Welcome to the eSignal New User Orientation. This guide is designed to help you get started using eSignal and introduce you to the available resources to help you find what you're looking for.

Downloading the Software

Before you download the software or start your service, to ensure that your PC will work with eSignal, you should review the eSignal System Requirements, which you can get to by clicking on the "View" link on the eSignal Download page.

Downloading the eSignal software is very easy. Complete the steps listed below.

1. Go to the Download page and click the "Download" button.
   
   
2. Choose "Run" when the dialog box appears. (Once the file transfer is complete, the installation process will begin automatically.)
   
   
3. Enter your Username and Password when prompted and continue clicking "Next" until you reach the final screen. Click "Finish" to complete installation.
   
   

If you are integrating eSignal with one of our broker partners, instructions are available in the brokerage FAQ.

Note: On those rare occasions when you do run into a problem while installing, alternatively, you can choose "Save" when the installer dialog box appears. This will save the eSignal Install file to your PC. This takes between 5 and 15 minutes, depending on your connection speed. Once this file is successfully saved on your PC, you simply double click to start the installer and follow step 3 as listed above.

Pages

When you first launch eSignal, you'll see a sample page titled "Welcome to eSignal". The eSignal workspace is saved in a file referred to as a Page.

All the windows within the workspace are saved in a single Page file. To create a new page, click "Page" from the main menu, followed by "New Page". This will close the existing default windows. Click "File", "New" and select one of the available window types (i.e., Quote Window, Advanced Chart, Time and Sales, and so forth). Repeat this process until you have customized your workspace to fit your needs. You have the option of renaming the individual windows within your workspace by clicking "File", "Rename Window Title".

Once you have entered all the desired symbols and adjusted the window sizes / positions, you'll want to save your workspace by clicking "Page", "Save Page As". Enter a new file name (make sure it's different from the existing default pages, or you may lose your work if you ever upgrade) and click "Save". Repeat this process if you wish to create multiple pages. To see more on Pages, please view the video titled "Pages and Layouts" listed on the eSignal Product Training page under "Pre-Recorded Training Sessions" toward the bottom of the page.

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Window Types

There are more than 20 distinct window types in eSignal, such as the Quote Window, Time and Sales, Advanced Charts, Market Depth, News Manager and more. In the following section, we'll be covering the basics of some of the more popular window types.

Quote Window
The Quote Window displays information in a spreadsheet-like format. Enter the symbols you are tracking into the Quote Window and choose from more than 180 customizable fields, including Last, Bid / Ask, 52 Week High / Low, Electronic Volume, key Fundamental data, and much more! View a video titled "Quote Window" listed on the eSignal Product Training page under "Pre-Recorded Training Sessions" toward the bottom of the page to learn more about it.

Opening a New Quote Window
From the menu bar, click on "File", "New", "Quote Window". A default Quote Window will open. Type a symbol and press "Enter".

Adding a Field (Column)
Right click any column heading (for example, "Last"), and select "Add Field".

A "Select Field" menu will appear. Choose from more than 180 available field headers. You can also choose to delete or replace a field by right clicking any column heading. Re-arrange the order of any row or column by grabbing it with the left mouse button and dragging to the new column or row.

  

Adding Text or Comments to a Row
You can customize your Quote Window by adding text to a specific row by typing "#", followed by the word or comment you wish to add. Click the down arrow on your keyboard to see the change.

Sorting by a Field (Column)
Left click any column heading to begin sorting (i.e., Symbol, Last, Change, High or Low). Click "Yes" when prompted. The fields will sort in ascending or descending order with each left click.

The Right Click Menu
Right click on any symbol you have entered into the Quote Window. You'll have the option of opening other window types, such as Advanced Charts, Market Depth and Time and Sales. You can also find news or set alerts on any symbol that you right click.

Changing Colors
Click on the Quote Window to make it the active window. Go to "Quote Options" on the menu bar; then click "Colors". Highlight the line for the field that you wish to change; then click "Change Color" to open the color menu.

Time and Sales Window
This window displays a timestamp for each Trade, Bid and Ask price, as well as Size. To open a new Time and Sales Window, click "File", "New", "Time and Sales" from the main menu. Enter the desired symbol in the top left box and hit enter. This window can also be launched by right clicking a symbol from a Quote Window.

