOT start with a
semicolon (;) will be loaded into MacroKey.

Blank lines are invalid entries and will be ignored.

The syntax of the key data is the ASCII value of the upper
case of the key. P = 80.

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  ENDING THE MACROKEY PROGRAM:
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Double click the MacroKey icon in the system tray to exit
the program, or, right-click the MacroKey icon and click the
'Exit' button.

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  UNINSTALLING MACROKEY:
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To Uninstall, exit MacroKey and use 'Add/Remove Programs' in
the Windows Control Panel.

MacroKey itself does not modify the Windows registry.
However, the package installation does make registry
entries.

If the Uninstall fails, you may safely remove the MacroKey
program folder and any files within it simply by deleting
them.

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  SENDKEYS REMARKS (From Visual Basic Documentation):
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Each key is represented by one or more characters. To
specify a single keyboard character, use the character
itself. For example, to represent the letter A, use 'A' in
the macro input box. To represent more than one character,
append each additional character to the one preceding it.
To represent the letters A, B, and C, use 'ABC' in the
macro input box.

The plus sign (+), caret (^), percent sign (%), tilde (~),
and parentheses ( ) have special meanings to SendKeys. To
specify one of these characters, enclose it within braces
({}).

For example, to specify the plus sign, use {+}. Brackets
([ ]) have no special meaning to SendKeys, but you must
enclose them in braces. In other applications, brackets do
have a special meaning that may be significant when dynamic
data exchange (DDE) occurs. To specify brace characters, use
{{} and {}}.

To specify characters that aren't displayed when you press a
key, such as ENTER or TAB, and keys that represent actions
rather than characters, use the codes shown below:

BACKSPACE	{BACKSPACE}, {BS}, or {BKSP}
BREAK		{BREAK}
CAPS LOCK	{CAPSLOCK}
DEL or DELETE	{DELETE} or {DEL}
DOWN ARROW	{DOWN}
END		{END}
ENTER		{ENTER} or ~
ESC		{ESC}
HELP		{HELP}
HOME		{HOME}
INS or INSERT	{INSERT} or {INS}
LEFT ARROW	{LEFT}
NUM LOCK	{NUMLOCK}
PAGE DOWN	{PGDN}
PAGE UP		{PGUP}
PRINT SCREEN	{PRTSC} * See PrintScreen note below
RIGHT ARROW	{RIGHT}
SCROLL LOCK	{SCROLLLOCK}
SPACEBAR	{ }	* See SPACEBAR note below
TAB		{TAB}
UP ARROW	{UP}
F1		{F1}
F2		{F2}
F3		{F3}
F4		{F4}
F5		{F5}
F6		{F6}
F7		{F7}
F8		{F8}
F9		{F9}
F10		{F10}
F11		{F11}
F12		{F12}
F13		{F13}
F14		{F14}
F15		{F15}
F16		{F16}

To specify keys combined with any combination of the SHIFT,
CTRL, and ALT keys, precede the key code with one or more of
the following codes:

SHIFT		+
CTRL		^
ALT		%

To specify that any combination of SHIFT, CTRL, and ALT
should be held down while several other keys are pressed,
enclose the code for those keys in parentheses. For example,
to specify to hold down SHIFT while E and C are pressed, use
'+(EC)'. To specify to hold down SHIFT while E is pressed,
followed by C without SHIFT, use '+EC'.

To specify repeating keys, use the form {key number}. You
must put a space between key and number. For example,
{LEFT 42} means press the LEFT ARROW key 42 times; {h 10}
means press H 10 times.

  Notes:

You can't use SendKeys to send keystrokes to an application
that is not designed to run in Microsoft Windows.

  PRINT SCREEN:

SendKeys can't send the PRINT SCREEN key {PRTSC} to any
application.

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  ADDITIONAL MACROKEY REMARKS:  
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  SPACEBAR:

Spaces can be regular spaces in MacroKey unless they are at
the beginning or end of the macro input box.

MacroKey trims actual leading and trailing spaces from the
macro input box. It does not remove spaces from the middle
of the macro input box.

For example, to record a macro that sends 'John Doe',
simply type 'John Doe' (without the quotation marks) into
the macro input box and click 'Ok'. The space between 'John'
and 'Doe' will be preserved.

However, to record a macro that goes down one line, goes to
the beginning of the (next) line, and then inserts 2 spaces,
the macro input box should looks like this:

{DOWN}{HOME}{ }{ }

If these spaces are not enclosed in braces, MacroKey will
trim them off before processing the macro and you will end
up with a macro that goes down one line and then home, but
does not insert the 2 spaces.

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  LEGAL:
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MacroKey is Freeware. (You are NOT REQUIRED to pay money to
use MacroKey. This does not mean that I would refuse a
dollar or two if you find the program useful, only that you
are not required to do so. You do not get anything other
than a warm fuzzy feeling and a 'Thank You' if you decide to
drop me a buck.)

MacroKey is Copyrighted. (MacroKey is mine, not yours. You
may use my program for free as long as you like.)

Corporate, government, or other organizational use is not
restricted (the same rules apply and MacroKey may be used at
no cost).

MacroKey may be freely distributed in its original form,
with all original support files and documentation. You may
NOT modify the program, its installation, its documentation
nor any other file contained within the MacroKey
distribution package.

MacroKey may NOT be packaged within another program's
deployment or installation without prior written permission
of the author.

The author makes no warranty, expressed nor implied, of
fitness for any purpose regarding the MacroKey program,
installation, or support files included. The author shall
not be held responsible for any losses or damage caused by
use of this program, its installation, removal, or lack of
care in its use.

The use of this program constitutes acceptance of this
agreement. If you use this program in any way, you agree
to all terms and conditions provided in this and any other
MacroKey documentation. You also agree that the author is
not liable for anything the program does or does not do,
regardless of anything the documentation states or fails to
state.

The only promise the author makes is that the program does
NOT contain any intentionally malicious, virus, trojan or
zombie code, spamware, data mining, spyware, adware,
logging, tracking, etc. (I really detest people who do that
stuff).

Information in this or any MacroKey related program file or
document is subject to change without notice.

Complying with all applicable copyright laws is the
responsibility of the user.

Complying with any local, state, or federal laws while using
MacroKey is the responsibility of the user.

The user alone shall be responsible for any illegal or
malicious use of the program.

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  CONTACT INFORMATION:
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Send questions, comments, suggestions, donations, etc. to:

  Russ Ricca
  6213 S. Adams St.
  Bartonville, IL 61607-2515
  USA

  russ@spinward.com

  http://www.spinward.com/software/macrokey/

Notes:

Include the word 'macrokey' (without the quotes) in the
email message subject to get past the spam filters.

The author is not a company. The author is an individual
with limited resources, a full-time job (admin/programmer/
analyst), a beautiful wife and 3 wonderful children, who
does not always have the time or desire to reply to email
every day.

Although I try to answer valid inquiries as quickly as I
can, I do have a life away from the computer.

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  MacroKey Program Files and Documentation Copyright © 2004
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