The new features and miscellaneous enhancements outlined below were introduced in the 5.3 Version.

Product Enhancements for Version 5.3 Rev. 1
Release Date: January 24, 2002

• Custom Quote Page Columns
• Chart Session Override
• Island Book Support (Quote.com)
• Time and Sales Improvements
• New RTL Token: UTICKR For Underlying Ticker
• Chart Buttons For Changing Sessions
• Fatal Error Diagnostics Improved
• Close Alarms Menu Item In Window Menu
• Backtesting With CONFIRM Rules
• Importing V# values Using Text Files
• Deleting Custom Columns
• XLK and QQQ Option Chains
• Chart Switching Feature Added
• Feed Time and Delay Quote Page Columns
• Technical Indicator Custom Columns
• Candlestick Pattern Custom Columns
• Testing Multiple Custom Column Conditions
• Macintosh OS X and Multi-Threading
• Importing and Exporting V# User Variables
• Price Time Cycles Indicator - (Tour Info)
• Deleting Custom Columns and Presets
• Trend Detection Index - (Tour Info)
• Trend Continuation Factor - (Tour Info)
• Main Toolbar Quote Setup
• Testing for Portfolio membership in RTL
• Security Name Data Column Updating
• Renaming Custom Columns
• eSignal Pre/Post Market Charting
• New Chart Button Types
• RAND-Random Number Function added to RTL
• Donchian Channel Indicator Added - (Tour Info)
• Linear Regression Channels
• Scan/Signal Marker Text Option

• Comprehensive "What's New Reference Guide"  Last updated:  March 2007 Download Zip File     View  PDF
  What's New In Investor/RT By Version
  									9.0
  8.9	8.8	8.7	8.6	8.5	8.4	8.3	8.2	8.1	8.0
  7.6	7.5	7.4	7.3	7.2	7.1	7.0	6.2	6.1	6.0
  5.9	5.8	5.7	5.6	5.5	5.4	5.3	5.2	5.1	5.0
  4.9	4.8	4.7	4.6	4.5	4.4	4.3	4.2	4.1	4.0
  3.9	3.8	3.7	3.6	3.5	3.4	3.3	3.0

  ---

• Custom Quote Page Columns
  
  Overview
  
  Custom Quote Page Columns allow the Investor/RT user to harness the power of the RTL language to display and test calculated values in quote pages. Any scan, trading signal, or custom indicator can be added to a quote page as a custom column. In addition, any of the built-in quote page columns can be used to define a custom column for color coding and formatting the data according to user preferences. Any technical indicator available for use in the RTL language can be made into a custom column by simply creating a custom indicator containing that sole indicator token.
  
  Any number of custom columns may be defined. Once defined and given a name, the custom column can be added to any number of quote pages. Custom columns saved with a quote page will reappear in the same columnar position and width when the quote page is opened, just like built-in columns.
  
  Each column has a user specified column heading (title). The title may be the same as the name of the column but this is not required. Each column can be assigned a specific display format (e.g. 99, 99.999, 32nds, etc.), and, for custom indicators, scans, and signals, a variety of options are provided to control the frequency of calculation of the formula underlying the column's displayed values.
  
  Each column can have a list of "rules" which govern the foreground and background colors used to display the column values. A rule can test for TRUE or FALSE, for example, when a scan or trading signal is used. For custom indicators, rules can test for ranges of numeric values. For each rule, the user can specify colors and optionally, a textual message to be displayed in the quote page cell when the rule is true for that row (instrument) in the quote page.
  
  The rules for a custom column can also specify sounds, charts, and schedules that will be triggered whenever a given rule is determined to be true for a row in the quote page. For example, a custom column may be created to display the state of a scan that tests for RSI breaking from below 70 to above 70. The custom column can be setup with a rule that makes a particular sound and opens a chart named "RSI Chart" whenever the scan detects an RSI break above 70. Further, the rule could prescribe a bright red background and yellow lettering to be used to display the message "RSI ALERT" in the quote page cell when the breaks occurs. If the condition is detected on say IBM, then you would first hear the sound and note the bright red message in IBM's quote page row, then the chart named "RSI Chart" would open, showing the chart of the instrument that caused the alert. The chart would typically be setup to show the same RSI indicator used in the custom column plus any other technical indicators of interest.
  
