ChartWatchers

Hello Fellow ChartWatchers!

Chip Anderson

Chip Anderson

President, StockCharts.com

Have you tried SharpCharts2 yet?  The reception for our new "Beta 7" version of SharpCharts2 has been incredible!  More people have created more great looking SharpCharts2 charts in the past 3 days than ever before.  And many of you have sent us lots of wonderful feedback about what they liked and didn't like about the changes we have made.  And that in turn has allowed us to make SharpCharts2 even better - it's truely a win-win situation.

In case you missed our mid-week mailing, the "Beta 7" version of SharpCharts2 will be our last unofficial release of SharpCharts2.  It create charts that are far superior to our current SharpCharts and allows more charting flexibility than anything else out there on the web.  Overlays, extra bars, three line break charts, multiple ticker symbols, annotations, additional indicators, more color choices and much more are available via SharpCharts2.  All of our users owe it to themselves to check it out soon!

The Beta 7 version of SharpCharts2 also allows our Basic and Extra members to get a preview of what life will be like when SharpCharts2 is fully integrated into StockCharts.com.  During the Beta, members can view any of their saved charts from inside the SharpCharts2 workbench.  This lets you see what your saved charts will look like under SharpCharts2.  The conversion process is automatic - simply select your charts from the dropdowns just like you do with SharpCharts1.

In addition, Extra members can now save new SharpCharts2 charts into a special list that has been automatically added to their account.  The list is called "SharpCharts2 BETA" and can only contain SharpCharts2 charts.  During the Beta period, this is the only list that new SharpCharts2 charts can be stored in - that will change however once SharpCharts2 is officially released.

Finally, Basic and Extra members can also create and store ChartSettings for SharpCharts2 in their account.  This lets you quickly switch back and forth between several different styles of charts for the same ticker symbol.  Keep in mind that the ChartSettings for SharpCharts2 are completely seperate from any store settings you may have for SharpCharts1.

Here are some more tips and tricks for using SharpCharts2 that we've collected from our users during the first 3 days of the Beta period:

1.) The Big Yellow Box Doesn't Go Away?
Click on the "Hide Box" link in the upper right corner of the box to hide it. If you have cookies enabled for our website, that box will stay hidden.

2.) I Can't Find the Advanced Pull-Outs Anymore?
The features provided by the Advanced Options pull-outs (color, opacity, etc.) are reserved for our paying members' use and are no longer available to free users.  If you are a member and you don't see those features, please make sure you are logged in to our site correctly.

3.) I Can Only Add Three Indicators/Overlays to a Chart?
Again, free users are restricted to having only 3 indicators and/or overlays per chart.  If you have saved a Beta 6 chart with more than 3 indicators on it, you will no longer see the addition indicators in Beta 7.  If you are a member, make sure that you are logged in.

4.) Really Strange Things are Happening like Buttons Not Working When Clicked?
As we update our software, you need to make sure that your browser isn't using a cached version of the older code.  Clear out your browser's temporary file cache whenever you see unexpected behavior.  Instructions for doing that are on this page: http://stockcharts.com/FAQ-Config.html#Cache

5.) The Annotation Tool Doesn't Work?
Make sure that your computer passed our Java Troubleshooter tests: http://stockcharts.com/support/javaSupport/javaOne.html

6.) How Do I Import Old Charts into SC2?
Actually, you don't.  During this Beta period, you can use the Beta 7 workbench to view your old saved charts, but you cannot use it to modify them.  Extra members can save _copies_ of their old charts into the new "SharpCharts2 BETA" list if they want to make modifications by first pulling up the old chart in the Beta 7 workbench and then clicking the "Add New" link.

7.) Why Haven't You Responded to my Message?
We're swamped right now working hard to improve SharpCharts2 for everyone.  Please excuse us if we do not get back to you immediately.  In addition, please understand that we are not going to be adding new features to SharpCharts2 until well after it is officially released.

So what are you waiting for?  Log in to your account and start using Beta 7 today!

Chip Anderson
About the author: is the founder and president of StockCharts.com. He founded the company after working as a Windows developer and corporate consultant at Microsoft from 1987 to 1997. Since 1999, Chip has guided the growth and development of StockCharts.com into a trusted financial enterprise and highly-valued resource in the industry. In this blog, Chip shares his tips and tricks on how to maximize the tools and resources available at StockCharts.com, and provides updates about new features or additions to the site. Learn More