WordPerfect 5.0 Macro Capabilities and an Accessions List Macro

WordPerfect version 5.0 has been widely praised for its enhancements with programmable macros. Based on a tradition of macro support since version 2.23, WordPerfect 5.0 allows users to manipulate text in ways previously possible only with more advanced programming languages. The new version, for example, allows for the assignment of variables, conditional testing, advanced looping, sub‐routines, and error handling. It also includes a macro editor as part of the basic software package. With the editor, you can easily modify existing macros—a feature particularly useful with large macros created with the new programming features. In this article I will provide a basic introduction to these macro capabilities and their uses. I have also designed a simple accessions list macro (ACCLIST) that demonstrates some of the new features. A later article will illustrate more complex possibilities.