The new Quote Loader

Mike Bray (Quote Loader Author)'s Avatar

Mike Bray (Quote Loader Author)

01 Feb, 2020 07:22 AM

TIK has improved the security on the use of unsigned extensions. This is in build 1899 which is still in preview mode. Once it is released for general use you will see a warning message on the summary screen if you are using unverified extensions. This included all of my extensions. I have worked with TIK to get my extensions verified which includes Quote Loader. These are now available on my repository in https://bitbucket.org/mikerb/moneydance-2019/downloads/.

To verify an extension I have had to make my source code available to TIK. The author of the back end of Quote Loader (hleofxquotes) was not prepared to do this and thus I have redesigned Quote Loader to be standalone. I would like to thank hleofxquotes for his work and help in making Quote Loader an extension of choice.

I have asked TIK to add Quote Loader to the list of available extensions. This is being considered.

DerekKent23 has written/updated a PDF on how to install and set up Quote Loader. This is accompanied by a couple of videos. These assume Quote Loader has been added to the list of available extensions. Before that list is updated please download the file securityquoteload.mxt from my repository (https://bitbucket.org/mikerb/moneydance-2019/downloads/) and add it using the MD Extensions/Manage Extensions/Add from File. The updated PDF will be available shortly.

IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS ON MY WIKI (https://bitbucket.org/mikerb/moneydance-2019/wiki/Home) ABOUT UPGRADING FROM THE OLD VERSION OF QUOTE LOADER. YOU NEED TO REMOVE THE RHUMBA EXTENSION.

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  1. 61 Posted by gandrews82 on 21 Jun, 2020 12:05 PM

    gandrews82's Avatar

    Thanks, dwg, sorted.

  2. 62 Posted by sth on 03 Jul, 2020 07:33 PM

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    Mike, Derrik, HLE,
    Any chance that the next revision of Quote Loader will handle High/Low/Volume data for equities as well? I keep dreaming that Sean (or someone) will add some plotting analysis features to MD and having that data for candle plots etc. would be great. This is one feature that the Quote and Exchange Rate Loader does that the new Quote Loader does not.

  3. 63 Posted by derekkent23 on 03 Jul, 2020 07:51 PM

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    Third-party Quote Loader Extension, Moneydance 2019-2020 ONLY.

    I am not support staff, just a user.

    Quote Loader is a third-party extension that has been reviewed and signed by Infinite Kind (Moneydance).

    For Moneydance 2019/2020 latest Quote Loader build is 3026.

    UPDATE

    • Add new feature to retrieve historical data for Exchange Rates and Cryptocurrency Exchange Rates.

    • Update PDF “Quote Loader Extension by Mike Bray Moneydance 2019-2020” to V9.1

    • Update PDF “Quote Loader Extension, Moneydance 2019-2020 Handling Cryptocurrencies and Market Indices” to V4.1

    EXISTING USERS using Quote Loader with a build number lower than 3021 should REMOVE (uninstall) all Extensions under EXTENSIONS – MB EXTENSION INSTALLER, lastly removing (uninstalling) MB EXTENSION INSTALLER itself by using the REMOVE buttons.
    The background folder “.rhumba” is redundant, expert user can if they so wish delete the “.rhumba” folder with Moneydance closed. On installing the latest Quote Loader a new replacement folder “.qlmeta” is created. MB Extension Installer is no longer required to install Quote Loader.

    As a signed extension Quote Loader can be found under EXTENSIONS – MANAGE EXTENSIONS.
    Simply click EXTENSIONS – MANAGE EXTENSIONS – AVAILABLE tab, find Quote Loader and click install or update.
    Once installed re-start Moneydance - installation complete.

    Quote Loader was developed and is supported by Mike Bray.

    PDF’s and Video by Derek Kent.

    The system provides an end to end solution, obtaining quotes from a choice of sources and entering them into the relevant Currency/Security History window, all from a single window within Moneydance. The system can obtain Security Prices, Exchange Rates, Market Indices, Cryptocurrency Rates and prices for Cryptocurrency Investments. The system provides quotes from many stock exchanges, US, Canada, UK, Europe and Australia to name but a few. The process of obtaining quotes from the selected source is fast and error free.

