MetaLib - API for developers for reading/writing MetaStock data

The MetaLib .NET SDK includes functions for reading, writing, editing, inserting, sorting and deleting MetaStock price data. It is perfect for software developers wanting to create powerful add-on modules for MetaStock users. You have no complexities of accessing MetaStock data files from your program. As a result, your development time will be shorter.

Main features

  • Converts MetaStock Data e. g. directly into Excel spreadsheets - it is just a matter of seconds. Stock Data (Date, Open, High, Low, Close, Volume, Open interest) of 2000 trading days (around 3000 calendar days, e.g. more than 8 years) are converted and pasted into Excel within a few seconds.

  • Supports Visual Basic .NET, C++ .NET, C# .NET or any other programming language supporting .NET assemblies

  • 65500 price data records can be stored per security

  • Supports the latest MetaStock format version 11.0

Download MetaLib now » MetaLib documentation (PDF) »

Take a look at the following code snippets to see how to use MetaLib in your project!

Reading MetaStock directories

Use the following code to display all security details (name, symbol, periodicity, etc.) of a MetaStock directory in a console window.

private void ShowSecurityDetails()

{

  MetaLib m = new MetaLib();

  m.OpenDirectory("C:\\MetaStock", System.IO.FileAccess.ReadWrite);

 

  int nrSec = m.Securities.Count;

  if (nrSec == 0)

  {

    Console.WriteLine("No securities are stored in the directory!");

    return;

  }

  for (int i = 0; i < nrSec; i++)

  {

    Console.WriteLine("Security name: " + m.Securities[i].Name);

    Console.WriteLine("Security symbol: " + m.Securities[i].Symbol);

    Console.WriteLine("Start date: " + m.Securities[i].StartDate.MLDate);

    Console.WriteLine("Last date: " + m.Securities[i].LastDate.MLDate);

    Console.WriteLine("Periodicity: " + m.Securities[i].Periodicity.ToString());

    Console.WriteLine("Interval: " + m.Securities[i].Interval.ToString ());

    Console.WriteLine("Price record file: " + m.Securities[i].FileName);

  }

  m.CloseDirectory();

}

Reading all price records of a MetaStock directory

With following code you are able to read the price records of all securities that are stored in the "C:\MetaStock" directory.

private void ReadAllSecurities()

{

  MetaLib m = new MetaLib();

  m.OpenDirectory("C:\\MetaStock", System.IO.FileAccess.ReadWrite);

 

  int nrSec = m.Securities.Count; // Get number of securities that are

                                  // stored in the directory

  if (nrSec == 0)

  {

    Console.WriteLine("No securities are stored in the directory!");

    return;

  }

 

  for (int i = 0; i < nrSec; i++)

  {

    m.OpenSecurity(m.Securities[i]); // Open all securities in the

                                     // directory

    while (m.PriceRecordsLeft > 0)   // Read all price records

    {

      PriceRecord pr = m.ReadPriceRecord();

      Console.WriteLine(pr.Date.MLDate + ", " + pr.Open + ", " + pr.High + ", " + pr.Low + ", " + pr.Close);

    }

  }

  m.CloseDirectory();

}

Adding a new security and price records to a MetaStock directory

With following code a security with the symbol "MSFT" will be added to the "C:\MetaStock" directory. Furthermore, a price record (OHLC) will be added for the new symbol.

MetaLib m = new MetaLib();

m.OpenDirectory("C:\\MetaStock", System.IO.FileAccess.ReadWrite);

m.AppendSecurity("MSFT", "Microsoft", Periodicity.Daily);

m.AppendPriceRecord(new PriceRecord(new MetaLibDate(20120828),

                   (float)30.7, (float)30.8, (float)30.52, (float)30.63,

                   (float)23947900));

m.CloseDirectory();

How to add MetaLib .NET to your .NET projects

  • Start Visual Studio and create a new .NET project
  • Click on the "Projects->Add Reference..." menu item
  • In the "Add Reference" dialog select the "Browse" tab and go the directory where the MetaLib.dll file is stored (Normally C:\Program Files\MetaLib .NET). Afterwards, double-click on the "MetaLib.dll" file.
Use following statement to create a new instance of MetaLib:

TradingTools.MetaLib m = new TradingTools.MetaLib();

Technical Specifications

  • MetaLib .NET supports the latest compatible MetaStock version 11.0 data format.

  • Data for up to 6000 securities can be stored in each directory. However, the fewer securities you have in a folder, the better the performance of programs that access the data (e.g., MetaStock) will be. Some programs still will not recognize more than 255 securities in a directory, the limit for previous versions of the MetaStock data format.

  • A maximum of 65500 records can be saved for each security. This is a MetaStock limitation. If MetaLib would allow to store more than 65500 records in a file no other programs would be able to read those records.

  • Supported Date Range: January 1, 1910 to December 31, 2199