  Each custom column that invokes a scan, signal, or custom indicator calculation has its own periodicity. The column's periodicity it used to do the calculations, overriding the periodicity of the scan or signal itself, similar to the way Scan/Signal Markers use the periodicity of the chart in which the markers are created. This makes it possible to have say, 1-minute, 5-minute, 30-minute and daily "Stochastics" displayed side by side in a quote page as custom columns. Using similar color coding rules in each column makes a powerful visual indicator when two or more of the columns take on values of interest.
  
  Custom Column User Interface
  
  The Custom Column Setup Window (the setup window) can be opened using Setup: Custom Column, or by using File: New: Custom Column. Once one more custom columns are created and saved, specific custom column setups can be accessed using the Open: Custom Column menu showing the names of all custom columns on file. When a custom column setup is modified and saved by clicking either the OK or Apply button in the setup window, all open quote pages that contain the particular column take on the new definition immediately. Use the Apply button to leave the setup window open so you can observe the visually effect of your changes before dismissing the setup window. If you have a quote page open with one or more custom columns in it, you can access the setup for the custom column by right-clicking (control-click on Macintosh) on any custom column row in the quote page. The setup window has a menu of all custom columns at the top so once open, you can switch to any other custom column you wish to inspect it or make modifications. 
  
  The setup window as a four tab interface. The "Type" tab is used to define whether the custom column is an override of a built-in data column or a scan/signal/custom indicator. When a scan, signal, or custom indicator is chosen, it's full formula and any comments are shown in the window. Choose the built-in column/scan/signal/custom indicator from the list button provided or operate the ">>" button to cycle through the items in the list. The "Type" tab includes the periodicity to be used when a scan, signal or custom indicator is selected source of the column's data. Convenience buttons are provided for creating or editing scans, signals, or custom indicators. Note that when editing a scan, signal, or custom indicator, saving the object causes all custom columns that reference that scan/signal/custom indicator to be updated to used the revised definition.
  
  The "Format" tab provides a simple user interface for specifying the column title to be used in the quote page for this custom column, and the display format and default colors to be used. All cells will have the specified default color scheme unless a rule ("Rules" tab) causes the color coding to be changed.
  
  The "Rules" tab is a spreadsheet containing up to nine rules that may be applied to the value of the custom column. The best way to explain the rules spreadsheet is to go step by step through a simple example. Suppose we want to create the rules for a custom column based on a custom indicator with the formula:
  
  100 * (CL - LO)/ (HI - LO)
  
  This is, of course, the current bar raw stochastic (RawK). It takes on values from 0 to 100. In our example we will add rules to color code extreme values (over 70 and under 30), leaving those values between 30 and 70 at the default colors. We will add a special rule with a sound and a chart when the stochastic goes over 98.
  
  Under the rules spreadsheet is a menu of "operators". The operators can be shown in either English or mathematical symbols only according to your preference. Toggle between the two by checking and unchecking the box to the left of the operator menu. 
  
  Choose "Is Less than X" and click "Add Rule" to add a rule with that operator. Fill in the value for X in the spreadsheet, in this case 30. Adjust the foreground and background colors for this rule by clicking in the color cells.
  
  Next choose "Is Greater than X" and click "Add Rule" to add a second rule to the sheet. Set X to 70 in this case and set the colors. Clicking the color cell gives you the "native" Windows or Macintosh "color picker". If you prefer to use the Investor/RT standard color picker, ctrl-click (Windows) or option-click (Macintosh). A shortcut: if you wish to change every cell in a color column to the same color, e.g. black as the foreground color, then shift-click on any cell and when your selection is completed, the chosen color will be set accordingly for all rules.
  
  Finally, click "Add Rule" again to add a third ("Is Greater Than") rule specifying X as 98. Choose a distinctive color coding for this rule and enter the text "NEAR HI" in the text cell for the third rule. To specify a sound for this condition, click in the "Sound" cell for the third row and pick from the presented list of sounds. You can add your own sounds into the sounds directory within the Investor/RT directory if you like.
  
