Controlling Macro Execution
Key Concepts > Controlling Macro Execution

There are a number of ways to execute macros:

Setting up Keyboard Maps or Buttons for Macros

Running Macros When Certain Events Occur

Running Macros When Certain Screens Are Recognized

Running InfoConnect Macros from Excel or Another Application

Running a Macro in Another Session Document

Running a Macro in the Common Project

Setting up Keyboard Shortcuts or Buttons for Macros

You can set up macros to run from keyboard shortcuts or from buttons on the interface.

Setting up Keyboard Shortcuts to Run Macros

You can add a keyboard shortcut that runs a macro by modifying the keyboard map for your session. You can do this in two ways: 

  • You can set up a shortcut and save it in a session file (see Add a Keyboard Shortcut in the InfoConnect Help). If you use this approach, you will need to make sure this custom file is deployed with the session.
  • You can run a macro that dynamically maps the keyboard shortcut to your macro. One advantage of this approach is that you do not have to risk writing over other keyboard map customizations users may have already made.  Another one is that you don't need to deploy a keyboard map file. To set up a keyboard shortcut dynamically, see Change Keyboard Mapping on-the-fly.

Setting up Buttons to Run Macros

You can add buttons to the InfoConnect Ribbon that run macros (see "Add a Button to Run a Macro" in the InfoConnect Help.)

You can also display the button or make it active only on certain screens or for certain users (see  Dynamically Change the User Interface.)

Note: If you add a button, you will need to deploy a custom ribbon (ribbon.xuml) file with the session. 

 

Running Macros When Certain Events Occur

You can trigger macros with events. Key InfoConnect events occur when:

  • The state of terminal screen changes.
  • Before and after data is sent the host.
  • The cursor moves into or out of a field.
  • Sessions are opened or closed or connected or disconnected.
  • Unredacted credit card data is displayed.

 This sample runs a macro before the session closes.

Running a macro when the mouse is clicked on the screen
Copy Code 
Sub TurnOnScratchPad()
  'Toggle the Scratchpad on or off
  ThisIbmTerminal.Productivity.ScratchPadPanelVisible = True
End Sub
Private Sub IbmScreen_MouseClick(ByVal windowMessage As Long, ByVal x As Long, ByVal y As Long)
  'Run a macro that toggles the Scratchpad on or off
  TurnOnScratchPad
End Sub
Running a macro when the mouse is clicked on the screen
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Sub Demo()
  Debug.Print "Run this Macro when the mouse is clicked"
  Debug.Print "Row: " & ThisScreen.MouseRow
  Debug.Print "Column: " & ThisScreen.MouseColumn
End Sub

Private Sub Screen_MouseClick(ByVal windowMessage As Long, ByVal x As Long, ByVal y As Long)
  'Run a Macro
  Demo
End Sub

Running macros When Certain Screens or Strings Are Recognized

You can automatically run macros when certain screens are displayed.

This sample runs a macro after the second screen of the InfoConnect IBM3270 demo is recognized. It gets the text in a specific location after each screen is ready and compares it to the text found on this location on the second screen.

Running a macro when a screen is recognized
Copy Code 
Sub DemoMacro()
  Debug.Print "Run this macro on the second screen of the IBM demo"
End Sub

Private Sub IbmScreen_NewScreenReady(ByVal sender As Variant)
  Dim ScreenID1 As String
  Dim Rtn As ReturnCode
   
  'On the second screen of the demo, the text in this location is ATM5
  ScreenID1 = ThisIbmScreen.GetText(1, 7, 4)
      
  If ScreenID1 = "ATM5" Then
    'run the macro
    DemoMacro      
  End If
End Sub

This sample runs a macro after the tabular data on the InfoConnect UNIX demo is displayed. It uses the WaitForString method to identify the prompt for the data. (The string used to identify the prompt was obtained from a recorded macro.)

Running a macro after a returned string is recognized
Copy Code 
Sub DemoMacro()
   Debug.Print "Run this Macro after the data is displayed"
End Sub

Private Sub Screen_ControlKeySent(ByVal sender As Variant, ByVal Key As Attachmate_Reflection_Objects_Emulation_OpenSystems.ControlKeyCode)
  Dim returnValue As ReturnCode
  returnValue = ThisScreen.WaitForString3(LF & "Command> ", 1000,   WaitForOption.WaitForOption_AllowKeystrokes)
  If (returnValue = ReturnCode_Success) Then
    Debug.Print "Run Macro"
    DemoMacro
  End If
End Sub

 

Running InfoConnect Macros from Excel or Another Application

You can run InfoConnect macros from Excel.

