B4J Code Snippet Collection of #Macro and #CustomBuildAction

With new version of B4X, #Macro is a useful addition.
It is a shortcut to automate some tasks and provide a very convenient way of using the IDEs.
It is an alternative to Comment links where you only need a mouse click instead of pressing the Control key and mouse click.
However, for those who prefer to use keyboard shortcuts, e.g Ctrl + 1, Ctrl + 2 it is still supported.

Tutorial : https://www.b4x.com/android/forum/threads/b4x-comment-links-and-macros.119897/

Here are my collection.
You can rename the Title to any name as you like.
You can also convert them back to comment links.

Sync files (B4XPages)
This macro is used to be a comment link to copy asset files from Shared Files folder to Files folder

#Macro: Title, Sync files, ide://run?file=%WINDIR%\System32\Robocopy.exe&args=..\..\Shared+Files&args=..\Files&FilesSync=True

Export project (B4XPages)
This macro is used to be a comment link to export B4XPages project as zip file

#Macro: Title, Export as zip, ide://run?File=%B4X%\Zipper.jar&Args=%PROJECT_NAME%.zip

Sync json and binary layouts (B4XPages)
Please check: Tool [B4X] JsonLayouts - synchronize json and binary layouts

#Macro: After Save, Sync Layouts, ide://run?File=%ADDITIONAL%\JsonLayouts.jar&Args=%PROJECT%&Args=%PROJECT_NAME%
#Macro: Title, JsonLayouts folder, ide://run?File=%WINDIR%\explorer.exe&Args=%PROJECT%\JsonLayouts

Go to top (B4XPages)
Instead of scrolling the page to top of page, one click action to go to top of page.

#Macro: Title, Top, ide://goto?Module=B4XMainPage

Go to a common sub routine
I find this useful for B4J projects to jump to AppStart sub

#Macro: Title, AppStart, ide://goto?Module=Main&Sub=AppStart

Open Objects folder
I find this useful for B4J projects to open the Objects folder (File.DirApp) for editting sqlite db or config.ini file

#Macro: Title, Objects, ide://run?file=%WINDIR%\SysWOW64\explorer.exe&args=%PROJECT%\Objects

Open GitHub Desktop
This macro is used to be a comment link to open GitHub Desktop app.

#Macro: Title, GitHub Desktop, ide://run?file=%WINDIR%\System32\cmd.exe&Args=/c&Args=github&Args=..\..\

Download required Additional Libraries
This is a convenient way to download all required libraries instead of searching for them one by one on the forum.

[Tool] Additional Libraries Downloader

Version: 2.50 GitHub: https://github.com/pyhoon/libget-non-ui-b4j Download jar: https://github.com/pyhoon/libget-non-ui-b4j/releases/download/v2.50/libget-non-ui.jar A tool where you can use to download the missing libraries for B4A and B4J projects How to use Download and put the...

www.b4x.com

#Macro: Title, GetLibs, ide://run?file=%JAVABIN%\java.exe&args=-jar&args=%ADDITIONAL%\..\B4X\libget-non-ui.jar&args=%PROJECT%&args=False

Copy a single file from source to release folder
If the b4xlib has only a single class, this macro can copy or overwrite the destination file.

#Macro: Title, Copy, ide://run?file=%WINDIR%\System32\cmd.exe&Args=/c&Args=copy&Args=%PROJECT%\MinimaList.bas&Args=%PROJECT%\..\release\MinimaList.bas

Copy specific files from source to release folder
I use this macro to copy certain files that need to be updated in release folder.

#Macro: Title, Update, ide://run?file=%WINDIR%\System32\Robocopy.exe&args=%PROJECT%&args=%PROJECT%\..\release\&args=*.bas&args=*.json&args=*.b4j&args=*.html&args=*.example&args=help.css&args=main.css&args=main.js&args=/S

Open release folder
I use release folder for preparation to create b4xlib or project template, excluding some unnecessary files. It is put at the same level of source folder.

#Macro: Title, Release, ide://run?file=%WINDIR%\SysWOW64\explorer.exe&Args=%PROJECT%\..\release

Update version in manifest.txt using Manifest Writer
I use this tool to update new version value in manifest.txt before distributing the new b4xlib or project template. Other values can also be updated. This is more convenient than opening the release folder from file system and edit the file manually.