  Other notes on the Rules tab: If you make a mistake or wish to eliminate a rule click on the row to select it and click the "Delete Rule" button. The "Move Rule" button enables the order of the rows to be arranged by moving the selected row "down one" in the list. When a rule is at the bottom of the list of rules, clicking "Move Rule" moves to back up to the top of the list. Note that every rule is tested and the actions associated with the rule are performed for every rule that tests true. With regard to color and text values, the last true rule's color and text message will appear in the quote page cell. This is why rule arrangement is important. 
  
  The "Schedule" column in the rules spreadsheet is used just like the "Chart" column. Click on the cell to pick from a list of schedules. When a particular rule is TRUE, the schedule will be run.
  
  Once you have specified a sound, chart, or schedule for a rule, if you wish to eliminate it, simply shift-click on the cell to reset it to "none".
  
  The "Recalculation" tab is only applicable when the custom column is associated with a scan, a signal, or a custom indicator. Because these formulas can be demanding on computer processing resources, options are provided for controlling the frequency of recalculation of indicators. Investor/RT keeps separate tabs on each instrument in the quote page so it can manage the recalculation independently on each row in the quote page. The recalculation options should look familiar, they are the same ones used to control the rate of recalculation of technical indicators in charts. While "tick by tick" is available, we recommend using every 1, or every 2 seconds instead, especially if the quote page will contain very active instruments like the ES and NQ futures or QQQ.
  
  When the custom column setup is complete, click OK and you will be prompted to provide a name for the custom column. Provide a descriptive name like "Today's RawK", for example.
  
  Adding Custom Columns to a Quote Page
  
  Once one or more custom columns have been defined, you can add them to any existing quote page by right clicking (control click on Macintosh) on the column title row of the quote page. Choose "Add Custom Column" from the popup menu. To remove a custom column from any quote page, simply drag the custom column title heading off the title row and drop it into the body of the quote page. Custom Columns that exist in a quote page are saved with the quote page when you click the Save button on the quote page toolbar or use File: Save to save the quote page. Custom columns can be used with either system defined or user-define quote pages. Because system defined quote pages can easily contain hundreds or thousands of ticker symbols we recommend you get familiar with this powerful new feature of Investor/RT using user-defined quote pages with a limited number of instrument rows. It is wise to create and test your custom columns using small quote pages until they operate as you intend before putting them in more populous quote pages.
  
  Modify Custom Columns
  
  Once you have one or more custom columns operating in a quote page you may wish to make adjustments to the behavior of the custom column. You can edit any custom column using the Open: Custom Column menu. If the quote page is open, right click in any cell of the custom column to open its setup window. You can adjust things like column title, rule colors, etc. and press the Apply button to save the changes and see them reflected in the open quote page(s) that contain the column. In addition, you can entirely change the setup of the custom column if you wish by choosing a different custom indicator, or you can edit the custom indicator itself (using the Edit Cust Ind button in the "Type" tab). When you edit the custom indicator associated with a custom column you can revise the formula and/or revise the setups for technical indicators used in the custom indicator formula. When you then click Save to save your custom indicator setup, the changes are reflected immediately in all open quote page(s) that contain custom column(s) that reference the revised custom indicator.
• Chart Session Override
  Prior to version 5.3 all traditional charts used the trading hours of the session associated with the instrument in the chart to determine the span of trading hours to display in intra-day charts. This method allows for great flexibility in tracking a variety of instruments each with differing trading hours. The charts adjust to the trading hours of whatever instrument in being charted. However, this method also make it somewhat difficult (and even confusing to new users of Investor/RT) to change a chart from viewing the regular trading hours to viewing the overnight trading in the same instrument. 
  
  To simply this we have made a number of changes to the preferences for chart windows to enable the chart itself to have an "override session". When a chart has an override session, the time span dictated by the chart's session is used to show the data. When a chart does not have an override session, the session of the instrument itself is used to guide the charting process as before. To activate a chart override session for a particular chart, access the chart's preferences, check the "override" checkbox and select a session from the list. To return to the instrument's session, uncheck the override checkbox. 
  
