The Logic Editor - Macros & Scripts

The Macros and Scripts, along with Designer, can be used to extend the functionality of Newlook's generated interface, and to integrate it with other desktop applications and external data sources.

Both macros and scripts can be assigned to various event-driven properties of an App, System, Form or Control object.

The Macro Editor is a more traditional editor, where the user specifies a series of actions that are executed in sequential order. Macros are useful when you are wishing to automate basic tasks, e.g. run a macro that opens a form/window when a user clicks a command button or set a form control to a specified value.

Macros support a wide variety of operations including conditional execution, the ability to access or change data on the active form, manipulation of form and control properties (such as fonts and colors), executing and communicating with other desktop applications, mathematical calculations, and text manipulation. There are specific macro actions for the different operations, these include actions such as OpenForm, CloseForm or setting an object value.

Scripts can perform more sophisticated tasks such as automating the task of getting all the files from a specific folder. They provide more flexibility than macros and offer support for JScript or VBscript code.

Common Macro or Script Editor tasks include:

Integrating IBM i applications with desktop applications, e.g. start Word and use variables to pass IBM i application data such as customer information into predefined documents.
Setting the properties of controls on the current screen, e.g. disable or hide controls based on the value of other controls or variables.
Controlling interface navigation, e.g. on receipt of a particular screen, a macro could open a new form rather than display a GUI for the existing screen.
Overriding instance level properties, e.g. colors, fonts and text.
Manipulating custom variables and properties of controls, e.g. visibility using the SetValue action.
Linking macros or scripts to events (supported in the Designer) to extend functionality and improve integration of applications.
Integrating IBM i applications with system components such as the Windows Shell, COM components, and .NET components with COM wrappers.

The Logic Editor - Macros & Scripts

See Also