Excel-Text Import Instructions

Compatible import files can be created using MS Excel or any other word processor.  Acceptable file formats are tab-delimited plain text (*.txt) or Excel (*.xls).  Please click one of the links below to download a sample:

Right-click on the links below to download a sample file to your hard drive:

Download a sample Plain Text file  |  Download a sample Excel file

The Excel-Text import method is particularly valuable for:

  • Users with online brokers that currently are not supported by TradeLog. 
    If your online broker is not supported, please contact them regarding possible report formats - if they can supply you with an Excel or text file containing your trades, you should be able to import these into a TradeLog data file with a minimal amount of editing. 

    Please see My broker is not supported - can I import? in our TradeLog User Guide.

Please note:  
As of version 6, The Excel-Text import method will allow a user to import stock, mutual funds, options, futures, and futures options transactions.   

For stock and mutual fund transactions, TradeLog uses the following formula to calculate the Amount value (if the Amount value is not provided):  

Quantity   x   Price   +/-   Commission   =   Amount.  

Each option transaction contained in the Excel or text import file must include the total number of contracts, a commission value and a total amount value.  TradeLog uses the following formula to flag and record option transactions during the import process:

  Quantity   x   100   x   Price   +/-   Commission   =   Amount

 

General Procedure:

Users wishing to import from an Excel or text file must strictly follow the guidelines below or import errors will result.
 

Acceptable Column Data Formats

Date
Two digit month and day, and a four digit year.  (ex. mm/dd/yyyy).  
Separators must be forward slashes (ex. "/").  Alpha-numeric date formats are not acceptable (ex. March 11, 2004).

Time (this column is optional)
Format is hh:mm:ss, but formats such as 11:30AM or 12:00:00PM are also acceptable and will be convertd to hh:mm:ss. 

Buy/Sell
Any one of the following, in upper or lower case, are acceptable:  Buy, Bought, B, Purchase, or P, or Sell, Sold, or S for stocks. You may also use: Buy to Open, or Sell to Close, Sell to Open, Buy to Close for options only.

Long/Short 
Can be blank, or simply use "S" for short, and "L" for long (for stocks only)

Ticker  
Alpha-numeric, with a maximum of 20 characters (additional characters will be truncated).

Please note that when manually entering multiple transactions for the same security into an import file, you must enter an identical ticker description for each of these transactions.  TradeLog cannot match two transactions with different tickers together - even if they vary due to one special character (ex. %, &, -, /) or a space.

Mutual Funds are entered the same as stocks.

Options can be entered using option ticker symbols (ie: "DLQKF" or using TradeLog standardized option symbol format (ie: "DELL NOV06 30 CALL").

Futures can be entered using future symbols (ie: "ESM6" or "ESM06") or TradeLog standardized option symbol format (ie: "ES DEC06")

Futures Options can only be entered using TradeLog standardized futures option symbol format (ie: "ES DEC06 1030 CALL")

Shares
Whole numbers only, positive or negative. (TradeLog converts all share quantities to positive during the import process.)  

Price
Can be decimal (with a single decimal point) or fraction (fractional part must be separated from whole by a space).

Comm (Commissions and SEC Fees)
Must be decimal, positive or negative.  (TradeLog converts the value to positive during the import process.)  If left blank, the commission will be calculated from the Amount (providing the Amount includes commissions and fees).

Amount
Can be positive or negative. (TradeLog converts the value to appropriate positive or negative amount during the import process.)  If left blank, TradeLog uses the following calculation, depending on whether the transaction is a "buy" or "sell": 
Amount = Shares x Price +/- Commissions & Fees 

Type (this column is optional if only importing stocks and mutual funds)
O or o = option, F or f = Future (leave blank for stock or mutual fund)

 

  1. Using MS Excel or any other word processing program, create a tab-delimited text file. The Excel or text import file MUST contain:

    -  ALL of the columns shown in the diagram below except the time column which is optional.

    -  Trades listed in strict chronological order of execution.  Please see the short sales* note below.

    -  Data with an acceptable format in each column.
       Please see the Acceptable Column Data Formats box below for guidelines.
     

    Date Time Buy/Sell Long/Short Ticker Shares Price Comm Amount Type
    02/26/2006 10:02:00 Buy L MSFT 100 32.375   3236.25  
    02/28/2006 11:33:03 Sell S DELL 100 14.25 10.47    
    03/15/2006   Buy to Open   DLQKF 10 1.2 9.95   O
    03/22/2006   Sell to Close   DLQKF 10 2.2 9.95   O
    04/22/2006 09:34:02 BOUGHT   ESM6 2 1023 4.95   F
    04/22/2006 15:33:00 SOLD   ESM06 2 1021 4.95   F
    05/02/2006 09:44:00 buy   ES DEC06 1030 CALL 1 15 6.95   F
    05/09/2006 15:30:00 sell   ES DEC06 1030 CALL 1 16.2 6.95   F

  2. Once the data has been entered and formatted as required, select all trade data you wish to import including the column header row with the mouse .  Hold down the left mouse button and drag to select data.

  3. Click Edit, Copy from the main menu or use the <Ctrl-C> keyboard shortcut to copy the trade data to the Windows Clipboard.

  4. Run the TradeLog program.

  5. Create a new data file that will receive the transactions, or open an existing data file. If creating a new data file, be sure to manually enter any open positions before importing, if necessary. 

    *NOTE: 
    If you have short sales in the Excel or text file you will be importing, you need to confirm that the "sell" (opening transaction) is listed before the "buy to cover short" (closing transaction) for each short sale in the file, and

  6. Click the Excel-Text Imp button to begin the import.

  7. After all trade data has been imported, a Warning window will appear, alerting you as to the number of records that will be imported.  Click YES to continue..

  8. A Confirm window will appear, asking you to confirm the total number of records to be saved.  Click YES to save the imported trades in the data file.