TJ, I've just got to congratulate you on 64 Bit AB. It is literally lighting quick on my new machine. Considerably more than 25% quicker I believe compared to 32 bit.
I'm very impressed. Thanks --- In amibroker@yahoogroups.com, Tomasz Janeczko <gro...@...> wrote: > > Hello, > > With regards to plugin DLLs: > It is somewhat complicated matter because partially it is governed by Windows > OS search order itself. > When you load an exe it will first look for corresponding DLLs in the EXE > directory > (not in "current working directory"). So all DLLs and EXE files that are in > the same > directory where broker.exe is, are loaded from that directory. That is what > you expect. > Problem begins when some DLLs are NOT in the directory where 'exe' file is but > in the SUBdirectory (like Plugins subfolder). In that case "Plugins" relative > path > will start from Current working directory, not from 'exe' directory. > So plugins are the only DLLs that are affected. > > So with regards to IQFeed plugin, you can workaround this by simply renaming > 64-bit edition to IQFeed64.dll. > AmiBroker is smart enough not to rely on file name and it will load > appropriate > 'bitness' version automatically. > > > "It looks like I can not share layouts, parameters (...)" > That is incorrect statement. You _can_ share layouts and parameters. These > are ordinary files that are read > from current working directory. > > > Best regards, > Tomasz Janeczko > amibroker.com > > On 2010-08-09 13:13, Dennis Brown wrote: > > > > > > Tomasz, > > > > Thank you for explaining the Start in property. Sometimes Mac guys are > > clueless. > > > > Things did not work as expected, or maybe they did, but my expectations > > were wrong. > > > > I copied a full installation of my 32 bit AB from my XP drive into > > F:\AmibrokerData > > Then, I deleted all .dll and .exe files from from the AmibrokerData folder. > > I did a full install of 32 bit AB into F:\Amibroker32 > > I did a full install of 64 bit AB into F:\Amibroker64 > > I set the Start in property of both to F:\AmibrokerData > > I also set the preferences of both to using F:\AmibrokerData for formulas, > > includes, and database > > > > Neither AB32 nor AB64 would recognize their local plugins. So they would > > not start up the IQFeed. They were looking for the plugin .dll files in > > the AmibrokerData folder. > > When I copied the plugin folder from Amibroker32 to AmibrokerData, then > > Amibroker32 IQFeed would try to start, but Amibroker64would not. > > When I copied the plugin folder from Amibroker64 to AmibrokerData, then > > Amibroker64 IQFeed would try to start, but Amibroker32would not. > > > > This leads me to believe that when the Start in property is set, AB is also > > looking for at least some and perhaps all .exe or .dll files in the > > AmibrokerData > > folder. That means that it cannot be used as a complete shared setup/data > > folder for both AB32 and AB64 because at a minimum the .dll for IQFeed is > > different > > for the two, but named the same. > > > > It looks like I can share formulas, includes, and database via preferences. > > It looks like I can not share layouts, parameters and other setup files > > between the different AB installations that require different .dll files > > via Start in > > property. > > > > That is as far as I can figure it out at this point. > > > > Am I still missing some important point? > > > > I would like to be able to run 3 installations (XP AB32, W7 AB32, W7 AB64), > > using the Start in property mode on a common AmiBroker folder. All my > > local files > > and parameters are also written to the relative addresses inside the > > Amibroker folder. I want to make sure I am working with only one copy of > > these files > > during my trading, testing, and development as I slowly move from XP 32 bit > > to W7 64 bit. > > > > I think this might only work if the Broker.exe program looks for > > executables in its local folder, and not in the Start in folder. This is > > what I thought you > > were telling me it did, but I am not perfectly clear about this. > > > > Best regards, > > Dennis > > > > > > > > On Aug 8, 2010, at 6:30 AM, Tomasz Janeczko wrote: > > > >> > >> > >> Hello, > >> > >> Yes it is possible to have common folder for data. You would need to modify > >> "Start In" property of the shortcut you are using to run AmiBroker to > >> point to > >> that "shared" folder. Such shared folder should contain all files *except* > >> executables. > >> "Start in" defines current working directory for the application. > >> AmiBroker uses > >> *relative* paths from current working directory. > >> > >> Best regards, > >> Tomasz Janeczko > >> amibroker.com <http://amibroker.com/> > >> > >> On 2010-08-08 05:50, Dennis Brown wrote: > >>> Keith / Tomasz, > >>> > >>> Thanks for the suggestions. > >>> > >>> I created a new F: drive. I created 3 full installations called > >>> Amibroker32, AmiBroker64, and AmiBrokerData. I copied my old > >>> installation folder from my > >>> XP machine into the AmiBrokerData folder. > >>> > >>> I did not see anyplace where I could specify a "support files" path > >>> during installation. > >>> > >>> After installation, I selected the F:\AmiBrokerData\ files for the > >>> Include path, the Formula path, and the default database path. I did not > >>> see any way to > >>> share more files than these. > >>> > >>> I had to copy my Layouts files from my old installation into both of the > >>> new installations. I did not see a way to share one layout folder. > >>> > >>> Creating the full installation in the AmiBrokerData folder and then > >>> copying my old installation folder on top of it seemed like an > >>> unnecessary step since I > >>> can't share all those files other than the ones I select in the > >>> preferences of each install. > >>> > >>> I am wondering if it is possible to have both installations 32 & 64 in > >>> the same folder that is a combination of all files. Broker would have to > >>> be renamed > >>> to Broker64 for one of them. My first shot at trying that did not work > >>> for the Broker64. > >>> > >>> Am I missing something here? > >>> > >>> Best regards, > >>> > >>> Dennis > >>> > >>> > >>> On Aug 7, 2010, at 6:39 PM, Tomasz Janeczko wrote: > >>> > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> Hello, > >>>> > >>>> For what is worth, on my machine 32-bit AB is installed into > >>>> F:\AmiBroker > >>>> directory, while 64- bit is installed into > >>>> F:\AmiBroker64 > >>>> directory. As you can see none of them are "Program Files". > >>>> > >>>> With regards to "sharing" files - technically all files can be used by > >>>> both versions (are binary compatible) with exception to > >>>> EXECUTABLE files (all with .EXE and .DLL extensions). In my opinion > >>>> however, only database files are large enough > >>>> to make "sharing" them sensible option. > >>>> > >>>> Best regards, > >>>> Tomasz Janeczko > >>>> amibroker.com <http://amibroker.com/> > >>>> > >>>> On 2010-08-07 19:49, Keith McCombs wrote: > >>>>> Dennis -- > >>>>> When you do a full install (not an upgrade), AB first asks where to > >>>>> install AB, and then asks where to install support files (including all > >>>>> .afl code, > >>>>> data bases, etc.). Ideally, you would put AB32 in one folder, AB64 in > >>>>> a second one, and AB support files in a third. The AB support files > >>>>> would be > >>>>> shared by AB32 and AB64. > >>>>> > >>>>> That's very easy, if you do it from the very start. I have found it to > >>>>> be more difficult, because I wanted to preserve many years of > >>>>> historical work, > >>>>> programs, layouts, watch lists, results, etc.. This is what I did on > >>>>> my PC after upgrading from Win2k (32bit) to XP64: > >>>>> 1. Saved all of C:\Program Files\Amibroker\ from Win2K system. > >>>>> Remaining operations all performed on new XP64 system: > >>>>> 2. Did a fresh install of AB32 into c:\Program Files\Amibroker\, > >>>>> including AB32 and all support files. > >>>>> 3. Copied saved Win2K AB right over AB32 installed in step 2 above. > >>>>> 4. Did a second fresh install of AB32 on XP64 into c:\Program Files > >>>>> (x86)\Amibroker\, but with support folder as c:\Program > >>>>> Files\Amibroker\. > >>>>> 5. Did a fresh install of AB64 into c:\Program Files\Amibroker\. > >>>>> > >>>>> This works for me. I run both AB32 and AB64 interchangeably, though > >>>>> not simultaneously. > >>>>> > >>>>> I would much prefer to have AB support folder outside of any c:\Program > >>>>> Files ....