Editing BB Macros in TWS 128

by Dick Trissel

The option is called macrotyping. The Write Stuff word processor makes typing easier by letting you
define an abbreviation for a word, phrase, or section of text. This capability is turned on and off by
pressing [CONTROL] m (it's a switch). This uses the definitions loaded from the "bb macros" on the
program disk. In the C64 version of TWS, you can define a single temporary macro by pressing
[CONTROL] [SHIFT] M. The C128 manual says it's the same thing as the C64, but it's not. It should
properly be called "modifying the macros." 

Here's what really happens, and some of the warnings that aren't stated too clearly in the manual:

It's best to do the macro editing in a vacant extra text 1 area. But this isn't always convenient. If you are
only going to add or change a macro temporarily (definition is not saved when you exit TWS), then you
can have text in memory. When you press [CONTROL] [SHIFT] M the first time, the "bb macros" file
in memory is put, in effect, in text 1 ahead of any text already there. Actually, it was already there. The
end of the "bb macros" file is the beginning of the text area--kind of. There's a 232 byte space between
them. What happens is that the internal pointers to the beginning of text 1 are changed to point to the
beginning of the macros. Therefore, you see the bb macros on screen, and they can be edited pretty
much like text.

If you didn't have any text in text 1 when you switched to the bb macros, you have the option of saving
this edited file back to disk, just like any text file. Just press [CONTROL] s and the auto-save feature
will scratch and save "bb macros." Be careful! If you had text in text 1, it will get saved to disk as part
of the "bb macros" file--not good. To get back to normal, you must press [CONTROL] [SHIFT] M.
Remember, it's a switch.

While you're editing the "bb macros" file, the same rules apply as any other text editing. But remember,
no matter what you do to "bb macros", there MUST be three left arrows [RETURN]'s as the last three
lines in the file--even if you don't save to disk. If you remove those arrows and then switch back to
normal text, the computer will lock up. To recover, press [RUN/STOP] [RESTORE], type RUN and
[RETURN]. Immediately switch to the bb macros area and put three [RETURN]'s at the end of the
macro file. Now you can switch back to normal text.

If you get lost--you don't know if you're in a blank bb macros area or a blank text area--press
[CONTROL] = to get the text size. The bb macros area will be the largest.


(Editor's note: Macro definitions can be added to the "bb macros" file in either C64 or C128 by
selecting a one or two letter "shortcut" followed by = and the desired text. To create a macro of more
than one line, you must place reverse [RETURN]'s at the end of each line. This is accomplished by
pressing [CONTROL] 1 [BACK ARROW]. If you want a [RETURN] after the last line, you will need
to put a normal return on the next line. 

Be careful not to use a word for your one or two letter macro. You don't want to type "me" and have
"Melvin Endsley" appear in your text! Using the occasional foreign word also has its pitfalls. Typing a
street name which included the Spanish word de, I was surprised the first time to see my name appear
instead! Our abbreviations for compass directions can also be a pitfall. I defined S to equal Sincerely,
so I have to be careful when I want to say S Cedar Avenue.)

(from the newsletter of the Central Coast Commodore User Group, June 1993, via the Commodore
Information Center, http://home.att.net/~rmestel/commodore.html)