1. We have modified several areas in the program to accommodate the new “weeklys” (we’re going with the CBOE’s spelling on this). Weeklys are available on the SPX and OEX right now, and we understand that the CBOE will be coming out with weeklys on other assets as well. The BDB has a new file called WKLYS.DTA to convey information about them and to allow the program to automatically include the weeklys in a Matrix. If you are interested in the weeklys, go into View | Default AutoStrike and check the new checkbox entitled “Include weeklys if available”.

2. Users of BackTrader sometimes had a problem with the way this feature wiped out their current volatility data and other information in existing asset files. Therefore we made the program by default store asset files into a temporary folder while in BackTrader mode. When you leave BackTrader mode, this temporary folder is deleted, along with its contents. Thus your current asset files remain unaffected by the work you did while in BackTrader. Note that using this new approach, many of the changes made while in BackTrader mode – such as changes to formats, preferences, and targets – are lost when you leave BackTrader mode.

When starting BackTrader, you’ll see a new pair of radio buttons entitled “Store to temporary asset files” and “Store to existing asset files”. By default the first one is selected. This makes BackTrader handle asset files in the new way. The program automatically creates a temporary folder called “TempBT” off of the operational folder – the folder from which you launch the OptionVue program – and any time you close a Matrix or do anything else to cause an asset file to be saved, the program saves it in this folder. Again, when you leave BackTrader, this folder and its files are destroyed.

If you need to make BackTrader handle asset files in the original way, select “Store to existing asset files” when you start into BackTrader.

3. In the two windows that display the list of various OpScan formulas and allow you to select which ones to run, we added a “Select All” button and changed the name of the “Clear” button to “Deselect All”.

4. In the window that displays View OpScan Reports window, we made it possible to select one or more reports and send them directly to the printer.

5. In the Report Format dialog is a new button for allowing you to copy a report format from another account.

6. The program now displays “Prices delayed up to 20 minutes” as it collects current (not historical) price data from DataVue.

7. In the Matrix of a stock or index, after getting fresh prices, and assuming that it is well into the trading session, options that have a blank Last, Bid, Asked, Volume and Open Interest more than likely do not exist. It is not uncommon for an asset to have non-existent options sprinkled throughout the Matrix. One way this happens is when the options of one expiration month are available on different strike intervals than the options of another expiration month. For convenience, we made it so pressing Ctrl-S causes the program to ‘s’ out all options that have a blank Last, Bid, Asked, Volume and Open Interest. This turns those cells gray, helping to set them apart and making it so the program does not request those non-existent options of whatever data service you’re working with. Note that ‘s’ed out options will automatically revert to normal each time you pick up a new copy of the BDB. We expect to address this inconvenience at some point.