Hi Richard,
Your data package seems to have a lot of interesting features. I have
two questions for you:
A) Does your package provide the GICS code for each individual stock?
B) I have notice that you are not covering the Toronto Stock Exchange
in Canada: any plan to cover it in the near future?
  
Thank you 
  
Philippe
--- In amibroker@xxxxxxxxxps.com,
Richard Dale <richard@xxx> wrote:
>
> I'll try and explain how this works. It's all a bit complicated.
> 
> There's three "databases" at work:
> 1. Premium Data's MetaStock format database
> 2. AmiBroker's native price database
> 3. AmiBroker's security details database
> 
> There are two settings available:
> Use Local Data Storage - either Enabled or Disabled
> Data Source - either MetaStock Plug-in or Local Database.
> 
> The default setting is when you set "Use Local data storage" to
false 
> and Data source: MetaStock Plugin. This uses databases 1 and 3. 
> Database 1 is updated using the Premium Data program. Database 3
is 
> maintained using the Tools->US-PremiumData command.
Normally Database 2 
> isn't used, except for composite symbols you might create.
> 
> Why would we want to change this?
> 
> Some people have commented that accessing AmiBroker's native price
  
> database is quicker for large backtests. So how do we copy data
from 
> database1 into database 2? Set "Local data storage" to Enable and
Data 
> source - MetaStock Plugin, then any time you access a security in 
> database 1, a COPY of the data is placed into database 2. Some
people 
> run a scan across all data to popuulate this (eg. with an entry 
> condition that is always true).
> 
> How do we then use that copied data? Set ""Local data storage" to 
> Enabled and Data source to Local Database. Note that any updates
to 
> database 1 will no longer be reflected in database 2.
> 
> Now, should there be any maintenance required, you should either
change 
> back to the default setting or to the second setting. Ensure you
run 
> Tools->US-PremiumData in this mode too.
> 
> If you decide that maintaining a duplicate of the price data in 
> Amibroker's natvie price database is too cumbersome, then return
the 
> settings to default as described above. Then shut down AmiBroker. 
> Make a backup of the entire C:\Program files\Amibroker\US-PremiumData
  
> folder. Delete the A-Z folders inside the folder C:\Program 
> Files\AmiBroker\US-PremiumData folder. Start AmiBroker. Click
  
> Tools->US-PremiumData.
> 
> _What we are doing to improve this_
> We are developing a native plugin to AmiBroker and also getting
rid of 
> the MetaStock file format. This should provide significant
performance 
> increases (so there is no need to utilise a native price
database), 
> automatically the database on-the-fly as code/symbol changes occur
(i.e. 
> no need to run Tools-US-PremiumData) plus also give us extra
flexibility 
> to offer new features (such as historical index constituents - eg.
you 
> will be able to specify in your entry conditions during
backtesting "S&P 
> 500 constituent" = true and this will use the historical set of
S&P500 
> constituents on each relevant day to determine whether the entry 
> condition is true. This is the ultimate survivorship-bias-free
form of 
> testing.
> 
> 
> Best regards,
> Richard Dale.
> Norgate Investor Services
> - Premium quality Stock, Futures and Foreign Exchange Data for
> markets in Australia, Asia, Canada, Europe, UK& USA -
> www.premiumdata.net
> 
> 
> 
> -------- Original Message --------
> Subject: [amibroker] PremiumData Question
> From: patsgreatdeals <patsgreatdeals@...>
> To: amibroker@xxxxxxxxxps.com
> Date: Sun, 10 Jan 2010 05:14:24 -0000
> >
> > I was wondering when using PremiumData.net feed and
switching checking 
> > "Use Local Data" so that AMIBroker will run faster with the
data in 
> > the AMIBroker Database....
> >
> > what happens when the PremiumData downloader renames symbols?
I saw a 
> > bunch being renamed, will the AMIBroker DB then have two
symbols one 
> > with the old name, and one with the renamed symbol?
> >
> >
>