  To avoid using the dialog box, you can create "Chart Buttons" for switching chart sessions just as you can create buttons for changing periodicity and ticker symbol. The "Button" indicator has been enhanced in version 5.3 to add this third kind of button. Suppose you have session 31 set up as an "overnight (24 hour) session" and session 0 is your normal "Day Session". Add two buttons to the chart (press insert key and select "Button"). The first button would have a specification of "31:24H", the second "0:RTH". Note the colon separates the session number and the button label you wish to appear on the face of the button. Two buttons in the chart window would then appear having "24H" and "RTH" as their titles. Clicking these buttons switches the chart's "view" between the two sessions. If you want these session button to appear in every chart you use in Investor/RT, then edit the button setups and choose "All Chart, Any Instrument" as the "Scope" of the button.
  
  In addition to the session override enhancement, we have simplified the default preferences for traditional charts. Setup: Preferences: Charts: Traditional Chart now has an improved way to specify the default viewing periods for various kinds of periodicities (tick, minute interval, daily, weekly, monthly). The default preferences can specify either a number of units of time (hours, days, weeks, months, years) or the view period can be expressed simply as a fixed number of bars (from the present back in time) for each periodicity type. The bars method will be preferred by many (for the intra-day minute intervals case especially) since changing the periodicity of the chart will not affect the number of bars displayed, i.e. the amount of time displayed in an intra-day interval chart will expand with the number of minutes in the periodicity.
• Island Book Display (Quote.com)
  The Level II window in the Quote.com version of Investor/RT can be used to view the "Island Book" for any instrument. In the ticker symbol entry box at the top of the window, enter "ISLD:QQQ" for example, to see the Island book for QQQ. Enter QQQ alone and press return to go back to NASDAQ Level II. The Level II window can also be used to view regional exchange bid/ask/sizes for NYSE listed stocks as well.
• Time and Sales Improvements
  The Time and Sales window now has a user option for suppressing the display of the date, i.e. only the time of each tick is shown in HH:MM:SS format. When reviewing tick data spanning multiple dates the "Date" checkbox can be checked to see both date and time. In addition, improvements were made to "remember" the column widths of each column in the time and sales window (and all view/edit windows for that matter). Once you have adjusted the column widths of a time and sales window to your liking, right-click in the window and click "Save as Default" to make those widths your default settings.
• New RTL token: UTICKR for underlying ticker
  The token UTICKR was added to the RTL language to enable scans for options having a particular underlying symbol, e.g. the scan:
  
  UTICKR = "MSFT" and STRIKE > 50
  
  would find all options setup in Investor/RT having IBM as the underlying ticker symbol and strike price over $50
• Chart Buttons for changing Sessions
  As mentioned in item #2 above, the Button indicator for traditional charts has been enhanced to add the ability to switch the chart's override session. To create a session button in your charts, add a button indicator, set the "Purpose" of the button to "Change the Session...". In the entry box enter one or more session button specifications separated by commas. Multiple specifications are appropriate for "Menu" style buttons. Each specification has the format dd:label, where dd is the session number and label is the text you wish to appear either in the menu or on the face of the button. For example, the specification 31:Globex for a single session pushbutton would result in a button titled "Globex". Clicking the button in the chart switches the charts override session to session #31. If you enter 99 instead of a real session number, the purpose of the button will be to return the chart to the regular trading hours dictated by the session of the instrument in the chart. A specification like "99:RTH" has this effect. If you wish to have a chart session menu button, enter a specification like:
  
  99:RTH, 0:Stocks, 3:Grains, 31:Globex
  
  This results in a button having four menu choices: RTH, Stocks, Grains, and Globex
• Fatal Error diagnostics improved
  Our goal at Linn Software has always been to provide quality software for use by active traders and investors. This means that product stability and reliability are very important to us. Investor/RT can be 99% bug free and yet some users who happen to use a particular technical indicator in a certain way, with a particular ticker symbol and/or with a particular data feed may experience repeated fatal errors due to an isolated bug in the software. Our goal is to eliminate any and all sources of product instability.
  
