MacroKey v1.00 Help Documentation

MacroKey v1.00 Program Documentation 11/08/2004:

OVERVIEW:

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.

INSTALLATION:

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.

FILES INSTALLED:

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

USING THE MACROKEY PROGRAM:

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 you 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.

*** IMPORTANT NOTE ***

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.

MODIFYING THE SECONDARY KEY:

The secondary key ('P' by default) can be changed by the user. The primary key <ALT> 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.

ENDING THE MACROKEY PROGRAM:

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

UNINSTALLING MACROKEY:

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.

SENDKEYS REMARKS (From Visual Basic Documentation):

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.

ADDITIONAL MACROKEY REMARKS:

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 the last space is 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.

LEGAL:

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.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

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.