World: r3wp

True .. not if it were on the first line.  Some macros contain punctuation.

so, a: is a macro, whereas "a" is not.

the macros are user defined.

so, in the examples given above, the first word in each line is the 
macro.

Do they always contain the same punctuation, is the punctuation per-macro, 
of does it need to be factored out?

isn't there a controled vocabulary for this sort of thing

per macro.

Is a macro always the first word in a line?

what do you mean controlled vocabulary?

no, it can be anywhere in a line.

an ontology

Is there a seperate syntax for defining macros?

no, it's just a text file which is read in at start up.

the scenario is this guy uses these macros as he types up his notes. 
 his software currently expands them inline as he types.

So in use, a macro a: will always be a: in the text. Will it be A: 
sometimes, or "a:"?

I would have to intercept the keyboard handler to do this .. so I 
want to try and just do the replacement after he's finished typing.

macros won't be case sensitive.

but groups of people doing the sane thing dont use the same nacros? 
  they should

no, they don't use the same macros.

so, it's user specific.

personal shorthand

yes

hmm I am in the bussiness of sharing biological information and I 
got to say  please strongly consider  creating  an ontology if one 
does not exist already

Oh .. sure there's ontologies ....

but people don't use them when typing.

SNOMED CT is the one being currently promulgated

and there's the proprietary MEDCIN

so, personal shorthand should expand into a controlled vocab ideally

yes

Ii Type II Diabetes #250.00
here the macro expansion includes a code (CPT) from the AMA.

and the macros should  also be part of that  ontology

Medcin contains over 100,000 clinical propositions

no one is going to remember that!

Can you make sure that no whitespace sneaks into your macro names?

tom, I can't force the guy to change his macros!

no that is what browaers are for

right

I mean at the beginning.

there is no whitespace inside a macroname

LOINC, another controlled vocab, contains over 30,000 items.

so there is a seperate extendable file with the macro=expansion

tom, yes.

actually  the file will be saved in a database and loaded when the 
program starts

Make sure to trim the names before you use them. I am rewriting your 
function.

Tom, what exactly are you involved in ?

zebrafish

as a model orginism

fish!

http://zfin.org

Ok, I understand the need for an ontology here.