                         User's Guide for the
                   OWL Portfolio Price Loader (OPPL)
                              Version 2.0


                Copyright 1992-1993 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED


                              Written by:

                          'Otto-Williams Ltd.
                             P.O. Box 794
                        Lanham, MD  20703-0794
                                 U.S.A

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GETTING STARTED

The  OWL  Portfolio  Price  Loader  is  designed  to help you maintain 
current  and historical prices for stocks, bonds and mutual funds that 
you  are  tracking  using  the  OWL Personal Portfolio Manager (OPPM).  
The  program  works  by  updating OPPM's price data using price quotes 
that  have been downloaded from an on-line data service.  OPPL accepts 
price  data  downloaded  from Prodigy, Compuserve, GEnie and Dow Jones 
News Retrieval Service.

Technical Support

   For  technical  support,  contact  'Otto-Williams  Ltd at the above 
   address  or  call (301) 306-0409.  Support is also available via E-
   Mail  on  Compuserve  (write  to:  72144,1223) and GEnie (write to:
   S.WILLIAMS11).

Changes

   Version 2.0 incorporates the following changes and enhancements.  
   
   1.  Mouse  support  has  been  added.   Double click the left mouse 
       button  to  select a menu item.  The right mouse button cancels 
       the current menu.
   2.  OPPL  now remembers the file name of the last file successfully 
       loaded  and  defaults  to  this file name the next time OPPL is 
       run.
   3.  OPPL  now remembers the last quote date successfully loaded and 
       warns  you  if you enter a date span which is earlier than data 
       which has been previously loaded.
   4.  Menu  selections  using  the  keyboard must now be confirmed by 
       pressing  the  return  key.  The earlier version ran the option 
       when the first letter of the option name was pressed.  
   6.  Ticker  symbols  are no longer case sensitive i.e.(if your OPPM 
       data  base  contains  the  symbol  "Ibm"  and the download file 
       contains  "IBM",  OPPL see these as matching ticker symbols and 
       accept the record.
   7.  OPPL   is   now   compatible   with   quotes  downloaded  using 
       Compuserve's  WinCIM.   Earlier versions supported only DosCIM.
       Also  the  handling  of  data  records  that  do not contain an 
       update  date  has been modified (please read the Compuserve CIM 
       section below).
   8.  OPPL   now   supports  loading  Compuserve's  weekly  composite 
       quotes.
   9.  The  browse  function  has  been  enhanced with scroll bars and 
       mouse support.

Installation

   The  OPPL  program  and  data  files  must be installed on the same 
   drive  and  directory  as the OWL Personal Portfolio Manager (OPPM) 
   program.   Copy OPPL.EXE, OPPL.DBF, OPPLCFG.DBF and OPPL.HLP to the 
   drive\directory  where OPPM.EXE is installed.  Example:  if you are 
   currently  using  version  4.2  of  OPPM  and  it  is  installed on 
   C:\OPPM42 use the following commands:
   
       COPY OPPL.EXE C:\OPPM42
       COPY OPPL.DBF C:\OPPM42
       COPY OPPLCFG.DBF C:\OPPM42
       COPY OPPL.HLP C:\OPPM42
   
           or
   
       COPY OPPL*.* C:\OPPM42

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RUNNING OPPL

Before  running  OPPL be sure to review the applicable section of this 
guide  on downloading quotes.  OPPL has specific requirements for file 
formats  and  file contents which must be met to avoid the possibility 
of introducing invalid data into your database.

Once  you  have captured a file containing closing quotes, you can run 
OPPL  to  import  these  prices  into  the  OPPM price database.  OPPL 
accumulates  daily  quotes into OPPM's composite weekly price database 
as follows.

1. If  a  weekly  price record DOES NOT exist within the OPPM database 
   for  the  date  being loaded, a new price record is created and the 
   import  record's  HIGH,  LOW, CLOSE and VOLUME data are transferred 
   to the new record.
2. If  a  weekly  price record DOES exist within the OPPM database for 
   the  date  being  loaded,  the  import  records  high  and  low are 
   compared  to  the  existing  high and low and the existing record's 
   high  and  low are updated if necessary; the import record's volume 
   is  added to the existing volume; and the existing closing price is 
   updated to the import record's closing price.

