Structuring Documents with FrameBuilder

Tips and other flashes of inspiration

• Keyboard macros
  • Macro triggers
  • The macro file
  • Macro limitations
• Keyboard shortcuts

Keyboard macros

1. Set the Find/Change dialog to locate the <List> element.
2. Set the "Whole Word" option in the Find/Change dialog.
3. Press CTRL-] to begin recording the macro. The macro definition is appended to the file fmMacrosLog in your home directory.
4. A dialog checks if it is "OK to begin recording keys?"--press RETURN.
5. Type the following macro (do not type the spaces--they are present only to improve readability):

         CTRL-r fin           # finds the next <List> element      
   
         CTRL-3 tight RETURN  # changes <List> to <Tight>    
   
         CTRL-2 list RETURN   # wraps <Tight> inside <List>  
   
         CTRL-z tighten       # will be used as the macro trigger 
   
                              # (do not be alarmed by the beeps)  
   
         CTRL-]               # stops recording the macro          
   

6. A dialog prompts you to enter a trigger for the macro. Type (without spaces)

   CTRL-z tighten RETURN

   Notice that the macro calls itself since the last line of the macro is also the macro trigger. A macro that calls itself repeats until stopped--stop the macro by pressing CTRL-c.

7. A dialog prompts you to enter an optional comment. Enter the comment of your choice.

Macro triggers

The macro file

There`s is a macro file in bipod:~scox/Public/Frame.keyboard.macros/public.fmMacros. You can read this file into Builder and use the macros immediately. Look at the readme file in the ~scox/Public directory for more information on that topic.

The macro file currently contains the two macros listed above and three macros to wrap words in the various <Voice...> elements.

If you have macros that may be helpful to other writers, contact scox@convex.com to include your macro in the master macro file.

Macro limitations

The macros cannot record moving or clicking of the mouse--Frame's foundation of keyboard shortcuts easily makes up for this fact though.

Keyboard shortcuts

Listings of the keyboard shortcuts can be found in the Builder Quick Reference and in Builder's online help window by clicking on Shortcuts in the menu bar.

Some of the more commonly used keyboard shortcuts are

CTRL-1 <element> RETURN

Inserts <element> at the current cursor location

CTRL-2 <element> RETURN

Wraps the highlighted element inside <element>

CTRL-3 <element> RETURN

Changes the highlighted element to <element>

CTRL-r hp

Highlights the current paragraph

CTRL-r hw

Highlights the current word

CTRL-r fin

Finds the next occurrence of the entity which the Find dialog is currently set to locate

To reinforce your selection you can

• Type the element's name
• Type the initial of the element's name repeatedly until the element is reached
• Use the following keys:
  • DOWN ARROW
    Moves alphabetically toward the end of the list of elements

• LEFT ARROW
  Moves to the first entry with the initial B; hitting this key consecutively moves through all entries with initial B

• RIGHT ARROW
  Moves to the first entry with the initial F; hitting this key consecutively moves through all entries with initial F

• UP ARROW
  Moves alphabetically toward the beginning of the list of elements

• HOME
  Moves alphabetically to the beginning of the list of elements

Please submit comments and questions about these pages to scox@convex.com