Urgent! Please help

[donfan]

Hi,

When I develop a VC++ program with eSignal Desktop API, I encountered a very strange problem:

My program requests quote data, time&sale data, it works well in my computer (Windows XP professional), it also works in my friend's computer(Winodws 2000 server), BUT, the time&sale DOES NOT WORK in the Server(Windows 2000 advanced server) !!


Following is my code snippet:

SCODE EventSink::OnTimeSalesChanged(long lHandle)
{
TimeSalesData item;
long lNumBars, lNumRtBars, lBar, lDiff;

lNumRtBars = (*theApp.m_piHooks)-> GetGetNumTimeSalesRtBars(lHandle); // ** Gets number of real-time bars
// ** I requested real-time data, but lNumRtBars often return 0
// ** When lNumRtBars > 0, the real-time time&sale data is what I want
lNumBars = (*theApp.m_piHooks)->GetGetNumTimeSalesBars(lHandle); // ** Gets number of historical bars
// ** I know lNumBars is not necessary, copied from sample code in developer's guide

// ** Check whether lHandle exists, (it does exist, don't worry about this part)
intitem* pIntItem = theCfg.mtmselhdmap.FindItem(lHandle);
if (!pIntItem) {
theCfg.mlog.AddLogStrFmt("Can't find handle:%d", lHandle);
return S_OK;
}

st_symbol* pst = (st_symbol*)pIntItem->val;
lDiff = (lNumRtBars - pst->mtimesalelastbarnum) * -1;

for (lBar=lDiff + 1; lBar<=0; lBar++) {
item = (*theApp.m_piHooks)->GetGetTimeSalesBar(lHandle, lBar);
// ** After this statement, OnTimeSalesChanged RETURN immediately ! why?

// ** Check time&sale data, send it to other servers, ...
... ...
}
}


I spent lots of time to figure it out, but failed. I don't understand why time&sale data has such strange problem while quote data has no problem (quote data is OK in windows 2000 server, advanced server, windows XP professional).

My code is based on the sample C++ code and desktop API developer reference.

Does anyone can help me? My boss is very unhappy about this problem.

Thanks

[Guest]

It seems there is a problem with that function in W2K. There is another thread here that also states the same problem. We are currently digging into it.

[donfan]

Thanks. But I still don't understand ...

Dear Robi,

Time&sale and Quote, their API should be similiar. If time&sale doesn't work in windows 2k advanced server, neither does quote.
If quote does work, so do time&sales. That's my logic, I believe I'm a experienced programmer.

I checked many threads in this forum, found "TRUTH"s about eSignal:
1. eSignal desktop API is NOT mature
2. There is NO enough engineers to figure out and solve all problems of eSignal desktop API

It is true that many of us have wasted much much time on eSignal Desktop API. Even the developer reference is not updated to tell us NOT to waste time to dig into some known issues. I really don't understand why eSignal is a leading datafeed company.

My boss asked me several times to make the program work in his win2k advanced server. Both of us are really frustrated. If eSignal desktop API can NOT work in windows2k advanced server, we'll consider other companies' solution, though it'll be painful. Why did we trust eSignal ?

Still hope the time&sale problem can be solved ASAP
Looking forward to the solution.

[chrisjames]

Agreed....

I will second, third and fourth DonFan's Critique...

Having worked with the API (and paid monthly fees on it too! since April of this year)

cj

[donfan]

It is ridiculous that quote data does work

When we investigate the API of Time&Sale data, Quote data, There is NO doubt that their interfaces are much the same.

If our program can only get quote data in windows2k advanced server, the guy who wrote the time&sale API has problem !

I heard that many programmers often intentionally leave bugs in their programs to keep their jobs. Those bugs are not easy to discover. One day when the company will lay off them, they will claim that those programs still need them. That's ridiculous, but IT IS TRUE.

For the Time&Sale problems of eSignal Desktop API, IT is really ridiculous that quote data does work !!

This is not only complaint, managers of eSignal Desktop API, Please investigate the problems ASAP, and give us solution ASAP.

We are customers of eSignal, we subscribed eSignal Desktop API service, we have paid for this immature API every month.

Please relieve our pain As Soon As Possible.

[GenSpoo]

Re: It is ridiculous that quote data does work

Originally posted by donfan
If our program can only get quote data in windows2k advanced server, the guy who wrote the time&sale API has problem !

Personal attacks are not the way to go. This is a broad generalisation and not necesarily valid.

I heard that many programmers often intentionally leave bugs in their programs to keep their jobs. Those bugs are not easy to discover. One day when the company will lay off them, they will claim that those programs still need them. That's ridiculous, but IT IS TRUE.

Are you saying you do this yourself? I've been programming for a long time and have never met a single programmer that intentionally put bugs in their code for any reason, let alone job security. This is a common joke (if you want to call it that), but it is NOT true.

