Use Keyboard to Spell Shortcuts on Computer

I’m a big fan of anything that lets me work less and accomplish more. That’s why I use keyboard shortcuts on programs I use regularly. I’ve created even more shortcuts by using the macro feature in Microsoft Word and, thanks to QuicKeys ($49.95) from CE Software (https://www.cesoft.com), it’s also possible for both Windows and Mac users to automate virtually any task.

Although using the mouse to select icons and menu items is easy, sometimes it’s even easier to use keyboard shortcuts to perform certain tasks. You can copy a selection of text from one file to another, for example, by selecting copy from the Edit menu. But in most programs you can accomplish the same thing by typing Ctrl C in Windows or Command C if you’re using a Mac. Windows users can use the File menu to exit a program, but pressing Alt F4 can get you out faster and even exit you from Windows itself. If you make a mistake while typing, Ctrl Z will undo what you just did. For more Windows shortcuts, visit https://www.larrysworld.com/shortcuts.htm.

The easiest way to learn about shortcuts is to look for them to the right of menu items as you use pull-down menus. If you use that menu item a lot, it might pay to start using the shortcut. Another way is to search for “shortcut” in the program’s Help menu or the Windows help that you access from the Start menu. You probably already know that you can access the Start menu by clicking on the word Start, but you can also bring it up by using a shortcut: Just type Ctrl Esc from within any program.

If you use Microsoft Word, Corel WordPerfect or Lotus WordPro, you can create your own shortcuts, or macros, from within the program. The same is also true for Excel and other leading spreadsheet programs. Macros are like little programs that automate common tasks you do with the program. Instead of typing my full name, for example, I type Ctrl L, and Microsoft Word knows to type out “Lawrence J. Magid.” I have other macros that enter today’s date and one that helps me reformat text that I’ve downloaded from the Internet so it looks good within Word.

I have macros for all sorts of tasks. Some are very simple, but others are pretty complex, saving me hundreds of keystrokes and mouse movements. Another Word trick is to use the AutoCorrect feature on the Tools menu. The feature is mainly used so that Word can automatically correct common spelling mistakes as you type, but you can also use it to assign abbreviations. You could, for example, configure Word so that any time you type “SF,” the program automatically changes it to “San Francisco.”

The easiest way to create a macro in Word and other programs is to use the record option that faithfully records your keystrokes and mouse clicks as you work so you can play them back any time. You’ll find a macro item on the Tools menu in Word and Excel. If you select “record new macro,” a dialogue box pops up that lets you name the macro; once you give it a name, it starts recording everything you do. When you’re done, you click the Stop button (just like a tape recorder). You can run a macro by clicking Macro on the tools menu and selecting the named macro from the list that pops up.

If that sounds too complicated, don’t worry, there are easier ways to run your macros. The Tools Options menu lets you assign keystrokes to macros or add them to menus or create toolbar icons that you just click to run the macro.

Once you’ve mastered macros, menus and toolbars, you can create your own customized version of Word that behaves pretty much the way you want it to. Each member of my family, for example, has an assigned icon on the toolbar that causes Word to save and open files in their own directory so my son doesn’t have to worry about accidentally opening one of my daughters’ files. When my kids were little, I used macros, toolbars and icons to create a kid-friendly version of Word. One little-known handy Word keyboard shortcut, Ctrl ] (control key plus left bracket), causes selected text to increase by one point. Ctrl [ (also known as shrink font) causes it to shrink by a point.

The old Windows 3.0 came with the Recorder program that let you create macros to use in Windows or any Windows applications, but Microsoft no longer offers the feature. QuicKeys, which is available for both Windows and Macintosh, provides a very sophisticated macro program that works within the operating system and within most applications.

You can create a QuicKeys macro to do about anything you can do with the keyboard or the mouse, including running programs, opening files, entering text and visiting Web sites. You can, for example, create a macro that with a single keystroke or mouse click closes all your programs and shuts down the computer. You can also create a macro with an entire sequence of commands, including running multiple programs, copying text from one program and pasting it into another, sending e-mail and much more. The program has its own scripting language but also has a record mode that simply mimics whatever you do with the mouse and keyboard.

In addition to creating keyboard shortcuts, QuicKeys macros can be assigned to icons that appear on a “floating” toolbar that is accessible regardless of what program you’re using. The software has a wizard tool that lets you create commonly used macros, including one that takes you directly to the message-creation portion of your e-mail program and another that takes you to your favorite Web sites.

Now all I need is a macro program for the real world. It sure would be nice to be able to press a single key to take out the garbage, mow the lawn, do the dishes and walk the dog.

Lawrence J. Magid can be heard at 1:48 p.m. weekdays on KNX 1070. He can be reached at larry.magid @latimes.com. His Web page is at https://www.larrysworld.com or keyword “LarryMagid” on AOL.