  To this end, in version 5.3 we have added additional fatal error diagnostics designed to identify whether a technical indicator calculation was in process when the error occurred and if so, which indicator was being calculated, which instrument was involved, and how many bars of data were present. If you encounter any fatal error message like this, it will be logged into the "Message Log" so that after starting Investor/RT up again you can use File: Open: Message Log to view the error message and copy/paste it into an email to support@linnsoft.com. Our hope is that the improved diagnostics will enable us to quickly identify indicator related errors, reproduce them and fix them. Sometimes a fatal error involving an indicator is the result of a particular set of preferences in use in the indicator calculation. Please try to include this information when you email a fatal error report. If you do not use the built-in email feature of Investor/RT to send the message, then please include your user profile as well.
• Close Alarms menu item in Window Menu
  The Close submenu in the Window menu now has an "Alarms" menu item. This command closes all open Alarm windows. If you wish to review the list of instruments for which an alarm has triggered open the ".Alarms" quote page.
• Backtesting with CONFIRM rules
  Version 5.3 fixes a long standing bug in backtesting having to do with more complex trading systems that utilize "CONFIRM" rules. When CONFIRM is the action for a rule and the rule tests true for some bar, the next rule is then tested as confirmation. This feature is designed to enable you to test a signal only when some other signal has already been determined to be true. This makes backtesting more efficient as well since the rule after the CONFIRM rule is tested only if the CONFIRM rule preceding it tests true. 
  
  When a CONFIRM rule tests false, the backtest is supposed to skip over the rule following the CONFIRM. Actually, you can have a series of two or more confirm rule in a row, so the skipping continues until the confirm sequence ends. Then the backtesting continues with the next rule for the current bar. The bug was in the "skipping" process. It had the effect of skipping all of the rules following any false confirm rule, thus moving on to the next bars without testing the remainder of the rules for that bar. If a CONFIRM rule and its companion rule(s) are at the end of the rule list, the bug would have no apparent effect, but obviously if you had a CONFIRM rule followed by other actionable rules in your trading system, this bug could cause signals to be missed. The 5.3 release fixes the problem so that CONFIRM rules are processed correctly.
• Importing V# Values Using Text Files
  Data values from outside sources for each ticker can now be imported into user assigned V# variables so that the data can be used for reference in quote pages, scans, etc. The data values must be numeric data. To import numeric values simply setup a format using Setup: Formats. For example, support you had a text file in the following format:
  
  AAPL,1.11,2.22,3.33 IBM,4.44,5.55,6.66 MSFT,7.77,8.88,9.99 Etc.
  
  Each line in the file in this example contains a ticker symbol followed by three numbers, all fields separated by commas (or tabs). Setup a format and name it "Import Three Numbers". The format could be "ticker, V#1, V#2, V#3" for example. Then use File: Import to import the data. Specify "Current Quotes/Other Data" as the Import Type. Specify "Import Three Numbers" as the format to use. When you import the data, variable V#1 will receive the value 1.11 for AAPL, 4.44 for IBM, and 7.77 for MSFT.
  
  Note that the Import format you use can include any V# variables, V#1 through V#512. However, only V#1 through V#6 are saved permanently on the database when you Quit Investor/RT. V#7 through V#512 can be used as temporary variables for holding imported data, but these variable are reset to zero when you quit. 
  
