Ok duude, we get it.. This has been raised before.
If you decide to stick around please take notes on your experience.
There's a UKB (User's Knowledge Base) being formed and hopefully it
will address some your concerns. When it does form how about showing
us how to do it by posting some helpful items there?
In the meantime - this horse is dead, so quit beating it.
Thx..
d
------------------------------------------------------------------------
*From:* [email protected]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] *On Behalf Of *MountainTopTrader
*Sent:* Friday, July 06, 2007 4:28 PM
*To:* [email protected]
*Subject:* RE: [amibroker] New user - problems/questions
Sounds like the definition of poor documentation. Good
documentation is well-organized, easily searched, assumes that the
reader hit the topic with little or no other background, is easy
to read, and is well annotated with pictures.
In days gone by, I've written some very complex software and I've
written the documentation for it. It's not easy, or cheap, to
create it. It requires constant updating to fill in voids. The
best documentation is updated in real-time as user's ask
questions. It also requires constant updating as the product
evolves. One of the first clues to poor documentation is dialog
box and menu pictures which no longer resemble those found in the
product. Having been on the other side of the table, I understand
the strong temptation to tweak the product with improvements and
new features and let the documentation slide.
Earl
------------------------------------------------------------------------
*From:* [email protected]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] *On Behalf Of *Ton Sieverding
*Sent:* Friday, July 06, 2007 2:11 PM
*To:* [email protected]
*Subject:* Re: [amibroker] New user - problems/questions
The problem is not the poor documentation. Everything is
documented. The problem is that it's difficult to find because
it's scattered over many files and environments. The best solution
is something like a kind of expert database with all documentation
included. Same story for the forum emails. But to fill that
database is a hell of a job ...
Kind regards, Ton.
----- Original Message -----
*From:* MountainTopTrader <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
*To:* [email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>
*Sent:* Friday, July 06, 2007 9:21 PM
*Subject:* RE: [amibroker] New user - problems/questions
Here's a prime example of the poor documentation. I wanted to
add some simple price alarms to a chart. Searched help on
"alarm", nothing found. Tried "alert" got a list. Dug through
the list and "Easy Alerts Window" was only one applicable to
non-AFL based alerts. Clicked to page describing Easy Alerts
Windows. Nowhere in the description does it tell the user how
to view this window (I have found this problem to be common in
reading the documentation). Hunted through all menu bars,
found an item to bring up the Alert Output window but that was
it. It was not until a day later when I was studying Quote
Windows that I ran across documentation showing how to add an
alert from by right clicking on a Quote line in a Quote
Window. Now I know how to add a price alert from a Quote
Window, but still no idea of how to add one from a chart. It's
probably (or at least should be) there somewhere and I'll
probably find it ... eventually.
Poor documentation leads to seemingly lazy questions from
frustrated users who are trying to learn the ropes by RTFM.
Earl
------------------------------------------------------------------------
*From:* [email protected]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] *On Behalf Of
*MountainTopTrader
*Sent:* Friday, July 06, 2007 8:32 AM
*To:* [email protected]
*Subject:* RE: [amibroker] New user - problems/questions
Actually, I went through a number of tutorials and the user
guide and they are pretty sketchy on some of the basics such
as those about which I asked questions. I have used charting
software for 25+- years now and AB is not at the top of the
pack for intuitive use. For example, I would expect to be able
to modify ALL chart properties by right clicking on the chart
and selecting properties or parameters, however this does not
allow setting of many chart properties including those about
which I inquired. The manual and start-up guide is equally
sketchy. Major parts of the user guide do not reflect the
current version of the software. I followed the complete IB
data tutorial and that did not tell me that I have to set
additional parameters using the green connect box in the lower
right corner. All of this makes the getting started process
for even an experienced charting software user rather
daunting. That said, there is a good bit to like about AB once
one navigates the quirks.
While I have now mastered enough of the basics to display the
charts I want for those symbols I use, I am still having
problems with my layouts not being restored the way I save
them. I have learned to use the local and global layouts, but
the fact is that when I re-start AB it does not restore my
workspace to the way I left it and I find that irritating. At
least I can switch to the layout tab, select my named layout,
and restore my charts.
Earl
------------------------------------------------------------------------
*From:* [email protected]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] *On Behalf Of *Edward Pottasch
*Sent:* Friday, July 06, 2007 2:41 AM
*To:* [email protected]
*Subject:* Re: [amibroker] New user - problems/questions
hi,
I think it is best to consult the manual. However, I have an
additional remark / question on this. I have been having
problems with layouts all along.
1) For instance I have a layout I call "auto". I add something
to "auto" then save it and when I open it the next day in some
occasions there is some other program in one of the lower tab
windows.
2) Sometimes I add a program to a lower tab, then save the
layout. The next day I open this layout and the chart is
blanc, it can not find the code underneath.
Sometimes this happens, sometimes it doesn't. Just wonder if
anyone else has this problem or if I am doing something wrong.
But what can one do wrong? You create a new layout, save the
layout when you change something and still I get inconsistant
behaviour.
Could it be because I run 2 instances (or sometimes 3) of
Amibroker on 1 computer using different databases and that
this messes up the layouts?
thanks, Ed
----- Original Message -----
*From:* MountainTopTrader
<mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
*To:* [email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>
*Sent:* Tuesday, July 03, 2007 4:07 PM
*Subject:* [amibroker] New user - problems/questions
I installed the Pro version yesterday using the IB data
feed. I went through several of the tutorials and got a
decent start on a dozen symbols and an hourly chart layout
I liked on one tab in 3 panes on Sheet 1. I reduced the
number of default sheets from 8 to 4.
This morning when I opened AB, I had a whole different
view. My candle sticks have been replaced by close only
line chart and a bunch of tabs have been added for
variations which I don't need or care about. Further,
indicators I don't want have been applied to Sheets 2
through 4.
Problems/questions:
* How do I restore my layout and keep it that way when
I reopen it?
* I can not find a way (menu or pop-up menu) to
alter/restore the chart properties including
something as basic as the chart style. The
properties item on the pop-up menu is grayed out and
charting preferences do not let me set the chart style.
* How do I remove tabs I don't want and add new tabs I
do want?
* I can't seem to display all of the data collected.
For example, 6CU7 (Canadian Dollar) shows 7952 data
bars retrieved. My IB database is set to 10,000 bars
of base time interval 5 minutes. At 288 bars per 24
hours, I should have 27 trading days (over a full
month) of data. However zooming out on hourly or
daily bars displays nothing further back than June
26 which is fewer than 6 trading days. How do I get
to view all of the data?
Thank you.
Earl
