BCI NET 2/BCI NET 2.iso/archives/programming/arexx/smacrosflow.lha/SuperMacrosDOCS.FinalWriter

Final Write Document | 1995-01-17 | 219.4 KB | 547 lines

SuperMacros




Final Writer
®
 ARexx
®
 Automation


by
S. R. Giovenella











































©Copyright 1994 S.R.Giovenella, All rights reserved
®Final Writer is a registered trademark of SoftWood, Inc.
®ARexx is a registered trademark of Commode-Amiga, Inc.

Auto_Save
Originally written for Final Copy users, but better that the Final Writer auto
save feature, because it can be totally transparent.  Its also has more
flexible timing options.  Caution:  if you don't use the "Confirmation" option,
there is no way to terminate the routine, except for ending the program and
restarting it.

Quick_Envelope
Entering Data
To begin, simply type the address on the screen, in the font and size you would
like, and highlight it with the mouse.  Then run the SuperMacro by selecting
the "Other >> ARexx Script" option from the "User" menu.  Then go to the
directory that contains the SuperMacros and double-click on
Quick_Envelope
.  Better yet, add the script to a the "User Menu" or the "Button Strip".  If
no text is highlighted, the SuperMacro will ask you for some.  Be sure the font
and size you want is already selected.

You will then be asked to enter a name for the template envelope.  This is the
document that the address will be printed upon.  A sample template named
"Template_BusinessEnvelope" has been supplied, and should be placed in your
FWDocs drawer, so the SuperMacro can find it.  The address will be inserted
after of the text on the "template", so be sure the last line is at the proper
position, and the margins are set correctly for the address.  As long as this
"template" envelope prints correctly, so will the final product.  Note: if this
document is in a drawer with a different name, you will need to edit the macro
itself to reflect the correct document drawer's name.  Always work with a copy
of your original software, as macros are easy to screw up.

Manipulating Data
Once the envelope is created and addressed, the words can be manipulated as
normal text (just cancel the print requestor first).



Create Bar Graph
Entering Data
Before you run this
SuperMacro
, you must enter the data to be graphed.

Entering the data to be graphed is a very simple process.  The
SuperMacro
 will look for each element of the graph in a certain line position.  Just
enter each line of data in the proper order, then hit return.

·

The first line must be the
T
i
tle
 of the graph.
·

The second line must be the
S
u
btitle
.
·

The third line must contain the
X
-axis Title

<tab>

Y
-axis Title
.
·

All remaining lines must contain
X
-axis Data

<tab>

Y
-axi
s Data
.

The following example shows how the data entered on the left, will be used to
automatically create the bar graph shown on the right.  Note the use of the
<tab> key from the third line and onward.

Example:

Our Top Sellers!
Third Quarter 1997
Salesperson

Autos Sold
Sally

15
Mark

12
Jim

18
Steve

11
Nancy

8

Rich

11
Nick

21
Dave

6
Mary

13
Sam

10
Susan

15
John

8



Note:
  The current TextBlock font will be used within the graph.  To change this
font, go to the Graphics/Settings/TextBlocks... menu and select 'Define'.

Selecting Data
The data to be graphed must be highlighted by dragging the pointer through all
of the lines which contain data.  The highlight doesn't have to start at the
very first character, or end at the very last, it just has to overlap each line
that contains data.  Be careful not to highlight lines that contain no data, as
this will prevent the
SuperMacro
 from running properly.


Creating the Graph
Once the data is highlighted, select the
CreateBarGraph
 SuperMacro.  This can be done by selecting the
"Other >> ARexx Script" option from the "User" menu.  Then go to the directory
that contains the SuperMacros and double-click on
Create Bar Graph
.

A requestor will ask you to enter the maximum range for the Y-axis and the
Y-axis increment.  This is the highest number that will appear on the vertical
axis, and the increments which will be plotted on that axis.  In the above
example the maximum range is 25, and the increment is 5.


Manipulating the Graph
Once the graph has been created, it can be moved, sized and rotated just like
any other object.  If you want to change just a piece of the graph, like the
subtitle, you must ungroup the graph first.  Do this by selecting the object,
then choose the "Ungroup" option from the "Graphics" menu.  Now any part of the
graph can be manipulated as an individual object.  To regroup the objects into
one, drag a box around them all, choose "Group" from the "Graphics" menu.

Create_BusinessLetter
No explanation required, just follow the prompts.

Create_Letterhead
No explanation required, just follow the prompts.

Create_Memorandum
No explanation required, just follow the prompts.

Create_Table
Just type in the data using the format:

Title
<return> [Optional]
Item1
<tab>

Item2
<tab>
Item3
<tab>

and so on...
Item1
<tab>

Item2
<tab>
Item3
<tab>

and so on...

Then highlight through all of the data lines you want in the table.  Run the
Macro.

Example:

Farm Animals
Animal

1993

1994
Cows

2

6
Pigs

56

12
Goats

2

6

The above example will produce the following table:


Farm Animals

Animal

1993

1994

Cows

2

6

Pigs

56

12

Goats

2

6

Note: The current margins must go from the Inside to the Outside margin.


Save_Address1.1
Allows the user to input an address and save it to a data file.  The default
data file is called "Address_DataFile" and a sample is provided.  This sample
should be copied into your FWDocs drawer.  The SuperMacro will ask you for nine
pieces of information for each address, then save them all alphabetically
sorted in the data file.  Along with the actual data file, a
copy
 of the data file will be saved with a ".MergeFile" extension.  This is an
ASCII file conforming to the "merge" file format, in case you want to print
merge any or all of this data at a later time.

