Hi Richard - Your upcoming plugin sounds great, 
    just wondering if it will be 64-bit?  With 64-bit computers and 
    OS's increasingly becoming the norm and 64-bit AmiBroker waiting 
    in the wings, it would be real nice if 
    just one maintenance-free data provider could provide a 
    64-bit API/plugin and remove the 3GB bottleneck for us.  And perhaps 
    get a bunch of new customers...Thank you Sir!
     
    Steve
     
     
    ----- Original Message ----- 
    
      
      
      
      Sent: 
      Sunday, January 10, 2010 5:00 AM
      Subject: 
      Re: [amibroker] PremiumData Question
      
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@yahoo.com>
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?