Stock Investor Pro Getting Started

» Continued from... Installing Stock Investor

Figure 2. The Help System assists in learning about the program and data. CLICK ON IMAGE TO SEE FULL SIZE.

The Stock Investor Pro Help System is a good place for new users to learn about the program. The Help System provides users with instructions on using the program’s primary functions, articles discussing the 60 stock screens that come with the program, and definitions of the data fields (Figure 2).

You can open the Help System while in Stock Investor Pro by pressing the <F1> key or by clicking on the Help menu and then selecting Contents and Index (Help—Contents and Index). The Help System can also be opened by clicking the Start button (from the Taskbar) and selecting Programs > AAII > Stock Investor Pro Help.

We strongly recommend that you thoroughly read the Help System to familiarize yourself with the functions of Stock Investor Pro.

Data Fields

Figure 3. Field definitions provide data category and field calculation information. CLICK ON IMAGE TO SEE FULL SIZE.

The Field Definitions section of the Help System provides definitions of all the data elements within the program. You can locate field definitions alphabetically or by category breakdown, as they appear in the program. Click on a data field name to bring up its definition (Figure 3). The calculation of the data field is also explained here, if appropriate.

• The Data Table Name is the “short name” of the field, while the name that you see in the program is its “long name.” This is helpful if you export data from Stock Investor Pro. A key file is created that provides the “short” and “long” names of the data fields you export.
• The Data Category specifies where you can find that field in the program, which is helpful when trying to locate a field within the field groups in the various editors of Stock Investor Pro.
• The Field Type lets you know what kind of field it is—for example, decimal, dollars in millions, percent or logical (True, False). This is helpful when creating a screen so you know the proper values to enter in the “Compare To” cell of the Screen Editor.
• Percent Rank tells whether or not you can find the field in the % Rank category.
• Industry/Sector Median indicates whether industry and sector medians are calculated for that particular field.
• The definition appears last and, if the field is a calculated field, the calculation follows.

If you require assistance while using a part of Stock Investor Pro, links to specific Help topics are provided in selected areas. Direct links to the Help System can be found at these locations:

• Custom Field Editor,
• Delete Section,
• Export Data Section,
• Import Portfolio,
• Open Notebook,
• Rename Section and
• Rank Section.

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