Considerations about graphs commands and invest. stack

[Djobydjoba]

Hi Mark,

I really don't figure out what's the idea behind the current investments stack implementation and commands with graphs. It seems for me over complicated, and navigate through investments in graphs is far from be easy and natural as it could be.

Let me try to explain how I think the things could work, with my approximative English (sorry for that !)

Consider any portfolios tree. It could be :

MasterPF
.....PF1
........SubPF1.1
........SubPF1.2
.....PF2
........SubPF1.1
........SubPF1.2

When I'm using investment graphs, I want :

- the ability to select the (sub)portfolio I want to be in. Ok, that's already possible with the menu Portfolio, and I can scroll through all the investments of the selected portfolio and its sub-portfolios. Perfect as it is now.

- the ability to choose a sorting method (by name, value, etc..) that is retained and performed each time I select another (sub)portfolio. For example, I'm in SubPF1. As it is now, if I want my investments be sorted by name, I select Name in the Investments > Sort menu. But if I scroll randomly through the investments in SubPF1 and I decide to go in PF2, the investments displayed are not sorted by name anymore or, at least, the first displayed investment is not the first in the alphabet order.

So the selection of the sorting method should be an option and not a command that we have continually to call. Each time we select another portfolio, the sort option should be performed for the investments of this target portfolio. Imagine a tick in the Investments > Sort menu which would meant that this sorting option is selected.

- in the same manner, the autoscale choice (menu View > Scale : "apply specified min/max, relative min max, etc..) should be performed each time we select another portfolio. As it is now, if I autoscale with relative min/max for all open investments, the display is correct for the portfolio i'm in. But if select another portfolio, the investments in it are not autoscaled correctly between them. So the autoscale commands should be related to investments in the current porfolio, not to all investments.

Actually, the sorting, scaling, the date range, the zoom... all theses commands should be stickable and performed automatically on the basis of the portfolio the user is currently in.. Because as it is now, we have to call this commands again and again when navigating through the portfolios.

What do you think of this idea ?

[Mark]

Hi Djobydjoba,

Thanks for the feedback. I agree the investment stack order can be confusing, as there are many options. I understand your desire for a "sticky" setting here. Let me try to clarify why some of the things you describe are happening.

By default, when you scroll in an investment based graph, you are scrolling the investment stack. So, if you have A, B, C, and scroll down one, now you have B, C, A. You are changing the stack order by scrolling. I believe you don't want it to work this way. You can turn this off under "Graphs / Options / Display... / Scrolling Investment Based Graphs Changes Investment Stack Order". If you turn this off, scrolling leaves the stack order un-changed. This way, if you sort the stack by name, and switch between sub-portfolios the stack will remain sorted by name for all sub-portfolios.

This option to scroll the stack was added to make it easier to keep graphs and reports in sync. By default, reports sort by the investment stack order also. So, if you scroll the graph window and change the investment stack order, your reports will be in the same order and position (top row of report matches upper/left graph).

Your investment stack order is memorized as part of your portfolio file (*.mm4). If you set your stack to be sorted by Name, it will stay that way until you change it to something else.

I appreciate your point about the relative scale option, and keeping that stick as well as you change sub-portfolios.

[Djobydjoba]

Hi Mark,

Thank you for your explanation. Indeed the investment stack concepts are quite difficult to master. But by disabling the option you mentioned ("Scrolling Investment Based Graphs Changes Investment Stack Order") the order is now perfectly maintained when switching between sub-portfolios. It answers my first request, it's now totally usable, thanks for that.

I would like to be a little more precise about the two others things that would made me happy with investment based graphs (in order of importance) :

1) Relative scale calculation based on selected sub-portfolio investments, and sticked as we change sub-portfolios.
You seem agree with that idea. Currently the relative scale calculation takes into account all the investments of the master portfolio, isn't it ? But what's the point because we see on screen only a fraction of them at one time, those which belong to the selected portfolio. So the calculation should be based on the investments of the selected portfolio, and redone as we change it. This modification would make this feature much more valuable and handy !

2) Floating end date
I imagine I'm not the only one to work like this with FM : I configure the display I want, windows arrangement with graphs (with date range / scale / sort order settings) and reports and then I save the Portfolio .MM4. On a daily basis, I never save the portfolio .MM4 but I save it only when I want to save a change of the global configuration, display arrangement or new investments.

So the point here, with graphs, is to have a floating end date so that the new data since last saving are displayed when opening the portfolio.

I've experimented that, for investments graphs at least, only the ranges Last 1 month, Last 3 months and Last 12 months generate a floating end date behavior. All the other pre-defined ranges, and custom range, stick with the date defined at the saving moment. So, for now, I stay with the Last 12 months range, which not really satisfies me. I would like a customizable date range with floating end date. The end date would be the date of the last price.

What are your thoughts on this ? Are some evolutions around this floating end date for graphs could be planned?

Thank you.

[Mark]

Hi Djobydjoba,

1) Yes, I do like this idea, at least as an option. You are right that currently these relative scales apply to all open investments, and you don't have a choice for choosing to apply only to your current sub-portfolio's investments.

2) As long as you have a graph set to end on the "default ending date", it will float the end date. The default ending date is the date of the last recorded price on/before the current date. If you choose "View / Dates..." and press "Help..." you can see the definition of all the pre-defined ranges. You can also choose your own custom dates, and as long as you leave the end date set to the default date, it will float.

[Djobydjoba]

Hi Mark,

I still have problems with floating end date in graphs.

What I want is a range from 02/01/2009 to today (the floating end date) for all my investments in the portfolio tree. I don't know if it's important to mention but I use mainly the moving average share price graph. So :

1) I select the root portfolio
2) I go the Dates menu
3) In Pre-Defined Ranges, I choose Last 12 months
4) I change the Date From to 02/01/2009. I leave the Dates To as it is
5) I tick Apply Changes To All Open Investments, and Recalculate Pre-Defined Range For Each Investment. Then OK.

The range is OK the day I do that. But for some reasons, the next day, or two or three days after, the ending date doesn't float for some investments. It floats for some, but not for some others, and I don't know why. I have to redone the date range operation continuously.

What's the problem?

Thanks,
Djoby

[Mark]

Hi Djoby,

Your portfolio file (*.mm4) remembers these preferences. Try doing a "File / Save Portfolio" as step #6, and see if this doesn't resolve the problem.

[Djobydjoba]

No, this doesn't solve the problem, I always save the portfolio after that. I don't know why the floating end date works for some investments and not for some others. I will try to investigate the investments in a couple of days, because for now I've just reapplied the date range.

Thanks.

[Djobydjoba]

Hi Mark,

I try to send you a file in a private message about this problem, but I have the message "the extension xxx is not allowed" whatever the extension...

Djoby

[Mark]

Hi Djoby,

I've just sent you a regular email, so you can reply to that with whatever you'd like me to look at.