This page last changed on Oct 11, 2010 by smaddox.

The Macro Browser allows you to browse through Confluence's extensive range of macros and preview them before adding them to your page.

The Macro Browser provides access to all available macros in your Confluence site, including any user macros that your administrator has added and made visible to all. If additional Confluence macros have been installed on your Confluence server via the installation of a plugin, these macros will also be accessible from the Macro Browser.

On this page:

Accessing the Macro Browser

You can access the Macro Browser whenever you add or edit a page, blog post or comment.

To access the Macro Browser,

  1. Log in to Confluence, if you have not already done so.
  2. Add or edit a page or blog post.
  3. On either the Rich Text or Wiki Markup editor views, place the cursor at the macro insertion point and click the Macro Browser icon .
    Alternatively, if you are working in the Rich Text editor and have the Context Menu activated, put your cursor on the page where you want to insert the macro, right-click and select 'Insert/Edit Macro' from the Context Menu.
    The Macro Browser window opens.

Screenshot: Macro Browser

Each macro is presented on the right-hand side of the Macro Browser by its icon, its name and a brief description of its function.

Browsing for a Macro

The Macro Browser provides two methods for narrowing down the list of macros:

  • Macro categories
  • Search

Restricting the Macro List by Category

Each macro is assigned to one or more categories. Click a category name to see the macros in that category.

Screenshot: Macro Browser List Restricted by Category

Restricting the Macro List by Word Search

Enter a word or words into the search field at the top of the Macro Browser. As you start typing a word, the macro list shrinks to show only those macros whose name or description matches the characters you have entered.

Screenshot: Macro Browser List Restricted by Word Search

If you enter more than one word (including partial words), you will see only the macros whose name or description matches all the words.

Choosing a Macro, Modifying and Inserting it onto a Page or Blog Post

To choose a macro, modify and insert it onto a page or blog post,

  1. Access the Macro Browser and browse to the required macro as described above, if you have not already done so.
  2. Click the required macro to choose it. The Macro Browser window changes to the 'macro preview' mode with its preview pane on the left and parameter pane on the right.
  3. If necessary, modify the macro's parameters in the parameter pane. Some parameters allow auto-completion. Refer to the macro browser 'Smart Fields' section below for more information.
    Any parameters marked by an asterisk (*) are mandatory and must be set before you can preview or insert the macro.
  4. To preview the macro with your selected parameters, click 'Refresh'. The preview pane shows the current content of your macro based on the parameters selected in the parameter pane.
    Macros can only be previewed if their mandatory fields have first been set.
  5. Click the 'Insert' button to insert the macro and its parameter selection into the page or blog post.
Not all macros can be previewed in the Macro Browser. This is often the case with macros that require the page to be saved first to render correctly, such as the Table of Contents Macro, or macros that do not generate output, such as the Anchor Macro. Nevertheless, you can still use the Macro Browser to browse for these macros and set their specific parameters before inserting them into your page.

Inserting a Macro via Autocomplete

When using the Rich Text Editor, you can enter a trigger character to call up a list of suggested macros to add to your page. This feature is called 'autocomplete'. Autocomplete provides you with a fast editing solution if you prefer to use key strokes rather than pointing and clicking with the mouse.

Quick summary: Use '{' to see a list of suggested links.

For the details, see the page about autocomplete in the Rich Text Editor.

Editing an Existing Macro with the Macro Browser

You can edit an existing macro using the Macro Browser, modifying the parameter data and previewing the changes.

To edit an existing macro with the Macro Browser,

  1. Edit the page or blog post containing the macro you wish to edit.
  2. Place the cursor anywhere within the curly braces of the macro and click the Macro Browser icon .
    Alternatively, if you are working in the Rich Text editor and have the Context Menu activated, place the cursor anywhere within the curly braces of the macro, right-click and select 'Insert/Edit Macro' from the Context Menu.
    If the macro you wish to edit consists of two sets of curly braces surrounding some body text (for example, {example-macro}some body text{example-macro}), ensure that your cursor is placed within the macro's first set of curly braces. This is because many macros permit the insertion of other macros within their bodies. If you are using the Rich Text Editor, you can also edit the macro by placing your cursor in its second set of curly braces.
    The Macro Browser window opens in 'macro preview' mode with its existing parameter values.
  3. Modify the macro's parameters to your requirements, previewing them if necessary. For more information on these processes, refer to the procedure above. Some parameters allow auto-completion. Refer to the macro browser 'Smart Fields' section below for more information.
  4. Click the 'Save' button on the Macro Browser to save your changes.
To leave the Macro Browser at any time, click its 'Cancel' button or simply press the ESC key.

Screenshot: Editing an Existing Macro with the Macro Browser in 'Macro Preview' Mode

Macro Browser Smart Fields

If a macro's parameter requires the entry of a single username, space key or page title, the macro browser provides an 'auto-complete' feature to help you enter the correct value. Use the up- and down-arrows on your keyboard to move up and down the dropdown list of matching items and select the appropriate item. This feature functions similarly to the Quick Navigation Aid when searching Confluence pages.

Screenshot: Macro Browser Smart Fields

RELATED TOPICS

Working with Macros

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Document generated by Confluence on Mar 16, 2011 18:20