I have far too many little macros in separate files and run by toolbar buttons.   I would like to add them all to one macro file and pass a variable in choosing the appropriate macro function to run.   Below is what I would like to do but PHP flavored. How can I produce this desired effect in Extra basic?

Passed in like: url.php?picMacro=2

<?php
$picMacro =  $_GET['name']; 
switch ($.picMacro) {
  case "1":
    macroFunction1();
    break;
  case "2":
    macroFunction2();
    break;
  case "3":
    macroFunction3();
    break;
  default:
   someFunction();
}
?>

Hi David,

I will do some research, but I don't think it is possible to pass a command line parameter to an Extra Basic macro.

Regards,

Jeff B.

Hi David,

It could be possible to create an application that may accept command line style parameters that the application could then parse and call the master Extra! Basic Macro, but that would be completely outside of the product.  The ebm macros are designed to be called and perform a specific function.  This functionality is not possible in the macro engine at this time. 

Regards,

Jeff B.

Thank you for your assistance.  I’m not trying to pass from the command line, I’m trying to pass from and extra toolbar to the macro.  Sorry if I explained that poorly.  The image below is the dialog in extra to define toolbar buttons.  Or is that still considered calling from command line?  Thanks 

Hi David,

The button action for Run Macro is not expecting anything but the name of an existing macro.  If you put anything else in the drop down box that is not the name of a macro, the button call will fail.  I was using the term "Command line parameter" loosely to represent passing a parameter along with the macro name.

Regards,

Jeff

I have far too many little macros in separate files and run by toolbar buttons.   I would like to add them all to one macro file and pass a variable in choosing the appropriate macro function to run.   Below is what I would like to do but PHP flavored. How can I produce this desired effect in Extra basic?

Passed in like: url.php?picMacro=2

<?php
$picMacro =  $_GET['name']; 
switch ($.picMacro) {
  case "1":
    macroFunction1();
    break;
  case "2":
    macroFunction2();
    break;
  case "3":
    macroFunction3();
    break;
  default:
   someFunction();
}
?>

Hi Dave, 

rather that "Run Macro" try "Run Application" (under miscellaneous) and then set the command line to execute

    "path\\ebrun.exe" "path\\the_macro.ebm" "the_macro_params"

e.g.
    "C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Micro Focus\\Reflection\\ebrun.exe" "%Userprofile%\\documents\\Micro Focus\\EXTRA!\\My Macros\\Hello.ebm" my function name

in your macro you can retrieve the macro parameter(s) via the variable command$, in this case Command$ = "my function name"

The big problem with this approach is that you can not call a "string",
i.e.
    Call "Hello"

will not work, it has to be

    Call Hello

So you will need a Select Case block to call the various function/subroutines,

e.g.

    Declare Function HELLO()

    Sub Main
        Select Case UCASE(Command$)
            Case "HELLO"
                call Hello
            Case Else
                Msgbox "Function not found"
        End Select
    End Sub

    Function HELLO()
        Msgbox "Hi David"
    End Function

Now having said all of that, I don't currently have Extra! installed, but if you play around with the syntax on the command line (in terms of the double and maybe single quotes), you will get this to work. 

Note: While you are playing with this you may see rogue instances of ebrun in the task manager (from failed attempts). These may prevent subsequent attempted launches from working, you should kill these ebrun.exes and extra.exe and also ebmngr.exe, so that each attempt is a clean one with no previous attempts getting in the way. 

As for using the dialog approach that is a completely different can of worms :-) Dialogs can be quite tricky depending on how deep you wish to get into them in terms of Modal/NonModal and event handling

Tom

Hi David,

Tom and I spoke about this more and have worked it out.  You do want to use "Run Macro". Using Tom's example above the button assignment syntax should be (note that there are no quotes in the "Macro:" command.)

This will call the "Hello.ebm" macro and pass the parameter "hello"

The Command$ will pass the parameter to the macro and thus allow you to name the function you want to call in the button.

So in Tom's sample code above, the button defined in this example will pass hello to the Command$ variable and will call the function HELLO in the macro.

Note the syntax for this dialog:

Preferred syntax:
"mymacro.ebm notepad.exe" will run mymacro.ebm and pass "notepad.exe" on the command line.
Acceptable syntax (will work, but not recommended):
"mymacro notepad" will run mymacro.ebm and pass "notepad" on the command line.
Illegal syntax:
"mymacro notepad.exe" will attempt to find "mymacro notepad.exe" and will fail.

Regards,

Jeff B.

Hi David,

Tom and I spoke about this more and have worked it out.  You do want to use "Run Macro". Using Tom's example above the button assignment syntax should be (note that there are no quotes in the "Macro:" command.)

This will call the "Hello.ebm" macro and pass the parameter "hello"

The Command$ will pass the parameter to the macro and thus allow you to name the function you want to call in the button.

So in Tom's sample code above, the button defined in this example will pass hello to the Command$ variable and will call the function HELLO in the macro.

Note the syntax for this dialog:

Preferred syntax:
"mymacro.ebm notepad.exe" will run mymacro.ebm and pass "notepad.exe" on the command line.
Acceptable syntax (will work, but not recommended):
"mymacro notepad" will run mymacro.ebm and pass "notepad" on the command line.
Illegal syntax:
"mymacro notepad.exe" will attempt to find "mymacro notepad.exe" and will fail.

Regards,

Jeff B.

You guys are the absolute greatest. That functions exactly how I initially wished it would. Thank you so much. I tested it with your code and an added function passing first the number one then two and each worked as intended.

Declare Function HELLO()

Declare Function GOODBYE()

    Sub Main
         Select Case UCASE(Command$)
             Case "1"
                 call Hello

            Case “2”

                 Call Goodbye

            Case Else
                 Msgbox "Function not found"
         End Select 
     End Sub

    Function HELLO()
         Msgbox "Hi David"
     End Function

    Function GOODBYE()

        Msgbox “Goodbye David”

     End Function