To  run  OPPL  set your default drive\directory to the drive\directory 
where OPPM and OPPL are installed and type "OPPL".  Example:

   C:
   CD \OPPM42
   OPPL

The  program  has  6  options  which  are  described  in the following 
paragraphs.

Import Closing Quotes

   This  option  reads  a  file  containing  captured  closing quotes, 
   checks  the ticker symbols against your OPPM database and creates a 
   temporary database of prices.  
   
   NOTE:   Only  those  quotes  that  have ticker symbols matching the 
   ticker  symbols  in  your OPPM database are accepted.  In addition, 
   any  quotes that are not within the date span that you specify will 
   be ignored.
   
   WARNING:   Before  selecting  this option, be sure that the current 
   setup  shown  in  the  upper  right  corner of the screen shows the 
   correct  file  type for the file you will be loading.  See Set File 
   Format below.
   
   After  selecting  this  option,  enter  the  name  of the file that 
   contains  the  closing quotes you want to load.  Be sure to include 
   the full drive and path specification when entering the file name.
   
   Once  you have correctly entered the file name, enter the date span 
   you  want  loaded.   DO NOT INCLUDE DATES THAT HAVE BEEN PREVIOUSLY 
   LOADED.   Loading  closing  quotes for the same date more than once 
   will  cause  invalid  volume data in your OPPM database (the volume 
   of  shares  will be too high because the repeated day's volume will 
   be added more then once).
   
   Closing  quotes  are not committed to the OPPM price database until 
   you  exit  the  program.   Multiple  closing  quotes  files  can be 
   imported by re-selecting this option.


Browse Closing Quotes

   This  option  allows you to view the closing quotes which have been 
   read  and  accepted  by the program using the Import Closing Quotes 
   option.   This allows you to preview the imported data before it is 
   committed to the OPPM price database.


Abandon Closing Quotes

   If  you  made an error and imported the wrong file or specified the 
   wrong  date  span,  you  can  abandon  all  closing  quotes  in the 
   temporary  database  by  selecting  this option.  This will prevent 
   erroneously  loaded  closing  quotes from being written to the OPPM 
   Price database.


Set Import Format

   Before  using  the  Import Closing Quotes option, check the current 
   setup  in the upper right corner of the display to insure that file 
   format  is  properly  set.   If  not, use this option to select the 
   type of file you will be importing. 


Set Quote Year

   Since  the  closing quotes output by GEnie and Compuserve are coded 
   with  the  month and day only, the program assumes that the year of 
   the  quotes  is  equal  to the year set in your system.  If this is 
   not  the case, select this option to specify the year of the quotes 
   to be imported.


Commit Data & Exit

   This  option  will  commit  all closing quote data in the temporary 
   database  to  the OPPM price database and exit the program.  If the 
   temporary  database  is  empty (no files loaded or you selected the 
   Abandon  Closing  Quotes  option  after loading your closing quotes 
   files) the program will simply exit to DOS.

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DOWNLOADING STOCK QUOTES

OPPL  supports  loading  stock, bond and mutual fund quotes downloaded 
from  Compuserve,  Prodigy,  GEnie  and  the Dow Jones News Retrieval.  
The  program  has  specific requirements for download file formats and 
contents which are described in the following paragraphs.

Compuserve CIM (Compuserve Information Manager) Quotes

   Current  stock  quotes  can  be obtained from Compuserve when using 
   the  Compuserve Information Manager (DosCim or WinCim) by selecting 
   the  "Quotes"  option  under  the  services  menu.   The Compuserve 
   software  permits  you  to  predefine  the  ticker  symbols for the 
   quotes  you  want  to  retrieve.   Once you have defined a group of 
   ticker  symbols,  select  the  "Quotes"  followed by "Get All" will 
   display the current quotes for all predefined issues.  
   
   To  download  these quotes to your hard disk select "SAVE" or "SAVE 
   AS"  under  the  file  menu. We recommend that you save the file in 
   your  OPPM  directory (double click on the drive letter then select 
   the  directory  where  OPPM  & OPPL are installed) and enter a file 
   name other than the default of "UNTITLED.TXT."
   
