Macros

[SeanBenham]

I recently upgraded to Word 2008. I do not see where I can record macros in the new program. Does this feature exist or was it accidentally omitted?

 

[Paul Boucher]

Regrettably, incomprehensibly, Microsoft has chosen to eliminate this
powerful feature from Office 2008.

There is no satisfactory explanation, nor do I think there would be an
acceptable one for having removed this feature, but it¹s gone.

For some things you¹ll have to use Applescript to accomplish the same tasks,
and it¹s also likely worthwhile looking for tutorials on a powerful but
underutilized Mac feature ­ Automator.

I¹m just now having to resort to these steps.

Good luck with your search to replace macros.

The only workable workaround I¹ve seen is a little clumsy (keeping Word and
Excel 2004 on your computer), but not a bad option if you have many complex
macros .

 

[John McGhie]

Paul is correct :-(

It was not "accidentally" omitted, it was intentionally removed.

It's a long story, but the bottom line is that they did not have enough
people, time, or money to do that AND Universal Binary AND XML.

VBA was supposed to go away in PC Office too, so it seemed like something
they could remove this time and replace it with something better next time.

Then the PC guys welched on the bet and kept VBA in their application!!

I am now hoping to get VBA.NET in the NEXT version. The .NET runtime gets
rid of all the security problems and macro viruses that VBA suffers from.
Sadly, VBA was designed in a kinder, gentler time when the only people
"connected" to your computer were working for he same company and they were
not TRYING to hurt you. So the fundamental architecture of VBA is that it
CANNOT be made secure.

VBA.NET can be made secure. It's a lot faster. And the syntax is close
enough that existing macros should convert up automatically in most cases.

So: I shall be campaigning vigorously for VBA.NET Please add your
votes (via "Send Feedback..." on the Help menu to this campaign.

And please do not expect an early victory: VBA.NET will be very expensive


Cheers

I recently upgraded to Word 2008. I do not see where I can record macros in
the new program. Does this feature exist or was it accidentally omitted?

--
Don't wait for your answer, click here: http://www.word.mvps.org/

Please reply in the group. Please do NOT email me unless I ask you to.

John McGhie, Consultant Technical Writer
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltd
http://jgmcghie.fastmail.com.au/
Nhulunbuy, Northern Territory, Australia
+61 4 1209 1410, mailto:[email protected]

 

[JE McGimpsey]

Regrettably, incomprehensibly, Microsoft has chosen to eliminate this
powerful feature from Office 2008.

There is no satisfactory explanation, nor do I think there would be an
acceptable one for having removed this feature, but it¹s gone.

Does "not having the resources within MacBU to port the VBA compiler,
run-time, and editor, and still ship *this decade*" come close?

If they'd delayed, those who need VBA would be in absolutely no worse
position than we're in now - using Word04, or WinWord in Parallels, for
another few years.

But the vast majority of customers who don't need VBA and just want a
universal binary, OOXML-interoperable app with a number of new features
that make creating their documents easier would be screwed, too.

As an added benefit, MacBU, having steadily declining revenues due to
not having an updated product, likely gets its funding cut, ensuring
that Office 14 (the next version) is put off for even longer. AND, to
top it off, by then WinOffice may finally have figured out how to kill
VBA in Office 15, so the much-reduced MacBU (assuming it still exists)
has to start over with a new automation technology.

To say that I'm not happy about VBA's being dropped is a significant
understatement. I'm out of business with my cross-platform support. I'm
scrambling to figure out how I'm going to replace that income.

But I understand business, and realize that, had I been in charge of
MacBU, I would almost certainly have made the same decision. And I'd be
extraordinarily concerned about my unit's surviving to version next.

 

[Phillip Jones]

Are Macros and VBA one and the same? I thought writing Macros was a
little different that using VBA. VBA was use to allow certain special
Tricks happen say for example Solver in Excel.

Just asking a question.

I've never used Macros in Office products. Because it was the two common
ways between Mac and PC that viruses could be written and do as much
damage on one as the other platform.

Does "not having the resources within MacBU to port the VBA compiler,
run-time, and editor, and still ship *this decade*" come close?

If they'd delayed, those who need VBA would be in absolutely no worse
position than we're in now - using Word04, or WinWord in Parallels, for
another few years.

But the vast majority of customers who don't need VBA and just want a
universal binary, OOXML-interoperable app with a number of new features
that make creating their documents easier would be screwed, too.

As an added benefit, MacBU, having steadily declining revenues due to
not having an updated product, likely gets its funding cut, ensuring
that Office 14 (the next version) is put off for even longer. AND, to
top it off, by then WinOffice may finally have figured out how to kill
VBA in Office 15, so the much-reduced MacBU (assuming it still exists)
has to start over with a new automation technology.

To say that I'm not happy about VBA's being dropped is a significant
understatement. I'm out of business with my cross-platform support. I'm
scrambling to figure out how I'm going to replace that income.

But I understand business, and realize that, had I been in charge of
MacBU, I would almost certainly have made the same decision. And I'd be
extraordinarily concerned about my unit's surviving to version next.

