I used to have some rather advanced stuff set up in OOoBASIC, but
that was back before 2004. I have use the API from Java to do some
work as well. It's been a good while since I've delved into working
with macros and OOoBASIC. I've got a few questions. I'm not trying
to get anyone to tell me how to do these things, but I just want to
get an idea of whether what I want to do is possible through the API.
I operate in two "modes." When I'm in "geek" mode, I'm focused on
programming and can handle the technical stuff and don't mind taking
all the time it takes to figure something out, but when I'm in "nerd"
mode, I'm writing and I want to be thinking about writing, not about
how the word processor works or anything like that. I can take my
time and set things up while I'm doing the tech stuff, but once I'm
focused on writing, I need to think about dialog, plot, characters,
and things like that.
I write mainly screenplays, which have margin changes (which would be
paragraph indents in OOo). I've spent the past 7 years programming,
with little or no free time and now I finally have time to write a
script. Previously I used Word Perfect. I know I'll have to use
different key definitions, but essentially, under Word Perfect, I had
4 main macros, bound to the keys CTRL-1 to CTRL-4. All I had to do
was press one of those keys to set the margin. I know I can do the
same under OOo with margin changes.
Now here's the more difficult part: When I'm writing dialog, the
character's name is in all caps, in the center of the page. I used
to set it up so ALT-A would center and print Anne, ALT-B would center
and print Bob and so on for all the characters I used a lot in my
script.
This is where I'm running into problems. In Word Perfect all I had
to do was hit the keys to define a macro, hit the key I'm defining,
then press CTRL-4 and type the name of a character, then when done,
hit the "stop recording" key. Then the next time I hit the key, it
calls the CTRL-4 macro for the margin (actually to center the name),
then prints the name.
I know to bind a macro to a key I have to go through the menu, by
hand, which is 3-4 steps to get there. I also can't easily include
one macro in another macro.
So here's what I'm thinking I'd like to do: Write a macro that would
prompt for specific text, then ask for the key I want to bind it to.
Once I enter both, it not only creates the macro on it's own
(automatically naming it), but also binds it to the key mentioned
(preferably only in that document). That way I can quickly define
macros on the go, while I'm writing, and just as quickly, in the same
process, define the key it is bound to.
I know quite a bit is available through the API, but can I manage
macros through the API like this so one macro can define other macros
and bind them to keys?
Basically, I don't mind taking time to write the code ahead of time,
but it's critical to be able to set this up so my writing process is
not disturbed by having to click through menus or do anything else
involved when I set up macros.
I don't mind combing through API docs, but I want to be sure this can
be done before spending a long time searching for something that may
not be there.
Thanks for any help on this!
Hal
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