   WARNING:   Data  downloaded  using  the  CIM Services/Quotes option 
   often  contains  an  update  time  and not an update date.  Records 
   that  do  not contain an update date are assumed to be dated on the 
   ending date of the import time span that was entered.
   
   Note:  OPPL does not support loading of Compuserve's Basic Quotes.


Compuserve Weekly Quotes

   Compuserve  also provides historical weekly composite quotes which, 
   though  a  premium  service with a charge of 5 cents per quote plus 
   time  charges,  provides  an excellent means of back-filling prices 
   for  an  issue that you have recently begun tracking.  (Balance the 
   charge  of  $2.60  for 52 weeks of historical data against the time 
   it would take to extract and enter the data from newspapers).
   
   To  obtain  weekly  composite  prices  go  to  the  "Issue  Pricing 
   History"  section  of  Compuserve (GO PRICES).  Once you enter this 
   section,  set  your  communications  program  to begin logging data 
   (Press F5 in DosCim).  You will be prompted as follows:
   
       Issue:  (Enter the ticker you want historical prices for)
       (D)aily,  (W)eekly,  (M)onthly  ?:  (Enter "W" for weekly price 
       history)
   
   Next  you  will  be  asked to enter the "starting date or number of 
   periods  from  the last pricing data."   Enter "52" to get the most 
   recent  52  weeks  of data.  After the data has been displayed, you 
   will be prompted for another issue.  
   
   WARNING:   if  you  choose to capture historical quotes for another 
   stock,  the  time  span or number of periods you previously entered 
   will  stay  in  effect.   You  will not be prompted to reenter this 
   data.
   
   Once  you have acquired the desired weekly composite prices, signal 
   your  communications program to close the log file and type "/EXIT" 
   to leave the Issue Pricing History section.


Prodigy

   Current  quotes  can  be obtained from the Prodigy Quote Track page 
   (Jump  -  Quote Track).  Within quote track, you must establish one 
   or  more  "Tracks"  containing  the  ticker  symbols  you  want  to 
   download.   Prodigy's  tracks  are  limited to 15 issues per track.  
   If  you  are tracking more than 15 issues we suggest using the Hard 
   Disk  track.   The  hard  disk  track  is  limited to 50 issues per 
   track.   Consult  Prodigy's  help  screens  for more information on 
   establishing tracks.
   
   After  establishing  your track(s), select the report setup option.  
   Setup  your  report  options  to  output the report to a "delimited 
   file"  (  *.CSV  format).   If you will be importing quotes to OPPM 
   from  several  Prodigy  sessions  at  one  time,  select the append 
   option  in  the  report  setup.   Alternatively,  if  you  will  be 
   importing  quotes  to  OPPM  each  time  you  download,  select the 
   overwrite option.
   
   WARNING:    When  downloading  quotes  from  prodigy,  be  sure  to 
   download "CURRENT QUOTES" and NOT "CLOSING QUOTES."  
   
   Prodigy  permits  you  to  save  report  setups for either a single 
   session  or  for  all  future  sessions.   To  save  time in future 
   Prodigy  sessions,  we  suggest  that you make this setup permanent 
   for all prodigy sessions.
   
   Once  your  quote  track and report setup has been saved, it is not 
   necessary  to  modify  these  for  future  sessions.   To  download 
   quotes,  open  your  quote  track  (FILE  MENU)  and run the report 
   option (FILE MENU).


GEnie

   Closing  stock and mutual fund quotes can be obtained using GEnie's 
   closing  quotes page.  Type "M270;1" at any GEnie page to go to the 
   closing  quotes  page.   Before  selecting  the  option to retrieve 
   closing  quotes,  set  your communications program to begin logging 
   output to a file.  
   
   Enter  up  to  30 ticker symbols of the stocks and mutual funds you 
   want  to  retrieve.   After  retrieving  up to 30 quotes the "Enter 
   Ticker   Symbol(s)"   prompt   will  reappear  and  you  may  enter 
   additional  ticker  symbols until you have retrieved quotes for all 
   of the stocks and mutual funds you are tracking.
   
   Once  you have retrieved all of your closing quotes, set your modem 
   communications program to stop logging.
   
