Each month in this Journal, our technical support staff addresses issues of interest to many CSI subscribers in a question-and-answer format. This month, they present questions about Unfair Advantage(UA), focusing primarily on premium services.

Notice:
  The views and information expressed in this document reflect the opinions and experience of the author Robert C. Pelletier.  Neither CSI nor the author undertake or intend to provide tax advice or trading advice in any market or endorse any outside individual or firm.  All recommendations are provided for their informational value only.  Readers should consult competent financial advisors or outside counsel before making any software purchase or investment decision.  CSI does not stand behind or endorse the products of any outside firms.

Copyright (c) 1998 Commodity Systems Inc. (CSI).  All rights are reserved.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Important Notice

   UA's Uninstall function should only be used if UA is stored in its own directory (probably C:\UA). Do not use Uninstall if the software is in your root directory (probably C:\).

Always back up your hard drive before using any Uninstall program!

Questions and Answers

Q.
   I installed my new Unfair Advantage version 1.71.5 and added a few contract specifications to my portfolio. Why does data distribution take longer than before?

A.
   Like many UA subscribers, you used Version 1.71.5's option (through General Applications in User Settings) of automatically adding cash prices for every series. You also may have selected the Nearest Future Group for many commodities, and requested all output data in chart form. Consider this a belated warning that excessive and indiscriminate use of these features can slow Unfair Advantage significantly.
Asking for cash prices through the User Settings doubles the master database request. As a faster alternative, we suggest you selectively add cash to the necessary files through the portfolio manager. The Nearest Future Group option now eliminates expired contracts automatically, but in doing so, can drastically increase the processing time. Charting is a great way to review your contracts of interest, but creating superfluous charts increases the chance of memory leaks and unnecessarily slows the system.
The best way to minimize distribution time is to develop a portfolio that reflects your normal, daily needs and that excludes those charts and files that are never or rarely used. Remember that UA allows you to quickly create any chart or file "on demand" after your initial data distribution.

Q.
   I am a Beta tester of UA 1.72, which includes the nifty new file appending feature. I thought this would be fast, but after one use, I found it to be much slower. Is there a problem?

A.
   There may be undiscovered problems with our Beta Test version of this software, but in-home tests by users like you help us ferret them out. However, a slow first update with UA version 1.72 is expected and does not indicate a problem.
UA version 1.72 must initially build and save a file for every contract in your current portfolio. Depending on the size and complexity of your portfolio, this can take more than just a few minutes. Although your first update is expected to be lengthy, you can expect lightning-fast updates on subsequent days because of the new file-appending feature. 
Keep in mind that charts will always slow down the process a bit because they are not kept on hand for the appending function. Likewise, some adjusted continuous and newly added nearest-future group contracts will need to be rebuilt periodically. You'll note that we sent two versions of UA on the same CD-ROM. This is to give our Beta Test users the ability to regress back to 1.71.5 if you have a problem unique to your own application.

Q.
   I installed the new CD holding the latest Unfair Advantage on top of my earlier version to avoid losing my portfolio modifications. Now there seems to be a gap in my history files. What should I do now?

A.
   Failure to Uninstall the previous version before installing from a new UA CD can result in a gap such as yours, but please don't panic. This is easily remedied. Just back up your current UA into your \OLDUA directory (see the manual for instructions), then Uninstall the program from your \UA directory. Next clear out the last-update date by deleting the file UA.INI from your Windows directory.
Shut down your computer and restart it before installing the new version from your CD. Once installation is complete, use your Windows Explorer to copy the file PORTFILE.ADM from your \OLDUA directory to your current \UA directory. Restart your computer again, and your next update should bring all files current with no gaps, while still preserving your existing portfolio. Preservation of your portfolio may not be possible if it was created with a very old version of UA. If incompatibility occurs, you will need to recreate your portfolio through UA's portfolio manager.
Please note that the Uninstall program should ONLY be used if you are replacing UA with a CD from CSI. Uninstall is NOT used when upgrading through the web site. 

Q.
   How can I get a Beta Test version of UA 1.72?

A.
   Current UA subscribers who want to be among the first to get our latest enhancements may order a Beta Test CD (including versions 1.71.5 and 1.72) for a $10 handling fee. The handling fee includes postage through priority mail or first class air mail overseas. Fed Ex is extra, and all orders must be prepaid. Contact CSI to order.