HotLists Issues

[dcash]

Can someone in QCharts technical support please tell me why you all seem unable to keep the hotlist functionality working on a consistent basis? I am sitting here at 22:30 EDT watching my hotlist quote sheets bounce back and forth between being correctly populated and having some indeterminate number of incorrect stocks listed.

This seems to obviously be a server issue, so what is the problem that causes this to keep recurring? I have attached a screen shot of the servers to which I am attached.

[Larry Marchman]

Hey Dan,

Yeah, I also see what you're reporting.

As a fwiw and fyi not helpful, but somewhat informative, blah blah blah...it's that pesky Boxborough HL server that's short sheeting. The current HL implementation can flip-flop twix the source HL servers(Hayward and Boxborough) randomly from every-30sec-refresh to refresh. Get Boxborough now, next time, or in a couple of next times, Hayward server. The "gimme a new hotlist" connection is a quick get-and-quit to the HL servers via Remote Port 443. It took my packet sniffer to figure this stuff out.

As a workaround here's what I'm doing.
If you're looking at a HL like Point or $ Gainers, view it in a quotesheet. When you get the full 100, r-click the quotesheet and turn OFF the "Set symbols from Hot List". Notice the "flame" will no longer be in the title bar of the quotesheet. That will leave what's ya got...the full 100...static in the quotesheet. No further updates, which is OK after hours for these types of hot list.

HTH,

LAM

[JayF]

One server was found to be error due to an incorrect restart procedure. We are clarifying the correct restart process with our Operations staff and reviewing server documentation to ensure that the network staff has the tools they need to handle a server event successfully.

[dcash]

Jay,

Thanks for the update. Hopefully someone can create a script that automates verification and correction, if necessary, of hotlist functionality on the server side.

-Dan

[dcash]

Larry,

I tried your workaround and ran into a snag with it. When I uncheck the box for generating the quote sheet from a hotlist, I am then unable to export the quote sheet in CSV format. I can select the menu item to export data but I never get a file save dialog box to actually save the exported data. If I recheck the generate from hotlist box I can export the data with no problem.

Any thoughts on what might be causing this? Thanks.

-Dan

[Larry Marchman]

Hey Dan,

Well, son of a gun. You found a bug, and it's also in 5.1.
Imagine, after all these years. Go figure.

Here's a workaround for the workaround
And yeah, it's gonna add a couple of clicks.

1. Turn OFF the "Set symbols from Hot List" (existing workaround)
2. Then do Export "Symbols" (just ignore the saved file...consider it trash)
3. Then do the Export "Data" and the Save As Dialog will now be alive. Again...Go figure

That being said, since Jay counseled they are currently working on an updated procedure for the Ops guys that should preclude this issue happening in the future, hopefully no workaround and workaround to the workaround will need be kept around.

LAM

[dcash]

HotLists - Again?!

Jay, et. al.,

Please light a fire under your server folks and get the hotlists fixed. I am again seeing the lists being bounced between servers, with one giving correct data and the other populating lists with only a small number of stocks.

Assuming they are UNIX servers and someone is free to write some scripts, can they run scripts on a periodic basis to detect this error and correct it? Thanks.

-Dan Cash

[ckelly]

And, with some Hot List selections, there are no items reported, regardless of how many time tried.

See pic.
Carol

[Larry Marchman]

Originally posted by ckelly
And, with some Hot List selections, there are no items reported, regardless of how many time tried.
See pic.
Carol

Hey CK,

Here's the usual dueling charts post

BUT...I'm distressed that BIDU isn't in the list.
Along with others like...
HLND
HSII
COG
OMI
ZRAN
all of which would have HotList values of .08 or more.

hmmmm.......

oh...try it with your "filter" turned off. Filtering everything out?

LAM

[ckelly]

Larry,
Yup, there goes those banjos again . . .

Ok, after multiple efforts - with no filter, I do finally get a return - however, 62K is the largest Avg Vol stock returned and I simply do not trade pee wee stocks like that. . . . thus, the use of a Filter of 1M.

In either case, it would seem that today's BIDU gap of $60 or so would certainly lead the list - sadly, not the case.

Unfortunately, the Hot List feature is simply useless in its current state.

Carol

[Larry Marchman]

CK,

If you sort on Avg Vol, other's more than 62K will be in view, but you need to get a list of 100.

And this particular type of hot list naturally favors low volume stuff anyhow, since they tend to incur higher volitility than the more stately stocks. BUT...BIDU, and the others I mentioned not being there is troubling.

That being said, I can't agree "ALL" hot list are useless. Lists like Point Gainers, % Gainers, and others seem to be intact and usefull.

Merry Christmas,

LAM

[dcash]

Actually, top point gainers/losers for NYSE and top point gainers/losers for NASDAQ are the hotlists giving me problems, at least they were yesterday. I did not try them today.

[Larry Marchman]

Originally posted by dcash
Actually, top point gainers/losers for NYSE and top point gainers/losers for NASDAQ are the hotlists giving me problems, at least they were yesterday. I did not try them today.

Hey Dan,

The context here is somewhat different. It's not about the flipping twix good Hayward and bad short sheeting Boxborough. But rather about a full 100 list missing some stuff that should be there.

LAM

[ckelly]

Larry,
Maybe it's a combination of the banjos I keep hearing and the engineer training in me . . . but, when multiple users report repeated problems with a feature, and even a master like you is seeing problems with the said feature . . . well, it leads me to always ask this question, "What else is wrong?" When several features of the Hot Lists are problematic, I will assume that all of them are problematic until proven otherwise.

I'm truly happy for those who feel the Hot List feature is usable or feel it provides a sense of security for the completeness and accuracy of the data generated. Sadly, I'm not one of them.

Perhaps the whole point being made here is that Hot Lists used to work really well and were a very valuable tool for me and for others. However, the 6.1 version has been problematic and has multiple bugs that we'd all appreciate being corrected.

Happy New Year
Carol

[JayF]

*Related Threads Merged*

Thanks for the posts on the subject. We do have a number of issues identified with the Hot List servers and are in the process of scheduling time to get these addressed.