   NOTE:   depending  on  your  modem  communications program, much of 
   this  process  can  be  automated  through  the  use  of scripts or 
   command  files.   Check  the  documentation  of your communications 
   program for details.
   
   The  ticker  symbols  for  stocks and mutual funds you are tracking 
   using  OPPM  must  match the ticker symbol, type and class shown in 
   the  GEnie  closing  quotes.   This is entered in the ticker symbol 
   field in OPPM as:
   
       GEnie Ticker Symbol <space> GEnie Type <space> GEnie Class
   
   Examples of stocks are:
   
       GEnie                                    OPPM
       Tick  Description               TP C     Ticker
       ----- ------------------------- -- -     ---------
       GM    GENERAL MTRS CORP                  GM
       GM    GENERAL MTRS CORP         PR B     GM PR B
       GM    GENERAL MTRS CORP         PR P     GM PR P
   
   Note  that  all  mutual funds have a type of "X".  This type should 
   be ignored and NOT included in the OPPM ticker symbol field:
   
       GEnie                                    OPPM
       Tick  Description               TP C     Ticker
       ----- ------------------------- -- -     -----------
       FMAGX FIDELITY MAGELLAN FD      X        FMAGX 
       JANSX JANUS FD INC              X        JANSX 
       TWCGX TWENTIETH CENTY INVS      X        TWCGX 
       TWBIX TWENTIETH CENTY INVS      X        TWBIX 


Dow Jones News Retrieval Service (DJNRS)

   OPPL  supports  quotes  retrieved  from  Dow Jones News Retrieval's 
   current  quotes  (//CQ),  historical  quotes  (//HQ)  and Dow Jones 
   Averages (//DJA) databases.
   
   //HQ:   The historical quotes database allows you to retrieve up to 
   one  year's  worth of daily quotes for stocks.  After selecting the 
   HQ  database  set your communications program to begin logging to a 
   new  file.   Enter  the  symbol  of  the stock you want to retrieve 
   quotes  for  followed  by "P1" e.g.(IBM P1).  DJNRS will display 12 
   days  of  quotes  for  the selected stock.  Each time you press the 
   return  key,  the  preceding  12  days  of quotes will be displayed 
   until  a full year's of quotes have been displayed.  After you have 
   retrieved   all   the  quotes  you  are  interested  in,  set  your 
   communications  program  to  stop  logging.   Note,  you  may  save 
   historical quotes for multiple stocks to a single log file.
   
   //CQ:   The  current quotes database allows you to retrieve current 
   quotes  for  stocks  and  mutual  funds.   After  selecting  the CQ 
   database  set your communications program to begin logging to a new 
   file.   Enter  the symbols of the stock or mutual funds you want to 
   retrieve  current  quotes  for.  You may enter up to 5 symbols at a 
   time  separated  by a space.  DJNRS will display current quotes for 
   each  selected  security.   You  may  enter more symbols as needed.  
   After  you have retrieved all the current quotes you are interested 
   in,  set your communications program to stop logging.  Note, do not 
   save  current  quotes  for  multiple  dates  in  the same log file.  
   Since  the  DJNRS  CQ  database  does not display the date, OPPL is 
   unable to distinguish the date that the quote applies to.
   
   //DJA:   The  Dow Jones Averages database allows you to retrieve up 
   to  one  year's  worth  of  daily  quotes for the various Dow Jones 
   Averages.     After   selecting   the   DJA   database   set   your 
   communications  program  to begin logging to a new file.  Enter the 
   symbol  of  the average you want to retrieve quotes for followed by 
   "P1"  e.g.(DJI  P1).   DJNRS will display 12 days of quotes for the 
   selected  average.   Each  time  you  press  the  return  key,  the 
   preceding  12  days of quotes will be displayed until a full year's 
   of  quotes  have  been displayed.  After you have retrieved all the 
   quotes  for  a  selected Dow Jones Average, set your communications 
   program  to  stop logging.  Note, do not save different averages to 
   the  same  log file.  OPPL reduces volumes of Dow Jones Averages by 
   a  factor  of  10.   When  loaded,  DJA  volumes  are  in  units of 
   thousands instead of hundreds as shown in the DJA download file.

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