Macros

Macro commands are the heart of the application development
capabilities of the CRISTAL system, as they provide the means to
automatically execute a set of predefined operations without
operator intervention.  A macro is a recorded sequence of
commands or keyboard equivalents that can be invoked by a single
command (key stroke or mouse action).  When a macro is executed,
CRISTAL  performs the processing actions that are recorded in the
macro statement.  Macros are stored in the worksheet in much the
same way an equation is stored (ie.  specific to the individual
sheet).  Each sheet therefore has a unique set of macros
associated with it.  CRISTAL macros can access, activate, and
control any of the functions of the keyboard or menus, as well as
the command routines contained in a special macro library.  Macro
statements enable the CRISTAL system to perform programming
operations that can be tailored for specific applications.  As
the engine behind the interactivity between the application user
and the application information base, macros can prompt the user
for menu selections, operational specifications, or data input.  

Macro commands in CRISTAL provide an extensive range of
programming functions, such as looping, branching, and
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 procedures is dependent on the application
requirements and the abilities of the system developer. 

<gfile01> Index to the Appendices
<gfile12> Information Organization
<gfile14> Application Developer
<gfile39> CRISTAL Macro Manager
<gfile40> CRISTAL Macro Command Categories