RE: [amibroker] AmiBroker 4.71.0 BETA released, AmiBroker Email List Archive

AmiBroker 4.71.0 Beta Read Me

June 30, 2005 21:11

THIS IS A BETA VERSION OF THE SOFTWARE. EXPECT BUGS !!!

Backup your data files and entire AmiBroker folder first!
IMPORTANT NOTE: This version uses new system to store indicators (in separate files), so old versions will not automatically "see" indicators created with new version.

INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS

IMPORTANT: This archive is update-only. You have to install full version 4.70 first.

Just run the installer and follow the instructions.

Then run AmiBroker. You should see "AmiBroker 4.71.0 beta" written in the About box.

Many thanks to all providing detailed descriptions how to reproduce given bug.

See CHANGE LOG below for detailed list of changes.

CHANGE LOG

CHANGES FOR VERSION 4.71.0 (as compared to 4.70.5)

AFL: added GetCursorXPosition() and GetCursorYPosition() functions

Functions return current mouse cursor position.
Values returned are equal to those visible in the status bar, and these functions require status bar to be visible. Returned values represent cursor position at the formula execution time (or few milliseconds before it) and accurracy is subject to pixel resolution of the screen (first cursor position is read in screen pixels (integer) and then converted to actual value therefore for example when screen resolution is 1024x768 maximum obtainable resolution in X direction is 0.1% and in Y direction 0.13%), also X values are snap to datetime of nearest data bar.

It only makes sense to use these functions in indicator/interpretation code.

Using them in AA window may yield random values.GetCursorXPosition() function returns X position in DateTime format (the same as used by DateTime() function).You can convert it to string using DateTimeToStr() function.GetCursorYPosition() returns Y position (as displayed in Y axis of the chart).

Example:

ToolTip="X="+DateTimeToStr(GetCursorXPosition()) +"\nY="+GetCursorYPosition();
AFL: added DateTimeToStr() and StrToDateTime() functions

These functions allow to convert string to datetime format and vice versa.

Example:

ToolTip="X="+DateTimeToStr(GetCursorXPosition()) +"\nY="+GetCursorYPosition();]
Added ability to store charts as .GIF (in addition to PNG)
ASCII importer maximum supported line length is increased to 2048 characters
Fixed: .aflsafe files didn't get deleted automatically
Added N-volume bars charts and timeframe support.

Custom N-volume bar intervals are definable (as usual) in Tools->Preferences->Intraday.

TimeFrame functions were also extended to support N-volume bars using new TimeFrameMode() function calling

TimeFrameMode( 0 );

- switches time frame functions to time-based operation (the default)

TimeFrameMode( 1 );

- switches time frame functions to N-tick operation (positive values passed to TimeFrameSet are treated now as N-tick)

TimeFrameMode( 2 );

- switches time frame functions to N-volume bar operation (positive values passed to TimeFrameSet are treated nowas N-volme bars)

Example:

TimeFrameMode( 2 );
TimeFrameSet( 50000 ); // 50'000 share bars..
...do something ...
TimeFrameRestore();

Note: N-volume bars are somewhat weird (compression of data to N-volume bar may actually deliver MORE output bars - for example if one tick is 1000 shares and you have specified 100V bars then single tick will be expanded to TEN 100V bars - ten times original size)
TimeFrame functions are protected against array overrun and will not decompress beyond original array size (you will get an "Error 47. N-volume bar compressed data longer than base time frame").
Also switching main time frame to some weird N-volume bar value will result in limiting the output to maximum twice original data size(without error message).
You should keep that in mind and avoid using too small N-volume bar intervals that could lead to such condition.
Also due to the nature of N-volume bars the only TimeFrameSet() function will yield correct N-volume bar values, TimeFrameGetPrice() may give slightly distorted results.
It is also possible to use n-volume bars in TimeFrame functions without calling TimeFrameMode() - it is then necessary to specify n-volume bars as negative number offset by -1000000 (minus one million):

TimeFrameSet( -1000000 - 2000 );

// gives 2000V barsSimilarly formatted negative numbers will be reported by Interval() function when n-volume bars are selected.
OLE: Save As PNG / GIF callable from automation

Example script:

AB = new ActiveXObject("Broker.Application");
AB.ActiveWindow.ExportImage("Test.png");
Plugin is not called when GetExtraData is used for symbol that has "use only local database" flag turned on, and NULL is returned instead of an error
Protected against changing application's current working directory by printing to file
Toolbar does not get wrapped when main frame window is resized
OLE: Analysis object has new method MoveWindow( x, y, width, height) that allows to control position and size of automatic analysis window

AB = new ActiveXObject("Broker.Application");
AB.Analysis.MoveWindow( 10, 10, 200, 200 );

It has some restrictions on size: specified size can not besmaller than 10x10 pixels and can not be bigger than entire screen dimensions.
Also when "No minimum size for resizing dialogs" box in UNCHECKED in Tools->Prefs->Misc it won't shink AA window below default size necessary to fully display all controls.
ASCII importer: added ability to import tick data from text files

ASCII importer now allows tick data files to be imported.

Tick data files consist of several records having the same timestamp.This makes it impossible to use normal import mode which assumes different (unique) timestampsfor each data row (when same timestamp is found then new data overwrites old).

To turn on TICK mode you need to add manually

$TICKMODE 1

line to ASCII importer definition file.

$TICKMODE is a special mode of importer that allows to import quotes that haveduplicate time stamps.

It makes two assumptions:
a) input data should come in the ascending time order (i.e. OLDER records first, LATEST records last)
b) input data should consist of entire tick history because importer will DELETE any existing quotes (to avoid creating multiple copies of the same ticks).

Once again: Turning on
$TICKMODE 1
will DELETE ANY QUOTES that already exist in the database and then will import all ticks from input data file.
You have been warned.

For example data files like this:

MOL,0,20050606,162959,16400.0000,16400.0000,16400.0000,16400.0000,2MOL,0,20050606,162959,16400.0000,16400.0000,16400.0000,16400.0000,11MOL,0,20050606,162959,16400.0000,16400.0000,16400.0000,16400.0000,40

Can be imported using the following definition file:

$FORMAT Ticker, Skip, Date_YMD, Time, Open, High, Low, Close, Volume
$SKIPLINES 1
$SEPARATOR ,
$CONT 1
$GROUP 255
$AUTOADD 1
$DEBUG 1
$TICKMODE 1

Sometimes it happens that input files have invalid timestamps (seconds > 59).

For example:

MOL,0,20050606,162970,16400.0000,16400.0000,16400.0000,16400.0000,2

Please take a closer look at first line shown in this example it has time:16:29:70 (you see 70 seconds !)

So I had to add a special flag to the importer that works around such data errors.

It is called $ALLOW99SECONDS 1 and will convert all records with invalid seconds (i.e greater than 59)to 59s.
So record stamped 16:29:70 will be treated as 16:29:59

Now for tick mode to work with such incorrect records you would need to add two lines to ASCII importer definition:

$TICKMODE 1
$ALLOW99SECONDS 1

HOW TO REPORT BUGS

If you experience any problem with this beta version please send detailed description of the problem (especially the steps needed to reproduce it) to bugs at amibroker.com