Volume window

Formula Editor

A new AFL Formula Editor features:

Syntax highlighting (improved in 5.80)
Automatic brace matching/highlighting (NEW in 5.80)
Auto indentation (NEW in 5.80)
Indentation markers (NEW in 5.80)
Enhanced auto-complete in two modes (immediate (NEW in 5.80) and on-demand)
Parameter information tooltips
Line numbering margin and selection margin (NEW in 5.80)
Code folding (NEW in 5.80)
In-line Error Reporting (NEW in 5.80)
New tabbed user interface with ability to work in both MDI and separate floating frame mode, can be moved behind main AmiBroker screen and brought back (Window->Toggle Frame) (NEW in 5.80) or kept on top (Window->Keep on top)
Rectangular block copy/paste/delete (Use mouse and hold down left Alt key to mark rectangular block) (new in 5.80)
Auto capitalisation (change case)
Virtual space (new in 5.80)
Enhanced printing (with syntax highlighting and header/footer)
Code snippets (new in 5.80)
Integrated Visual Debugger (NEW in 6.10)
Bookmarks (NEW in 6.10)
Find-in-Files (NEW in 6.10)
Block comment/uncomment (NEW in 6.10)
Clickable links in comments (NEW in 6.10)

These features greatly simplifies writing formula and provides instant help so time needed to write formula decreases significantly.

Menu

Formula Editor menu options are described in detail in Menus: Formula Editor chapter of the guide.

Toolbar

The Formula Editor toolbar provides the following buttons:

New - clears the formula editor window
Open - opens the formula file
Save - saves the formula under current name
Print - prints the formula
Cut - cuts the selection and copies to the clipboard
Copy - copies the selection to the clipboard
Paste - pastes current clipboard content in the current cursor position
Undo - un-does recent action (multiple-level)
Redo - re-does recent action (multiple-level)
Formula Name - an EDIT field that allows to modify the formula file name, once you change the name here and press Save button the formula will be saved under new name and the change will be refleced in editor CAPTION BAR and in the STATUS BAR (Status bar shows full path).
Check syntax - checks current formula for errors
Apply indicator - saves the formula and applies current formula as a chart/indicator ONCE
Analysis - saves the formula and selects it as current formula in Automatic Analysis window and repeat most recently used Analysis operation (i.e. Scan or Exploration or Backtest or Optimization)

Usage

Typical use of Formula Editor is as follows:

open Formula Editor
type the formula
type meaningful name that describes the purpose of you code into Formula Name field
click Apply indicator button (if you have written indicator code)
.. or..
click Analysis button to display Automatic Analysis window (when you have written exploration/scan or trading system)

Syntax highlighting

AmiBroker's AFL editor features user-definable syntax highlighting that automatically applies user-defined colors and styles to different language elements like functions and reserved variable names, strings, numbers, comments, etc. This feature greatly simplifies code writing. You can modify coloring scheme in Preferences window.

Enhanced error reporting

When you make an error in your formula, AmiBroker's enhanced error reporting will help you to locate and fix an error by highlighting the place where error occured and displaying extended error description with the examples of common mistakes and advice how to fix them. In version 5.80 description of errors are displayed in-line with the code.

A message bar displays total number of errors and/or warnings. If you press "Go to error" button the editor will move the caret to the relevant line with the error, if you press it again, it will move to the next error and so on. If you close the message bar with the "X" button all error messages will be cleared (hidden) from the view. You can use Edit->Clear Error Message menu (Ctrl+E) to clear individual error message (in the current line).

Context help

You can quickly display relevant AFL function reference page if you press F1 key or choose "Function reference" from the context menu while the caret is inside or right after function name as shown in the picture below:

Automatic statement completion

The automatic completion feature (available when you press CTRL+SPACE key combination) finishes typing your functions and reserved variables for you, or displays a list of candidates if what you've typed has more than one possible match. You can select the item from the list using up/down arrow keys or your mouse. To accept selection press RETURN (ENTER). You can also type immediately space (for variables) or opening brace (for function) and AmiBroker will auto-complete currently selected word and close the list. To dismiss the list press ESC key.

Parameter Information

When you are typing a function, you can display a Tool Tip containing the complete function prototype, including parameters. The Parameter Info Tool Tip is also displayed for nested functions.

With your insertion point next to a function, type an open parenthesis as you normally would to enclose the parameter list.

AmiBroker displays the complete declaration for the function in a pop-up window just under the insertion point.

