DESCRIPTION OF THE HISTORICAL DATA ENTRY SCREEN   SM3.02    PAGE 1 OF 11

To enter or import historical volume and price data, go to the Stock
Select screen by typing S from the Master Menu.  Then select the secur-
ity you want and press E.

This screen is for entering HISTORICAL data for many dates, but for just
the selected security.  To enter CURRENT prices for a single date, but
for all securities, press D or W from the Master Menu.

To select a date for entering data - or just to "browse" through the
information - use the up- and down-arrow, PgUp, PgDn, Home and End keys.
The display will scroll automatically as needed.

If this security is being updated weekly, all the dates on the left side
of the screen will fall on Fridays.  NOTE: If you see WEEKLY data and
want DAILY data instead - or vice versa (and if both are available) -
press Esc to EXIT to the Stock Select screen, press the Tab key once and
press E again.

To add or delete a security, or to enter dividends, earnings, price
goals, etc., press Esc to go back to the Stock Select screen.

DESCRIPTION OF THE HISTORICAL DATA ENTRY SCREEN             PAGE 2 OF 11

Following are descriptions of the available menu functions:

E = ENTER volume and prices (from the keyboard) for the selected date.
    This function is used mainly for initial data entry for a new secur-
    ity that has just been added to the system, or it can be used to
    correct errors.  If this is a daily-updated chart, the program will
    ask if the selected date is a holiday.  After any change is made to
    a closing price, all moving averages are automatically re-computed
    and re-displayed.

    The program will ask for volume and high, low and closing prices in
    turn.  For a mutual fund, you can bypass entry of volume and high
    and low prices by pressing the Enter key by itself twice; then enter
    the net asset value.  Fractional entry of prices is permitted; a
    space must be left between the whole number and the fraction.
    For example:  2 1/32  98 13/16

    If you press the Esc key before all of the data has been entered for
    the selected date, the ENTER function will be cancelled and all of
    the original values for that date will be restored.

DESCRIPTION OF THE HISTORICAL DATA ENTRY SCREEN             PAGE 3 OF 11

U = manual UPDATE of volume and prices for the NEXT date, which is shown
    in the menu at the bottom of the screen.  The new date will replace
    the earliest previously existing date.  The new date is computed by
    the program.  If data for this security is being updated weekly, the
    new date will always fall on a Friday.  If data is being updated
    daily, the program will ask if the new date is a holiday.  Weekend
    days are automatically skipped.  To cancel, press Esc at any time.

    The program will ask for volume and high, low and closing prices in
    turn.  For a mutual fund, you can bypass entry of volume and high
    and low prices by pressing the Enter key twice; then enter the net
    asset value.  Fractional entry such as 2 11/16 is acceptable.

    The UPDATE function works in the same way regardless of where the
    selector block is at the time the "U" key is pressed.  After the
    data has been entered, the screen will show the most current volume
    and price data, along with newly updated moving averages, P/E ratio,
    yield and annualized potential return.  The caption N/A means Not
    Available or Not Applicable.


DESCRIPTION OF THE HISTORICAL DATA ENTRY SCREEN             PAGE 4 OF 11

M = set or change any or all of the three MOVING average periods (the
    numbers of days or weeks included in each moving average calcula-
    tion).  The program will ask for each period in turn.  Entry of a
    non-zero value causes the program to begin calculating and maintain-
    ing the corresponding moving averages.  The first, second and third
    moving averages correspond, respectively, to the rightmost three
    column positions on the Data Entry screen.

    NOTE: This action by itself does not cause moving average lines to
    be DISPLAYED on the graphs.  One or more moving averages must be
    SELECTED from the Graphics Display Option screen, before they can
    be displayed.  It's a two-step process.

    Moving average periods remain set until they are changed again, and
    the moving averages themselves are stored on disk.  Therefore as a
    price history file is updated, the moving average lines will grad-
    ually fill in towards the left on the bar charts.  You don't have to
    use all three of the moving averages - you can use any one or any
    two of them.  If a moving average is not wanted, set its period to
    zero.

DESCRIPTION OF THE HISTORICAL DATA ENTRY SCREEN             PAGE 5 OF 11

    Moving averages are calculated only when there is enough contiguous
    data, to prevent erroneous results.  Therefore, date entries that
    have data missing will cause gaps in the moving average displays.
    An exception to this rule (only for a daily-updated security) is a
    date that is flagged as a holiday.

    Normally the first moving average should be short-term, the second
    one should be intermediate-term and the third should be long-term.
    However, the program does not require any specific relationship.
    Experimentation is the best teacher in this matter.











DESCRIPTION OF THE HISTORICAL DATA ENTRY SCREEN             PAGE 6 OF 11

S = STOCK SPLIT or stock dividend.  This function applies a stock split
    or a stock dividend to all date entries BEFORE the selected entry.
    The program assumes that post-split data has already been entered
    for the selected date.

D = DISTRIBUTION.  This function applies a capital gain distribution
    (normally for a mutual fund or utility stock) to all date entries
    BEFORE the selected entry.  The program assumes that post-distribu-
    tion data has already been entered for the selected date.