--
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Phillip M. Jones, CET |LIFE MEMBER: VPEA ETA-I, NESDA, ISCET, Sterling
616 Liberty Street |Who's Who. PHONE:276-632-5045, FAX:276-632-0868
Martinsville Va 24112 |[email protected], ICQ11269732, AIM pjonescet
------------------------------------------------------------------------

If it's "fixed", don't "break it"!

mailto[email protected]

<http://www.kimbanet.com/~pjones/default.htm>
<http://www.kimbanet.com/~pjones/90th_Birthday/index.htm>
<http://www.kimbanet.com/~pjones/Fulcher/default.html>
<http://www.kimbanet.com/~pjones/Harris/default.htm>
<http://www.kimbanet.com/~pjones/Jones/default.htm>

<http://www.vpea.org>

 

[JE McGimpsey]

Are Macros and VBA one and the same? I thought writing Macros was a
little different that using VBA. VBA was use to allow certain special
Tricks happen say for example Solver in Excel.

Just asking a question.

I've never used Macros in Office products. Because it was the two common
ways between Mac and PC that viruses could be written and do as much
damage on one as the other platform.

Well, as we've exchanged before, you've given up a *lot* of
functionality. But you've been safe.

OTOH, I've used hundreds of macros for well over a decade, and never
once had a problem with virii.

The "original" meaning of macros (or macroinstructions) were recorded
bits of code that were executed many times - a kind of shortcut.

Application macros often use a recorder to record manual operations so
that they can be repeated.

Gradually, the term has expanded to include just about any scripting or
automation technology.

Prior to Office98, XL macros were recorded and written in Excel Macro
Language (XLM), and Word macros used Word Basic. Both were built into
the applications themselves, and had very limited ability to interact
with other applications. XLM is still included for legacy purposes in
all versions of XL. Word Basic no longer works.

For Office98 -> Office2004, macros were recorded in Visual Basic for
Applications (VBA). VBA isn't built into the applications, but rather
uses OLE Automation to interact with them, using the applications'
object models to compile instructions.

In addition, VBA can be used to script Procedures and Functions to
produce anything from old-style macros to full applications.

The most common use of VBA is to extend the features of target
applications.

But one can use VBA to access the technology underlying Word and XL (and
any other VBA-aware applications, such as WordPerfect, AutoCAD, and a
few others) without the resulting application looking or acting anything
like Word or XL, etc., if desired.

 

[Paul Boucher]

Hello,

I've been reading this thread, and I certainly appreciate the level of
knowledge (prior and current) and expertise being brought to bear on the
disappearance of macro functions in Office 2008.

My question is perhaps a bit prosaic when considered in the context of the
in-depth discussion you've been having, but I'm wondering what substitute is
available for non-programmers to build some small automations for repetitive
tasks etc in Word and Excel now that VBA is gone.

Is Applescript the best way? Automator?

It seems that Automator is limited to pre-defined actions that you then
cobble together into a workflow, but what if some of the actions you need
don't exist in the program? Is it a matter of learning how to build them?
I'm assuming that Automator uses Applescript, but I have no familiarity with
either tool - although I'm willing to learn, and will likely enjoy the
experience.

I need to re-build one macro in particular to restore an efficiency in my
workflow with Word.

Any thoughts on what the best resources are to restore that functionality?

Thanks.

 

[Jim Gordon MVP]

Hi Paul,

There is a guide that you can use to transition from VBA to Applescript:
http://www.mactech.com/vba-transition-guide/

AppleScript and Automator actions (which you have described correctly) are
the methods available to get around many of the problems caused by no VBA in
Office 2008.

That said, userforms, auto_open, auto_Close, and other popular VBA features
are completely gone and can't be replaced with anything. Well, you can
create windows and put controls on them with AppleScript, so that's almost
the same thing, but you can't use VBA userforms.

-Jim

Hello,

I've been reading this thread, and I certainly appreciate the level of
knowledge (prior and current) and expertise being brought to bear on the
disappearance of macro functions in Office 2008.

My question is perhaps a bit prosaic when considered in the context of the
in-depth discussion you've been having, but I'm wondering what substitute is
available for non-programmers to build some small automations for repetitive
tasks etc in Word and Excel now that VBA is gone.

Is Applescript the best way? Automator?

It seems that Automator is limited to pre-defined actions that you then
cobble together into a workflow, but what if some of the actions you need
don't exist in the program? Is it a matter of learning how to build them?
I'm assuming that Automator uses Applescript, but I have no familiarity with
either tool - although I'm willing to learn, and will likely enjoy the
experience.

I need to re-build one macro in particular to restore an efficiency in my
workflow with Word.

Any thoughts on what the best resources are to restore that functionality?

Thanks.

--
Jim Gordon
Mac MVP

MVPs are not Microsoft Employees
MVP info

 

[Beth Rosengard]

Hi Paul,

In addition to what Jim said ... depending on what it is you're trying to
do, you might find something useful here: <http://scriptbuilders.net/>

You might also describe exactly what you want to accomplish. Someone here
(not me - I don't "do" AppleScript , may be able to help.

--
***Please always reply to the newsgroup!***

Beth Rosengard
Mac MVP

Mac Word FAQ: <http://word.mvps.org/Mac/WordMacHome.html>
My Site: <http://www.bethrosengard.com>