Copy character from line above

[rstaveley]

In the Semware editor TSE there was a macro which I liked a great deal, which copied the character in the line above the cursor to the insert point.

The SAL macro code - for the Mofi's of the world who understand SAL - goes like this:

Code: Select all

integer proc mCopyCharAbove()

integer c,sv = Set(RemoveTrailingWhite,OFF)

   PushPosition()         /* Save position */
   c = iif(up(),CurrChar(),-1)   /* Try for char on line above */
   PopPosition()         /* Back to where we were */
   Set(RemoveTrailingWhite,sv)
   return(c >= 0 and InsertText(Chr(c)))

end mCopyCharAbove

I have this assigned to Alt+Up in TSE like this:

Code: Select all

<Alt CursorUp>      mCopyCharAbove()

It is a much-loved macro with a natural feeling key assignment, which I'd like to port into UE, but before I reinvent the wheel, is there already something for this in UE... and is this better in a macro or script?

[Mofi]

I think nobody has yet coded that and published. With a macro you could hold Alt and CursorUp to run it repeated times while when coding it with a script you have to press the keys always again and again because the Cancel dialog can't be suppressed at the moment. But I think it is very difficult to code that with a macro because no support for variables which you surely need here for saving/restoring position in current line and check position in the line above.

[rstaveley]

It hadn't occurred to me that typematic repeat wouldn't work in scripts. Can you invoke a script from a macro?

[Mofi]

Can you invoke a script from a macro?

No, this is not possible.

However, I think I get the task correct coded with a macro. Here is the macro code for copying it into the edit macro dialog. You should disable both macro properties for this macro.

This macro worked for me with UE v16.00.0.1025 with configuration setting Allow positioning beyond line end (Configuration - Editor Display - Cursor/Caret) not enabled. The macro modifies the second line if the cursor is currently on the first line of the file. So don't execute the macro on the first line of a file.

InsertMode
ColumnModeOff
HexOff
IfCharIs 13
Key UP ARROW
IfCharIs 13
Key DOWN ARROW
ExitMacro
EndIf
StartSelect
Key RIGHT ARROW
Clipboard 9
Copy
EndSelect
Key DOWN ARROW
Paste
ClearClipboard
Clipboard 0
ExitMacro
EndIf
IfCharIs 10
Key UP ARROW
IfCharIs 10
Key DOWN ARROW
ExitMacro
EndIf
StartSelect
Key RIGHT ARROW
Clipboard 9
Copy
EndSelect
Key DOWN ARROW
Paste
ClearClipboard
Clipboard 0
ExitMacro
EndIf
IfEof
Key UP ARROW
IfCharIs 13
Key DOWN ARROW
ExitMacro
EndIf
IfCharIs 10
Key DOWN ARROW
ExitMacro
EndIf
StartSelect
Key RIGHT ARROW
Clipboard 9
Copy
EndSelect
Key DOWN ARROW
Paste
ClearClipboard
Clipboard 0
ExitMacro
EndIf
Key UP ARROW
IfCharIs 13
Key DOWN ARROW
ExitMacro
EndIf
IfCharIs 10
Key DOWN ARROW
ExitMacro
EndIf
StartSelect
Key RIGHT ARROW
Clipboard 9
Copy
EndSelect
Key DOWN ARROW
Key LEFT ARROW
Paste
ClearClipboard
Clipboard 0

Here is the macro code as UEM (UltraEdit Macro) with comments for a better understanding. See Macro examples and reference for beginners and experts how to work with macro code in *.uem files.

