Macro of the Month – May 2024 – JoinTwoWords

Turns two words or a hyphenated word into a single word

May 28, 2024

This month continues the recent focus on macros for hyphenation edits. This time, we will be discussing a macro that turns a hyphenated word or two separate words into a single word. Registration is now open for the next Word Macros A to Z course. Also included is tip #4 in the series on common macro errors and an update about the Macro Menu—more macros!

This Month’s Macro – JoinTwoWords

While editors commonly need to add a hyphen to a word pair, sometimes we need to remove a hyphen, such as in "non-profit." Other times, we may need to remove the space between two words, such as “back up” in "I keep a back up of my macros in a folder." JoinTwoWords can assist with each of these situations.

How it works: When you need to combine two words, whether they are joined with a hyphen or separated with a space, place the cursor inside the first word and run JoinTwoWords. It will delete the space or hyphen between the words. As long as Track Changes is turned on, the edit will be tracked.

The image demonstrates how to use the JoinTwoWords macro when you have a hyphenated word that you want to combine into one word. It contains a sentence: "The start-up aims to revolutionize urban planning." The words "start" and "up" are joined by a hyphen. The image shows the cursor standing in the word “start”. Once the cursor is placed in the first word of the two words you want to join together, run the macro. It deleted the hyphen, forming the single word “startup.” — *JoinTwoWords turns a hyphenated word into a single word. Simply place the cursor inside the first word and run the macro.*

The image demonstrates how to use the JoinTwoWords macro when you have two separate words you want to combine into one word. It contains a sentence: "The start up aims to revolutionize urban planning." The words "start" and "up" are separated by a space. The images shows the cursor standing in the word “start”. Once the cursor is placed in the first word of the two words you want to join together, run the macro. It changes the individual words "start" and "up" into one word “startup.” — *JoinTwoWords also turns two words into a single word.*

Download the code: www.wordmacrotools.com/macros/J/JoinTwoWords

Related macros: Here are several hyphenation-related macros you may be interested in:

For consistency checking

HyphenAlyse: Identifies potential hyphenation inconsistencies
HyphenSpaceWordCount: Tells you how often a word pair is written as one word, two words, and hyphenated

For making copyedits

PunctuationToHyphen: Hyphenates a word pair
WordPairPunctuate: Toggles between hyphenating a word pair and joining/separating the words (works best with Track Changes turned off)

Upcoming Training

The left side of the image displays a quote from Jennifer Yankopolus, the instructor about the Word Macros A to Z course through the Editorial Freelancers Association. It reads, “Word macro tools help you edit faster and more accurately, and you don't need to be a tech whiz to use them.” The right half of the image shows a black-and-white portrait of the instructor, a smiling woman with short hair and glasses.

Have you been interested in learning macros but haven't found the time yet? Or perhaps you already use a few macros and want to explore their full potential? Whether you're a beginner or have some experience with macros, the Word Macros A to Z course is designed to help you optimize your productivity using macros. This six-week course offers video tutorials, practical exercises, a lively discussion forum, and three live Q&A sessions, allowing you to fully delve deep into the possibilities. The course is centered around Paul Beverley's library of macros, meaning no programming experience is necessary. It is suitable for both PC and Mac users.

Here are what some past attendees have said about the course:

I've picked up so many useful tools. The course was so well-organized, the handouts and videos were clear and helpful.
I really enjoyed how clear the content was—especially given that I knew nothing about Paul Beverley's macros to begin with.
I enjoyed being able to work through the course at my own pace while still having regular access to the instructor to ask questions. I liked that the instructor was very engaged in the discussion forum. I also really liked how each module began with an outline of options based on how much time I had available that week.

Register here. Members of CIEP, IPEd, PEG, and Editors Canada are eligible for a discounted rate; check with your editing organization for details.

Updates to the Macro Menu

Have you checked the Macro Menu recently, the index of Paul Beverley’s macros? He has added new macros, ones he created for editors but hadn’t yet uploaded, and improved several existing macros. The yellow highlighting indicates the 50 most recently updated or added macros.

Common Error #4: The macro doesn’t function as expected

Have you ever installed a macro, only to find that it doesn't work the way you anticipated? It's possible that the macro was not designed to work the way you assumed.

The brief descriptions in the Macro Menu may not always give us a complete picture of what a macro does and how it works, leading us to sometimes make incorrect assumptions.

If you find yourself confused or frustrated when trying to use a new macro, consult the full explanation provided in Paul Beverley's book:

Click on the brief description in the Macro Menu.

Click on the short description of a macro to access the full description.

A chapter of Paul’s book will open in the browser. It not only discusses the macro in question but also many others. To quickly locate the explanation of the macro you are interested in, use your browser's search function. Type in the exact name of the macro followed by "()", for example, JoinTwoWords(). This will take you directly to the relevant section.

Searching for the macro name followed by () will take you directly to the explanation of that macro.

You can read about the other common errors and their solutions:

Have a question or want to suggest a macro for a future newsletter? Reply to this email and let me know, or post a comment on Substack.

Happy macroing,
Jennifer

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