Cycle back and forth between two or more .MAC files

100LX

To change to a different System Macro file, go to AppManager, press M to start the System Macros application. Then press (MENU) File Open, highlight the desired .MAC file and press (F10).

Ironically, you cannot create a System Macro to automate those keystrokes. Fortunately there's an easy solution.

Let's say you have two .MAC files: ONE.MAC (loaded presently) and TWO.MAC. Go into the System Macros application select an empty macro (say, Fn+F1) and press (F2) (Edit), Tab to the Contents field and press (F7) to access the Chain option. Press Select, choose the other macro file you want to load (TWO.MAC) and press (F10). Use the arrow keys to select an empty macro slot in TWO.MAC (say, FN+F2). Press (F10) twice and press (MENU) Quit to exit the System Macro application.

Now, whenever ONE.MAC is loaded and you press (Fn)+ (F1), the HP 100LX loads TWO.MAC into the System Macro applications.

CYCLE THROUGH MACRO FILES

You can modify the above tip so that you can cycle through all of your .MAC files.

Let's say you have the two System Macro files above: ONE.MAC and TWO.MAC. Further, you've already followed the steps above so you can press (Fn)+(F1) to load TWO.MAC. All you have to do is reverse the process.

With TWO.MAC loaded, go into the System Macro application, select an empty macro (say FN+F1) and follow the above procedure to select ONE.MAC, and an empty macro slot in ONE .MAC (say, FN+F2).

Now, whenever you press (Fn)+(F1), you'll load the other .MAC file. If you have three or more .MAC files, continue the procedure. Have FN+F1 in ONE.MAC take you to TWO .MAC. Have F1 in TWO.MAC take you to THREE.MAC ... up to LAST.MAC. Have FN+F1 in LAST.MAC take you back to ONE.MAC. When set up properly, pressing (F1) cycles you through your .MAC files in the sequence.

It's best to be consistent with the keys you use (e.g. FN+F1 for the transfer macro and FN+F2 for the empty macro in the next .MAC file.

The only downside associated with this method is that you have to reserve two System Macro keys in each .MAC file for the procedure. In addition, there's no easy way to determine which System Macro file is loaded. You have to go into the System Macro application to see what .MAC file you are using. (Pressing (Fn) with 100Buddy <ON DISK ICON> installed lets you see the labels of the F-key macros.)

Ron Vieceli CompuServe ID: [73310,3663]

Iver Erling Aarva CompuServe ID: [70630,553]

Rich Hall Editor, The HP Palmtop Paper