This Excel macro runs the TurnOnScratchPad macro in an InfoConnect session. The session must be open and have focus in the InfoConnect workspace

Running a InfoConnect macro from Excel
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Sub RunAMacro() 
  Dim app As Attachmate_Reflection_Objects_Framework.ApplicationObject
  Dim terminal As Attachmate_Reflection_Objects_Emulation_IbmHosts.IbmTerminal
  Dim view As Attachmate_Reflection_Objects.view
  Dim frame As Attachmate_Reflection_Objects.frame
      
  'Make sure a InfoConnect session that has the TurnOnScratchPad macro is running
  On Error Resume Next
  Set app = GetObject("InfoConnect Workspace")
  If Err.Number <> 0 Then 'no workspace
     MsgBox "Please open a InfoConnect session before running this"
     Exit Sub
  End If
      
  'Get handles to the frame, view, and terminal objects
  Set frame = app.GetObject("Frame")
  Set view = frame.SelectedView
  Set terminal = view.Control
                   
  'Run the macro in module1
  terminal.Macro.RunMacro2 MacroEnumerationOption_Document, "ThisIbmTerminal.TurnOnScratchPad"
 
End Sub
Running a InfoConnect macro from Excel
Copy Code 
Sub RunAnOpenSystemsMacro()
  Dim app As Attachmate_Reflection_Objects_Framework.ApplicationObject
  Dim terminal As Attachmate_Reflection_Objects_Emulation_OpenSystems.terminal
  Dim view As Attachmate_Reflection_Objects.view
  Dim frame As Attachmate_Reflection_Objects.frame
                     
  'Make sure a InfoConnect session that has the TurnOnScratchPad macro is running
  On Error Resume Next
  Set app = GetObject("InfoConnect Workspace")
  If Err.Number <> 0 Then 'no workspace
        MsgBox "Please open a InfoConnect session before running this"
        Exit Sub
  End If
  'Get handles to the frame, view, and terminal objects
   Set frame = app.GetObject("Frame")
   Set view = frame.SelectedView
   Set terminal = view.Control
   'Run the macro in module1
   terminal.Macro.RunMacro2 0, "ThisTerminal.TurnOnScratchPad"
  
End Sub

 

Running a Macro in Another Session Document

To access a macro in another session document VBA project, you can reference that project in the Visual Basic Editor. The advantage of a reference is that you can maintain a single copy of your macros in a centrally located project. If you make changes to a macro, all projects that reference it get the updated version. Changes you make to your referenced project have no effect on session documents that reference your project or to the macros they contain.

To reference a project, follow the same process you use to add an object library reference.

To run a referenced macro

  1. From the Visual Basic Editor, select Tools > References.
  2. From the Reference dialog box, find the opened project in the list box, select the check box for the referenced project, and then click OK.
  3. In the Visual Basic Editor, use one of the InfoConnect RunMacro methods to run the macro.

    This example runs a macro in the demoSession.rd3x session document. (This session must be open to run the macro.)
     
                               
    Running a macro in another session
    Copy Code 
    Sub RunAMacro()
    Dim terminal As IbmTerminal
    Dim viewObj As view
    'Get handles to the frame, view, and terminal objects
    'Set terminal = ThisFrame.SelectedView.titleText
   
    Set viewObj = ThisFrame.GetViewByTitleText("demoSession.rd3x")
    Set terminal = viewObj.control
                   
    'Run the macro in module1
    terminal.Macro.RunMacro2 MacroEnumerationOption_Document, "Module1.TurnOnScratchPad"
   
End Sub
                               
    Running a macro in another session
    Copy Code 
    Sub RunAMacro()
    Dim Terminal As IbmTerminal
    Dim viewObj As View
    'Get handles to the frame, view, and terminal objects
    'Set terminal = ThisFrame.SelectedView.titleText
   
    Set viewObj = ThisFrame.GetViewByTitleText("demoSession.rd3x")
    Set Terminal = viewObj.control
                   
    'Run the macro in module1
    Terminal.Macro.RunMacro2 ProjectOption_CurrentProject, "Module1.TurnOnScratchPad"
   
End Sub
          
    Note: To remove a reference, clear the check box for the referenced project in the Reference dialog box.

Running a Macro in the Common Project

You can create macros in the InfoConnect Common project and then run them from any session.

To create a macro in the common project

  1. Open an InfoConnect session and then from the tools menu, select Visual Basic to open the Visual Basic Editor.
  2. Right-click on the Common project and select Insert > Module to insert a code module.
  3. Name the module ViewMacro.
  4. Enter the following code In the code module window and then select File > Save Common to save the macro.
    Macro in the Common project
    Copy Code 
    Sub ChangeTitleOfSelectedView()    
    'Get the selected view and change its title
    ThisFrame.SelectedView.titleText = "Selected"  
End Sub
  5. In the Visual Basic Editor Project folder for the session you opened, enter the following code in one of its code modules and then press F5 to run it.
    Macro that calls a macro in the Common project
    Copy Code 
    Sub CallCommonMacro()
    Call ViewMacro.ChangeTitleOfSelectedView
End Sub
See Also