    Download the attached PDF, follow the instructions on how to use Quote Loader.
    The PDF also contains links to a Quick Start Video Guide, a Short Tutorial Video and a Full Tutorial Video, all on YouTube.

    The second PDF covers the creation and importing of Cryptocurrencies and Market Indices into Moneydance.

    Acknowledgement to Kevin N and dwg for their support during development.
    Please keep this thread to this subject on how to use Quote Loader.
    Please try this approach and if you find it useful please take the time to post comments and outline any problems you may find.
    To receive email notification to updates on this thread, click the SUBSCRIBE button in the box at the top right of the forum page.

    Hope this helps.

    ALWAYS CHECK TO SEE IF THERE IS A NEW PDF IN A LATER POST!

  4. 64 Posted by derekkent23 on 03 Jul, 2020 08:01 PM

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    I am not support staff, just a user.
    Hi Sth

    Quote loader does include volume if you tick the include volume box but as you say not Highs and Lows.

    Hope this helps

  5. 65 Posted by Mike Bray (Quot... on 04 Jul, 2020 04:10 AM

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    Hi sth

    It is possible with historical prices, not current.  I will add it when
    I next do some work on QL.
    Mike

  6. 66 Posted by sth on 04 Jul, 2020 07:58 PM

    sth's Avatar

    Mike, that would be great. I assume that there isn't a High/Low values until the end of the day. And they only exist for equities and ETFs and not Mutal Funds that transact at the end of the day. Those limitations are built into the financial system.

    I still use the Alphavantage built in quote loader that doesn't load anything for the day until the end of day values are posted.

  7. 67 Posted by Fred on 04 Jul, 2020 08:09 PM

    Fred's Avatar

    are you guys trying to make MD an equity trading analysis tool?
    Can we just stick to MD keeping track of what we monies we have where? Why would one need to track days high/low and volume in an accounting software app?
    ;-)
    Fred

  8. 68 Posted by sth on 04 Jul, 2020 08:48 PM

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    @Fred, well if it was just a checkbook tracker you might be right. But MD is a "Personal Financial Manager". This includes tracking and evaluating investments as well as keeping your checkbook balanced. If you have more limited needs, that is fine. But I don't think that sticking to that simple task is what MD is designed and marketed for.

    Maybe you don't realize that MD already does track the daily high and low and one can (and I do) import qif files with that data. This is already a supported feature of MD and asking if a 3rd party extension can also support that feature is not really a misdirection of resources from your checkbook balancing needs.

    You should look for developers (or become one yourself) that are interested in those keeping track of monies features that you wish to add through extensions. That is certainly not the extension that this thread is concerned with.

  9. 69 Posted by Fred on 04 Jul, 2020 10:09 PM

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    You are right, it is a Personal Financial Manager, which I have been using for over 10 years for that purpose. More bells & whistles is great - for Financial Management.
    I for one expressed the wish, and communicated in this thread with Mike - our champion - that Quote Loader, or MD for that matter, expands to load prices for Fixed Income/Bond holdings, which in my humble opinion is a needed Financial Managment tool expansion, higher up in the list of things of "nice to have" than tracking high/lows & volumes.

    We are all so lucky to have Mike kin particular when IK seems to be in hibernation.
    Best regards, in any event :-)

  10. 70 Posted by sth on 04 Jul, 2020 10:35 PM

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    Fred, I wouldn't be that hard on Sean, there are continual incremental upgrades to MD and note that for both Mike and Sean this is not their day job.

    The problem with expanding QL is the data source. This is something HLE started for use on MS Money. My guess is that data source is not particularly encouraged since Yahoo and Google stopped providing quotes. Expansion of downloads may show up on the radar of the owning organization and cause loss of that source. Or maybe not.

  11. 71 Posted by dwg on 04 Jul, 2020 10:48 PM

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    I'm a fellow user.

