Introduction to Writing Macros

Overview

ER Studio Data Architect contains sample Macros that can help you to perform repetitive tasks using a single Macro. These sample Macros are located in the Macros tab on the left panel as indicated on Figure 1.

Fig 1. Sample Macros location within ER Studio Data Architect. 

You can find a brief description of each macro in the ER/Studio Data Architect documentation here:

ER/Studio Data Architect Sample Macros

What to Do If the Sample Macros Don’t Meet Your Needs

If the available sample macros don’t fully meet your requirements, this guide will help you get started with creating your own or modifying existing ones. You’ll learn where to find objects, methods, and properties to customize macros to your needs.

Macro Language in ER/Studio

ER/Studio macros are written in WinWrap Basic. You can refer to the official documentation here:
WinWrap Basic Documentation

Finding Objects and Methods in ER/Studio Data Architect

When working on a diagram and editing sample macros, you can review the list of objects used within a macro by:

1. Right-clicking on the sample macro
2. Selecting Edit Macro
3. Clicking the Browse Objects icon (as shown in Figure 2)

This will provide insights into the objects and methods available for macro development.

Fig 2. Browse object location within Macros editor. 

Once the Browse Objects window is open, you’ll find Data Types and Methods/Properties drop-down lists. These lists display all available Data Types (Figure 3) and Methods/Properties (Figure 4) that you can use.

Fig 3. Data types list. 

Fig 4. Methods and properties list. 

You can find more information on using the Macro Editor in the documentation below:

Using the SAX Basic Macro Editor

Object Hierarchy in ER/Studio

To understand how macros and objects function within ER/Studio, the following Object Model Hierarchy Diagram provides a clear overview of how objects are structured.

Fig 5. Object Model Hierarchy Diagram. (https://docwiki.embarcadero.com/ERStudioDA/205/en/Object_Model_Hierarchy_Diagram)

Where to Find WinWrap Documentation in ER/Studio Data Architect

To access the WinWrap documentation, open the Macro Editor by either creating a new macro or editing an existing one. Then, click Help in the bottom right corner.

Fig 6. Object Model Hierarchy Diagram.

Fig 7. WinWrap documentation. 

The next article on macros will cover best practices and provide examples for writing macros.