Changes

Here is are the instruction instructions of a) how to create a custom futures using your data from ASCII files, b) make your data feed fill the gap between the last date in the file and today's date , and c) receive real-timedata. This is an example of creating @CL custom futures, using minute data from files and an Interactive Brokers data vendor:

# Add current contract + distant (expired) contracts for this year if required.<br><div style="background-color: #E5F6FF;">'''Example''': Today's date is 06.10.11; the last date in your file is 04.10.11 (all dd.mm.yy); CLU1 (September contact) should be added because the last date you have is before the expiration date of expiration of CLV1 (October contract).</div># Import all data from the file into CLU1, but not after its expiration date, so several days of minute data are not imported. It is 's not recommended to import any data after the expiration date of expiration: for CLU1 you should not import anything after its expiration on 22.08.11.# In MultiCharts Main Menu please go to '''File''', then click on '''Preferences''' and select '''Data Server Mode''' tab. Check the '''Show Datra Data Server Mode dialog box on startup''' box.

# Open MultiCharts; select '''Offline Mode'''; plot CLU1 chart: 1 day resolitionresolution, using the whole data range of data you have imported.

# Open '''QuoteManager''' and import this daily data to the CLU1 instrument (see [[Importing Data|Importing ASCII data]]).# [[Setting Properties|#Editing an existing symbol propertiesExisting Symbol Properties|Rename]] the '''CLV1''' to '''CLV2011''' (for example). It should be made not to request data from the data source, so the imported data (both daily and minutes) is not replaced with data from the server when you reload your chart.# Create a [[Custom Futures|Creating a Custom Futures symbol|Custom Futures]] (date rollover is preferred).<br><div style="background-color: #E3FBE5;">'''Note''': Sometimes a customer can face a problem when the expiration rule doesn't coincide with expiration dates of individual contracts, so we recommend to change the rollover dates when you create custom futures for 1-2 days, so those 1-2 days of data will be taken from a distant contract, and not from the current one. It will help you to avoid gaps on in your chart.</div>

# Open MultiCharts; select '''Online Mode''' and check the '''Download Missing Historical Data''' box; plot the Custom Futures''' on the chart.

Now you can plot both minute and daily based charts. You will have a) your data from ASCII that won’t be replace; replaced b) no gaps after the last date in your file which have been filled by your data vendor; , and c) real-time data from your data source.