MetaStock Data Format

The MetaStock data format is a widely recognized way to store securities price data. Although often associated with the Equis MetaStock charting program, this data format can also be used by many other charting and technical analysis programs.

A MetaStock format data portfolio will store all of its files in the same folder. This includes the data files for each security in the portfolio as well as the master index files. The master index files hold key information for each security such as the symbol, the description, the number of records on file, and which data fields are in use.

Here are some specifics on the MetaStock data format:

• QCollector supports MetaStock version 6.52 data format.
• The format is limited to single precision. This means the data has about 7 digits of precision.
• Data for up to 2000 securities can be stored in each directory (portfolio).
• QCollector supports a maximum of 65,500 records per security which is compatible with the MetaStock 6.52 data format. However, it is important to note that some charting programs only support the old limit of 32,500 records, and may have problems if they encounter more records. QCollector gives you the option of using the older record limit if that is required.
• The MetaStock data format specifies an intraday bar interval in the range of 0 - 60 minutes. QCollector lets you set the bar interval as high as 255 minutes, but note that some programs will not recognize bar intervals greater than 60 minutes.