Authoring Systems Using Macro Commands:

Authoring systems based on macro language libraries facilitate
the development of tailored information management applications.
These application authoring programs use a resident macro
language to permit the assembly of a variety of data management
structures (including DBMS types, as well as hierarchical and
network systems).  A system developer can configure sets of macro
routines as modular components to create the necessary data
management structure suitable to the character of the information
base and the data manipulation demands of the specific
application.

A macro is a recorded sequence of commands or keyboard
equivalents that can be invoked by a single command (key stroke
or pointer action).  Macro commands can be structured to access,
activate, and control any of the functions of the computer
keyboard, and can perform other predefined program or function
calls.  When a macro is executed, the application program
performs the computer processing actions that are recorded in the
macro statement.  Macros are specific to the individual
application program, with each authored application having a
unique set of macros associated with it.  As the engine behind
the interactivity between application users and the information
base, macro statements for specific applications can be tailored
to perform various user defined operations, such as menu
selections, operation specifications, or data input.  The
implementation of these predefined macro statements can activate
the execution a user specified operation without further operator
intervention.  

Macro commands generally provide an extensive range of
programming functions, including looping, branching, and other
subroutines.  Because macro commands can be utilized in a variety
of task specific applications, the level of complexity,
sophistication, and perhaps most importantly, the effectiveness
of the macro functions is dependent on the application
requirements and the abilities of the system developer. 

<cfile12>   Data Processing Technologies
<cfile19>   Information vs. Negative Information
<cfile23>   CRISTAL System Macros
<cfile24>   CRISTAL Data Links
<dfile47>   CRISTAL: Macro Language