Date / #Days Ago Field
Use this feature to specify a specific date or number of days back (30-day limit).

Time Field
Specify the starting time and press "Enter". Scroll to the bottom of the window to find the starting point.

Price / Range Field
This field gives all data within a range for the specific day / time filters used or will search for a specific price.

To display all the items at one price, just type that one price in and hit "Enter". If you need a range of prices, type in the minimum price first, followed by a dash and then the maximum price, followed by "Enter". You can also specify greater than or less than a given price by using the ">" or "<" characters.

Time and Sales Properties
To pull up the Time and Sales Properties window, from the main menu, click "Time and Sales", "Properties". The Properties window allows you to change the colors, font, view style and direction of real-time data.

Colors: To change the color of a line, select the line and then choose the foreground and background colors. Font: To change the font used, click the "Font" button and then choose the font, font style and size.
View: There are three ways to view data in the Time & Sales Window:

Short View - This view combines the bids, asks and trades all in the same columns.
Long View - The long view separates the bids and asks from the trades. Quotes are on separate lines from the trades.
BBO View - This third view separates the bids and asks from the trades, but quotes are on the same lines as the trades.

CID Support
Corrections, Insertions and Deletions (CIDs) are available in the Time and Sales window and can be viewed under the "Conditions" column. Learn more about CIDs.

Advanced Chart Window
eSignal's Advanced Charts offer an extremely flexible user interface and include a full array of line drawing tools, advanced analytics and a formula engine that lets you create your own studies. You can import, create, save and encrypt your own formulas. You may also select from an extensive library of formulas and helpers, use advanced scaling features and customize your own Advanced Charting Favorites Toolbar. Learn more about eSignal's Advanced Charts feature by viewing a video titled "Advanced Charting Basics" listed on the eSignal Product Training page under "Pre-Recorded Training Sessions" toward the bottom of the page.

To open a new advanced chart, click "File", "New" and then "Advanced Chart".

Entering Symbols and Changing Intervals
To enter a symbol in an advanced chart, type any letter on your keyboard. This will open the "Change Symbol" box, where you can enter a new symbol and interval. To change the interval (if this dialog box isn't already open), type a number on your keyboard ("5" represents a 5-minute interval) or hit the comma (,) key.

Other intervals include "D" for Daily, "W" for Weekly and "M" for monthly. Read more about tick-based interval charts.

Chart Type
Select from a variety of chart types, including Bar, Candlestick, Line and Area Charts. Kagi, Point & Figure, Point Break and Renko Charts are also available. To change an advanced chart's chart type, right click the chart and select "Chart Type".

Applying Time Templates
Time templates control the start and end times, as well as the number of days / bars displayed on the chart. Right click in an advanced chart and click "Time Templates" to select a default template. Specific time templates, such as 9:30 – 16:00, will not work with Daily Charts or Tick Charts. Learn more about how to create a new template.

Tools Menu
Right click to access the "Tools" menu, which includes Back Testing, Price Filtering, Data Export, Bar Editor and Replay Mode.

Adding and Editing Basic Studies
To add a study, right click an advanced chart, go to "Basic Studies" and select from the available studies. Alternatively, there is a "Formulas" folder available with additional studies.

Cursor Window
The Cursor Window is the small information panel within an advanced chart that displays information, such as the Symbol, Date, Price, Open, High, Low and Close. The Server Status Bar is displayed on top of the Cursor Window with an "OK" on a green background.

Read more about the Cursor Window.

Toolbars
Several toolbars are available in advanced charts. These toolbars can be toggled on and off by clicking "View" from the main menu and selecting the appropriate toolbar. Toolbars are "dockable". This means that they can be dragged or moved to a different part of the screen. Read a detailed explanation of the various toolbar icons.

Advanced Chart Toolbar
The Advanced Chart toolbar allows for shortcuts, such as changing the chart type, scaling in the chart, adjusting the bar width and spacing, removing items from the chart and more.

Line Toolbar
The Line toolbar allows quick access to the drawing tools, Fibonacci lines, the text tool, the eraser and the "zoom in / out" feature and also lets you move and copy lines.

Advanced Line Toolbar
The Advanced Line toolbar requires a subscription to eSignal, Advanced GET Edition, and will be grayed out unless you are subscribed to Advanced GET.

