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OCLC Support

OCLC-supplied macros

Find out which macros OCLC supplies in Connexion client.

OCLC-supplied macro books

OCLC supplies the following macro books when you download Connexion client:

  • OCLC macro book (OCLC.mbk)
  • Dewy macro book (Dewey.mbk)

 Note: If the Connexion client OCLC macrobook has been updated since the last client release, you can download it here.

OCLC macro book

The OCLC macro book contains the following macros:

Macro Description
Add&Edit007 Adds or edits field 007 in a bibliographic record via a menu.
  • To add field 007: Retrieve a bibliographic record and run the macro, but do not place the cursor within any existing 007 field.
  • To edit field 007: Retrieve a bibliographic record and run the macro after placing the cursor within any existing 007 field to be edited.
Add33x Adds 336, 337, and 338 fields in a bibliographic or authority record via a menu.
  • To add field 336, 337, and/or 338: Retrieve a bibliographic or authority record and run the macro.
AddAuthority6xx Adds a 6xx field to an authority record via a menu.
  • To add a 6xx field: Retrieve an authority record or workform and run the macro. Choose an appropriate field from the menu and click OK.

    Result: The macro adds the field to the record and places a fill character at the point in the field where it needs to be reviewed and further edited.
AddSerialNotes Adds a note field to a serial bibliographic record via a menu.
  • To add a note field: Retrieve a serial bibliographic record or workform and run the macro. Choose an appropriate field from the menu and click OK.

    Result: The macro adds the field to the record and places a fill character at the point in the field where it needs to be reviewed and further edited.
BrowseAuthorityIndex Begins a browse search in the authority indexes based on a heading in a displayed authority or bibliographic record.
  • To begin an authority browse search: Retrieve an authority or bibliographic record or workform, place the cursor in a heading or title field you want to browse, and run the macro.
BrowseBibliographicIndex Begins a browse search in the bibliographic indexes based on a heading in a displayed authority or bibliographic record.
  • To begin a bibliographic browse search: Retrieve an authority or bibliographic record or workform, place the cursor in a heading or title field you want to browse, and run the macro.
ClearELvl3Workform Clears candidate fields from an encoding level 3 bibliographic record and replaces them with workform prompts. The prompts are a blend of two sets of workforms—AACR2 versus RDA.
  • To clear candidate fields: Retrieve the encoding level 3 bibliographic record corresponding to an item to be cataloged (or change the encoding level to 3) and run the macro.
Generate034 Generates field 034 based on data in field 255 in the same bibliographic record.
  • To generate field 034: Retrieve a bibliographic record with field 255 and run the macro.

 Note: Field 255 must be correctly formulated and must use the degree sign, the miagkii znak, and the tverdyi znak to indicate degrees, minutes, and seconds in any coordinates.
Generate043 Generates field 043 based on data in 6xx fields in the same authority or bibliographic record.
  • To generate field 043: Retrieve an authority record or workform that contains field 151 and/or 781, or retrieve a bibliographic record or workform that contains LCSH, LC Children's, MeSH, or Canadian subject headings, with a geographic name or subdivision and run the macro. This macro was revised in 2019 to generate 043 codes for new or changed names of countries including Eswatini (formerly Swaziland), North Macedonia (formerly Macedonia (Republic)), and Cabo Verde (formerly Cape Verde). 
Generate891 Generates a pair of 891 fields based on frequency and numbering data in the same bibliographic record.
  • To generate a pair of 891 fields, retrieve a serial bibliographic record or completed workform and run the macro. Edit the resulting fields as appropriate. 
GenerateAuthorityRecord Generates a name authority workform based on a heading in a displayed bibliographic record.
  • To generate an authority record: Place the cursor within a valid heading field of a bibliographic record and run the macro. In 2019 the macro was revised to:
    • update the list of countries in used in field 370, used to create codes for field 043, and used to generate 781
    • add the code “lcdgt” to the $2 menu for 374
    • change the menu for 375 to plural terms with $2 defaulting to lcdgt
    • fix a bug that resulted in some 781 fields being generated without a field tag
GenerateERecord Creates a workform to represent an online version of an item based on the print, microform, or another format version of a bibliographic record for the same title.
  • To create an online version workform, retrieve a bibliographic record for the same title and run the macro.

