Lotus Macro Interpreter Anomalies with Range Justify

• Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 4.0, 4.0a, 5.0, 5.0c

SYMPTOMS

When you use the Microsoft Excel Macro Interpreter for Lotus 1-2-3 users, if the Lotus 1-2-3 macro you run contains the Range Justify ("/RJ") command, the results you receive may not be what you expect if there are values in the rows immediately below the fill range of the justify command. Values below the left column of the fill range may be moved down several rows.

MORE INFORMATION

The Lotus 1-2-3 Range Justify ("/RJ") command performs the same functionality as the Justify command in Microsoft Excel. It will take a line of text in one cell and redistribute it evenly to a range of selected cells. The Macro Interpreter incorrectly moves text that is below the Justify range down several rows if the text nearly fills or overflows the justify range.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, write a Microsoft Excel macro to accomplish the same task the 1-2-3 macro performed, and replace the /Range Justify command with an {XLCALL} command to call the Microsoft Excel macro.

For example, if you have the following Lotus 1-2-3 macro command

   /RJ{r 3}{d 5}

   A1:  RangeJustify
   A2:  =SELECT(OFFSET(ACTIVE.CELL(),0,0,6,4))
   A3:  =JUSTIFY()
   A4:  =RETURN()

   A1:  Name of the macro.
   A2:  Selects the range to justify into. The 6 and 4 on this line
        would be modified to indicate the number of rows and columns
        to justify into.
   A3:  Issues the Justify command.
   A4:  Ends the macro.

   {XLCALL RangeJustify}

REFERENCES

"Microsoft Excel User's Guide," version 5.0 , Chapter 3 "Switching to Microsoft Excel from Lotus 1-2-3," packaged with Microsoft Excel version 4.0