Editing Macro (computer science) (section)

===Application macros and scripting===
Keyboard and mouse macros that are created using an application's built-in macro features are sometimes called '''application macros'''. They are created by carrying out the sequence once and letting the application record the actions. An underlying macro programming language, most commonly a [[scripting language]], with direct access to the features of the application may also exist.

The programmers' text editor [[Emacs]] (short for "editing macros") follows this idea to a conclusion. In effect, most of the editor is made of macros. Emacs was originally devised as a set of macros in the editing language [[Text Editor and Corrector|TECO]]; it was later ported to dialects of [[Lisp (programming language)|Lisp]].

Another programmers' text editor, [[Vim (text editor)|Vim]] (a descendant of [[Vi (text editor)|vi]]), also has an implementation of keyboard macros. It can record into a register (macro) what a person types on the keyboard and it can be replayed or edited just like [[Visual Basic for Applications|VBA]] macros for Microsoft Office. Vim also has a scripting language called [[Vimscript]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vim.org/scripts/index.php|title=scripts: vim online|website=www.vim.org}}</ref> to create macros.

[[Visual Basic for Applications]] (VBA) is a programming language included in [[Microsoft Office]] from Office 97 through Office 2019 (although it was available in some components of Office prior to Office 97). However, its function has evolved from and replaced the macro languages that were originally included in some of these applications.

[[XEDIT]], running on the [[Conversational Monitor System]] (CMS) component of [[VM (operating system)|VM]], supports macros written in [[CMS EXEC|EXEC]], [[EXEC2]] and [[REXX]], and some CMS commands were actually wrappers around XEDIT macros. [[The Hessling Editor]] (THE), a partial clone of XEDIT, supports Rexx macros using Regina and Open [[Object REXX]] (oorexx). Many common applications, and some on PCs, use Rexx as a scripting language.

====Macro virus====
{{Main article|Macro virus (computing)}}
[[Visual Basic for Applications|VBA]] has access to most [[Win32 API|Microsoft Windows system call]]s and executes when documents are opened. This makes it relatively easy to write [[computer virus]]es in VBA, commonly known as [[Macro virus (computing)|macro virus]]es. In the mid-to-late 1990s, this became one of the most common types of computer virus. However, during the late 1990s and to date, [[Microsoft]] has been patching and updating its programs.{{cn|date=April 2022}} In addition, current anti-virus programs immediately counteract such attacks.