xspread with OpenBSD -> keyboard macros

[Austin Hook-2]

I like the simple spreadsheet called "xspread" for certain uses.  

One reason is that I can create simple spread sheets (i.e. the source code
it creates for a sheet) with a bit of scripting, if I am working with
something where it is useful.  I also like that such files are don't have
a lot of overhead if I throw them into my cvs archive.

I also like that I can modify an existing spread sheet at the source level
-- exactly that they warn you not to do -- of course :-).  It is just all
text.  I use "joe" as a text editor, because I still remember the commands
from the old WordStar days.

Of course xspread has it's limitations.  In particular. although the user
manual mentions that "macros" can be inserted into the sheet, there is no
documentation on what a macro is.  Googling for "xspread macros" brought
no quick and easy answers.  Wonder if I am the last person on the planet
to use xspread...  I guess I'll have to get the gumption to look into the
source code to see if that feature ever was implemented.  But if someone
out there knows the answer, feel free to share.

Had a pretty large spread sheet.  It computes my Canadian taxes.  (Should
probably have converted it to Libre or Open Office before it got so big,
and Canadian income tax got increasingly complicated....), but I did want
to restructure the order of the rows somewhat to make it prettier.

So I bulled ahead and wrote a few pages of python just to be able to swap
the order of two ranges of rows, and modify the row numbers and formulas
correctly in the spread sheet source.   Works OK.  

That brings me to a more general question.  Not all pairs of X
applications honor the copy and paste, between them, nor do some input
fields on various web pages seem to honor the copy and paste from another
window in some X application being used.  Then the only way is to repeat
stuff by re-keying it.

Wish I could just jam a small file into the stream of characters coming
from the keyboard.

Am I missing something?  Should I long ago have figured out how to do that
with OpenBSD?

Hints would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Austin Hook
Milk River

www.computershop.ca
 

[austin]

Computer Shop of Calgary is looking for someone close to the community to
recommend a Canadian new user or new committer for an annual award of $100
worth of loot from the old OpenBSD accessories store, of which there
remains a certain amount of unsold material.  

We envision making this an annual award every October.  Every October we
have opportunities to get a number of free shipments from Canada Post so
this is limited to Canada only.

However, we note that although OpenBSD arises in Canada, most users are
from other countries, so it seems fitting to encourage OpenBSD within
Canada as well.

If no one is available to undertake the task right now, we would accept
nominations for any new user that has become proficient in the use of
OpenBSD during the last year or anyone who has made a first commit
(directly or indirectly via an official commiter), or lacking that, made
a first contribution of exceptional merit to misc.

We would prefer someone to act a judge rather than ourselves, but lacking
that we will chose.  

If anyone has a recommendation, not for themselves, but for someone who
merits the opportunity let us know.

Opportunity closes on the 29th of October this year.

Austin Hook