View source for EN/documentation/ooo3 user guides/getting started/getting started with macros

<section begin=title /><noinclude>{{DISPLAYTITLE:</noinclude>Chapter 13. Getting Started with Macros<noinclude>}}</noinclude><section end=title />

{{Documentation/GS3MacroTOC
|ShowPrevNext=block
|PrevPage=EN/documentation/ooo3_user_guides/getting_started/saving_draw_documents_as_web_pages
|NextPage=EN/documentation/ooo3_user_guides/getting_started/creating_a_simple_macro
}}
This is Chapter '''13''' of '''Getting Started with OpenOffice.org 3.x''', produced by the [http://oooauthors.org/ OOoAuthors group]. A PDF of this chapter is available from {{SecTitle|EN/documentation/ooo3_user_guides/chapters}}.


== Your first macro ==
A macro is a saved sequence of commands or keystrokes that are stored for later use. An example of a simple macro is one that “types" your address. The OpenOffice.org macro language is very flexible, allowing automation of both simple and complex tasks. Macros are especially useful to repeat a task the same way over and over again.

OpenOffice.org macros are usually written in a language called StarBasic, or just abbreviated Basic. Although you can learn Basic and write macros, there is a steep learning curve to writing macros from scratch. The usual method for a beginner is to use the built-in macro recorder, which records your keystrokes and saves them for use.

Most tasks in OpenOffice.org are accomplished by “dispatching a command" (sending a command), which is intercepted and used. The macro recorder works by recording the commands that are dispatched (see {{SecTitle|EN/documentation/ooo3_user_guides/getting_started/sometimes_the_macro_recorder_fails}}/The dispatch framework).


{{CCBY}}
[[Category:Getting Started (Documentation)]]