One can generate extremely useful WordPerfect macros simply by recording them. But even more power can be unlocked by learning how to create them yourself. Everyone in the office need not learn this skill. Your resident WordPerfect Guru can create them and the rest of you can just enjoy running the macros. Of course, you can also find great macros that experts have posted on the WWW for others to download.

First, our state’s expert, Oklahoma City attorney Doug Loudenback, has posted a great WordPerfect Resource page online. It contains numerous papers on aspects of WordPerfect available for you to download, including his 192 page "Common Person’s Macro Manual." It also contains many of Doug’s macros that are free for anyone to download and use.

Here’s an example: "Math.wcm Revised 6/5/04 (replacing the earlier versions). This macro is a math and date calculator to be used in WordPerfect and is most useful if mapped to your keyboard, e.g., Ctrl+M. It does addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and a couple of percentages – one number of the other, or one number of the total. It calculates dates, including ‘lawyer’ dates’. The version which comes with v5.5 & v6.0 Grande Macros (not this one) also computes QDRO dates. It will write either the result, or the formula used and the result, into a WordPerfect document. For WordPerfect 8 or higher only."

Isn’t that a powerful free tool? There’s a lot more available on Doug’s site. Doug also hosts Michael L. Fitzhugh’s 93 page paper on PostScript Array there.

The place on the Internet where the WordPerfect experts congregate is WordPerfect Universe. It is really impossible to overstate the expertise of this online community. It contains an active user forum as well as links to other great WordPerfect resources, like Gordon "The Macro Man" McComb’s site with free sample macros and macros for sale here,  Mike’s Macros and Tips, and Barry MacDonnell’s Toolbox for WordPerfect.

All the keys for you to become a true WordPerfect power user (or force an employee to become one) are in the links listed above. Have fun.