Database Settings

This window allows you to define per-database settings. It is accessible via File->Database Settings menu.

IMPORTANT: These per-database settings in this window take precedence over default values definable in Preferences window. See explanation in Tutorial: Understanding database concepts.

The database settings window is divided into two parts: General and Data source

General settings part is enabled only at the database creation time (File->New database), once the database is created, these controls become disabled.

• Browse... - allows to browse for a folder where a new database should be created.
• Create - clicking on this button creates the database inside the folder specified in Database folder edit field.

For more details about creating new databases and working with particular data sources, please check the Tutorial section.

Data source part becomes enabled once the database is created and it can be used to modify settings for already existing databases (via File->Database Settings menu). The following controls are available:

• Data source: defines the data source; this can be either
  • (local) - it means that no external source is used and data is maintained by AmiBroker itself. Such a database can be updated either using AmiQuote (Tools->Auto-update quotes) or using ASCII import - Import Wizard, Metastock importer, or a script.
  • external data source (one of: eSignal, myTrack, QuoteTracker, Quotes Plus, TC2000/TCNet, FastTrack, Metastock) - it means that data is retrieved directly from an external database / data source. Such a database is updated automatically via a plugin and does not require any user action in AmiBroker. For example, if you use TC2000 as a data source, all data that is present in the TC2000 system becomes automatically available in AmiBroker. For more details, please read Tutorial: Understanding database concepts.
• Local data storage: decides whether data from an external data source should also be stored/cached in AmiBroker's own files. If "Enabled", then external data is cached in local files. If "Disabled", then local files do not store external data. Switching this to "Enabled" is required for most real-time data sources, such as eSignal, myTrack, QuoteTracker. This setting has no effect if the data source is set to (local).
• Number of bars to load - defines how many bars should be loaded from an external data source and kept in AmiBroker. Examples: 10-year EOD: 2600, 60-day intraday 1-minute: 30,000 (approx.). This setting has no effect if the data source is set to (local).
• Base time interval - defines what 'base' bar interval is used in this database. For real-time data sources, this should be set once at the database creation time. This is so because real-time sources need to collect RT ticks and pack them (time-compress) into interval bars. This setting defines the minimum 'grain'. For EOD sources, it is End-of-day (daily). For real-time sources, this should be 1-minute or higher. For some real-time sources (like eSignal), this can also be set to tick, 5-second or 15-second.
  Please note that you also won't be able to use intraday charting and/or analysis until the base time interval is set to something below the end-of-day interval (it can be 1-minute, for example). For more details, please read Tutorial: Basic charting guide.
• Flush cache - allows to force cache flushing and to retrieve fresh data from the plugin
• Configure - allows to display a data source-specific configuration dialog. See Tutorial section for details on configuring various data sources.
• Intraday settings - allows to define per-database settings for intraday databases (see below)

Intraday Settings window

• Filtering - this provides control over the display of intraday data. AmiBroker collects all the data but displays only that data that is inside selected trading hours start and end times. Please note that this affects all charts and windows except the Quote Editor, which always displays all available data.
  
  Show 24 hours trading (no filtering) - all data is displayed (no filtering at all)
  Show day session only - only the data between day session (RTH) start and end times are displayed
  Show night session only - only the data between night session (ETH) start and end times are displayed
  Show day and night session only - only the data between either day session start/end times or night session start/end times are displayed
  
  Filter weekends - When checked, AmiBroker collects but does not display data from weekends. When unchecked, those data is collected and displayed.
  
• Trading hours Start/End - defines trading hours start and end times for day (RTH) and night (ETH) sessions separately (see above). Please note that the times should be specified in your local time zone.
  
• Daily time-compression uses - this decides how AmiBroker performs intraday to daily time compression
  
  Exchange time - daily data is constructed from intraday bars starting from 00:00 and ending at 23:59 in the EXCHANGE (or data source) TIME ZONE.
  Local time - daily data is constructed from intraday bars starting from 00:00 and ending at 23:59 in the LOCAL (computer) TIME ZONE.
  Day/Night session times as defined above - daily data is constructed from the intraday bars that start at the start time of night session (previous day) and end at the end time of day session.
  
• Time shift: is the time difference (in hours) between your local time zone and the exchange time zone.
  
• Allow mixed EOD/Intraday data - it allows working with a database that has a mixture of intraday and EOD data in one data file. If this is turned on, then in intraday modes, EOD bars are removed on-the-fly, and in daily mode, EOD bars are displayed instead of time-compressed intraday, or if there is no EOD bar for the corresponding day, then intraday bars are compressed as usual.
  This mode works in conjunction with new versions of plugins that allow mixed data. As of June 2008, Mixed mode is now supported by IQFeed plugin and eSignal plugin (1.7.0 or higher). Mixed mode allows for intraday plus very long daily histories in one database.

   

Note that Intraday Settings available from Database Settings dialog is PER-DATABASE. There is, however, also an option to define PER-GROUP intraday settings. To use PER-GROUP intraday settings, you have to open Symbol->Categories window, switch to the Groups tab and
check "Group uses own intraday settings" box as shown in the picture below

Then you can click on the Intraday Settings button to display per-group settings. Please note that each group in the category list can have its own individual settings, so you can easily set up groups so that they contain instruments traded in different hours. You can move symbols between groups using Symbol->Organize assignments dialog.