Introduction ------------ Import Quotes (IQ) is a Windows program that convert and import quotes into Quicken. Quotes retrieved from online services such as CompuServe and Fidelity Online Exchange can be converted to a Quicken import file, and imported directly into Quicken. To convert quotes, you simply create a file containing the quotes. Next you tell IQ where the file is, and how to parse it. Finally, you start the conversion, and IQ creates an import file with the converted quotes. The method for saving quotes from online services will vary. If you use WINCIM, you save quotes after they are displayed by selecting "save as" from the file menu, and entering a filename (Tip: setup the recorder with a hot-key to automate saving quotes to a file). The IQ program import quotes into Quicken by mimicing Quicken keystrokes to import quotes from a file. When an import is started, IQ scans the desktop for Quicken. If Quicken is found, it is activated and sent keystrokes to import the quotes. IQ can also be configured to start Quicken if is not on the desktop. However, this is not recommended if you use password protection on your Quicken account. If you do use a password, start Quicken, enter your password, and then tell IQ to convert and import the quotes. Refer to your Quicken manual for the format of the import quote file. It is highly recommended that before importing quotes into Quicken, read the Quicken manual to setup the accounts, along with security symbols. Also before importing, perform a conversion only and then check the output file from the conversion ("filename".iq) to make sure that quotes are being converted properly. If you are using an unregistered version, open the converted file in an editor such as notepad for viewing. If you're using a registered version, turn on logging before the conversion, and then view the log after the conversion is complete. If the conversion does not work properly, adjust the parser parameters and try again. Once you are satisfied that the conversion is working properly, start an import. Features -------- 1) Convert and/or import quotes into Quicken with one keystroke. 2) Configurable parser. 3) Date selection for imported quotes (With this feature, you can enter quotes from a previous date). 3) *Ability to create, store, and retrieve different parser sets. (Nice feature if you get quotes from multiple sources and you need to keep different parsing parameters for each quote source) 4) Set Editor for creating parser sets. 5) *Conversion and import log. File Contents of iq.zip ----------------------- readme.txt - this file iq.exe - import quote executable file iqhooks.dll - dynamic link library used by iq iq.ini - initilization file for iq bwcc.dll - borland custom dialog dynamic link library order.txt - registration form history.txt - change and bug fix history Installation ------------ Create a \iq directory or use the current directory that the files were unziped into. The files iq.exe, iqhooks.dll, iq.ini, and order.txt MUST be in the same directory. The bwcc.dll file should be moved to the \windows\system directory if one is not already present, or is older than this version. Next, using program manager, create a new item in your desired program group and enter the file name along with path for IQ (iq\iq.exe) in the command line entry. Program Operation ----------------- Main Control Dialog ------------------- Start - Press the start pushbutton to convert and/or import quotes. Note: setup options after installation before entering start. Options - Press the options pushbutton to open the options dialog box. *View Log - Press the view log pushbutton to view the conversion/import log About - Press the about pushbutton to get info about the program and to register. Options Dialog -------------- 'Program Control' is where you tell IQ what to do when the start button is pressed. IQ can be instructed to convert, import, or convert and import when the start pushbutton is pressed. When the *'log' flag is set, IQ logs all conversions and imports to the log file. The log file name is "iq.log", and it is created in the same directory that the "iq.exe" file resides in. The 'Quote Input File' is the path and filename that contains the quotes to be converted. This is the file that is saved from your online service or other source. When performing a conversion, IQ creates a new file with the same name as your input file with a '.iq' extension. This new file contains the converted quotes and is created in the same directory that the Quote Input File resides in. If no path is specified, the Quote Input File is assumed to be in the current working directory. The 'Quicken Command' is the command line to start Quicken. If you set this up, IQ will execute this command before importing if Quicken is not running on the desktop. You should leave this field blank if you use password protection on your Quicken account. The 'Conversion Parser' section contains the parameters that tell IQ how to parse the 'Quote Input File'. A quote consist of three components, a symbol, price, and date. The parser parameters tell IQ which columns in the 'Quote Input File' contains these components and what is the starting row or line of the first quote. Most quotes that are retrieved contain some number of header lines before the first quote. Enter a number between 0 and 99 in the 'Header Lines' field to indicate the number of header lines before the first quote. Enter a column number between 1 and 239 for the 'Symbol Column'. Enter a column number between 1 and 239 for the 'Price Column'. Enter the source of the date from the list. The date can be taken from either the 'Quote Input File', from the field below, or the current date. If the current date is selected, the date will be the date that the quotes are converted. If the date source is from the field, enter the date (mm/dd/yy) in the date field. If the date source is from the file, enter a column number between 1 and 239 for the 'Date Column'. The Create, Load, and Delete pushbuttons are used to create/save, load and delete parser sets. One parser set consist of: o User supplied tag (up to 8 chars.) o Number of header lines o Symbol Column o Price Column o Date Column o Date Source Create - Press the create pushbutton to start the set editor to create and save a parser set. Load - Press the load pushbutton to load a parser set into the option menu conversion parser fields. Delete - Press the delete pushbutton to delete a parser set. There are two predefined parser sets available with the program: Number of Header Symbol Price Date Date TAG Lines Column Column Column Source --------- ------------------ ------ ------ ------ ------ WINCIM 2 1 36 56 Current FOX 2 18 46 145 From File If you use WINCIM to get quotes, use the WINCIM parser set to parse a quote file saved from WINCIM. If you create an export file from Fidelity Online Exchange, use the FOX parser set to parse this file. Use the set editor to create additional parser sets. OK - Press the OK pushbutton to save the options and return to the main control dialog. Cancel - Press the cancel pushbutton to discard any changes made while in the option menu, and return to the main control dialog. Set Editor - Creating a parser set ---------------------------------- Use the set editor to create and save a parser set. Before starting the editor, enter the 'Quote Input file'. This is the file that will be loaded into the editor. The set editor initializes with the parser parameters from the option menu. Make sure that the marker option is on to see the current parser settings applied to the file. To create a parser set, position the cursor to the symbol column for the first quote in the file and press the left-mouse button. A cursor position dialog box will appear. Check the 'first quote row' box and the 'symbol column' box. If the marker option is on, the symbol column should appear in reverse video starting at the first quote row, and the letter 'S' will be displayed on the first row. To identify the price column, position the cursor to the price column, press the left-mouse button, and check the 'price column' box (column reverse video with letter 'P' in the first row). To identify the date column, position the cursor to the date column, press the left-mouse button, and check the 'date column' box (column reverse video with the letter 'D' in first row). Note, the first quote can be identified at anytime or while obtaining the symbol, price, or date column. File Menu Save - Save the editor parser settings, i.e. the number of header lines, symbol column, price column, date column, and date source. Enter a tag to identify the parser set. Once the set has been created it can be loaded into the option menu conversion parser fields at anytime by pressing the load pushbutton on the option menu. Quit - Discard the editor parser settings and return to the option menu. Exit - Move the editor parser settings, i.e. the number of header lines, symbol column, price column, date column, and date source to the option menu conversion parser fields and return to the option menu. Options Menu Markers - Select Markers to turn the settings markers on or off. Date - Select the date source for the quotes. Notes on Parsing ----------------- Right-Adusted data & White Spaces --------------------------------- The parser is capable of skipping over white spaces preceding a column entry. This gives the parser the capability to parse right-adjusted data in columns. When parsing right-adjusted data columns, the best place to set the cursor is the column immediately following the previous data column, which is usually a blank. * Only available in the licensed version.