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Creating Windows Macros

You can modify the contents of the Macros menu and macros toolbar using the Edit Macros dialog (displayed by selecting Edit... from the Macros menu). The Edit Macros dialog allows you to add, remove, or modify macros that appear either in the Macros menu or the Macros toolbar.

To add a new macro, do the following:

  1. Click Add and enter a name for your new macro. The name you specify appears only in the Edit Macros dialog.
  2. Enter the IDL command to be executed in the IDL Command field. See Command Stream Substitutions for information on the types of dynamic information that can be included in the command.
  3. If you want your macro to be included in the Macros menu, enter a label for your macro in the Menu Item Name field.
  4. If you want your macro to be included in the Macros toolbar, enter the full path name of the bitmap button file in the Toolbar bitmap file field. Bitmaps used as macro buttons in IDL must be 16 by 16 pixel .bmp files. IDL's default bitmaps are stored in the resources/bitmaps subdirectory of the IDL distribution.
  5. Enter text to be displayed as a tooltip when the mouse cursor is positioned over the toolbar button in the Tooltip text field. This value is ignored if no bitmap file is specified.
  6. Enter text to be displayed on the IDLDE status bar in the Status bar text field.
  7. Optionally, in the Accelerator field, enter a keystroke shortcut combination for your new macro. Note that you can create a macro that is available only by pressing the keystroke combination if you supply neither a label for the Macros menu nor a bitmap for the Macros toolbar.

To Remove an existing macro, select it from the list and click Remove. To rearrange macros in the list, use the up- and down-arrow buttons.

Click OK to accept your changes or Cancel to abandon them.

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