    The problem with prices is having a reasonable source for them. There is a small group of users working with Mike that do things like documentation (Derek) testing the software, offering ideas, suggestions, proof reading etc.

    You can see Quote Loader has provision for 2 sources today, in group discussions others have been suggested, but investigations have proven that they are not suitable for use for a variety of technical reasons. So far I do not believe any source for bond pricing has been put forward that has wide enough coverage for it to be viable, it has been a conscious decision to avoid country specific sources - after all Moneydance is sold around the world, or where it is technically feasible to be able to reasonably extract the prices from the source.

  12. 72 Posted by Mike Bray (Quot... on 05 Jul, 2020 07:51 AM

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    To add my two pennies worth.

    QL can only capture what is available on the web page.  It basically
    sends a request to the source for the web page for a security and then
    extracts the price/trade date/currency from the web page.  High/Low
    figures are available on the Yahoo and FT Historical pages but not on
    the current price pages.  The web page on each source is constructed
    differently so I have to analyse the page source, find the data I want
    and then construct an algorithm to extract the data. So adding sources
    is not a trival job and I will need a compelling reason to do it, eg.
    several users requesting it.  I can only capture what is on the page.

    As sth has said the author of hleofxquotes did the original work on this
    which I have continued.

    There is an issue with Yahoo, it updates its pages constantly. If my
    request hits the Yahoo server as it is updating the page I want then the
    quote fails.  Not much I can do other than try to rerun the request
    which could get into a loop if the user puts the wrong ticker into MD.

    Last point, QL operates as if it is a user, ie. Yahoo and FT receive my
    requests as if I had typed it in a browser and replies accordingly. 
    With the success of QL there is a danger that Yahoo and/or FT notice the
    high demand and do something to curtail it as AlphaAdvantage has
    throttled its service.  If Yahoo or FT change their web page
    construction QL will stop working.

    I will continue to support this as long as I am able.
    Regards
    Mike

  13. 73 Posted by Fred on 05 Jul, 2020 06:10 PM

    Fred's Avatar

    Thank you Mike for chiming in. We love your work!
    There could be, maybe, an other way to get the security quotes: fetch it from the actual financial institution where the user is holding his securities.

    As we mentioned in an earlier input in this thread, MD is a Personal Financial Management software. I use it, like probably the majority of users for doing my personal accounting and for tracking my net worth - the fundamental function and promise of MD.

    Like most people, I am holding all my stock & bonds at one (1) financial institution, Fidelity Investments in my case. So, instead of going to Yahoo or FT (for as long as we can), could QL be configured to fetch the prices from ones’ financial institution, similar to what we can do with Mike’s Security Price Loader? No more threat of loosing access to Yahoo/FT, and the process would fetch prices of stocks AND bonds.

    Of course and most likely, downloading prices from ones’ financial institution may not provide additional data like high/low and volume. But why would I need these additional data to track my Net Worth in my Personal Financial Managment software?

    I strongly feel that Moneydance should stick to its fundamental premise as stated above. I just don’t see how watching (& storing) the days' high & low and volume tells me anything about my net worth - for me, a useless look into the rear view mirror.

    Making investment decisions typically would/should require much more than analyzing the days' high/low and volume, and such data is easily available on the web or from one’s broker.

    Now then, if it makes some users happy, sure track that data. But for prioritizing the software developers’ attention and work, I would rate this at the bottom of the list. Near the top of that list, I would put a facility track not only stocks and funds, but also bonds.

    THANKS to everyone who contribute to the continued development of MD and its extensions.
    Fred

    P.S. I had no idea that Sean’s work on MD is not his day job. Has Sean become the only ‘official’ developer for MD? What triggered my words is that we just passed the middle of the year 2020 and the formal MD release is still 2019.3 (1880), while Previews shows build 1915…

  14. 74 Posted by derekkent23 on 05 Jul, 2020 07:06 PM

    derekkent23's Avatar

    Hi Fed
    It seems to me you are arguing for something you already have, Mikes Security Price Loader.

