11.                 Pushbutton Key Macros

 

Keymacro Overview

 

Keymacro commands are normally assigned to "Pushbuttons" on user built graphic displays. Keymacro commands are used to change displays, call up dialog boxes, change setpoints, acknowledge alarms, etc.

 

 These same keymacro commands are used on all standard displays in WebAccess (Alarm Summary, Alarm Log, Trends, Point Detail, et al) allowing uses to modify the default displays also.

 

Pushbuttons

Pushbuttons can execute multiple keymacro commands, separated by commas (,).  The graphics builder limits a single pushbutton to 75 characters per line.  If both key-down and key-up features are used, then 2 x 75 = 150 characters can be included in a pushbutton keymacro.  Pushbuttons can also execute Keymacro files (see <MCREXEC> below), which allow a pushbutton to execute keymacro commands in excess the 75-character limit. Pushbuttons can also execute Script files (see <SCREXEC> below).

 

Pushbuttons are drawn as a dynamic object in DRAW (the graphics builder) with a
3-D bevel and animation to simulate the motion of pressing a button down.

 

Keymacro Files

Keymacro files can be built with 1000 characters per line and an unlimited number of lines to construct very large series of commands.  These become small programs.  Note that most all keymacro have an equivalent and similarly named Script command (see Action Commands in section 12. Scripts for more information on Scripts).  Scripts are more powerful that Keymacro files allowing for logic, math and file manipulation.

 

Function Keys

Function Keys on Keyboards and Panels are assigned default keymacro commands. These are a subset of all keymacro command functions. The F1 through F10 function keys on Windows standard Keyboards along with the Control-key (Ctrl), Shift-key (Shift) and Alternate-key (Alt) can be used to execute keymacro commands. Many Industrial panels support function-key emulation and can execute keymacro commands. 

 

Keymacro commands can be context sensitive. For example, the Shift+F7 or the will call-up the Detail Display of the currently selected Tag.  If no Tag is selected, then the command will be ignored. Alternatively the display pushbutton can be assigned a specific tags name <GOTO>POINTDTL=tagname, which will got to the detail display of the specified tag always (if the tag exists).

 

Similarly, the <S_F7> keymacro command executed from the Toolbar will call-up the Detail Display of the currently selected tag.  It acts just like Shift+F7 keys on the keyboard.  However, <S_F7> on a pushbutton within a graphic is ignored, because the act of pressing the pushbutton, de-selects the tag.

 

 

 

System Tags

 Keymacro are often used with special system tags to produce for example <GOTO>POINTDTL=@%TPICKTAG will call up the detail display of currently selected tag  (the same as the Shift+F7 or <S_F7> keymacros). For more information, see %DAQ system Tags in section 4.9. Also see Summary of Keyboard Shortcuts for System Tags commonly used with KeyMacros.

 

Key Mapping

Function Keys on Keyboards and Panels can be assigned any keymacro command by the user.   The keymacro can call another KeyMacro file or Script. a subset of all keymacro command functions. The F1 through F10 function keys on Windows standard Keyboards along with the Control-key (Ctrl), Shift-key (Shift) and Alternate-key (Alt) in combination with Alphabet keys can be used to execute keymacro commands. Tab, LS, RS, UP, DOWN, HOME, END, CR, and ESC can also be mapped to a KeyMacro command.

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