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What is SmartPaste?

SmartPaste is a tool that inserts pieces of text into the active PowerBuilder edit window. These pieces are called ‚macros‘ and are identified by their name.

By simply typing in the name into the SmartPaste edit window and pressing the enter key, the macro is inserted into PB.

Macros are being held in files (tab separated lists that include the macro name and its implementation), so they can be shared by many programmers.

The special thing about macros is that they can contain information about the active PowerBuilder edit window. For a list of all the information available, see ‚Generic Macros‘

At startup, all macros that are held in the dictionaries you selected are being listed into the Dropdownlistbox of SmartPaste. By typing the name of a macro SmartPaste tries to find the proper entry and preselects it for you.

You can also add parameters (like ‚dateauthor joe‘ to the macro names. These can then be used within the macro text.

Some macros that you use more often than others can be selected directly by clicking on their icon or doubleclicking on their names. Which macros are listed can be selected in the options dialog

By using the same dictionary file shared by many programmers for headers, you can establish a consistent look of your scripts throughout any size of project. The location of the dictionary files can be set in the options dialog

SmartPaste comes with a numbers of predefined macros. Please refer to the files accompanying the dictionary file for a complete description.

The Tray Icon           

SmartPaste installs itself into the the system tray and also adds an icon to the PB toolbar. This way it should be easy for you to work with SmartPaste.

You can choose to hide the SmartPaste main window altogether by clicking 'Hide Paster' in the tray menu or make it visible again by clicking 'Show Paster'.

If you choose to hide the main window, you can some macros from the tray icon. Which macros are displayed in the tray menu can be selected in the options dialog.

If you select 'Always on top', the SmartPaste main window will stay on top of all other windows enabling you to access it quickly.