Make macro smaller

Tips how to make macro smaller and easier to read and edit.

Reuse variables

For example, you have code like this:

int w=win("Calculator" "CalcFrame")
lef 31 304 w 1 ;;push button '1'
int w1=win("Calculator" "CalcFrame")
lef 68 307 w1 1 ;;push button '2'
int w2=win("Calculator" "CalcFrame")
lef 104 305 w2 1 ;;push button '3'

Line 1 creates variable w (int w), finds a window (win(...)), and stores window handle in w. Line 2 uses the handle (w).

If window in lines 1-2, 3-4 and 4-5 is the same, use single variable and win:

int w=win("Calculator" "CalcFrame")
lef 31 304 w 1 ;;push button '1'
lef 68 307 w 1 ;;push button '2'
lef 104 305 w 1 ;;push button '3'

If window is different, and will not need previous window handle later, use multiple win and single variable:

int w=win("Calculator" "CalcFrame")
lef 31 304 w 1 ;;push button '1'
w=win("Calculator" "CalcFrame")
lef 68 307 w 1 ;;push button '2'
w=win("Calculator" "CalcFrame")
lef 104 305 w 1 ;;push button '3'

Also you can reuse Acc and other variables added by QM code toolbar dialogs. For example, replace this:

int w=win("Calculator" "CalcFrame")
Acc a.Find(w "PUSHBUTTON" "5" "" 0x1005)
a.DoDefaultAction
 ...
int w1=win("Calculator" "CalcFrame")
Acc a1.Find(w1 "PUSHBUTTON" "5" "" 0x1005)
a1.DoDefaultAction

to this (if need the same object):

int w=win("Calculator" "CalcFrame")
Acc a.Find(w "PUSHBUTTON" "5" "" 0x1005)
a.DoDefaultAction
 ...
a.DoDefaultAction

or this (if need other object and will not need previous object):

int w=win("Calculator" "CalcFrame")
Acc a.Find(w "PUSHBUTTON" "5" "" 0x1005)
a.DoDefaultAction
 ...
a.Find(w "PUSHBUTTON" "5" "" 0x1005)
a.DoDefaultAction

Repeat

For example, you have code like this:

int w1=win("Window1")
act w1
key Cc D        ;; Ctrl+C Down
int w2=win("Window2")
act w2
key Cv D        ;; Ctrl+V Down
act w1
key Cc D        ;; Ctrl+C Down
act w2
key Cv D        ;; Ctrl+V Down
act w1
key Cc D        ;; Ctrl+C Down
act w2
key Cv D        ;; Ctrl+V Down

There are 3 identical 4-line code blocks. Instead use single block that is executed 3 times with rep:

int w1=win("Window1")
int w2=win("Window2")
rep 3
	act w1
	key Cc D        ;; Ctrl+C Down
	act w2
	key Cv D        ;; Ctrl+V Down

Often it's possible to repeat even when there are multiple similar but not identical code blocks. For example, replace this:

int w=win("Calculator" "CalcFrame")
lef 19 17 id(131 w)
0.5
lef 19 17 id(135 w)
0.5
lef 19 17 id(139 w)
0.5

to this:

int w=win("Calculator" "CalcFrame")
str ss="131[]135[]139"
str s
foreach s ss
	lef 19 17 id(val(s) w)
	0.5

There are 3 similar 2-line code blocks. With 10 blocks * 10 lines it would be 100 lines. With repeating (foreach) - 13 lines.

See also: for, foreach

Use functions

When there are multiple similar but not identical code blocks, often it's better to move part(s) of code to functions. For example, replace this:

int w=win("Calculator" "CalcFrame")
lef 1 2 id(131 w)
paste "text1"
lef 3 4 id(132 w)
paste "text2"
lef 5 6 id(133 w)
paste "text3"

to this:

int w=win("Calculator" "CalcFrame")
Function225 1 2 id(131 w) "text1"
Function225 3 4 id(132 w) "text2"
Function225 5 6 id(133 w) "text3"

and create function Function225 (menu File -> New):

 /
function x y hwnd str's
spe -1
lef x y hwnd
paste s

There are 3 similar 2-line code blocks. With 10 blocks * 10 lines it would be 100 lines. With function - 15 lines.

Use arrays

When you need several related variables of same type, you can use single array variable.

For example, you can replace this:

str s0 s1 s2 s3
str s4 s5
s0="zero"
s1="one"
 ...
s5="five"

to this:

ARRAY(str) a.create(6)
a[0]="zero"
a[1]="one"
 ...
a[5]="five"

Arrays also allow to make something easier and smaller. Example:

ARRAY(str) a="zero[]one[]...[]five"
int i
for i 0 a.len
	out a[i]

See also: ARRAY

Use user-defined types

When you need several related variables of different types, you can use single variable of a user-defined type.

Replace this:

int i1 i2
str s
i1=1
i2=2
s="text"

to this:

type MACRO_X_VAR i1 i2 str's
MACRO_X_VAR v
v.i1=1
v.i2=2
v.s="text"

Here MACRO_X_VAR is some unique name.

See also: how to declare and use user-defined types.

Remove declarations of unused variables

To find unused variables, check menu Run -> Compile Options -> Show unused variables and compile the macro.