V.10:1 (30-34): SIDEBAR: WRITING AND EXECUTING A SPREADSHEET MACRO

WRITING AND EXECUTING A SPREADSHEET MACRO

A macro is a series of commands or keystrokes that can be stored for use for repeated operations. For all popular spreadsheets, macros can take on two different forms. One is a series of keystrokes that can be recorded as you enter them. This set of keystrokes can be saved in the spreadsheet and assigned a name for later reference. This kind of macro is useful for keystroke actions that are frequently performed, such as setting up a page layout for printing or entering repeated formulas or data. The second kind of macro is a series of commands that allow the user to perform calculations and make decisions as the macro executes. This kind of macro is similar to writing a program in a computer language, only in this case the language is the command set of the spreadsheet. The macro used in creating the Equivolume chart is a command macro.