 MakeMS Version 1.1 Help Index

Welcome to MakeMS, the 32-bit Windows application to create data in the MetaStock or CompuTrac format from an ASCII historical end-of-day data source file.

Commands and Topics

	Installation
	Use and Navigation
	File menu
	Important Points
	Conversion Settings
	Legal
	Registering
	What is New


Installation

Simply copy all files to a new directory of your choice. Read the important Legal information before use.

The application is makems.exe. Simply launch it and select an ASCII text file using the File > Open menu command or the toolbar button. This will load the first few lines of your file (as a reminder of what it looks like) and automatically launch a Conversion Settings dialog box. Adjust the settings and hit OK - you new MetaStock format file-set will be created.

Hit F1 at any time for Help.

That's it!


File menu commands

This is the main menu. There are three major commands:

Open	Open File let’s you select and ASCII file that is to be converted to a CompuTrac / MetaStock format file. (The ASCII file is not altered.) This menu pick will cause MakeMS to display the first several lines of the file and automatically launch the Conversion Settings dialog. A corresponding toolbar button exists for this function.
Settings	Settings launches the Conversion Settings dialog that let’s you setup the details for MakeMS to properly convert the file. This dialog box has its own Settings Help discussion. A corresponding toolbar button exists for this function.
Register	The function lets you enter your registration information. This will suppress the final dialog box. Thank you for registering!


Conversion Settings

The Settings dialog is automatically brought up after a File >> Open command or may be invoked manually. There are four major sections and each is discussed. Note that all of the user choices discussed below are preserved across sessions.

Input File: Supported Fields and Column Assignments

You use the check boxes to declare which fields you want MakeMS to derive from your ASCII source file. For each checked item you must declare in which column that data field is found. MakeMS does not permit multiple assignments to the same column. The Date field and the Close field are not optional - the ASCII file must have a Date column and a Close column.

Input File: Detail Settings

First, you should choose which character will be used as the field delimiter. That character pertains to all columns and data in the file.

Second, you select the Date field format in your ASCII source. There are twelve different formats supported. Example 1: CCYY_MM_DD means that the year is expressed as a four digit number (century and year) and that the three fields are separated by a single character (e.g. a slash). Example 2: MMDDYY means that the year, month and day are expressed as a two digit numbers each no characters separate the fields .For formats using the “_” style, only one character can separate the year, month and day - but, MakeMS will accept any single character.

Third, you select if you want the first N rows to be ignored. Use this if your ASCII source has column titles or other non-financial information.

Output File: Path to Output Files

What you are choosing is a Directory Path for the converted result files - MakeMS will always determine the actual file names itself to ensure format consistency. You can use the “Browse” button to launch a directory picker dialog box or you can type in the name of the path your self. If you type in the name yourself, it is probably best to enter a fully qualified path, presently existing path. While relative paths are permitted, each conversion process makes establishes a new working directory. New paths can be automatically created when using the directory picker dialog box. The output file path is independent of where your ASCII source file lives.

Output File: Detail Settings

First, you choose if this converted data is to be part of an existing “master” file or a new one. The “master” file is the “table of contents” for the MetaStock and CompuTrac formats. If you choose the “existing master” option, MakeMS will create a backup file called master.BAK before altering your existing master file. Also, if you declare that you wish a new master to be created, MakeMS will ensure that no existing master file is overwritten.

Second, you choose the ticker symbol for the data. A symbol is mandatory but no checking is performed by MakeMS as to the sanity of the text string you type in.

Third, you choose the name for the data. This name field is optional.


Important Points

The original approach to the MetaStock and CompuTrac formats was developed in the early years of the PC when memory size and storage media was at a premium. The format conserved space by using a “helper” file to define which “fields” the data series contained. The data series is the file with the .DAT extension and the “helper” file is the file with the “.DOP extension.

In recent times the value of the .DOP file has diminished. In fact, new products from vendors like Omega and Equis can operate on .DAT files in the absence of a .DOP file and some software products will ignore the DOP file when it is present.

MakeMS will always create a .DOP and a .DAT. You must always identify a Date field column and a Close field column. MakeMS will let you make any other combination of data fields (even some that may not be interpreted well by other software). The suggested combinations are below in the order of “portability” where “D” is date and “OI” is “Open Interest”:

	D, O, H, L C, V, OI  (if the OI field is applicable)
	D, O, H, L C, V  (if the V field is applicable)
	D, H, L C, V
	D, O, H, L C  (if the O field is applicable)
	D, H, L, C
	D, C, V
	D, C

If your ASCII data source uses four text characters to represent the Year, you will not have a the “year 2000 problem” - simply choose one of the date formats using CCYY notation (century and year). If your ASCII source uses two characters only to specify the year then MakeMS solves the “year 2000” problem in the following way:  decades ‘60, ’70, ’80, and ’90 are associated with the twentieth century while decades ’00, ’10, ’20, ’30, ’40 and ’50 are associated with the twenty-first century. This solves the century problem (at least for your lifetime).

( As an aside, not all applications recognizing the MetaStock and CompuTrac formats anticipated the “year 2000” problem. MakeMS is a good way to test if your other applications have addressed this problem - simply create some dummy data for the last days of December 1999 and the early days of January 2000; run MakeMS on that file; direct your other application to operate on the resultant dummy data in MetaStock format. See what happens! )

MakeMS requires that the ASCII source file have the earliest data at (near) the beginning of the file and the most recent data at the end of the file. MakeMS does not examine your ASCII source to ensure that the dates are in order - out of sequence dates are converted but may cause other applications to mis-interpret the data.

MakeMS can tolerate ASCII source that has one or more rows or “header” information (column titles) at the start of the file. Rows of non-financial text at the end of the ASCII file are not recommended.