Typing the closing parenthesis dismisses the parameter list.

You can also dismiss the list if you press arrow up/down key, click with the mouse or press RETURN.

Editor configuration

The settings of the AFL editor can be changed using Tools->Preferences, Editor page:

Auto change case - controls whenever editor automatically changes case of reserved keywords (for example if user typed valuewhen it would change it to ValueWhen)
Parameter info - controls whenever parameter info tips are displayed
Virtual space - controls whenever it is possible to place the caret freely in any place after the end of a line
Move edited files from drag-drop to custom folder - normally formulas created by drag-drop mechanism are located in hidden drag-drop folder, if you then want to edit them, you can do so in place so they remain in drag drop (hidden) folder, or you may choose to move them automatically to 'custom' folder. This switch enables automatic move to custom folder
Copy as HTML - enables copies in HTML format so AFL code is copied with colors, without it it will be copied as plain text without formatting
Use separate frame - if turned on it displays AFL Editor in completely separate frame that behaves like separate application, if it is turned off, then AFL editor is displayed as a MDI tab within main AmiBroker frame (along with charts, analysis windows, web, account windows and so on). By default it is turned on
Auto-complete: in "On-demand" mode auto-complete list shows up only when you press Ctrl+SPACE, in "Immediate" mode auto-complete list pops up automatically as soon as you type first character (letter) of the identifier.

Window control

AFL Editor Window as a separate frame can be brought on top or to the back as any other application window using Windows Task Bar. In addition to that there is a Window->Toggle Frame menu (and Ctrl+` shortcut, ` is the tilde key just above TAB key on most keyboards) that allows to quickly toggle between AmiBroker main frame and AFL editor frame.

The user may also turn on Window->Keep On Top feature that keeps editor window on top of AmiBroker main frame.

Margins

Line numbers margin, Selection margin and Fold margin can be switched on/off using View menu. In this menu there are also options to fold/unfold all code.

Code snippets

Code snippet is a small piece of AFL code. It can be inserted by:

right-clicking in the AFL editor window and choosing "Insert Snippet" menu, or
dragging a snippet from Code Snippet window, or
typing keyboard trigger (such as @for ) in the editor

For more information about Code snippets see Tutorial: Using Code-snippets

Bookmarks

A bookmark is a marker that allows to quickly jump to marked line within the formula.

To set/remove the bookmark use Edit->Bookmark->Insert /Remove menu or Ctrl+F2 key. When you set the bookmark a light blue marker will be shown in the left-hand margin. Now with a couple of bookmarks set you can quickly navigate (jump) betwen them using F2 key - goes to next bookmark, Shift+F2 key - goes to previous bookmark. You can clear all bookmarks using Edit->Bookmark->Clear All. Please note that bookmarks are saved along with debug information (breakpoints/watches) in the separate file with .dbg extension.

Find in Files

Find in Files functionality is available from Edit->Find in Files menu and allows you to search all files in selected folders for specified text. The search results are presented in the Output window (Window->Output menu) like this:

Filepath\Filename.afl(line_number): Line contents

Now if you double click on that output line AmiBroker would automatically open given file in the new editor tab.

Block comment/uncomment

The AFL editor now provides a tool to automatically comment out blocks of selected lines. The tool adds a // (double slash) comment to every line within selected area. To use this tool, select some lines using mouse or cursor + SHIFT key, then use Edit->Line Comment. All lines within selected range will be commented out with // (double slash). To uncommment, select the range again and choose Edit->Line Comment once again.

Clickable links in comments

The AFL Editor now supports clickable JavaDoc/Doxygen-style links in doc comments. To use links in comments you have to put @link command followed by path to file or URL inside JavaDoc/Doxygen style comment:

multiline comment that begins with /** like this:
/** @link readme.html @link http://www.amibroker.com */
(note double asterisk after initial slash)
single line comment that begins with triple slash

/// @link readme.html /// @link c:\program files\amibroker\readme.html /// @link http://www.amibroker.com

Now when you hover the mouse over @link command you will see the underline that indicates it is clickable. It reacts to double click (not single click). When you double click it linked document will be open.

@link command can open web pages, local files (both relative and absolute paths are supported) with Windows-registered program to open given file type. So if you use:

/// @link something.doc

then MS word would be used.

/// @link test.xls

would open test.xls in Excel.

Relative paths refer to AmiBroker working directory. Html files are open with default browser, txt files are usually open with Notepad (or whatever application you use). If file does not exist then you will get an error message.