To create user applications as described in this chapter, systems analysts often use macros. Microsoft defines a macro as “a series of commands and instructions that you group together as a single command to accomplish a task automatically.” Learn more about macros by using the Help feature in Microsoft Word, and identify three tasks that might be performed by macros.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Answers will vary. Many students are not aware of the power and potential of macros. Explain that recording a macro is like using a tape recorder to capture a number of keystrokes and mouse clicks, and then replaying the entire series with a single command, whenever desired. Point out that a macro can be used instead of a command that requires digging two or three levels deep into the menu structure.
In the Help section, Microsoft includes the following examples of typical uses for macros:
• To speed up routine editing and formatting
• To combine multiple commands; for example, inserting a table with a specific size and borders, and with a specific number of rows and columns
• To make an option in a dialog box more accessible
• To automate a complex series of tasks