Note:  So that the .MergeFile can also be used as a print merge data file, it
must
 begin with the field names, such as:

LastName,FirstName,Company,StreetAdd1,StreetAdd2,City,State,ZipCode,Phone


Load_Address1.1
Allows the user to search the data file for any number of matches to a string
of search text.  The address(es) are then inserted at the current cursor
position.

To load all of the addresses in a certain field, such as everyone in the state
of "CO", just add the commas before and after the search text string.  For
example, searching for ",CO," will produce everyone in the state of Colorado,
but not someone named "Cooper".  To load all addresses in the data file, search
for just a comma (",").

FlowCharting Macros (general info)
I have created this set of SuperMacros to make Final Writer into a more
efficient flowcharting tool (I do a lot of these for work, maybe you do too).
No doubt you will find other uses for these tools, but this is how they were
intended to be used.

After using several dedicated flowcharting programs on other platforms, I
decided that the Amiga needed this capability too, luckily Final Writer and
ARexx provide the basis for an excellent flowcharting tool.  Dare I say that
this set of macros makes for a better flowcharting package than MS-DOS programs
costing hundreds?  Yep.  They're simple, but thats what makes them so nice to
work with; hope you think so too.

These macros will automatically create a new section in you document called
"FlowChart."  This is the section where all graphic objects will appear.
You will have to switch between the "Main" section and the "Flowchart" section
to create your chart.  Macros are provided for very quick switching via
buttons, or do it the old fashioned way with the Edit/Go To Section menu.

The basic tools I have provided will take any highlighted
text and insert that text automatically into the selected FlowCartTool.  You
may use any font and size you wish (and even mix and match), just change it all
around before you highlight everything that should go into the symbol.  Note:
Styles other than normal are not supported by text blocks, which is what will
be used by all the macros (no automatic underlines, sorry, you'll need to draw
that by hand).  Remember, the symbols are rather small, so font sizes over
12-14 points are not going to fit easily, 7-12 points generally work quite
well.

Most symbols are 1 inch wide, and consequently when you run your first macro,
the margins will be changed to four, one inch columns so that the text will fit
properly.  If a word won't fit on a line, you'll have to use a smaller font.
The FlowChartTool_Box macro will grow in height to accept any number of words,
but not in width, to keep things neat.  The other tools are of a fixed size.  I
did this in the interest of achieving a "professional" look. Obviously I think
using smaller text looks better than having a myriad of different symbol sizes,
and it makes connecting them all easier too.

After a macro create's a symbol for your flowchart, just drag it to the
appropriate place on the page
(holding the "Ctrl" key down while draging is a big help here, since it will
only let your symbol fall on 1/8 inch increments, making later connections
quite easy!)
.

Connect the symbols by drawing lines between them.  Pressing and holding  the
"Alt" key down prior to dragging out your line will place an arrow on the end
of it.  Again, holding the "Ctrl" key down as well will snap the mouse to 1/8
inch increments.  Use any line weight you wish, all symbols will automatically
have a border of 2 points.

Hints:
Jumping Lines.
  Since I developed these macros on Final Writer Release 1, there are no
independent, curved lines available.  Therefore, when a line needs to cross or
"jump" over another line, I suggest you simply end one line short of the other,
then start it again on the other side (or use a small white box layered in
between the lines to achieve the same affect).

Example:






Alignment.
 Unfortunately, it seems that
grouped
 objects become
very slightly

dislocated from the 1/8 inch grid, provided by the "Ctrl" key.  This can make
precisely attaching arrows a little bit difficult.  If your not satisfied with
the match up, try dragging out a box over the whole page to select all
graphics, lock them in place, go back and select only the symbols while holding
down the shiftkey (multiple select)
 to select
everything but the arrows and lines, then select the Graphics/Bring To Front
menu item.  You may even want to make the lines overlap well underneath your
symbols when using this technique.

Tool Bar Setup.
These macros lend themselves to a dedicated button strip, thats how they were
designed.  Try a design similar to
button strip three
 associated with this document for a really nice setup.  The end buttons toggle
you between the main section and the flowchart section, with the useful tools
in the middle (the next six on the left being these macros).

FlowChartTool_Box
Normally use this tool for each step in any process.  This tool is the only one
that will expand (in height only) to accept an unlimited amount of text.  It
will be 1 inch wide and variable in length.




FlowChartTool_Circle
Normally use this tool to annotate conections to other charts.  It will
always
 be 3/4 inch in diameter.




FlowChartTool_Diamond
Normally use this tool to annotate decision points within charts, branch titles
like "yes" and "no" can be generated with standard text blocks, or the
FlowChartTool_Text if you want.  It will
always
 be 1 an inch wide and 1 inch long at its widest points.





FlowChartTool_Elipse
Normally use this tool to annotate start and end points within charts.  It will
always be 1 inch wide and 1/2 inch long.



FlowChartTool_Graphic
This tool will take the highted text and lay it on top of any graphic.  It will
present the Open Graphic requestor so you can pick any graphic you like.  The
objects that appear on the flowchart are
not
 grouped automatically like the other tools.  This is so that you may size and
align everthing just the way you want.  I suggest you group it all when you are
finished so that moving it in the future will be easy.  The sample is a
hi-resolution full screen image, scaled within Final Writer, with a 2 point
border, a white box under the text, and a black box offset for a shadow--all
grouped.

FlowChartTool_Text
This tool can be used to generate 1 inch wide text blocks of any length.
Useful if you want to put a note on the page.




FlowChart_ToMain
This macro makes for a nice button to quickly switch back to the "Main" section
of your document, which is where all of the raw text is kept.  The text entry
mode will automatically be selected for you.

FlowChart_ToFlowChart
This macro makes for a nice button to quickly switch back to the "Flowchart"
section of your document, which is where the flowchart itself is kept.  The
graphic manipulation mode (the arrow button) will automatically be selected for
you.



SuperMacros





























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