Code: Select all

InsertMode
ColumnModeOff
HexOff
// Is the cursor at end of the current line terminated with
// a carriage return - DOS files or not converted MAC files?
IfCharIs 13
// Move cursor up to line above. If the cursor is now at end of this
// line, nothing can be copied and therefore the cursor is just moved
// back to previous position.
   Key UP ARROW
   IfCharIs 13
      Key DOWN ARROW
      ExitMacro
   EndIf
// Otherwise select the character, copy it to clipboard, move cursor
// down to original line which is automatically placed again at end
// of that line and simply paste there the copied character.
   StartSelect
   Key RIGHT ARROW
   Clipboard 9
   Copy
   EndSelect
   Key DOWN ARROW
   Paste
   ClearClipboard
   Clipboard 0
   ExitMacro
EndIf
// Is the cursor at end of the current line terminated with
// a line feed - not converted UNIX files? Yes, same code as
// above with the only difference to check for a line feed.
IfCharIs 10
   Key UP ARROW
   IfCharIs 10
      Key DOWN ARROW
      ExitMacro
   EndIf
   StartSelect
   Key RIGHT ARROW
   Clipboard 9
   Copy
   EndSelect
   Key DOWN ARROW
   Paste
   ClearClipboard
   Clipboard 0
   ExitMacro
EndIf
// Is the cursor at end of the file, use the same code as above with
// the only difference to check additionally for a carriage return.
IfEof
   Key UP ARROW
   IfCharIs 13
      Key DOWN ARROW
      ExitMacro
   EndIf
   IfCharIs 10
      Key DOWN ARROW
      ExitMacro
   EndIf
   StartSelect
   Key RIGHT ARROW
   Clipboard 9
   Copy
   EndSelect
   Key DOWN ARROW
   Paste
   ClearClipboard
   Clipboard 0
   ExitMacro
EndIf
// The cursor is not at end of the current line or end of file.
// Move cursor up to line above. If the cursor is now at end of this
// line, nothing can be copied and therefore the cursor is just moved
// back to previous position.
Key UP ARROW
IfCharIs 13
   Key DOWN ARROW
   ExitMacro
EndIf
IfCharIs 10
   Key DOWN ARROW
   ExitMacro
EndIf
// Otherwise select the character, copy it to clipboard and move cursor
// down to original line. Because of selecting the character in the line
// above the cursor is now one position right the original position. So
// the cursor must be set left before the copied character can be inserted.
// This is the important difference in behavior in comparison to the code
// above when cursor is at end of a line or end of the file.
StartSelect
Key RIGHT ARROW
Clipboard 9
Copy
EndSelect
Key DOWN ARROW
Key LEFT ARROW
Paste
ClearClipboard
Clipboard 0

[rstaveley]

Wow! You're a star, Mofi. I'm really pleased with this.

[rstaveley]

I think we will never see enhancements like support for variables for macros because scripts can be used for complex tasks...

Do you reckon then that being able to suppress the cancel dialog would make scripts suitable for key commands like this in future, or are there other challenges too?

[Mofi]

The Cancel dialog always displayed when running a script is the only problem for small scripts designed for repeated executions. Of course small macros are faster executed especially when the macro file containing all the small macros is loaded at startup of UltraEdit into memory. And script interpreting be the Javascript engine is surely also slower than the macro execution, think on reading the text file, check syntax, etc. not done for the compiled macros. But with the caching mechanisms of the operating systems and the fast hardware using also caching nowadays users can't see anymore any difference in speed when executing a small macro in comparison to a small script. So the difference in execution time for small scripts in comparison to small macros can be only measured with the fast processor, but not by a (slow) user.

[bernd]

I have once created a macro for this, which is considering the current editing mode (insert/override) and also handles tabs correctly. Here it is:
--------------------------------------------------
"CharFromAbove"

Inserts/overwrites one character from the line above.
Clipboard 9 is used.
--------------------------------------------------
ColumnModeOff
HexOff
UnixReOff
IfSel
IfEof
Key END
Else
Key RIGHT ARROW
Key LEFT ARROW
EndIf
ExitMacro
EndIf
Key LEFT ARROW
Key RIGHT ARROW
Key UP ARROW
IfCharIs 13
Key DOWN ARROW
ExitMacro
EndIf
IfCharIs 10
Key DOWN ARROW
ExitMacro
EndIf
Clipboard 9
StartSelect
Key RIGHT ARROW
Copy
EndSelect
Key LEFT ARROW
Key DOWN ARROW
" "
Key LEFT ARROW
Find " "
Replace "^c"
Clipboard 0
------------------
In case you have the file in DOS format internally, then you can remove the "If CharIs 10" block.
Have a try.