Is there a way to use a date variable within a macro of captured keystrokes? Have a set of macros which I use to add update comments to my code. For e.g. ALT-1 will playback the captured keystroke:

*021024 - following line modified, A Newman

Would like to be able to replace the "021024" with the current date rather than having to manually modify my macros on a daily basis. Tried adding a DICT VOC item which returns the date in the format I like, but haven't been able to figure out how to add the item to the beginning of my macro string. Tried the "{;K", etc. but can't get it to work. Any ideas?

If it were me, I'd write a program and call it using the S code to run the macro.

You can have a macro execute a program which returns a Function. Something like:

DECLARE FUNCTION MYDATE(DTE)

D=DATE()

* do whatever fiddling you need .. for example

D1=OCONV(D,"D4/")

Y=FIELD(D1,'/',3)

M=FIELD(D1,'/',2)

D=FIELD(D1,'/',1)

YYMMDD=Y:M:D

RETURN YYMMDD

Catalog / MAKEVOC MYDATE

Then in a Macro, X MYDATE will return the date string

HTH

Don Miller

Hi Don:

Appreciate the response. Tried the suggestion and the function returns the string but won't print out the string in the current document. Need a way to have the string be included in the playback of the captured keystrokes. Any ideas?

Try this… I think it will get you going in the right direction.

Use the "S:" ( S COLON ) code and the command will be "TEST". Create a subroutine called "TEST". Be sure to catalog the subroutine.

The subroutine should kinda look like this…

SUBROUTINE TEST(ARG1)

@ANS=OCONV(DATE(),'D2/')

RETURN

END

You can change the conversion code to whatever you want.

I have never done that, but I have read some programs with

CATALYST('K',something).

I suppose, the question was how the formated date can be returned to the keybord buffer … this may be the way.

(I don't know how to change order of keys …)

Thank-you all very much for your suggestions. Your responses are very much appreciated. (Got it working using Richards suggestion of using "S:" and stuffing the string into "@ANS".)

View this thread on the forum...