I understand your feelings, but I wouldn't start making accusations like these.

Cheers... George

[Guest]

We are not receiving reports of these errors in a Windows XP environment, so a short-term fix is to use that OS. Obviously, we need to correct this issue in a W2K environment and are currently working do so. As far as maturity, the API is almost 18 months old, sales are increasing while cancelations are dropping.

donfan, we do have other APIs, which are more expensive, that are much more robust that may be of use to you. Please complete our Hosted Business Solutions form or contact our sales team if you are interested. If you are using Advanced Server, I am afraid that you are attempting to use the API for more than it is designed to be used for. Also, can you confirm that the function that does not work in your environment is GetTimeSalesBar()? And is it a "invalid access to memory location" error? We are narrowing down the problem.

[donfan]

Robi,

the function that does not work in my environment is GetGetTimeSalesBar() which is a wrapper function generated automatically from winsig.tlb by VC++6.

I modified the program to use try and catch statement, "Invalid access to memory location" error appears. If I don't catch exceptions in the program, GetGetTimeSalesBar() just aborted, and the calling function aborted unexpectedly, too.

I don't want to make any accusations. Last year I met a senior programmer in a meeting, and he told me that he hid at least 10 bugs in his java programs to keep his job, and he mentioned that he knew some programers in the IT industry did this. Actually, I hate this kind of behaviour !

"If you are using Advanced Server, I am afraid that you are attempting to use the API for more than it is designed to be used for."

I don't think so. In the "Desktop API developer reference", there is NO such statement, even not mention windows 2000 advaned server. Please check "System Requirements" in chapter 2 (INSTALLATION AND SETUP) in eSignal developer reference.

I don't understand why there is no win2k advaned server in your company to test eSignal Desktop API. Your team are still testing on win2k XP, this is unacceptable !

My company has no enough money to consider other expensive solutions, and my company has invested money and human resources to study eSignal Desktop API and use it. Are you suggesting my boss to waste his investment ?

Thanks

[GenSpoo]

Originally posted by donfan
I don't want to make any accusations. Last year I met a senior programmer in a meeting, and he told me that he hid at least 10 bugs in his java programs to keep his job, and he mentioned that he knew some programers in the IT industry did this. Actually, I hate this kind of behaviour !

I'm glad I've never worked with that guy. There are folks that lack morals in every profession. That doesn't mean you can say everyone in a profession is without morals. I personally have no doubt that the programmers at eSignal are not the kinds of people that would intentionally put bugs into code. That's just plain silly in general, especially for workers in a company that has many programmers. Maybe if they were writing 20 year old bank code in some near-dead language that only a handful of people understood, then there might be job security in there somewhere.

Cheers... George

[Guest]

My point is that the Desktop API is a relatively cheap and simple API with innate limitations in how it can process symbols. It is a mid-tier product, which is why it sells for such a low cost. If you are using Advanced Server, I just feel that may be overkill for what the Desktop API (not Server API) is designed to handle and I am just offering a warning that there are limitations.

I assure you, our programmers do not leave bugs in their code on purpose. They would be terminated. I don't know what programmer you talked to or how that relates to this situation.

Can you tell me if your error occurs in a GetBar function call? If it is, we are currently investigating the cause and hope to have it resolved before the final build of 7.7. The system requirements do not state that this API is supported on Advanced Server. We do not check that OS because we use our more powerful and robust API(s) on that OS. Nonetheless, it should theoretically work, but you are pushing the envelope on what this API can do. I apologize for your frustrations, but this was not caught in our QA lab and 7.7 is only a release candidate.

[donfan]

I've already told you what the abnormal function is. It is GetGetTimeSalesBar, not others.

Till now, No one explained why quote data does work in windows2k advaned server, why time&sale NOT.

Can you setup a windows2k advanced server and investigate the cause of this problem ?

"The system requirements do not state that this API is supported on Advanced Server."

Yes. But it does NOT state that this API is NOT supported on Advanced Server, either. It's obvious that the developer reference and eSignal web pages misled my boss to make the "stupid" decision.

We are migrating from hyperfeed to eSignal, what can we do now ? It's too late to consider other solutions.

If you encounter such situation, what will you do ?

[Guest]

Again, we have identified and noted that there is a problem with the GetTimeSalesBar function in W2K environments. Our developers are currenly investigating the problem and will attempt to have it resolved by the final release of 7.7. An immediate resolution, as evidenced by chrisjames, is to upgrade your OS to an XP environment.

I never accused anyone of making a "stupid" decision, nor feel as we have misled you or your boss. We never mention Windows 3.1 or Linux, which means that they may work in those environments, but are not one of the ones that we test against or recommend.

Again, there are other, more robust APIs we offer. Please contact our sales department or fill out this form to have a sales person contact you if you are interested in pursuing all of your options.