In both the SPLIT and DISTRIBUTION functions a ratio is computed and
volume, prices and moving averages are automatically adjusted.  Adjust-
ment of earnings, dividends, price goals and buy/sell targets are
optional, in case the correct values have already been entered.

In the STOCK SPLIT function you enter the ratio directly, as in 3-for-2.
In the DISTRIBUTION function, the ratio is computed by the program from
the dollar amount of the distribution and the net asset value just prior
to the distribution.  Otherwise, both of these functions perform the
same task.

DESCRIPTION OF THE HISTORICAL DATA ENTRY SCREEN             PAGE 7 OF 11

G = draw a GRAPH for the selected stock.  IMPORTANT: See Chapter 1 for
    hardware and software requirements.

    If the computer screen goes blank and the machine appears to "hang
    up", wait a few seconds and then press the Esc key.  You should see
    the Stock Select screen.  Are you using a "monographics" adapter?
    See Chapter 1 for special requirements.

O = set OPTIONS for graphic display.  This is where you select what you
    want to have displayed and which moving averages you want to plot.
    This screen has its own HELP function and user manual chapter for
    more information.

Esc or X=EXIT back to the Stock Select screen.  You must go back to the
    Stock Select screen to add or delete a security or to make changes
    to dividends, earnings, price goals, etc.  All volume, price and
    moving average data are automatically saved on disk, if any changes
    have been made.



DESCRIPTION OF THE HISTORICAL DATA ENTRY SCREEN             PAGE 8 OF 11

I = IMPORT historical data from an external ASCII file.  This function
    is normally used to fill in the price history file for a security
    that has just been added to the system.  ONLY ONE security can be
    updated at a time using this method.

    NOTE: If you want to update CURRENT prices for all securities (for
    just one date), press D or W from the Master Menu.

    Here's how the historical data import function works:

    First, a different heading will appear at the top of the screen.
    You will be asked to specify the order in which data items appear in
    the ASCII input file.  Here you can press H for HELP to read the
    appropriate user manual chapter to get more information about the
    translation process.  Note that data in files with names ending in
    .WKS, .WK1, .CAL, .DBF and various other extensions cannot be used;
    those are not ASCII files.  Usually, ASCII files have names ending
    with .ASC, .DOC, .PRN or .TXT.



DESCRIPTION OF THE HISTORICAL DATA ENTRY SCREEN             PAGE 9 OF 11

    Next you will be asked for the name of the ASCII input file.  This
    file does not have to be in the same directory or on the same disk-
    ette as your price history files; however you MUST include the full
    path name if it is not in your program directory.  The program will
    read the ASCII file, convert the data to the Stock Charting System's
    own internal format, and return you to the Data Entry screen so you
    can view the data, set moving averages, etc.  You will be prompted
    when to switch data diskettes.

    If the ASCII input file contains information for dates that are
    later than those already on the price history file, new dates will
    automatically be added as required.  Thus, the IMPORT function might
    be used to update individual price history files (one at a time)
    with current volume and prices if you are several days or several
    weeks behind with file maintenance.






DESCRIPTION OF THE HISTORICAL DATA ENTRY SCREEN            PAGE 10 OF 11

    The IMPORT process WILL NOT over-write data already existing on a
    price history file.  It can only add volume and prices to date
    entries that are zeroed out, or that the program has newly added to
    the file.  Also, it cannot fill in empty "gaps" embedded in existing
    data.  Normally this is not a problem.

    The ASCII input data does not have to be in any particular order.
    You can IMPORT to either daily or weekly files.  Weekly historical
    data can be filled in from either daily or weekly ASCII input; daily
    input is automatically combined to create weekly data if required.

    WARNING: If you are importing DAILY data into a WEEKLY file, the
    volume and prices for a particular week-ending date may be incorrect
    if one or more days' data are missing.  The program does not check
    to insure that the data for each week includes five days' data.

    WARNING:  If you are working with a DAILY-updated file you will have
    to manually insert all of the holidays.  You do that from the His-
    torical Data Entry screen.  Otherwise, the program will assume that
    data is missing, and will not properly compute moving averages.

DESCRIPTION OF THE HISTORICAL DATA ENTRY SCREEN            PAGE 11 OF 11

P = PRINT volume and price history in tabular format on the printer.
    Data for all dates will be printed, in a format that is similar to
    the screen format.  The report is 80 columns wide and pagination is
    automatic.  It contains no graphics or special characters and so it
    should work with almost any printer (there is a separate graphics
    print function from the graph screen).

    The program will ask if you wish to pause between pages.  If you    
    reply (Y)es, the printer will pause after ejecting each page, until
    you press the Enter key to continue.  You can press the Esc key to
    cancel printing, however, this may be delayed or may not even work
    if your printer has a large buffer, because much of the information
    may have already been sent to the printer itself.

    If there is a printer problem, the program should detect it and
    flash an error message.  However if the computer "hangs up" (appears
    to wait forever and do nothing), press Ctrl-Break and it should come
    alive again.  WARNING: If you have just printed a bar graph, you may
    have to re-set your printer manually before printing data in charac-
    ter format.