[Tool] Manifest.txt Writer for B4XLib

Version 1.00 GitHub: https://github.com/pyhoon/manifest-writer-non-ui-b4j Download jar: https://github.com/pyhoon/manifest-writer-non-ui-b4j/releases/download/v1.00/manifest-writer-non-ui.jar A tool for writing or updating manifest.txt for b4xlib distribution, especially version number...

www.b4x.com

#Macro: Title, Version, ide://run?file=%JAVABIN%\java.exe&Args=-jar&Args=%ADDITIONAL%\..\B4X\manifest-writer-non-ui.jar&Args=%PROJECT%\..\release&Args=%PROJECT%\..\release&Args=Version&Args=2.10

Packaging B4XLib or B4XTemplate
After using the above macro to update the version number in manifest.txt for the B4XLib, this is a quick way to package the file into a b4xlib and automatically put it inside the Additional Library folder.
Note: I organized my project source code into "source" folder and use "release" folder for the required files which are going into the b4xlib or template.

B4XLib: (B4X cross platform library)

#Macro: Title, Publish, ide://run?file=%JAVABIN%\jar.exe&WorkingDirectory=..\..\release&Args=-cMf&Args=%ADDITIONAL%\..\B4X\%PROJECT_NAME%.b4xlib&Args=*

Project Template: (or platform specific b4xlib)

#Macro: Title, Publish, ide://run?file=%JAVABIN%\jar.exe&WorkingDirectory=..\..\release&args=-cMf&args=%ADDITIONAL%\Pakai Server%20(5.40).b4xtemplate&args=*

Backup B4J server project
To backup my B4J server projects, I use the following macro.

#Macro: Title, Backup, ide://run?file=%JAVABIN%\jar.exe&WorkingDirectory=..&Args=-cMf&Args=%PROJECT_NAME%_2025-09-17_1821.zip&args=Files&args=Objects\www&args=Objects\config.*&args=Objects\LICENSE&args=*.bas&args=*.b4j&args=*.b4j.meta&args=libs.json

Publish server app
After compiling the server app in release mode, compress the required files as a single zip file for uploading to VPS server.

#Macro: Title, Deploy, ide://run?file=%JAVABIN%\jar.exe&WorkingDirectory=../Objects&args=-cMf&args=Publish.zip&args=www&args=*.jar&args=*.ini

Copy jSerial library (jssc.dll) when building Standalone Package
This CustomBuildAction is provided by Erel to solve my question here:

(Solved) Error building Standalone Package with jSerial library v1.40

I am getting the following errors in Logs. B4JPackager11 Version 1.40 Exe name: MyApp.exe build folder: C:\B4X\DEVELO~1\MY3EB8~1\B4J\Objects\temp\build InputJar: C:\B4X\Development\MyApp\B4J\Objects\MyApp.jar Running: C:\B4X\DEVELO~1\MY3EB8~1\B4J\Objects\temp\FindDosPath.exe Running...

www.b4x.com

#CustomBuildAction: After Packager, %WINDIR%\System32\robocopy.exe, ..\ temp\build\bin\ jssc.dll

Send compiled app into Additional Library folder (tool)
This CustomBuildAction is useful for copying the compiled result.jar as a new name into Additional Library folder and called using macro tag.

#If Release
#CustomBuildAction: 2, C:\Windows\System32\cmd.exe, /c copy %PROJECT%\Objects\result.jar %ADDITIONAL%\..\B4X\manifest-writer-non-ui.jar
#End If

This post will be updated if I found a new one. If you have some useful macros, please share with us.

 

[LucaMs]

Go to a common sub routine
I find this useful for B4J projects to jump to AppStart sub

Have you tried CTRL+E? I LOVE it !

 

[aeric]

Have you tried CTRL+E? I LOVE it !

No, I am not a fan of shortcut keys operations. I am a lazy one-handed user who prefer to use mouse click.

Edit:
I actually don't use that macro much for AppStart sub.

I have another trick.
I always make sure before I distribute my server project templates, the $APPNAME$.b4j.meta file has this:

NavigationStack=Main,AppStart,32,1
SelectedBuild=0
VisibleModules=

This will ensure the IDE will show AppStart as a single Title menu button.