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Once defined at least one "File Format", a Web Server or a "DDE" link, it is possible to set the update properties.
It is possible to define any number of updates. Perhaps one or more for each data provider.
To define an update, select the table "Data Update":
The table "Data Update" has two sections:
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General where it is possible to define the updates
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Results where it is possible to follow the update once it has been launched. Here are displayed the results, and errors that might occur.
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New
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Create a new Data Update.
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Copy
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Copy the selected Update to a new one.
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Delete
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Delete Selected Update.
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Save
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Confirm and apply all modifications done so far. Until this key is not pressed, the modification will not be effective.
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Exit
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Exit from the window.
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These are the properties that can be set for a Data Update:
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Source Type
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It defines the type of data source. Two types available:
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File ASCII
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The Update data source is a text file (ASCII)
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DDE
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The Update data source has a DDE link with a DDE Server.
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Web Server
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The Update Data source is a link with a Web Server (i.e. Yahoo, QuoteTracker etc.)
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DDE Source
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Is the name of the DDE source defined in the DDE table in the same form.
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Web Server source
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Is the name of the Web Server source defined in the Web Server table in the same form.
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File ASCII
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It defines the complete path to the file ASCII containing the data for the update.
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ASCII File Format
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It is one of the formats which has been defined and created with the dedicated procedure in the table "File Format"
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Delete source file after update
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If the property is set to "YES", the file ASCII containing the data is deleted after the update. The property is valid only if the property "Source Type" is set to "ASCII File".
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Destination Workgroup
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It is the workgroup containing the securities to update.
If the same data file is in more than one workgroup, it will be necessary to update it only once. For this reason it is suggested to create a workgroup specifically for the Data Update, which will contain all the securities to update.
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First date to update
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Is the first date to update. It is suggested to set a very early date.
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Last date to update
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Is the last date to update. It is suggested to set a very late date.
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Starting Time
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not used
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Ending Time
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not used
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Default periodicity
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it is the periodicity used to update the data if no other data has been specified. If the update data do not have the periodicity, then the default one is taken from this property.
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If the record exists
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Overwrite existing record
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If the period that you are updating already exists in the file, it will be replaced.
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Update Record if it exists (no volume)
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If the period you are updating already exists in the data file, then Max, Min, Close (but not Volume), will be updated with the new data. The maximum value will be updated only if the existing data file is lesser than the new one. the maximum value will be updated only if the existing one of the data file is greater than the new one. It is to be used only with an Intraday file format.
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Update Record if it exists (with volume)
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If the period you are updating already exists in the data file, then Max, Min, Close and Volume, will be updated with the new data. The maximum value will be updated only if the one existing in the data file is lesser than the new one. The minimum value will be updated only if the existing one is greater than the new one. The volume will be updated only in the last record of the data file adding the new value to the existing one. It is to be used only with an Intraday file format.
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Leave old record
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The record on the data file will not be substituted nor updated.
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Ignore first record
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We have already seen that often the first record of the file containing the data for the update, have the names of the columns. Only in this case set the property to "YES", to avoid strange messages.
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Accept values lower than zero
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If the value is set to "YES" the update procedure will accept data with a minimum value of zero.
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Ignore records with errors
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If the value is set to "YES" the update procedure will ignore the records containing any errors.
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There are other properties which define the program behavior in case the security to update is not in the destination workgroup. In practice, when the record already exists in the text file, but in the group to update there is no security with the same symbol.
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Create file if it does not exist.
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If the value is set to YES and the file is not found in the destination workgroup, then a new data file for the security will be automatically added to the destination group.
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Type
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It defines the type of security data file (Metastock, Insider data file etc.)
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Path
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It defines the path where the security data file will possibly be created.
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Periodicity
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If defines the Security Periodicity. If the security periodicity indicated in the ASCII file is different from the one specified in the update property, then the file will not be created.
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Minutes per bar
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Only for intraday periodicity it defines the minutes for each period it represents. Zero for Tick by Tick format.
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To proceed
with an update, it is sufficient select the desired one, and press the button Update Automatically the program will focus on the table "Results". The user can follow the update and its results.
It is also possible to test the update, without writing the archive. This could be done just to check if there could be any errors. This function is available pressing the button Test from the vertical menu on the left. It is very useful to verify a new file format, for a Web Server or DDE.
Let's see now step by step the right sequence to configure a text file update.
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Open the window "Edit - &Update histories files", accessible from the menu "File" => "Data Files Management"
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Select the table "File Format" and describe the update record in the ASCII file to import. If the data is coming from Insider web site there is nothing to do. The set up program has already installed the file format compatible with the data provided on the site.
Save the changes.
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Select the table "Update". Create a new Update and set its properties as follows:
Source Type => Select "ASCII File"
DDE Source => Leave Empty
ASCII File => Write the path where the file is
ASCII File Format => Select the appropriate format file format
Destination Workgroup => Select the Workgroup where are the securities to update.
Default Periodicity => Select the periodicity of the data to import.
Ignore first record => Select "YES" if the first record of the ASCII file contains the columns descriptions.
If record exists => Select only when the Intraday periodicity is "Update Record if it exists (with volume)" or else chose "Overwrite existing record".
Ignore records with errors => Select "YES"
Create file if it does not exist => Select "YES" if for example, the destination workgroup is empty or it does not already contain the security to update. In this case the securities will be first created then added automatically.
Type => for wider compatibility with other applications select "Metastock".
Path => Select the folder where to create the archive
Periodicity => select the periodicity for the object to import.
Minutes per bar => select the number of minutes represented by each bar (Only for intraday periodicity)
NB some properties have been omitted. This means that the default value is adequate.
Save the changes.
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Press Update from the vertical menu on the left. The archive update will start. If there are errors they will be displayed in the section "Update errors" from the table "Results".
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