Hi Dennis -- Yes, it includes quite a lot of material on writing AFL programs, including several examples you can copy (or download) and run -- and use as starting points for ideas of your own.
Thanks, Howard On Sun, Aug 31, 2008 at 1:54 PM, Dennis Brown <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Howard, > > Great news that you are nearing completion. I am sure it will be a great > help to many. > One question. Will it also be an introduction to how to write AFL > programs? > > Best regards, > Dennis > > On Aug 31, 2008, at 4:15 PM, Howard B wrote: > > Greetings all -- > > I am in the final stages of writing, and the editor is in the final stages > of editing, Introduction to AmiBroker. I anticipate it will go to the > printer in about two weeks. Depending on the printer's schedule, it should > be available to customers in October. I'll be posting the Table of Contents > and a section or two, and offering a pre-publication sale price. It looks > like to book will be near 500 pages. It covers installation, setting up > free databases, subscription databases, real-time databases, introductory > tutorial lessons, documentation of all menus, commands, and functions, and > so forth. It will be well indexed, so you can find things quickly. The > cover price is $39.95, and it will be sold through the book's web site. > I'll post more here when the Contents is up on the web. > > Thanks, > Howard > > > On Sun, Aug 31, 2008 at 8:07 AM, sidhartha70 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > wrote: > >> Grover, >> >> My desire for a beginners, intermediate and advanced user guides, is >> to put the information in a format that will allow a clear development >> arc for users. Right now what we have are disparate sources of >> information, offered in non-heirarchical structure. I kind of have a >> sense that I am missing the potential of AmiBroker in a way... but I'm >> not quite sure what I'm missing because I haven't seen it yet!!! >> >> Hopefully Howard can cover some of these angles, or further & easier >> contributions to the UKB can help. >> >> However, your suggestion is an excellent one. I've just done a few >> google searches and I've found articles and information that I >> probably wouldn't have seen before. >> >> >> --- In [email protected] <amibroker%40yahoogroups.com>, "Grover >> Yowell" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >> > >> > I'm with you Herman. >> > >> > >> > >> > As to the many comments about it is hard to find the information you >> want >> > even though it is there (somewhere), I agree. But now that I have re- >> > discovered the Google site search feature and using that can find almost >> > anything with a one line entry on the internet. In the Google >> toolbar the >> > search is : whatIwant site:www.amibroker.com >> > >> > >> > >> > So I am wondering if 90% of the problem of needing a new Help manual >> would >> > be solved by simply making available a convenient Google site search >> line on >> > the AMIbroker Home page. It has sure worked for me. I have been >> able to >> > find things in the UKB or the KB that I knew were there but couldn't >> find at >> > a later time. >> > >> > >> > >> > Sometimes it is better to solve a part of the problem that is easy >> rather >> > than the whole thing. >> > >> > >> > >> > Just a thought, >> > >> > >> > >> > Grover >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > From: [email protected] <amibroker%40yahoogroups.com> [mailto: >> [email protected] <amibroker%40yahoogroups.com>] >> On Behalf >> > Of Herman >> > Sent: Sunday, August 31, 2008 2:49 AM >> > To: George Loyd >> > Subject: Re[2]: [amibroker] Help Manual -> UKB >> > >> > >> > >> > I agree 100%. >> > >> > >> > >> > If anybody really wants a glossary he/she can have it published >> tomorrow on >> > the UKB. Tomasz created the UKB for this type of use and he already gave >> > permission to draw on existing AB Help content if used on that site. >> Don't >> > underestimate the value of this. It means that you already have 95% >> of the >> > work, structure and content, done for you by Tomasz. I have no idea >> what all >> > the fuss is about. I can further clear copyright issues with him if >> you want >> > to go this route. >> > >> > >> > >> > The UKB comment field's can be used to add notes, code snippets, >> references, >> > etc. Volunteers can screen, polish, and add this to the main item to >> make it >> > look nice - with minimal effort. The tools are there and they are >> already >> > supported by AmiBroker. Just dump the whole thing in one post from Word >> > (minimal formatting) on the UKB (contact me for details) and the search >> > engine will find the required item. The UKB will have more >> permanence than >> > any other private site. >> > >> > >> > >> > I think 90% of all the talk in this thread is due to a desire to try >> some >> > new layouts and try a new glossy user interface. All that won't add any >> > value to the contents of the site; it only adds lots of work to set >> it up >> > and maintain. >> > >> > >> > >> > If you want something done, simply do it. >> > >> > >> > >> > Best regards, >> > >> > herman >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > Sunday, August 31, 2008, 12:58:43 AM, you wrote: >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > > >> > >> > I don't reply to many emails - in fact VERY few, but this one and >> many of >> > the replies forced me to write something. >> > >> > >> > >> > Maybe AmiBroker should be more like MetaStock where errors remain >> for many >> > upgrade cycles ( ie months to a year or more) and