\. But have not been able to do so, after many tedious > >>>>> efforts, > >>>>> including correspondence with AB support. > >>>>> > >>>>> BTW, according to TJ, AB32 and AB64 can be installed in any folders. > >>>>> They do not have to be in c:\Program Files ...\. > >>>>> > >>>>> Hope this helps. > >>>>> -- Keith > >>>>> > >>>>> BTW, if you manage to somehow set up three different folders, with all > >>>>> your history preserved in an independent support one, please let me > >>>>> know how you > >>>>> did it. > >>>>> > >>>>> On 8/7/2010 12:20, Dennis Brown wrote: > >>>>>> > >>>>>> Hello, > >>>>>> > >>>>>> I just installed a clean upgrade of Windows 7 64 bit as a new virtual > >>>>>> machine in Parallels on my Mac Pro. I also have an XP 32 bit virtual > >>>>>> machine that I > >>>>>> was upgrading from which contains my AmiBroker folder with all the > >>>>>> associated files. > >>>>>> > >>>>>> I did a full install of AB 64 bit on the new VM. I also have the 64 > >>>>>> bit IQFeed installed. Everything seems to work fine. > >>>>>> > >>>>>> I can run the XP 32 bit or the W7 64 bit system alternately. I have > >>>>>> attached the XP virtual C: disk drive to the 64 bit system as another > >>>>>> drive, so the > >>>>>> 64 bit system can read or copy over anything from the old system, just > >>>>>> like it was an external backup drive. > >>>>>> > >>>>>> This made for a very easy upgrade in just a couple of hours last night. > >>>>>> > >>>>>> However, I realized, that I am setting myself up for duplicating the > >>>>>> data for AB which will take a lot of extra disk drive space (I really > >>>>>> only have one > >>>>>> disk drive that I run from, even though it is broken up into several > >>>>>> virtual drives). So, I want to clean up my act and make a separate > >>>>>> virtual hard > >>>>>> drive just for the AB stuff. Tomasz has stated that he has a drive F: > >>>>>> for all his program files, so that he can share them more easily > >>>>>> between systems. > >>>>>> That would be very easy for me to set up. > >>>>>> > >>>>>> My question then becomes one of organization of the AB folder so that > >>>>>> I can have both a 32 bit and a 64 bit version installed, but have > >>>>>> common files > >>>>>> between them whenever possible. > >>>>>> > >>>>>> I want to be able to run each alternately, not at the same time. This > >>>>>> will give me a way to compare performance. It also seems that my > >>>>>> previously written > >>>>>> very simple DLL for my Flexible Parameters does not run on the 64 bit > >>>>>> W7. So, I will have to work on reinventing the wheel from two years > >>>>>> ago again to > >>>>>> move forward. > >>>>>> > >>>>>> Another advantage of putting the AB stuff in a different virtual drive > >>>>>> from the rest of the VM is that incremental backups on my Mac will be > >>>>>> more > >>>>>> efficient. It might even make sense from that point of view, to break > >>>>>> the AB stuff up into two virtual disks -- a separate disk for the > >>>>>> databases which > >>>>>> could be recovered from a backfill if needed, so it would not need > >>>>>> multiple incremental backups. > >>>>>> > >>>>>> Can this be done? > >>>>>> Which files can be common between 32 and 64 bit AB? > >>>>>> Where do I put the 32bit and 64 bit programs so that they can each run > >>>>>> with the same layouts and formulas and databases? > >>>>>> > >>>>>> Best regards, > >>>>>> Dennis > >>>>>> > >>>> > >>>> > >>> > >> > >> > > > > > > > > >