    As you have your investments in one place and you infer they provide data in a format that Security Price Loader can help import into Moneydance you already have the tool you need. You have no need to install Quote Loader or use it.

    The purpose of Quote Loader is to provide a solution to users like myself who depend on obtaining security prices from publicly available sources on the internet. Quote Loader in conjunction with Moneydance allows me to do my personal accounting and track my net worth. Before Quote Loader and its forerunner, I spent hours on different web sites entering security prices into a spread sheet before transferring the data to Moneydance.

    Different users have different needs, it seems we both have the tools we need thanks to Mike.

  15. 75 Posted by sth on 05 Jul, 2020 07:23 PM

    sth's Avatar

    QL is a nice piece of work and shows a lot of work by Mike and HLE to pull the data correctly from the web pages. As long as the usage does not raise alarms and drive the data provider into a cat and mouse game of tweaking the web page to prevent this QL will continue to work. That software has really filled a need quite well.

    Setting up to work with a bunch of different financial institutions with login issues etc. seems to be a whole 'nother project.

  16. 76 Posted by derekkent23 on 05 Jul, 2020 08:10 PM

    derekkent23's Avatar

    Hi sth

    It’s one Sean tried to do with the Moneydance embedded java browser back at the end of 2018. To log into banks etc and download statements and enter transactions directly into registers. I surmise due to the difficulties, as you say with different financial institutions with login issues etc its only ever worked with a small number of institutions and then for me not constantly. As its never been developed as planned I suspect the difficulties were too great to warrant further effort.

  17. 77 Posted by -Kevin N. on 05 Jul, 2020 08:30 PM

    -Kevin N.'s Avatar

    Hi All,

    As stated by forum members Mike Bray & sth respectively...

    With the success of QL there is a danger that Yahoo and/or FT notice the high demand and do something to curtail it as AlphaAdvantage has throttled its service.

    As long as the usage does not raise alarms and drive the data provider into a cat and mouse game of tweaking the web page to prevent this QL will continue to work.

    Perhaps it should be suggested (maybe in the QL instructional PDF file) that those who are intending to make use of QL should sign up for a Yahoo account and / or a Financial Times account so as to, let's say, throw them off the scent.

    -Kevin N. (not a member of MD support)

  18. 78 Posted by Fred on 05 Jul, 2020 11:12 PM

    Fred's Avatar

    Hi derek and sth,
    I understand the possible issues and variability of pulling data from a number of financial institutions and we can also say that here are a few, can i say dominant houses, maybe less than the large number of banks MD caters to. In my case (with Fidelity Investments, one of the very big global houses),
    I can download without problems the transactions for my 5 accounts there through the MD Online/Download All Accounts menu action - which tells me that MD has a way to get data from my institution.
    My holdings are currently 41 stocks/mutual funds and 12 bonds and I update my portfolio once per week and reconcile monthly. Hence, also weekly, I use the Security Price Loader (THANKS Mike) to update the prices of ALL my holdings, which I can easily get by logging into Fidelity to download a csv files of Last Price (and more data). So yes, I have a way to get my data, albeit in a simple but multi-step process.
    It is a very common wisdom that the average investor should have a portion of his investments in stocks and another portion in bonds, with the ratio between the two depending on the investor’s age. I would therefore venture to say, that the average MD user who has an investment portfolio most likely owns stocks and bonds. Maybe some readers of this thread could share their types of holdings, or am I the only MD user who holds some bonds?

    Thank you all,
    Fred

  19. 79 Posted by dwg on 06 Jul, 2020 01:15 AM

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    I'm a fellow user.

    I expect the majority of investors do have bonds but I think in many instances they will be held via investments in funds rather than directly holding them.

  20. 80 Posted by dwg on 06 Jul, 2020 02:08 AM

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    Moneydance does not necessarily have a yearly release, for example there was no Moneydance 2016 or 2018. Build 1915 is being called a MD 2020 release, but I believe that is largely due to Moneydance using a different source for its Java build now as well as the reintroduction of a Windows 32-bit version (largely I think for the Surface PRO X) that the different Java build facilitates, rather than offering a new range of features.

