Not sure if this is the right place for this question. Searched around but couldn't find a related topic... Is there a way to import data into MetaStock so that it can then be formatted as a formula and acted upon by a System Test? I have data in an Excel Spreadsheet different from the standard O,H,L,C,V,OI price identifiers. I created and OLE link and charted the data and it appears to be an indicator with great potential. I'd like to run a System Test to be sure but I need to get the data into MetaStock in a price identifier format such as the O,H,L,C,etc. (or do I?). Can this be done (for instance, add a column to the data in the Downloader), or is there otherwise some way to accomplish what I'm attempting to do? Thanks, Thom

Are you stuck doing this via OLE? If so, I'd like to see your solution. All that comes to mind quickly is that you'd have to run your test based on the individual components of the price (open OR high OR low, etc). If you're willing to get out of OLE and manually update, and assuming EOD data, your could use the Downloader to create the security from your Excel data. From there, you would be able to run any system test and plot the data in its entirity. I'm interested in this sorta stuff, so I'll keep an eye on this thread.

So, you're trying to use your Excel data as an index by which to compare your other MS securities? Can you upload a small sample of your Excel data that you are OLE linking back to MS?

Hey Thom- Thanks for your very useful follow up. I'm sorry for having been slow getting up to speed with your dilemma. Your workaround is interesting and useful. Believe it or not, I'm attracted to that method. The power of Excel & MS combined is a tough combination. Lethal! LOL! Anyway, my thoughts on making it not so "EXTREMELY tedious" is to set up an Excel macro prior to pasting to format your data. Within Excel, don't forget that you can hide rows. You could hide every Nth row for example. OR, you can insert rows, such as insert 4 rows every 5th row and copy the contents in a manner to pad your data (same data x 5 days). Once your format matches your underlying security in MS, perform a block Copy & Paste function. Done. See the attached sample. 'Tedious' is a subjective feeling, but I think it's pretty easy. BTW, I'd paste into the OI column, but that's just because I don't otherwise use OI. Here are some >>rough<< Excel macro examples. You can edit them to suit your particular needs. EXCEL Macro- hide every 6th row: [code:1:89e2b18d2d]On Error Resume Next Dim i As Single For i = 0 To 65536 Step 6 Range("A6").Offset(i, 0).Select Selection.EntireRow.Hidden = True Next i Range("A1").Select[/code:1:89e2b18d2d] EXCEL Macro- insert 4 rows every 5th row: [code:1:89e2b18d2d]On Error Resume Next Dim i As Single For i = 0 To 65536 Step 5 Range("A1").Offset(i, 0).Select For j = 0 To 3 Selection.Insert Next j Next i End Sub[/code:1:89e2b18d2d] ************************** BACK TO THE ORIGINAL QUESTION ************************** Once you have your data plotted, you can further manipulate the data and create a custom indicator based upon that data. e.g., when you have your OLE data plotted in the new inner window, it will plot with a name of "Indicator". You can then create a custom indicator based upon that plot, using the P variable (see pp 65-66 in the Formula Primer), or even INDICATOR. See the attached screen shot. Now, this doesn't really take you to home plate, but again, it is interesting. I have been playing with it all morning, but can't seem to get it to be recognized as a valid reference in the Explorer or System Tester. In my example, I named my custom indicator ExcelOLE. If you try to run an exploration, it will show you that the indicator exists, but when you reference it, it will give you an error "requires an indicator plot in the active chart". Duh... well, it is, but I can't figure out why it goes unnoticed. I'm trying to reference it using the fml() function. i.e., Fml("ExcelOLE"). So, that's all I have for the moment. If I get any further, I'll update you here. Please do the same. George

Ah yes, hiding rows—completely forgot about that! Thanks for the reminder and the examples of how to best go about doing it. I actually had begun resorting to your second suggestion which was to insert rows to pad the data. Only issue there is that I have to make sure to account for holidays along the way but that's an easy fix after the fact. Regarding the indicator, I'm with you there. The indicator method was my first attempt. Same results: it won't recognize any data. I tried to reference it with a formula but got nowhere. Best I can figure is that the data must reside within one of the price array identifier columns in the Downloader in order to be recognized. My first thought was to simply add a column to the Downloader file of my base security and paste in the data, but found I could not add columns (aaaggghhh!), only rows (what's up with that?). That's when I went the indicator route, but...you've seen the results. It seems a simple fix to me: Give MS the ability to add columns of additional data into the Downloader file of any base security. I'm not a programmer of that caliber (or any caliber, really), so maybe it entails more than I imagine, but it still seems simple to me. I'll be away for the weekend but will continue working on this to see if I can come up with a better way. In the meantime, thanks for the assistance George; I appreciate it. T.