Re: [EquisMetaStock Group] Need help with File Formats

[JayTownsend@xxxxxxx]

<<However, if you're a programmer, there are several posts on the
internet about the file format of the emaster/master. If you start
there maybe you could solve the mystery.>>

I think I've posted on this before, but in earlier versions of MetaStock, they gave a BASIC program listing that would access the MetaStock file structure.  Believe that this was through about version 4 or 5.  If you are searching the Internet, search also for the Computrac file format.  At one time these two were the same, then MetaStock began to modify it, but believe that the master files should be about the same.

Jay

Found this while searching for the Computrac format.

You can download a BASIC program that access the MS format at:

http://www.wotsit.org/search.asp?page=25&s=ALLFILES

This is the program:


Metastock data format

/* The orignal 255 record format */

typedef unsigned char   u_char;
typedef unsigned short  u_short;

/*
 * MASTER file description
 *  floats are in Microsoft Basic format
 *  strings are padded with spaces, not null terminated
 */
struct rec_1 {
    u_short num_files;      /* number of files master contains */
    u_short file_num;       /* next file number to use (highest F# used) */
    char zeroes[49];
};
struct rec_2to255 {     /* description of data files */
    u_char file_num;        /* file #, i.e., F# */
    char file_type[2];      /* CT file type = 0'e' (5 or 7 flds) */
    u_char rec_len;     /* record length in bytes (4 x num_fields)
*/
    u_char num_fields;      /* number of 4-byte fields in each record
*/
    char reserved1[2];      /*  in the data file */
    char issue_name[16];    /* stock name */
    char reserved2;
    char CT_v2_8_flag;      /* if CT ver. 2.8, 'Y'; o.w., anything else */
    float first_date;       /* yymmdd */
    float last_date;
    char time_frame;        /* data format: 'I'(IDA)/'W'/'Q'/'D'/'M'/'Y' */
    u_short ida_time;       /* <b>intraday</b> (IDA) time base */
    char symbol[14];        /* stock symbol */
    char reserved3;     /* <b>MetaStock</b> reserved2: must be a space */
    char flag;          /* ' ' or '*' for autorun */
    char reserved4;
};

/*
 * EMASTER data structure
 *  floats are in IEEE format
 *  strings are padded with nulls
 */
struct emashdr {
    u_short num_files;      /* number of files in emaster */
    u_short file_num;       /* last (highest) file number */
    char stuff[188];
};
struct emasdat {
    char asc30[2];      /* &quot;30&quot; */
    u_char file_num;        /* file number F# */
    char fill1[3];
    u_char num_fields;      /* number of 4-byte data fields */
    char fill2[2];
    char flag;          /* ' ' or '*' for autorun */
    char fill3;
    char symbol[14];        /* stock symbol */
    char fill4[7];
    char issue_name[16];    /* stock name */
    char fill5[12];
    char time_frame;        /* data format: 'D'/'W'/'M'/ etc. */
    char fill6[3];
    float first_date;       /* yymmdd */
    char fill7[4];
    float last_date;
    char fill8[116];
};

/* seven-field data file description */
struct dathdr7 {
    u_short max_recs;       /* 0 ==&gt; unlimited size */
    u_short last_rec;       /* dathdr7 = 1; ctdata7 starts with 2 */
    char zeroes[24];
};
struct ctdata7 {
    float date;
    float open;
    float high;
    float low;
    float close;
    float volume;
    float op_int;
};

/* five-field data file description */
struct dathdr5 {
    u_short max_recs;
    u_short last_rec;
    char zeroes[16];
};
struct ctdata5 {
    float date;
    float high;
    float low;
    float close;
    float volume;
};

/* IEEE floating point format to Microsoft Basic floating point format */
int fieee2msbin(float *src, float *dst) {
    union {
    float a;
    u_long b;
    } c;
    u_short man;
    u_short exp;

    c.a = *src;
    if (c.b) {      /* not zero */
    man = c.b &gt;&gt; 16;
    exp = ((man &lt;&lt; 1) &amp; 0xff00) + 0x0200;
    if (exp &amp; 0x8000 != (man &lt;&lt; 1) &amp; 0x8000)
        return 1;   /* exponent overflow */
    man = man &amp; 0x7f | (man &gt;&gt; 8) &amp; 0x80; /* move sign */
    man |= exp;
    c.b = c.b &amp; 0xffff | (long)man &lt;&lt; 16;
    }
    *dst = c.a;
    return 0;
}

/* Microsoft Basic floating point format to IEEE floating point format */
int fmsbin2ieee(float *src, float *dst) {
    union {
    float a;
    u_long b;
    } c;
    u_short man;
    u_short exp;

    c.a = *src;
    if (c.b) {      /* not zero */
    man = c.b &gt;&gt; 16;
    exp = (man &amp; 0xff00) - 0x0200;
    if (exp &amp; 0x8000 != man &amp; 0x8000)
        return 1;   /* exponent overflow */
    man = man &amp; 0x7f | (man &lt;&lt; 8) &amp; 0x8000;   /* move sign */
    man |= exp &gt;&gt; 1;
    c.b = c.b &amp; 0xffff | (long)man &lt;&lt; 16;
    }
    *dst = c.a;
    return 0;
}










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