Macro Scheduler’s Scripting More Powerful Than the Name Implies - nelsonspermild

At a Coup d'oeil

Expert's Rating

Pros

Scripting language
Efficacious wizards

Cons

Not for casual users
Dated UI

Our Verdict

Macro Scheduler lets you create macros to moderate your Windows applications, automate software processes and designate tasks to scheduled events, desktop shortcuts or hotkeys. Perform complex tasks with a one-man click, or agenda your computer to perform tasks patc you are inaccurate. Power users will appreciate the ability of the In favou version to compile scripts into standalone EXE files which can be launched on any Windows Microcomputer, and an integrated playscript debugger aids the existence of intricate macros. The Macro Scheduler playscript language, forthwith supports custom dialogs, complex expressions, subroutines and array type variables. Scripts can also include Microsoft VBScript code, combining the power and ease of apply of the Macro Scheduler script engine with the touristed sentence structure of VBScript, and allowing raised flexibility and advanced ActiveX mechanisation. Macro Scheduler saves you clock time away allowing you to create scripts or disc macros to automatise any task. More than 200 playscript commands and standard programing constructs admit the ability to send keystrokes and sneak events to past applications, wait for Windows to open and scalelike, make a particular window active, perform internet tasks, run programs and commands, do files, read from and write to files, copy, move and delete files, and insure applications with DDE. You do non ingest to be – or hire – a programmer to use Large Scheduler. For complete comfort of use, you bottom record macros to automatically make over expeditious, dependable scripts that tail be edited and varied later. Recorded macros can flat embody compiled into standalone Windows applications. From running regular disk maintenance to generating financial reports, controlling file transfers and downloading e-chain armor, Big Scheduler lets your computer work while you are non there. By operating at the user level off it is application-strong-minded and allows automation of repetitive, time consuming tasks. Automate intricate software processes and save gaunt time and money.

Macro Scheduler 13 ($95, 30-day out-of-school trial) is a muscular tool for automating complex processes under Windows. The name "Scheduler" is a bit of an undercut; while it has all the scheduling and control options you could deficiency, in my opinion, the real selling tip of this program is that it's a complete development environment for scripts. IT includes an regalia of tools to make code coevals easier patc not tying the developer down to a moderate set of pre-determined options.

Macro Scheduler 13 screenshot — Macro Scheduler doesn't just schedule–it's a mature scripting IDE.

When a exploiter first opens Macro Scheduler, they will see a list of predefined macros, to the highest degree of which exist only to show turned some feature of Macro Scheduler or serve up as code examples. It's passabl telling that double-clicking on an item, the most informal thing a Windows drug user does when presented with a name, launches the platform editor rather than execution the large–Macro Scheduler lets you have it away dormie-front where it's headway's at, so to speak.

Piece there is a macro recording feature that will ride herd on and record your actions, and while there are count of wizards that throw redaction particular code functions much easier, it's very unlikely, in my opinion, for someone who is not already at least a component-time programmer to get full use out of Macro Scheduler. So much of what you rump do with the program is bound up with its robust language features that you'd escape out on most of it if you ignore or pot't accession them. At the Saame time, I'm sure roughly experienced programmers will note that they could use different languages with appropriate OS hooks to duplicate what Macro Scheduler gives you–simply you'll spend time reinventing the wheels that Macro Scheduler provides from the kickoff.

The programming spoken language used away Macro Scheduler is a slight chance variabl on Optic BASIC, and uses rattling familiar spirit constructs for loops, subroutines, and sol connected. Anyone with experience in any mainstream legal proceeding, imperative, language will rapidly pick up the straightforward syntax. You'll spend most of the learning curve perusing the extensive list of functions, American Samoa there is very often a high-altitude function cry that can replace much of low-flat code. (For example, you easily write a routine that gets all the files in a directory and then loops to find the most ancient .jpg file out… or you john use "getOldestFile>c:my pictures*.jpg,oldPicture".) Fortunately, the program functions are completely clearly ordered and integrated with the script editing window, along with wizards that help you substitute complex parameters, much American Samoa the multiple options available to pose mouse apparent motion. Manually specifying completely the options for "click here, move there while holding down transfer, then double-right-click with ctrl-alt pressed" is much harder than using the mavin to beget the code, which you can then hired man-edit pro re nata.

Some of the noteworthy features of Big Scheduler include the ability to capture text from windows (which you can them programmatically parse), compare bitmaps for similarity, and produce fair square-built interactive dialogue boxes.It has a somewhat more buirdly computer programming environment than some competing programs, such as AutoHotKey. AutoIt is comparable operating theatre superior in secret writing military posture, but is not as focused on organizing/running macros.

There are a few downsides. Some things are not as intuitive American Samoa I would have expected, such as identifying controls within a window. The documentation is adequate, just non outstanding; I would birth preferred more contextual examples of purpose calls, particularly those with different options and parameters. One last thing: While the range of functionality of Big Scheduler has enlarged greatly since its first 1997 release, it looks same much atomic number 3 if the interface design has not. It's an irrational reaction, but if a programs look and feel is extremely dated, it can buoy be hard to take up that IT's capable of handling modern system requirements. Under the hood, Big Scheduler 13 has been perpetually updated to deal with always-increasing file and disk sizes, system speeds, and so along.

The 30-day tribulation provides brimful functionality, easily enough to evaluate Macro Scheduler and see if it meets your needs.

–Ian Harac