Serial link macros

[diem]

I'm trying to use Macro5 to set up some hotkeys to switch my serial link on and off on my netBook. I've got Macro5 working, but there seems to be some issue with the pre-written macro I downloaded from Pascal Nicolas' site.

When I run the macro from Program, I get this 'Information' dialog:

Error in LINKON/MACRO, BGSYSTEM
Procedure not found


I am new to OPL but am an experienced programmer, and it is clear that LINKON/MACRO means <filename>/<procedure name>. Also, the first line of the MACRO procedure is 'BgSystem:'

What I don't understand is what this line means and why it fails. Is it attempting to call a procedure called BgSystem, and if so where is this likely to be defined? Is there some standard OPL library that Macro5 expects to find?

Any help very gratefully received.

[WolfUK]

The first thing is to check that you have the Macro5.opx installed (in System/OPX). This OPX comes with Macro5 and pretty much all of the other Macro-friedly launchers so you should have it.

Macros themselves cannot, as I understand it, be run from the OPL editor. Try running the macro from Macro5 itself or from something like ExtraBars, HotKeys or Assistant. There is also something called something like RunMacro which was developed for the Revo and allows you to choose a macro and run it without any fancy interfaces.

[diem]

I have a Macro5.opx and Macro5.mcx in D:\System\OPX (Macro5 is installed on a CF card).

I have tried copying them into an equivalent location on C, but get the same error :confused:

[WolfUK]

I don't think it matters if the files are on the C or D drives (or E if you've got one on your netBook or 7).

So, assuming that you have set up a shortcut to the macro (the OPO file, not the OPL file) you should be able to run it. Again, it will not run from within Program, you need to run it via Macro5.

[diem]

Beginning to understand.

I have now found a different macro that does the same job, and double-tapping it in System runs it correctly.

Having attached it to a Shortcut in Macro5 (Fn+l), keying Fn + l in System throws an error dialog:

Error in MACRO5\INIT
Does not exist


So it seems I have got a stage further - a working macro - but now Macro5 is throwing a wobbler. Any ideas about this?

[WolfUK]

I am a little confused since I do not think that macros would run from the System screen. What extension does the file have? Is it an OPO file or an OPL file?

When you downloaded Macro5 the ZIP file would have contained another ZIP file called Macros. This archive contains, amongst other, two macros called Link On and Link Off, each consisting of three files, an ICO file, an OPL file and an OPO file. Copy these six files onto your Psion (if they are not there already) and attach LinkOn.OPO and LinkOff.OPO to shortcuts on a Macro5 panel. Try running them and see what happens. These are the two that I use so I know that they work and that will at least give us a common starting point.

[diem]

Thanks for staying with me on this one Simon :D

The file I ran from System was an OPO file.

I've retrieved the LinkOn and LinkOff files from the Macro5 distribution ZIP again, just to make sure they're vanilla, and have attached them to two shortcuts in Macro5.

These macros now appear to run fine from both a shortcut and a hotkey (I get the 'Link is ON' and 'Link is OFF' messages), but they do not actually turn the link on or off!

Are you using them successfully on a netBook?

N.B. It would appear that opening these OPL files in Program is of limited use because whilst I can run them, they do not get visibility of the Macro5.opx library, so the errors were being thrown.

[WolfUK]

No problem ... We'll get to the bottom of it eventually.

The macros work fine on my 5mx so they should work on your netBook and the only other thing I can think of is that the macros use the RomVersion variable. Perhaps this is different for the netBook than for the 5mx.

[MikeMcC]

I'm trying to use Macro5 to set up some hotkeys to switch my serial link on and off on my netBook.
I have a macro set up in one of the 'panels' which toggles the link on and off but it was a very long time ago that I set it up and I'll need to work out how the h*** I did it. :)

If you tell me what you want to do - for example use Fn-Shift-L to toggle the Link - I'll set it up and give you the details.

[diem]

Thanks for both your help,

I've done some playing around, prompted by your postings, and have found an alternative macro that works nicely on the netBook - its the FlipLink macro by Fred Pacquier from Pascal's Macro page.

Thanks again for your swift replies :cool:

[WolfUK]

No problem & I'm glad you managed to fix it. As for the fast replies ... it provided a good doversion from the hassle of trying to set up my 5mx for WAP access over GPRS! I've got email working beautifully and web access seems to be okay but WAP is being a real pain!