 Note: This macro replaces the following two former OCLC macros: GenerateESerial and GenerateESerialCONSER.
InsertHeading Inserts a displayed authority record heading into a previously displayed bibliographic record heading field.
  • To insert a heading: Retrieve a bibliographic record and place the cursor in a heading field. Search the authority file manually or via the BrowseAuthorityIndex macro for the corresponding heading. Once the appropriate authority record is displayed, run the macro.

    Result: The macro compares the displayed authority heading with the heading in the previously displayed bibliographic record and inserts it into the bibliographic record if there are differences.
PunctuationAdd A new (2019) macro which adds punctuation to fields in either a single record or all records in a local or online save file. This macro could be used to locally add punctuation before exporting records that lack punctuation in accord with the new Program for Cooperative Cataloging (PCC) optional punctuation policy.  It adjusts the coding in Leader/18 (Desc) and in field 040 as needed. Do not use it to add or restore punctuation permanently to a WorldCat record that is correctly coded with Leader/18 “c” and does not contain punctuation.
  • To add punctuation: Retrieve a bibliographic record with Leader/18 “c” or “n”, or retrieve an online or local save file list, and run the macro.
PunctuationRemove A new (2019) macro which removes punctuation from fields in a single record or all records in a local or online save file. This macro could be used to locally remove punctuation before exporting records that contain punctuation in accord with the new Program for Cooperative Cataloging (PCC) optional punctuation policy. It adjusts the coding in Leader/18 (Desc) and in field 040 as needed. Do not use it to remove punctuation permanently from a WorldCat record that is correctly coded with Leader/18 “i”, “a”, or blank that contains punctuation.
  • To remove punctuation: Retrieve a bibliographic record with Leader/18 that is not “c” or “n”, or retrieve an online or local save file list, and run the macro.

Dewey macro book

The Dewey macro book contains the following macros:

Macro Description
FourFig Adds a Cutter number to a label using the Cutter Four-Figure Table, which supplies two letters with numbers.

Examples:
  • Adams, John: Ad185
  • Adams, Ruth: Ad194
  • United States. Dept. of the Interior: Un365
Sanborn Adds a Cutter number to a label using the Cutter-Sanborn Four-Figure Table, which supplies one letter with numbers.

Examples:
  • Adams, John: A2145
  • Adams, Ruth: A2169
  • United States. Dept. of the Interior: U5864
See Print a DDC class number and add a Cutter number to a label for more information these macros.

View OCLC macros

  1. Navigate to Tools > Macros > Manage.
  2. Under Macros, click the plus sign (+) next to OCLC to expand the list macros OCLC supplies.
  3. Single-click the name of a macro to see its description in the Description box
    Or
    Double- click the name to open and view the macro in the Macro Editor.

Share macros

OCLC encourages Connexion client users who use macros to automate routine cataloging tasks to share macros. Click one of the following links to visit macro sites supplied by Connexion client users. If you would like OCLC to link to your macro site, please contact us using Help, Contact Support from within the Connexion client (publishing a direct email link on this Web page results in unwanted spam).

Joel Hahn's macros

Plese contact Merry Morris at computerwhizzard@juno.com or morrism@library.phila.gov to receive a zip file copy of Morris' simple macros.

Walt Nickeson's macros

Macro lessons for beginners

OCLC Macro Language for the Complete Beginner

Written and provided by Joel Hahn, Niles Public Library District, Niles, Illinois

In twelve user-friendly, easy lessons, learn how to create macros for automating routine cataloging tasks using the Connexion client.

Writing OCLC Connexion Client Macros the Simple Way

Designed and created by Merry Morris, Free Library of Philadelphia

Without knowing even the basics, use this easy-to-understand guide to writing simple macros that perform complex repetitive cataloging tasks.
 

 Note: If you cannot access the website from this link, please contact Merry at computerwhizzard@juno.com or morrism@library.phila.gov to receive a zip file copy.