The Favorites Toolbar
The Favorites toolbar allows you to set shortcuts for frequently used stocks and intervals.

Link - This feature allows the user to link windows based on color.
Properties - The properties let users remove folders and shortcuts from the bar.
Add - With the "Add" function, the user can create new shortcuts.

The Favorites toolbar displays two folders, "Equities" and "Other Intervals", where additional shortcuts can be added.

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Hot List

The Hot List features powerful, pre-built scans that look through the markets to identify the best trading opportunities. This window type can be opened several ways. You can choose "File", "New", "Hot Lists" or press "Ctrl-L".

You will also find a Hot List icon on the main toolbar (a green arrow up and a red arrow down). In older versions of eSignal, this icon was used for the Market Leaders window, which has since been replaced with Hot Lists.

You may request any number of results from 1 to 100 for each list. You can also choose to have the list of results updating dynamically (i.e., streaming and, hence, counting as active symbols) or static mode (where they don't count against your symbol limit). Check or uncheck the Dynamic box to toggle between the two settings.

Hot Lists automatically update every 30 seconds. To avoid the inclusion of thinly traded equities, only equities that trade at least 100,000 shares with at least 50 transactions will be included in the results although some exceptions may apply. Hot Lists begin to calculate at market open (9:30 a.m. ET), with some lists continuing to update with post-market activity (NASD Trade Rate, for example). Pre-market activity is not included.

Learn more about window types and product features by visiting the eSignal KnowledgeBase.

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Symbol Search and Formats

Wherever possible, eSignal uses standard exchange symbology. We have separated the formats into their respective categories, so they're easier to follow.

See our Symbol Directory for a list of all A - Z listings and Symbol Formats for specific exchange codes.

North American Stocks: For U.S. stocks, use the commonly known symbols for them (IBM, GE, GM, etc.). If you are looking for a warrant, class stock, preferred stock, or other special issue, or for Canadian stocks, you'll need to add a two-character exchange identifier.

European, African, and Asia / Pacific Equities: For these symbols, use the same format as with U.S. stocks but add a 3-character exchange identifier to the end of the symbol.

North American Futures: Standard format for North American futures is a two-character symbol, month code, last digit of the expiration year. (ES Z9 is the CME E-Mini contract for Dec 09.) (Note: For continuous contracts, replace the month and year code with #F [ES #F].)

European and Asia / Pacific Futures: These symbols use the same format as U.S. futures, but we add a 3-to-4-character exchange identifier on the end. (Note: Currently, eSignal does not have continuous contracts for international futures data.)

Forex: Standard format for foreign currency symbols is a three-character symbol, space, spot code, dash, then FX. By default, each is the cross rate for the U.S. dollar. To view other cross rates, combine the 2 Forex symbols. For example:

• EUR A0-FX - Euro / U.S. Dollar
• EURGBP A0-FX - Euro and British Pound

Options: Per the Options Symbology Initiative, the format is as follows:

O:(Underlying Symbol), a space, (Two Digit Year), (Put/Call and Expiration Month Code), (Strike Price)

Some examples:

O:MSFT 10D25.00 (Microsoft April 2010 Call at 25.00)
O:IBM 10S100.00 (IBM July 2010 Put at 100.00)

In addition, there’s an optional regional ID code and an exchange day identifier, used for quarterly, weekly or any expiry other than the third Saturday.

O:(Underlying Symbol), a space, (Two Digit Year), (Put/Call and Expiration Month Code), (Strike Price), Day Identifier, =Regional Exchange ID

Some examples:

O:DIA 10F74.00D30 (DIA March 30, 2010 74.00 Call - Quarterly expiration)
O:IBM 10S100.00=B (IBM July 2010 Put at 100.00 from the Boston Stock Exchange)

Indices: Indices are divided into 3 groups: eSignal Indices, World Indices and International Indices.

1. eSignal Indices: Each symbol begins with a $ sign (example: $INDU is the Dow Jones Industrial Average). Please see the Symbols Guide - eSignal Indices for more information.
2. World Indices: This is a collection of indices from around the world available in a single bundle as an add-on service.
3. International Indices: Many of the European and Asia / Pacific exchanges separate equities and indices into separate and distinct categories. Some charge an additional fee for indices as well.

For more information, please see Symbols Formats and our Symbols Directory.