NO BETA upgrades ever >> > occur. In the 6 1/2 years I have used AmiBroker Tomasz has provided >> > literally far more than 100 beta versions - FREE of charge, often fixing >> > bugs within a few hours to a couple of days. No other investment >> software >> > that I know of does this that fast. MetaStock's Enhance Backtester or >> > Optimizer still has included errors in its handling of returns - >> which in my >> > opinion renders it less than useful for "real" investment work where >> money >> > is on the line. Enlighten me if I am wrong. Each "one tenth" upgrade for >> > MetaStock costs $99 or more while Tomasz was providing 5 "one tenth" >> > upgrades and MANY betas FREE for about the same price. Checking >> MetaStock's >> > manual - AmiBroker's is superior. Now I realize this is a comparison >> with >> > only one other available software package, but others will fail to >> generate >> > much improved comparisons. I think I would rather still have what >> AmiBroker >> > provides. >> > >> > >> > >> > Furthermore Tomasz is a virtual Help file to this message board, >> although I >> > think he would rather be programing new features for AmiBroker than >> > answering questions here. >> > >> > >> > >> > Each investment software package has their own programming language. >> As new >> > features and functions are included into the language, it becomes more >> > difficult to use and understand. The added complexity generates more >> > questions. No other investment software package has generated much >> in the >> > way of third party reference texts, other the few Tradestation has. >> Howard >> > Bandy's book is the first of several I foresee for AmiBroker. >> > >> > >> > >> > Tomasz has been chided for "for failing to provide a 5.1 Manual yet" >> - geez >> > give the man a chance - he will get it out ASAP. You can't have >> everything >> > at once - new features are better than a new Manual the day the upgrade >> > comes out. People here on the message board will help your >> understanding of >> > new features if the Readme file and examples doesn't clear up the >> problems. >> > >> > >> > >> > What other investment software package has been created and >> maintained by >> > one man that rivals the functionality of AmiBroker? AmiBroker is >> evolving >> > faster than any other package I am familiar with - or am I just wearing >> > "rose-colored" glasses? >> > >> > >> > >> > I could write more but I think I have made my opinion clear. Yes I want >> > more, but I can be patient - it WILL come. >> > >> > >> > >> > Regards, >> > >> > George Loyd >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > brian_z111 wrote: >> > >> > >> > >> > There are far too many Help Manual questions posted in this forum. >> > >> > >> > >> > This takes up our valueable time answering questions that should have >> > >> > been answered by AmiBroker. >> > >> > >> > >> > In fact they waste far more time than OT posts. >> > >> > >> > >> > Our precious time would be far better spent answering more interesting >> > >> > questions. >> > >> > >> > >> > Some of the features in AB aren't explained in the manual, some things >> > >> > are out of date and sometimes the explanations are a bit cryptic. >> > >> > >> > >> > Example: >> > >> > >> > >> > Prettify was added to the Formula Editor in beta version 5.04 >> > >> > - included in devlog under version 5.05 Feb08 >> > >> > - official release v5.10 in June08 which includes manual 5.10 >> > >> > >> > >> > Ami website PDF manual is still version 5.00 >> > >> > >> > >> > - Search PDF for prettify == nothing >> > >> > - Search AB manual version 5.1 for prettify == nothing >> > >> > - Use AB site search engine == nothing >> > >> > - Google amibroker.com == 3 hits from devlog >> > >> > - devlog records release but has no info about it and no explanation in >> >> > >> > the read me >> > >> > - searched KB == nothing >> > >> > - searched UKB == nothing >> > >> > >> > >> > The screenshot of the FE edit dropdown menu, in the Help Manual is out >> > >> > of date (at least it looks different to my version 5.10) >> > >> > >> > >> > http://www.amibroke <http://www.amibroker.com/guide/w_afledit.html> >> > r.com/guide/ <http://www.amibroker.com/guide/w_afledit.html> w_afledit. >> > <http://www.amibroker.com/guide/w_afledit.html> html >> > <http://www.amibroker.com/guide/w_afledit.html> >> > >> > >> > >> > The Devlog just says that the Prettify function was added ... looked in >> >> > >> > the AFL function list and couldn't find anything... is it a function or >> >> > >> > a function()? >> > >> > >> > >> > New features should be explained in the official help manual that comes >> >> > >> > out immediately after the beta inclusion. >> > >> > We should not have to search elsewhere but even if we do we, in this >> > >> > case, we still find nothing. >> > >> > >> > >> > It shouldn't be up to volunteers to explain help manual items in this >> > >> > forum, or the UKB, or anywhere else. >> > >> > >> > >> > It saves AB some effort if they don't have to keep the manual up to >> > >> > date but the effort is transferred to the volunteers, who have to >> > >> > answer it scores of times, instead of AB answering it once. >> > >> > >> > >> > If we all took the rationalist approach, that some people are >> > >> > advocating e.g. "users should have skills or lower their sights or pay >> > >> > Graham", and charged AB for the time we spend providing AB support then >> >> > >> > the program would cost thousands of dollars and wouldn't look so cheap, >> >> > >> > up against other software, afterall >> > >> > >> > >> > brian_z >> > >> >> > > >