  21. 81 Posted by derekkent23 on 06 Jul, 2020 06:55 AM

    derekkent23's Avatar

    I am one of the investors dwg talks about whose bond are held in funds, so in that respect Quote Loader works for all of us who invest in bonds that way.

  22. 82 Posted by Mark Bowen on 10 Jul, 2020 08:59 AM

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    The last couple of months AlphaVantage has been intermittent in its ability to get prices for my security. It finally stopped on 22nd June and trying to lookup the Ticker Symbol shows that they don't list it anymore.

    Anyway, that spurred me on to having another go with Quote Loader.

    It all worked a treat and so I would like to pass on my thanks to Mike, derrekkent23 and dwg and everyone else involved. Excellent work!

  23. 83 Posted by derekkent23 on 10 Jul, 2020 09:10 AM

    derekkent23's Avatar

    I am not support staff, just a user.
    Hi Mark

    Thanks for taking the time to post your feedback.
    Really glad Quote Loader is working for you.

    Have Fun, Stay Safe.

  24. 84 Posted by PaulF on 12 Aug, 2020 03:26 PM

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    I have been using quote loader for a number of years and it is great. Thanks to all concerned. Recently I have been having problems with prices denominated in Euros. I have MD v1919 and QL 3025. Using VW as an example as it is in the Mike Bray excellent guide, it downloads the VW price say approx 141 and recognises that it is in EUR but it does not seem to be recognising this as €141. FYI QL works fine on $, SF and DKK. It seems to be a QL issue as if I go back to rerun the price appears to be in £. The investment is held in a £ investment account and the base currency is £. Help gratefully received... I attach a screen shot demonstrating the problem as the last price does not have the €. Paul

  25. 85 Posted by PaulF on 12 Aug, 2020 03:45 PM

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    Further to my previous post, I do not seem to be able to set the currency of VW in Euros. I seems to default back to £ in case that is the problem. I can set any other currency but Euro eg USD SF etc. My be a MD issue on reflection or a user issue!

  26. 86 Posted by derekkent23 on 12 Aug, 2020 04:29 PM

    derekkent23's Avatar

    I am not support staff, just a user.
    Hi PaulF

    Can you post a screen shot of the Volkswagen AG Currency/Security History window found under TOOLS – SECURITY – Volkswagen AG similar to screen shot 1. Also a screen shot of the Currency/Security History window for Euro found under TOOLS – CURRENCIES – EURO similar to screen shot 2 as well as Edit Currency/Exchange Rates window under EDIT screen shot 3.

    I can test with your setup. Just to confirm both the Base Currency and Investment Account are in British Pounds.

    Whilst you are waiting for a reply, I would suggest you update Quote Loader to Build 3026
    See https://infinitekind.tenderapp.com/discussions/investments/4914-the...

    EDIT just posing my comments to find your new post. As you can see I was concerned about the EURO setting. Does the currency EURO exist under TOOLS – CURRENCIES?

  27. 87 Posted by derekkent23 on 12 Aug, 2020 04:30 PM

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    I am not support staff, just a user.
    Hi PaulF

    Screen shots

  28. 88 Posted by PaulF on 12 Aug, 2020 04:48 PM

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    H Derek - Yes Euro exists. I attach copies of screen shots to assist. Yes Euro exists as a currency as has worked fine for some years... I can set the currency in Security to pretty any other currency than Euro. It is as if it does not exist but clearly it does... Thanks for your help once again. Paul

  29. 89 Posted by derekkent23 on 12 Aug, 2020 04:53 PM

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    I am not support staff, just a user.
    Hi PaulF

    I don't see your screen shot at https://infinitekind.tenderapp.com/discussions/investments/4914-the...

  30. 90 Posted by PaulF on 12 Aug, 2020 04:58 PM

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    I attach screen shot once QL has run - it defaults to the last currency used in my case £ and then if I choose Euro it multiplies. If I then close and reopen I go back to £...

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