  If you want to preserve the value of V# variables higher than V#7 when you quit, simply create a quote page format containing the ticker followed by V#1 variable columns you wish to preserve. Open the .All Symbols quote page and put the .All Symbols page into this format. Then Issue the File: Save as Text command to save all of the data as a text file. This text file can be imported back into Investor/RT at a later time using File: Import as described above. The format you used to "Save as Text" is the format you should specify when you import. Thus, this new capability to import V# variables makes it possible to extend Investor/RT to save all of your V# variables permanently with a little setup work.
• Deleting Custom Columns
  Custom Columns, just like charts, quote pages, scans, and other Investor/RT "objects" can now be deleted (or renamed) using the Delete/Rename feature. When you delete a custom column using this facility, Investor/RT will automatically remove the column for any open quote pages in which it resides.
• XLK And QQQ Option Chains
  The option generator (Setup: Equity and Index Options) has been improved to generate chains of XLK and QQQ options at $1 strike price increments.
• Chart Switching Feature Added
  Traditional charts have a new feature designed to enable fast switching from one chart definition to another. In the lower right corner of each traditional chart window is the "Chart Name", the name by which the chart is listed in the chart selection list. If you click on the chart name, Investor/RT will pop up a list of chart names, select one and click ok, or simply double-click on any chart name to switch the current window to the selected chart. If the selected chart is not a "traditional chart", however, the selected chart will be opened in a new window.
• Feed Time And Delay Quote Page Columns
  These columns are now supported in the Quote.com version of Investor/RT. Delay shows the delay in minutes for the instrument. Zero means "real-time". Feed Time shows the feed transmitted time that the last trade took place. You can compare this with the "Date Time" or "Time" to see if there is a difference. The data column "Lag" shows the difference between the clock time when the trade was received and the feed time. Hopefully the "lag" seconds is a small number.
• Technical Indicator Custom Columns
  Custom Columns can be created directly for all RTL technical indicators. Prior to this enhancement it was necessary to create a custom indicator that referenced a technical indicator to accomplish this. In the "Type" tab of the Custom Column setup window, check the "Technical Indicator" radio button. Choose an indicator from the list provided. The preferences for the selected indicator will initially be the default settings (as set in Setup: Prefs: Charts: Technical Indicators). Change the preferences for the indicator by clicking the Setup button. If there are any "presets" defined for the chosen indicator you can change the settings to a preset by clicking the "Use Preset" button. A list of presets for the indicator will appear when you click this button.
• Candlestick Pattern Custom Columns
  You can create a custom column that will report whether certain candlestick patterns are true for the instruments in a quote page. Setup the custom column as a "technical indicator" column. Choose "CPR: Candlestick Pattern Recognition" as the indicator. Click Setup and choose one more patterns to test. Setup an "Is True" rule using the "Rules" tab to display TRUE or your own text message when the indicator is true. For example, if you were looking for Doji's, you could create a custom column to test this one pattern and have the custom column display "DOJI" whenever that pattern occurs for the instrument. Each custom column can have its own periodicity, so you can easily create multiple columns looking for candlestick pattern(s) in various periodicities.
• Testing Multiple Custom Column Conditions
  Each custom column, whether it references a built-in column, a scan or signal, a custom indicator or a technical indicator has a value for each instrument that changes over time. Scans and trading signals are true/false expressions that have a numeric value of 1.0 (true) or 0.0 (false). If you want to make the calculated value of some custom column available to other scans/signals/custom indicators (and hence to other custom columns) then you can specify a V# user variable for the custom column using the "Calculation" tab of the Custom Column setup window. Suppose, for example you had three custom columns each showing some moving average. You could use, say V#10 for one moving average column, V#11 for another, and V#12 for the third one. The values for V#10, V#11, and V#12 will change dynamically as the custom columns are recalculated. Thus, you can rely on these value to create a custom indicator such as:
  
  (CL > V#10) + (CL > V#11) + (CL > V#12)
  
