Any way to start with a blank chart?

Tasuki

Is there any way to create a chart in Stockcharts by starting out with a blank chart? This has always been a frustrating feature of Stockcharts, or at least something I've never figured out---there's no obvious way (that I can find) to start with a "blank canvas", so to speak, and then add the symbol(s) that I want to add. There's no button, "create new chart" which brings up a blank page to which you add a symbol. Every time I have to take an existing chart, change the symbol, and hope I remember to hit "update" before "save" or I'll save the new chart with the wrong description, and lose the old chart to boot.
So, how do you start creating a chart with a blank page?
Thanks, Tasuki

markd

There are probably several ways to add charts to a list. I'll mention two that I know. If you are starting a new list:

- click on Create a new list

This brings you to the edit page. Name the list. Then,

- Add one or more symbols at a time, with names and comments if wanted
- Click "Add one" or "Add many"

Select 10 per page or Chart Book to see the charts in your Default Style.

Make any chart style revisions and add comments and then hit save. Make any annotations with annotation tool and upload. Uploading saves the chart as it appears - settings and all.

If you want to add a symbol to an existing list:

Save changes you made to your current chart, if any.

Click on "Edit List" (top left of the current page). Scroll down to Add Symbol, enter your new symbol(s), click "add one" or "add many", then click 10 per page or Chart book. Again the chart will appear in your default style. Make your changes and save, or annotate and upload.

Somebody else may know a more efficient way, but that should work.

Notes: If you are in Chart Workbench, and you want to add a new chart from there, you can, but as you point out, it's tricky. BEFORE you enter a new symbol, you must save any changes you made to your existing chart using either "save", which keeps the name of the existing chart, or "save as", which asks for a new chart name and will add a new chart to your list. THEN, you can enter a new symbol in the upper left "symbol" window. It will appear in the exact same style as the previous symbol you just saved, NOT in your default style (unless the previous chart was in default style). Then you would save using "save as" and enter a name.

Tasuki

Thanks, markd, I almost never work with the chart lists, so I didn't think of that route, which turns out to be almost as cumbersome as the tricky Chart Workbench way, but at least you won't accidentally overwrite your previous chart.
The simple solution would be to allow users to start with a blank chart, but for some reason, the Stockcharts programmers don't seem to get it. I'm guessing that the same problem exists here as with other platforms, such as Tradestation: the programmers aren't traders.
Anyway, thanks for the help!
Tasuki

markd

Hi @Tasuki ,

Well, I think it's probably more a matter of trading styles. I haven't programmed for money in quite a while, but I do know that programmers (are supposed to) write code from specifications, assuming the clients know what they want, and not what the programmers think is right (although, in my experience, at least in large organizations, programmers often DO make the final decisions because management doesn't really understand their own business process in the necessary detail. I don't think that's what happened here though).

I think Stockcharts is aimed at traders who use technical signals or set ups and have a regular routine for finding them. That's why the scans and the lists. The scans find the signals and set ups, and the results go into lists to cull out the duds and keep the most likelies.

It doesn't look like the designers had in mind the news trader who has a new set of symbols everyday based on news events and NOT technical events (although the news may coincide with or create a technical event).

The symbol window does let you move quickly through a bunch of ad hoc symbols, though, if you keep the same indicators for each one. Or, if you start the day with set of symbols, you can just start a new list with the add many option, name it for the current date, view the charts in 10 per page or CandleGlance (very cool option) and delete the ones you don't want.

By the way, it probably doesn't help, but on Chart Workbench, if you clear the symbol window an hit "Update" it always brings up the $INDU chart. That's sort of the equivalent of a blank chart, isn't it? Of course you still have to save your previous chart if you want to keep it, but that would be true even if a blank chart came up.

I'm guessing the reason you can't get a blank chart is because the original design of the chart drawing engine probably requires data - that could be why if you enter no symbol, it defaults to $INDU. It would be very time consuming and risky at this point to modify the code to draw a chart with no data.

gord

Tasuki, I have to agree with what Markd has already said, there are lots of options to create a chart from scratch. I think the biggest problem with your request is how do you create a blank chart, without a chart. Scaling for price and time (X & Y) are both undefined, thus they use a default symbol usually $INDU.

I think in your case the easiest and shortest way is to just use the "Create a chart" link and entry box located at the top of every page I can find on the StockCharts site.

Just enter whatever is the first symbol you want to look at and it will bring up a chart of that symbol, with "your" default chart settings in just one mouse click, now thats faster than launching a blank chart and then entering a symbol, two mouse clicks. If you don't like your default chart settings just change them.