Macro of the Month – October/November 2022 – PunctuationOff
Deletes the next punctuation mark to the right
How many punctuation marks do you estimate you delete each day? This month’s macro makes that task more efficient. Also, we need to talk about backing up your macros—a chore we don’t always want to do (raising my hand), but our future selves will be grateful when we do.
PunctuationOff
Deleting a comma (or question mark or apostrophe) is easy. Just place the cursor next to it and select Delete (or Backspace). What if this task could be easier?
The PunctuationOff macro is more effective than your Delete button because you don’t have to fuss over where to place the cursor—which is kinder to your mouse hand.
How it works: When you notice an upcoming punctuation mark that needs to be deleted, run PunctuationOff using its keyboard shortcut. It scans the text to the right of the cursor and deletes the next mark. (So make sure the next mark is the one you want to delete.)
PunctuationOff will delete the comma after “names” even though the cursor is standing three words prior. When you run the macro, it moves the cursor and deletes the comma.
You can even use PunctuationOff to delete pairs of punctuation marks: Just run it twice.
PunctuationOff will remove commas, quotations (single and double), apostrophes, periods, question marks, exclamation points, brackets, parentheses, semicolons, colons, slashes, and dashes. If you need to delete a mark not included, contact me and I will help you add it to the macro code.
When to use it: Run PunctuationOff any time you want to delete a punctuation mark. Just make sure that no other punctuation marks appear between the cursor and the mark you need to delete—or it will be deleted instead. Run it twice to remove a pair of quotation marks, parentheses, or brackets.
Why it’s useful: PunctuationOff saves us time. We don’t have to first move the cursor to the exact spot next to the punctuation mark—and as a result, we’re not using the mouse, helping to prevent repetitive strain injuries.
Download the code: www.wordmacrotools.com/macros/P/PunctuationOff
Other Macro News
Curious about the person who has created all these macros? Check out this interview with Paul Beverley conducted by the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP). He even shares what his favorite macros are: blog.ciep.uk/interview-paul-beverley/.
Curious about what macros editors use? In this recent CIEP blog post, two editors tell us.
Tip – Backing up and restoring your macros
Very occasionally, your macros can disappear. When that happens, you will have to reinstall each macro one at a time—not to mention remember which ones those were. To avoid such a headache, you can create a backup of the code of your macros. Note: This method will not back up your keyboard shortcuts.
To back up your macros:
Open Visual Basic where your macros are stored. An easy approach:
Go to the View tab on the Ribbon.
Select the Macro icon.
Select any macro from the menu and select the Edit button.
Use Ctrl+A / Cmd+A (PC/Mac) to select the code for all the macros, and copy it with Ctrl+C / Cmd+C.
Open a new Word document.
Paste the text into the Word document with Ctrl+V / Cmd+V.
Save the document in an easy-to-find location. Tip: Add the date to the file name so you know which is the most recent backup.
Get in the habit: Create a new backup every time you install a new macro.
To reinstate your macros:
Open the most recent macros backup document.
Copy all the text by selecting it with Ctrl+A / Cmd+A and copying it with Ctrl+C / Cmd+C.
Follow the steps you normally use to install a macro. You can install all the macros at once—Word doesn’t care.
Important: Follow these steps only if all your macros have disappeared. If you install duplicate copies of macros, you will receive an error message when you try to run any macro.
Intermediate option: Once your macro collection grows or if you also want to back up your keyboard shortcuts, try backing up your Normal template. Watch Paul Beverley’s video for PC users to learn how to do this. Mac users can also use this technique; you will need to find where your Normal template is stored.
Upcoming Training – Macros A to Z
Do you need guidance getting started with macros? Or would you like to get more out of macros, including finally conquering how FRedit works?
The upcoming Macros A to Z course will teach you how to use macros to increase your editing efficiency—and hence your income. Over six weeks, you will learn all the essential skills and try out the macros most popular among editors to streamline the repetitive and onerous aspects of your projects. You will have ample opportunity to get your questions answered and your technical roadblocks solved, including three Zoom Q&As.
The course starts on March 1, 2023, through the Editorial Freelancers Association. Members of CIEP, IPEd, and Editors Canada are eligible for a discounted rate; check with your editing organization for details.
More information: www.the-efa.org/product/word-macros-a-to-z-march-1-april-11-6-weeks-sp23/
What macro questions do you have? Reply to this email and let me know.
Regards,
Jennifer