Bracket Trader Logger (Excel Spreadsheet)

This webpage is a mirror of the description that used to be at TradersHaven.net

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Here is the latest Bracket Trader Logger 3.03 for your use. I have originally posted preceding versions on eminitraders.com and then on teddys cci board to share anybody who finds it useful. Because both original places are not available any more. Recently I was asked a fellow trader using CCI to post my little tool here and although I almost don't trade CCI anymore I thought it wasn't such bad idea.

Vladimir aka vlad

[You can download a local copy here.]

What is Bracket Trader Logger?

Bracket Trader Logger (Logger) is a simple application in Excel Visual Basic made for simplifying your everyday records. Logger will generate a frame of your trading log like a table with pre-filled cells. All neccesary data are taken from regular Bracket Traders log file. You wont waste your time anymore thanks to Logger. All what you need is to generate a frame of your trading log via Logger and to refill it with your personal information like comments, insights, evaluations etc.

History of Logger

First Logger was developed by me and mainly my brother (he is much better programmer than me, his nick is LMjr) about 6/2004. We were using it couple months for our personal trading journals only. We didn't consider it exceptional but after some time I was asked by Cent.Hunter to share this tool with others. I posted it on E-minitraders.com forum and was very surprised how many people downloaded it. Some problem with international date format occured but bug was promptly fixed thanks to Cent.Hunter (I was on holiday that time). Bracket Trader Logger 2.xx had fixed time zone problem and some new features added (new template for non-CCI traders, trade auto-number, bookmarks auto-colour and auto-performance of the day). Than we made new optional section Statistics including MAE, MFE and Time in Trade and added in into all templates. Now we release Bracket Trader Logger 3.0x.

New features and changes in latest version

The newest version maintain all function of Bracket Trader Logger2.xx. The only change is reduction a number of templates. There are available six templates in the latest version right now . First and second templates are old templates with and without pre-defined fiels for entry and exit reasons and without stats section at the bottom of the log table. You also can hide MAE/MFE collumns in these templates. Third and fourth templates are new with additional section for classical and GB007s trade stats. It is not possible to hide mentioned collumns here. Template 5 and 6 are simlified versions.

How to Use Logger

1. You can place Logger anywhere you want. There are no limits in placement of the file.

2. You need set up Logger before first use. You can do it on page SETUP. See below how to do it.

3. When you want to generate record of your trade or trades simply press button RUN or CTRL+M and your trading log will be generated.

There are no limits for use. You can generate log after trading is finished or arbitrarily during trading when your current trade is closed. So you can write down your comments about your trade immediately and keep your log "fresh". You can trade more contracts and use how many exits you want. You can EVEN trade more trades (markets) at the same time and cross your entries and exits this way. Logger should handle almost every possibility.

Logger Setup

• Date - you must set up day for log to generate, usually actual date, but you can generate historic logs as well
• Bracket Trader logs directory - specification, where regular Bracket Trader«s logs are stored
  (e.g. C:\Program Files\Bracket Trader\2005\Logs)
• Trader - you can input your name, it will shown before date in header of log table
• Preffix, Suffix - you can specify some preffix or suffix for name of your logs in bookmark at the bottom of the
  Excel sheet, program will create new pages in format (Preffix_)Date(_Suffix). It is optional.
• Trade Auto-Number
  • YES for automatic number of the trade
  • NO for doing it by hand
• Bookmark Auto-Colour
  • YES for automatic setting bookmarks depending on daily performance
    (green - profit, light grey - break even, red - loss).
  • NO for white bookmark
  • This function works only on Excel XP !!!
• Hidden Statistics
  • NO if you want to see Statistics section
  • YES if this section shall be hidden
• Auto-Date
  • YES for automatic setting current date
  • NO if you can set it by hand
• Template - you can choose a look of your trade log, there are 6 templates at your disposal right now:
  • 1. Log with pre-defined fields
    • Table has list boxes with pre-set items for Entry and Exit fields
    • It is not possible to write anything else
    • Items pre-defined on the SETUP page
  • 2. Log with free fields
    • Same as #1 but table has no list boxes for Entry and Exit fields
    • It is possible to write anything
  • 3. Log with pre-defined fields and statistics
    • New template for daily statistics
    • Full layout without option to hide columns MAE, MFE and Time in trade
    • List boxes with pre-set items for Entry and Exit fields
    • It is not possible to write anything else
    • Items are defined on the SETUP page
  • 4. Log with free fields and statistics
    • Same as #3 but table has no list boxes for Entry and Exit fields
    • It is possible to write anything
  • 5. Simplified log with statistics
    • Lately added template for log without fields for Entry and Exit reason
  • 6. Simplified log without statistics
    • Same as #5 and without daily statistics
• Entry signals - this is list of items for Entry signal list box in layouts 1 and 3
• Exit reasons - the same for Exit reason list box
• Performance of the day - list for Performance of the day
• Subjective rating of the trade - list for subjective rating of the trade
• Limits - you can set your own limits here for Auto-Performance of the day and for colouring trades by their result, BREAK EVEN condition is taken in consideration for this purpose only (e.g. every trade with profit < $10 or loss < -$10 will be considered as break even)
• Today's traded markets - in this box you need to specify up to 5 markets which you were trading given day. Specified markets are used for Win:Loss Tick ration statistics at the bottom of log page. If you daytrade fewer markets, simply let some cells empty. If you daytrade more markets, let me know I can prepare special layout for you, master :-)
• Markets - list of markets for up mentioned box. You must set value of minimal movement for every market for correct tick statistics. Alphabetic order of tickers is made everytime when log is generating so you don't need to sort tickers by hand.
• Important note: if you are not interested in WCCI, BLine trading and the like you can replace initially pre-set items with your own. Be aware that ONLY GREY BOXES CAN BE CHANGED, and don't remove any cells. Just rewrite the old item with new one.

Warning

1. Please be aware the tool was primarily made for our use, and for that reason has very poor protection against other users mistakes. Protection was improved as possible but from time to time you can get some "run-time errors". In that case you should close the file and start it again.

2. You can work with Logger as usual with normal Excel file but only after your whole trading log is generated and finished. After a record of trade is generated you can refill it with your comments but don't remove any rows or columns if you want trade further. The program shouldn't work correctly after. After trading is finished and you won't generate trade log anymore you delete or rename pages, format as you like etc.

3. Please be aware Logger file also contains hidden Excel pages please don't delete or rename none of them. Functionality of code would be corrupted.

Logger Output

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created by Bonnie Lee Hill,
bonniehill@verizon.net
last modified on May 16, 2022

URL: http://mysite.verizon.net/bonniehill/pages.aux/ensign/btlogger.html