A Beginner's Guide to Scripting Windows with Macro Scheduler

[Marcus Tettmar]

Hi,

We have a new getting started guide, aimed at those new to scripting windows automation with Macro Scheduler. Get it here:

http://www.mjtnet.com/msched_beginners_guide.pdf

Any ideas for improvements, or anything you want to see here, please drop us a line in this forum. Tips, hints, tricks? Write 'em down.

Cheers,
Marcus

[billsalkin]

I wish your Guide also detailed the "File >Page Setup..." option of Notepad. Then you could illustrate how to select radio buttons, values in a drop down menu, and how to fill in the the Left margin field.

It would also be interesting to see a simple subroutine example in the Guide. For example, routine Main calls routine Double(x) which return 2*x.
Just for illustrative purposes.


Bill Salkin

[support]

Hi,

Thanks for the feedback. We have a few ideas which will probably go into a second guide - kind of a second lesson. We wanted to keep the first getting started guide straightforward and related to the most common automation scenarios without overwhelming the user too much.

Some more advanced features such as the ones you describe would be good for a second article ... lesson 2 as it were.

Anyone interested in writing lesson 2?

[Guest]

RE Lesson 2:
Surely the most interesting way to examine the programme's behaviour is to simply record a macro specifying Notepad
as a start, then use Keystrokes only to negotiate the various menus and
their choices. The resulting script file gives very interesting and clear
guidance on how each item can be written in future.
One can sometimes delete or minimise {wai>} occurences to
speed things up, also {Window resize} or {WindowMove} can be omitted
in some cases.
I found the most challenging prog. to examine was Scandisk brcause
of its less predictable behaviour due to interruption.
I've been evaluating MSched for 8days along with 7 others; I cannot
decide whether the Pro version at more than twice the price is worth it.
I would dearly love a {User-definedFunction} in there though...
Tony Jack

[support]

Hi,

For user defined functions create a macro and use the Macro> command to call it and set it's return value with MACRO_RESULT.

The reason for the difference in price between the two version is because the Pro version allows you to create compiled scripts which you can then *give to anyone*. You basically have an unlimited distribution license for scripts that you create. If you do need to provide macros to other uses or machines then the Pro version can save people thousands of dollars in multi user licensing. However, if you don't need to distribute scripts then you don't need the compiler, so stick with the standard version. Apart from the compiler there is no difference and you can always upgrade at a later date should the need arise.