Terry's TMG Tips

Using Word Processor Macros to Format TMG Reports

This page created 20 Feb 2001; minor updates 17 Mar 2005

Version note: Applies to TMG 6 & 7

TMG provides a substantial number of options to format the reports it generates, but it still may not satisfy the preferences of all users. I commonly generate ancestor and descendant narratives in TMG, using the capability to produce a MSWord for Windows file. Even after adjusting all the available options in TMG I still find myself making a number of format changes each time to get the reports just the way I like them before I send them to others. I've found it very convenient to use a macro in MSWord to make those changes. After attaching that macro to a button on the Word toolbar, I can make all those formatting changes with a single click.

This article is in response to requests from others for suggestions on how to create similar macros. These notes deal specifically with formatting and macros in Microsoft Word – other word processors probably have similar capability but the specifics would have to be adapted as needed. I am not providing a copy of the macro itself, because users with different versions of Word are likely to have a problem using it, and because it is very difficult to modify the functions in a macro by editing it directly. Instead, I am providing a set of instructions for recording the macro, so users can modify the steps as desired, and then record their own macro in the version of Word they are using.

What Can the Macro Do?

I found I consistently made the following changes to TMG's Journal reports:

Change top and bottom margins, and spacing of footer from bottom of page.
Underline the "Generation xxxx" headings, and remove a blank line after each heading.
Remove blank lines TMG inserts immediately before and after the report title.
Change the footer so it has a graphic line above, my name left, page number centered, date in the desired format right, and a smaller font.
Reformat endnotes to a smaller font, left justified, and in two columns.
Add a box at the end of the report with a note reminding people to respect the privacy of any living persons (when my report includes any).

The macro I now have makes all these changes to any Journal report I create in TMG with the click of a button on my MSWord toolbar. You could of course add or delete steps, or modify the specific settings, to suit your preferences.

What is a Macro?

It is a series of instructions for the program (in this case MSWord) to produce a desired result. While those with sufficient talent can write macros directly in programmer's language, us mortals find it much easier to use the program's macro recording feature. This way, we just go through the desired steps in the program manually, and the program creates the necessary macro language record for us. If you are not familiar with recording macros in MSWord, my article on Recording Macros in MSWord may help.

Steps to Record a Sample Macro

The specific steps that you would record depend on exactly what you want to accomplish. The steps below are those required to make the formatting changes described above. They illustrate a number of useful techniques, and should be helpful as a guide in creating your own sequence of steps.

These instructions use the commands in MSWord97; minor adjustments may be required for other versions.

A. Adjust Margins and Footer Spacing

Choose File / Page Setup
Settings: top margin 0.7, bottom margin 0.8, left margin 0.5, right margin 0.5; apply to whole document, footer distance 0.3
Click OK

B. Change Generation One, Two, etc. to Underlined

Choose Edit / Replace from the main menu
Click More
Enter in Find what: Generation *>
Click Format / Font
Choose Italic, click OK
Tick Use wildcards
Click in Replace with, but don't type anything, but delete anything that might be left over from a previous search
Click Format / Font
Choose Italic, under Underline choose Single, click OK
Click Replace All
When you get the confirmation box, click OK, the Close

C. Delete the Extra Spacing After the Headings

Choose Edit / Replace from the main menu
Enter in Find what: ^p^p^p
Click Format / Font, remove all formatting, and click OK
Untick Use wildcards
Enter in Replace with: ^p^p
Click Replace All
When you get the confirmation box, click OK, then Close

D. Remove the Blank Lines Before and After the Report Title

Key Ctrl-Home (to get to start of document)
Key Delete, End, Delete

E. Add the Footer

Rather than editing the footer generated by TMG, I turn off footers in the Report Definition screen, and create it from scratch in the macro.

Key Ctrl-Home
Choose View / Normal from the main menu (assuming you normally operate in Page View)
Choose View / Header and Footer
On the Header/Footer toolbar, click the Switch to footer icon
Choose Format / Borders and Shading
Click the top line of the white box on the right-hand side to set a line at the top of the paragraph, click OK
Choose Format / Tabs
Enter 3.75, click Center, click Set
Enter 7.5, click Right, click Set, click OK
Key your name in the Footer, tab to the center
Key "Page" and a space, and click on the # icon on the header/footer toolbar to enter the page number
Tab to the right side, choose Insert / Field, select Date & Time, then select Date.
Click Options, select d-MMMM-yy, click Add To Field, click OK
Edit "d-MMMM-yy" so it reads "d MMM yyyy" click OK
Key F8, left arrow, Ctrl-Shft-F9 (to change the date field to text, so it will not update every time you print the file)
Key Ctrl-A to select all footnote text
Choose Format / Font
Select Times New Roman, Regular, 9 pt., and click OK
Close the footer toolbar/dialog box by clicking on the toolbar icon

F. Format the Endnotes

Key Ctrl-Home
Choose View / Normal (if you are not already there)
Choose View / Footnotes
Select Endnote Separator
Key Ctrl-A, Delete
Select Endnote Continuation Separator
Key Ctrl-A, Delete, click Close
Choose View > Page Layout
Key Ctrl-End
Choose Insert / Break, select Continuous, click OK
Choose Format / Columns, select 2, select Apply to This Point Forward, click OK
Key Down, Home, F8, Ctrl-End
Choose Format / Paragraph
Settings: Alignment Left, Indention Left 0.0, Indention Right 0.0, Spacing Before 0.0, Spacing After 9 pt., Line Spacing Single; click OK
Choose Format / Font
Select 9 pt., click OK
Key Ctrl-Home

G. Add the Privacy Notice Text Box

1. I ended up putting this in a separate macro, since I don't use it every time.

2. This is intended to copy a box with some standard text as a notice at the end of the report. Before you can do these steps, you need to save an otherwise empty Word document with the desired text box. To create that text box in the empty document, choose Insert / Text Box, drag the cross-shaped cursor to create the box near the bottom of the page, and type in your desired text. Then choose Format / Text Box, and on the Position tab, after Vertical choose Page (this sets the box relative to the page, so it won't "float" when you insert it.) Save the document.

Key Ctrl-End, then if you have endnotes, key Up Arrow until you are on the last page before the Endnotes (or, if you will use this for reports both with and without endnotes, and make this part a separate macro, you can skip this step and plan on manually locating your position in the document before using the macro)
Choose Insert / File
Select your saved file that contains the sample test box, click OK

Credits – Thanks to Cheri Casper, who developed the outline of steps I used as a basis for this article.

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