  Make another custom column to show the value of this custom indicator. The formula will evaluate to 3 if an instrument's last price is above all three moving averages, 2 if above only two moving averages. A zero value indicates the last price is below all three moving averages. Rules for each value 0,1,2, and 3 can then color code the custom column. Notice there is very little processing involved in evaluating this custom column since all of the moving averages are pre-calculated and available via the V# user variables. This is a very powerful mechanism. Any custom column calculation can essentially pass its results using a user variable to any other column, which in turn considers the V# variable in it's own formula. Note that the calculation order of cells for each row in a quote page is left to right, thus the custom columns should be arranged in such a way that any dependent columns be to the right of the column(s) that produce the V# results it needs. Note also that any custom indicator or scan/signal can also include SET statements in their formulas. User variables set in this fashion are similarly available to other calculations going on in other custom columns within any open quote pages.
• Macintosh OS X and Multi-threading
  The Macintosh OS X version of Investor/RT supports multi-threaded data feed streaming. This performance-enhancing feature has long been incorporated into the Windows versions of Investor/RT. Streaming market data is processed in parallel with the main Investor/RT application. This speeds up overall throughput and ensures that data acquisition continues even during periods of heavy processing loads. The Macintosh OS X version is better able to "keep up with the feed" in real-time and the feed processing thread eliminates or substantially reduces dropped connections. Both the myTrack and DTN.IQ data services are supported with this new facility under Mac OS X. The Dial/Data version of Investor/RT is also available under OS X but does not require multi-threading services. This feature supports either single or dual processor Macintosh computers. Some Mac PowerPC computers more than four years old, e.g. 6100/7100/8100 models, do not support multi-threading due to hardware limitations. All G3/G4 Desktops, PowerBooks, iBooks and iMacs are compatible. Macintosh users running OS 9 can take advantage of the improved performance of the OS X version as well. The OS X version of Investor/RT is developed using Apple "Carbon" technology. The application will run natively under OS 9 and will exhibit the improved data feed access performance due to multi-threading. For information on upgrading Investor/RT licenses for OS X please contact sales@linnsoft.com
• Importing and Exporting V# User Variables
  The Import facility (File Menu) has been enhanced to allow values for any V# user variable to be imported. For example, externally acquired fundamental data or calculated data of any kind could be imported in this fashion. Then the imported V# values for each instrument can be used in scans, custom indicators, signals, etc. Use the "Current Quotes" option when importing. Create a "Format" that includes the ticker and the V# variables to be imported. Note that at present only V#1 through V#6 values are retained permanently for each instrument on the database when Investor/RT quits. Thus, values imported for other V# variables must be re-imported when Investor/RT starts up again. In fact, you could use the import format to open the .all symbols quote page in this format, then save the page as text. This will save the ticker and each V# value to a text file that can be easily imported at any future time those values are needed for some purpose. Note that "exporting" V# values is not accomplished using File: Export. File: Export is for exporting historical data of any periodicity. File: Save: Save as Text is used to save a quote page of instrument data as a text file. Saved quote page text files can be imported using File: Import.
• Price Time Cycles Indicator - (Tour Info)
  The Price Time Cycles indicator is a flexible tool that allows repeating shapes to be drawn in price and time throughout the chart. A base shape is positioned based on a set of price and date/time coordinates. These coordinates dictate the lower left corner or center of the base shape. The size of the shape is dictated by the height and width parameters. Height is given in units of price, while width uses units of bars. The base shape can be repeated continuously throughout the chart by checking the "repeating" checkbox. The repeating shapes can be spaced both vertically and horizontally. The spacing is dictated by the Vertical Spacing and Horizontal Spacing parameters in the preferences. For more information about this indicator click here.
• Deleting Custom Columns and Presets
  The Delete/Rename window now supports view/renaming/deleting of both custom columns and technical indicator presets. When a custom column is deleted, it will be removed from all quote pages in which it resides, including all open quote pages. To access the Delete Rename window, click the Delete/Rename button (green trash can) on the main toolbar and click the "Rename" button if prompted. The window is also accessible using the Control Menu under the Data Management submenu.
• Trend Detection Index - (Tour Info)
  The Trend Detection Index (TDI) was introduced by M. H. Pee. TDI is used to detect when a trend has begun and when it has come to an end. The TDI can be used as a stand-alone indicator or combined with others; it will perform well in detecting the beginning of trends. TDI should be used in conjunction with protective stops as well as trailing stops. These stops are required to protect against large losses when the indicator generates a losing trade. The TDI can trade a diverse portfolio of markets profitably over many years, using the same parameters throughout. For more information about this indicator click here.
• Trend Continuation Factor - (Tour Info)
  The Trend Continuation Factor (TCF) was introduced by M. H. Pee. It was created to help identify the trend, and it's direction. For more information about this indicator click here.
• Main Toolbar Quote Setup
  Right-click in the main toolbar status message area and choose Quote Setup to establish tickers whose current change in price will periodically (once a minute) display briefly as a message in the main toolbar message area. If a modifier key (shift or ctrl, Macintosh option key) is depressed when the menu choice is made, the setup window will not open and the current display of quotes will be refreshed in the main toolbar. This is a new shortcut that saves you the trouble of opening the setup window and pressing the Show Now button simply to refresh the quotes
• Testing for Portfolio membership in RTL
  The PFO token in RTL can be used in a scan to determine if the instrument being tested belongs to a particular portfolio or not, or whether the instrument being tested belongs to a portfolio whose name matches some pattern. Support you have portfolios named "Tech1", "Tech2", "Tech123" and "HiTech". Here are some sample scans with a comment explaining them:
  
  PFO = "Tech1"; Find instruments held in portfolio Tech1
  
  PFO = "Tech1" OR PFO = "Tech123"; Find instruments in either Tech1 or Tech123
  
  PFO = "Tech*"; Find instruments held in a portfolio whose name begins with Tech
  
  PFO = "Tech1 AND PFO != "Tech123"; Find instruments held in Tech1 but not in Tech123"
  