While MakeMS can operate on files that have any number of columns, you are required to have the financial data fields to be converted in the first twenty columns.


Use and Navigation

MakeMS permits quick and easy creation of financial data in MetaStock or CompuTrac format using source files in ASCII.  You can define how your ASCII source is structured, for example:

which columns have which fields (date, open, close, etc)

what is the column delimiter character

what is the date format (12 formats are supported)

In addition, you can define how your output is to be created, for example:

the ticker symbol and name

whether to add the data to an existing “master” file or create a new one

Refer to the File menu and the Settings Help topics for details on how do the conversion.

Refer to the Important Points topic for general information.


Registering

MakeMS is distributed as Shareware. It is not free or public domain. This means you may copy and distribute it freely but should you find it useful and use it beyond an initial evaluation period of 30 days you are obliged to pay the license fee.

The single user license fee is US$25. More is accepted if you find this software of superior value!

You can register this program by mail. Cash or checks/cheques can be accepted in any major currency, equivalent in value to US$25 per copy. Cash is preferred. Please use the Shareware Registration form.

Registered users will be sent a registration number to disable the reminder box. This number will be good for all subsequent Shareware versions of the program that may become available.

If you enjoy this software, do the decent thing and register!

I would be pleased to receive any comments, bug reports or suggestions for future releases. I may be contacted by e-mail at pgerhart@voicenet.com.


Other Applications

Other ShareWare Applications by the Author

MetaFix

MetaFix permits you to modify the disk files for MetaStock or CompuTrac format data including:

	editing a single quote
	adjusting a quote series for a split
	adjusting a quote series for Price or Volume multipliers
	deleting a quote
	displaying underlying facts about a quote series
	automatically scanning for potential splits

No files are ever deleted - any edited .DAT file is first saved with the extension .BAK. This is unlike comparable applications! Also, the automatic split-search is unique and provides suggested split ratios for both forward and reverse splits.

QuickChart

QuickChart permits quick and easy viewing, printing and navigation for financial data stored in MetaStock or CompuTrac format. The user is presented with crisp, clean charts.

The color scheme of the chart may be user configured. Charts may show volume and user-defined moving averages.

Toolbar buttons, arrow keys and a right mouse popup menu enable navigation among the charts. In addition, a SlideShow mode is supported to automatically sequence through a portfolio.

QuickChart is small and fast - an alternative to financial fatware.

FullDisk

FullDisk permits quick and easy profiling of the contents of a local or network drive. Menu selections permit:

rescanning as needed

choosing the units for display results (bytes, kilobytes or megabytes)

When launched, FullDisk searches your drive for all sub-directory trees and the file sizes therein starting with the currently selected drive. A color-coded list box shows the results and a pie-chart depicts the usage within that tree / drive.

URLegal

URLegal permits quick and easy testing of HTTP links in HTML documents. The links for one or more files can be automatically tested and pages with bad links can be automatically edited and repaired.

The files are tested by extracting the links and “connecting” to each server for that link. The results of the test(s) are displayed in the text window and can be exported to a text file or an HTML file. You can use 21 different filtering options to customize the reporting of results.

Contact me by e-mail at pgerhart@voicenet.com.


Registration Form

Print this form and send it with your remittance to:

Paul Gerhart

101 Magella Court

North Wales, Pennsylvania

19454 USA

Please give an e-Mail address if you have one so I can inform you of your registration code as soon as I receive your order, and give timely information on upgrades.

MakeMS Registration Form.

I wish to register ____ copies of MakeMS .

I enclose a check for $US______	($25 per copy)

I enclose cash for $US______	($25 per copy)

Name(s)	_______________________________________________

Company	_______________________________________________

Address	_______________________________________________

_______________________________________________

_______________________________________________

Code	___________________

Country	___________________

E-Mail	___________________

Where did you obtain MakeMS from? _____________________________

It would be helpful for me if you could tell me how you use the program. I can then use this information when planning new features for future versions. Also provide any comments/suggestions.

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

Thank you!


Important Legal Stuff

	Disclaimer and Agreement
	Copyright
	Registering
	License


Disclaimer and Agreement
Disclaimer of Warranty

Users of MakeMS must accept this disclaimer of warranty. If you do not accept this

disclaimer, do not use MakeMS.

"MakeMS IS SUPPLIED AS IS. THE AUTHOR DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHOR BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, WHICH MAY RESULT FROM THE USE OF MakeMS EVEN IF THE AUTHOR HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES."


Copyright

MakeMS is protected by US and international copyright laws.

Read the License to understand how you may use MakeMS.

MetaStock is a registered trademark of EQUIS International. CompuTrac is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Telerate.

MakeMS Copyright © 1996.


License

You should carefully read the following terms and conditions before using this software.  Use of this software indicates your acceptance of these terms and conditions.  If you do not agree with them, do not use the software. All presumption of warranty is disclaimed - see the Disclaimer of Warranty for the specific language.

You are hereby licensed to:  use the Shareware Version of the software for a 30-day evaluation period; make as many copies of the Shareware version of this software and documentation as you wish; give exact copies of the original Shareware version to anyone; and distribute the Shareware version of the software and documentation in its unmodified form via electronic means.  There is no charge for any of the above.

You are granted a limited license to use MakeMS, to copy and distribute it, provided the following conditions are met:

1.	No fee may be charged for such copying and distribution other than actual costs incurred, except for a nominal distribution fee.
2.	MakeMS may ONLY be distributed in its original, unmodified state, complete with data files and this documentation.
3.	MakeMS may not be distributed as part of a package or group of programs.
4.	The paid registered version may NOT be distributed.


What is New

What is New in 1.1?

No new items to report.