Moving data from one window to another

[Peter Rooney]

I need to have two windows open on the desktop. In window #1, I open a Word
document. In window #2, I start a new Wordpad document. Then I transfer
selected words and phrases from window #1 to window #2. Here's how I do it
now:

- mouse click in window #1 (the Word document)
- select (highlight) one or more words (usually a name, like "John Q.
Public")
- Ctrl-C (copy the selection to the Windows clipboard)
- Alt-Tab (or mouse click) to go into window #2 (the Wordpad file)
- Enter (start a new line)
- Ctrl-V (paste the selection into the new line)
- Alt-Tab (to go back to window #1 and repeat)

Is there a way to make a Windows-level macro to reduce the number of
keystrokes? I'd like to be able to hit a function key or a Ctrl-sequence to
make it happen.

Thanks a lot.

 

[Jay Freedman]

I need to have two windows open on the desktop. In window #1, I open a Word
document. In window #2, I start a new Wordpad document. Then I transfer
selected words and phrases from window #1 to window #2. Here's how I do it
now:

- mouse click in window #1 (the Word document)
- select (highlight) one or more words (usually a name, like "John Q.
Public")
- Ctrl-C (copy the selection to the Windows clipboard)
- Alt-Tab (or mouse click) to go into window #2 (the Wordpad file)
- Enter (start a new line)
- Ctrl-V (paste the selection into the new line)
- Alt-Tab (to go back to window #1 and repeat)

Is there a way to make a Windows-level macro to reduce the number of
keystrokes? I'd like to be able to hit a function key or a Ctrl-sequence to
make it happen.

Thanks a lot.

Since WordPad isn't programmable in VBA, you can do one of three things:

- Use a second Word document to collect the phrases. Then you can record a macro
of Ctrl+C, Ctrl+F6, Enter, Ctrl+V, Ctrl+F6 (note that you use Ctrl+F6 to switch
between Word windows, in place of Alt+Tab).

- Use the Spike, a little-known relative of the clipboard. Select text and then
press Ctrl+F3, which cuts the text and places it on the Spike. Repeat this as
often as needed; each phrase will be added to the end of the Spike, separated by
a paragraph break. Switch to another Word window and press Ctrl+Shift+F3 to
insert the contents of the Spike there. When you're done, close the original
document without saving, so all the cuts will have no effect (warning! don't
forget to click No in the save prompt, or the cuts become permanent!).

For either of these two options, you can later open the document in WordPad if
that's what you really want to do.

- If for some reason you must do the collecting in WordPad, then you need a
non-Word means of automation. Try AutoHotKey (www.autohotkey.com) or a similar
keystroke macro utility.