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eSignal Formula Script (EFS)

eSignal uses the JavaScript language as a foundation for eSignal Formula Script, or "EFS" for short. This allows you to develop your own custom studies, as well as a series of customizable sample formulas, so you'll be able to test your trading strategies on days, weeks and years of historical data. Learn more about EFS by viewing a video titled "EFS Basics" listed on the eSignal Product Training page under "Pre-Recorded Training Sessions" toward the bottom of the page.

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Formulas and Studies (Appendix A) (PDF)

This appendix in the eSignal manual goes over eSignal advanced charting formulas / studies and provides you with the basics required to start applying formulas to eSignal advanced charts. It is organized into the following four sections:

• eSignal Formula Engine and Formula Basics
• eSignal Formula Library (descriptions of the more than 50 customizable sample formulas)
• eSignal Advanced Charting Studies (descriptions of more than 20 technical studies)
• eSignal, Advanced GET Edition, Premium Technical Studies

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JavaScript for EFS

The "JavaScript for EFS Video Series" educates the viewer on programming concepts, using JavaScript, the foundation language for eSignal Formula Script (EFS). This series also leads the viewer through many examples using the EFS Editor and the EFS Output Window. It is the perfect place to start for someone who is new to programming and wanting to learn more about it.

EFS Help Center and Library
Here, you will find a complete collection of EFS reference materials, how-to guides and an extensive library of EFS formulas developed for eSignal users.

To suggest an EFS study to be developed by eSignal, please post the details of the study to our New Study Suggestions forum. (You must be a registered member of the eSignal Forums in order to use this service; registration is free.) Register now to join the eSignal Forums.

To hire an EFS consultant for custom formula development, please contact one of our EFS Development Partners.

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Third Party Programs / Add-Ons

eSignal offers two forms of integration to its datafeed through the eSignal Application Programming Interface (API) and the eSignal Desktop API with ActiveX® COM technology. More third party software companies have written their software to be compatible with the eSignal API than for any other quote service. Third party software, such as Metastock from Equis International and OmniTrader from Nirvana Systems, offers advanced technical analysis to eSignal subscribers.

eSignal Desktop Application Programming Interface (API) with ActiveX Technology
The eSignal Desktop API with ActiveX technology provides developers with a fast, easy way to develop applications that access eSignal's real-time and historical data. Read more about the eSignal Desktop API with ActiveX technology.

Additionally, add-on studies, such as the Bollinger Band Toolkit, are available. Learn more about the studies that can be added onto eSignal.

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Other

Account Management / Billing
eSignal offers online Account Maintenance for those who wish to manage their own account(s). Account Maintenance provides 24 / 7 access to your account information, as well as many other benefits:

• Add / delete services (exchanges, news services, etc.)
• Pay your bill
• Change passwords
• Restart an account
• View billing history
• Update credit card

Find out more about Account Maintenance and General Billing.

Product Training Video Library
In addition to the eSignal video clips previously referenced, we have archived a host of other eSignal-related courses. Please check out the selection of pre-recorded videos listed toward the bottom of the eSignal Product Training page.

eSignal Forums
The eSignal Forums are a powerful tool for learning about eSignal and for interacting with other traders. The forums are a great place to talk about customizing formulas, new trading strategies, how to get the most out of eSignal and much more. It's an essential communication tool to stay on top of current events and to be a part of our community of users. To read and respond to all posts, register for the eSignal Forums today. Registration is free.

By registering for our forums, you'll automatically be registered for our File Share area. File Share is a cross between a public library and a private storage room. You can use the File Share area to post screen shots or charts to share or as a way to save important files in case you need to access them while traveling.

eSignal KnowledgeBase
Visit the eSignal KnowledgeBase to search for any eSignal-related topic and find answers to frequently asked questions.

CME Group Fee-Waived Globex Data
We have partnered with a number of brokers and the CME to waive the normal CME Globex exchange fees, as long as a set number of requirements are met. Learn more about this exciting CME exchange fee waiver program.

Learn How to Trade with eSignal
Need more hands-on training? We offer a variety of classes for every level of trader.

Important Announcements and Network Status
For information about your eSignal service or the status of the network, you can access a special section of the eSignal Forums.

Contact Us
To contact eSignal Technical Support or Customer Service, please visit our Contact Us page.