  PFO = "*Tech*"; Find instruments held in any portfolio with Tech in the name
  
  PFO = "Tech?"; Find instruments help in any portfolio whose name begins with Tech and is followed by one and only one character. In this example, instruments in Tech1 or Tech2 would qualify, while instruments in Tech123 would not.
• Security Name Data Column Updating
  Data services transmit security names for the instruments being tracked by Investor/RT. Some clients prefer to enter their own names, or even use the security name field to put codes or notes of various kinds after the name. So, we have adopted a method whereby the user can designate that the security name is okay as is and should not be updated by the data service. Place an exclamation point as the last character of the name and the name will not be updated again. Any security name text that does not end with ! is eligible for replacement by the officially transmitted security name as published by the data service.
• Renaming Custom Columns
  The delete rename facility has been fixed so that custom columns can be renamed.
• eSignal Pre/Post Market Charting
  Investor/RT now requests pre and post market "FORMT" historical data when downloading intra-day data. If you wish this data to be included in your charts, scans, back tests, etc. then adjust the session times for the instrument's session to include the pre and post market hours of interest.
• New Chart Button Types In Version 5.3
  Chart buttons can be used as single-click buttons or menu buttons for changing the ticker symbol, periodicity, or the override session of a chart window. In 5.3 Rev 1 two more button types are available: Chart Toolbar Buttons, and Technical Indicator Preset buttons.
  Chart Toolbar Buttons
  Chart Toolbar Buttons enable you to have any of the 24 charting toolbar buttons embedded directly in the chart. These are icon buttons with the same graphic images as the buttons on the chart toolbar. This feature enables you to put your most often used toolbar buttons into the chart window, eliminating or reducing the need to have the full charting toolbar visible. For example, if you typically draw many Trendlines and Fibonacci Retracements, the toolbar buttons for these drawing tools can be added to your chart(s). By specifying the "Scope" of the buttons to be "All Chart, Any Instrument", toolbar buttons can be made available for all chart windows automatically.
  
  Technical Indicator Preset Buttons
  Technical Indicator Preset Buttons enable you to create single-click buttons for adding (or removing) preset technical indicators to the chart. A preset, is a collection of settings for some technical indicator that is saved under a user specified name. Presets can be easily created from any technical indicator setup window by operating the Presets Menu, choosing the "Save Current Prefs As..." menu item. Once you have created presets for the indicators you use, indicator preset buttons can be added to the chart. Preset Buttons act as "toggle buttons", that is, when you click a preset button, I/RT will check to see if the associated preset is already present in the chart window. If not, a new technical indicator with those settings is added to the chart. If the preset does exist, the indicator is removed from the chart. Thus you can click once to see the indicator. click again to remove it. Preset buttons are small with a short "token" title on the face, e.g. MA for moving averages, MACD, CCI, BB for Bollinger Bands, etc. Pointing the mouse at a preset button activates a tool tip window showing the user specified name of the indicator preset. This facility makes it very easy to setup an array of buttons for the indicators you like to use with the settings you typically use. Indicators can be added or removed with a single click. This can reduce the clutter when many indicators are present in the same pane.
  
  When combined with ticker, periodicity, and session buttons, these two new button types enable you to essentially pre load your chart windows with a row buttons customized to the way you use the chart to watch the market, Operations that in the past required access to the toolbar and/or dialog boxes can now be completed with single-clicks or quick menu choices directly from the chart itself.
• RAND-Random Number Function added to RTL
  A new function, RAND, has been added to the RTL language. It takes two values, a lower range and an upper range as input and produces a random integral number in that range. For example, RAND(1,100) produces a random number between 1 and 100. RAND(-1, 1) would randomly take on integral values +1, -1, and zero
• Linear Regression Channels
  The Linear Regression Forecast indicator has been enhanced with a "channels" options. Upper and lower channels (bands) can be drawn at a user-specified offset from the linear regression lines. The offset is express in standard deviations.
  
  
• Scan/Signal Marker Text Option
  You can now annotate scan/signal markers with user specified text. In the setup for Scan/Signal Markers, check the "Text" checkbox and fill in the text box. Text placement will depend on the placement options of the marker itself.