Macro of the Month – November 2021 – AcronymAlyse
Provides a list of all acronyms in a document and their frequency
This month I introduce you to a macro hot off the press and include a tip about using a keyboard shortcut to insert a comment bubble. For those of you who have always wanted to learn to record macros, an upcoming webinar will teach you how.
AcronymAlyse
If your editing projects frequently contain a lot of acronyms, check out AcronymAlyse. It generates a list of all the acronyms in a document and gives you an accounting of how often they appear. The frequency data is useful when the style guidelines you are following prohibit using an acronym when it appears less than three times; AcronymAlyse will tell you which acronyms need to be spelled out.
AcronymAlyse is savvy enough to include acronyms with mixed capitalization, like MoMA, and it gives you the option to include acronyms that contain numbers.
Be patient when running it on long documents. It can take a while. Don’t touch the mouse or keyboard while it’s working; if you do, Word will crash.
Tip – Inserting a blank comment bubble
Several macros not only insert comment bubbles but also populate the bubble with certain text. But did you know that you can insert a blank comment bubble using a preset keyboard shortcut?
PC: Ctrl+Alt+M
Mac: Cmd+Opt+A
If you find this shortcut too cumbersome, you can assign this command a new shortcut in the Customize Keyboard dialogue box.
Upcoming Training
Did you know that you can create you own macro by using Word's record macro function? In the Learn to Record Your Own Macro webinar, Pam Eidson, a nonfiction freelance editor based in Atlanta, US, will teach you how to record simple macros to speed up straightforward repetitive tasks.
This 1.5-hour webinar will be hosted by the Editorial Freelancers Association on January 20, 2022, at 7:00–8:30 ET.
As always, I would love to hear from you. Tell me what your current favorite macro is or a tip or trick you’ve discovered.
Be safe and well,
Jennifer