About
What's New for Horizon Investment Portfolio Analyst!
Version 6.47
1) Optimized the code to improve installation speed.
2) Made the registration process easier.
Version 6.42
1) Enhanced the grid editing: a) When you edit a new record, initially,
the date defaults to today's date. Thereafter the date *and*
description default from the previous entry. b) Changed the default
behavior when Enter key is pressed in Edit mode, to return the grid to
normal (view) mode, but added a new preference option 'Advance to next
cell after Enter is pressed' for those who like the old way.
2) Added a new option 'Insert blank rows', which is handy when you want to
see previous records of the same date or type while you enter new ones.
Version 6.41
1) Modified the import routine so that strings no longer need to be
enclosed in quotes *unless* they include a comma. If a string field
includes a comma and is enclosed in quotes, the program will read it
in without modification; otherwise, it will split the record into
individual fields at each comma.
2) Added to the website a smaller, simpler installation package for users
who are upgrading from a previous version, rather than installing from
scratch.
Version 6.40
1) Added OLE drag/drop capability. Now, you can drag and drop files
to Horizon Investment Analyst from Price Watch, Explorer, and other
OLE enabled programs. This makes creating and organizing portfolios
and importing files much easier.
2) Added several enhancements to the 'Open Investment Files' dialog:
a) Now you can drag and drop files from Explorer and other OLE
enabled programs to easily create, organize, and manage portfolios.
b) Added the ability to click on the heading to toggle the sort
order of the list between 'File name' and 'Description'.
c) Increased the investment file description length from 52 to 100
characters, and added an edit dialog so you can easily modify
them if necessary.
d) Added the ability to use Ctrl and Shift to select multiple files
to remove from the current portfolio or edit their descriptions.
3) Added a new option under the 'Transactions' menu to allow you to select
or deselect specific record types to display on the grid. This is
handy if you want to see at a glance, for example, all the purchases
you've made, without also seeing all the sales & other transactions.
Version 6.37
1) Changed the List option 'List all investments, and print a
consolidated IRR for the entire portfolio' to also print the total
value of the portfolio, and other aggregate statistics.
2) Added the ability for registered users to save their chosen Print
Preview and Chart colors so they will be used as the default from
session to session.
3) Previously, if you picked 'Charts' from the menu, and a chart had
already been created but not subsequently unloaded, the program would
add a new series from the open investment to the existing chart.
Now, the program will ask you if you want to add the new data to the
existing chart, or erase it and start over.
Version 6.35
1) Fixed a bug that caused the screen to be repainted incorrectly when
you hit escape to exit edit mode.
2) Fixed a bug in Print Preview that caused the screen to be repainted
incorrectly if you changed the screen colors, then minimized the
window, and then ran another Print Preview.
Now, you can change the colors, then minimize the window, and run
another Print Preview for the same or a different investment, and it
will keep your chosen colors.
Version 6.33
1) Modified the load procedure to eliminate stalling if the user chooses
to have the program run automatically at Windows startup.
2) Modified the instructions in the manual concerning adding a program
shortcut to Windows Startup folder.
Version 6.30
1) Added a command line option '/W nn' which can be added to the end
of the command string to tell Horizon Investment Analyst to (W)ait
a specific amount of time for Windows resources to become available
when the program is run.
This solves the problem which occured on a few systems, of the program
sometimes stalling when it is set up to automatically run at Windows
startup. See the 'Introduction' topic in the manual for more details.
2) Added logic to preserve the window state if the program is closed by
Windows shutting down, so that it will be restored correctly the next
time the program is run.
Version 6.29
1) Added logic so that if you try to run Horizon Investment Analyst when
it is already running, it will pass control to the already running
window, and exit, rather than create a new window.
2) Added logic so that if you click 'Start Horizon Price Watch', and it
is already running, Horizon Investment Analyst will pass control to
the already running window.
Version 6.28
1) Made some error messages more informative.
2) Made the Open and Save dialogs more user friendly.
Version 6.27
1) Modified the logic with respect to lines per page settings for investment
listings and basis worksheets so that most users can just leave them
blank and let their printer's device driver determine when to make page
breaks.
Version 6.26
1) Changed the 'Printer properties' button on most dialogs to a 'Page Setup'
button, allowing you to change orientation, page margins, and even the
printer at print time, if desired. Printing has never been easier!
2) Did a lot more work on font scaling and rendering, for printing reports in
both Portrait and Landscape orientation.
Version 6.24
1) Added the ability to save (backup) the currently opened file, and to restore
the data if you make a mistake and want to return the data to what it was
before you started. You can also choose to let Horizon Investment Analyst
automatically save your data each time a file is opened, and/or at regular
1 to 99 minute intervals.
2) Added the ability to copy data from a cell and then paste it to one or more
cells, adding to the block functions first introduced in 6.23 that allow
clearing a range of cells and deleting a range of rows, rather than just one
at a time.
3) Changed the Input Box to display the last share price entered for each
investment, making it easier to run consolidated IRR listings.
4) Changed the way folders are resolved so that, for example, the user can
create multiple program shortcuts to run Horizon Investment Analyst using
different preference settings, investment folders, etc.
5) Adjusted font rendering so that it is more accurately proportioned for
Print preview and the printer.
Version 6.23
1) Added the ability to clear a *range* of cells or delete a *range* of rows
(using shift), instead of just one at a time.
2) Added text to the manual explaining the 3 data grid modes: Normal, Highlight,
and Edit, and how to highlight a range of cells or rows using keyboard or
mouse.
Version 6.22
1) The Import function was enhanced to accept dates that are spelled out, such
as '01-Mar-02', etc., for any Windows supported language.
Version 6.21
1) Some records were being flagged on the grid and in printouts as having arithmetic
errors, that didn't have any errors. This was fixed.
2) The Import function was enhanced to accept a wider variety of date formats,
including dates without the '/' or '-' separators, for instance, MMDDYY and
MMDDYYYY.
3) The bug that prevented being able to print Basis Worksheets to disk file was
fixed.
4) More text was added to the Investment Terms page of the user manual, including how
to utilize the consolidated IRR to determine the aggregate performance of 'simple'
cash flow' investments, like stocks, bonds, and CD's, by grouping them into one
portfolio.
5) The description of the IRR algorithm that Horizon Investment Analyst uses, was
corrected in the manual from saying just 'dollar weighted', to 'dollar and time
weighted'.
Version 6.20
1) Previously, Horizon Investment Analyst would only save the user's screen state (normal
or maximized), if the 'Remember data grid column & row sizes' was checked. Now, the
screen state is saved each time the user exits the program, and restored when the
program is next run, regardless of that option setting.
2) If the user's import layout includes a '*Not Used' entry, the program would *not* save
and restore the layout correctly between sessions. The entry has now been changed to
'*Not_Used', and is saved and restored correctly.
Version 6.19
1) Added a landscape orientation report option, which adds more detail to the investment
listing report, allows larger fields, more fonts and font sizes, and is easier to read.
Adds new 'Shares this transaction', 'Record Type', and 'Error' columns.
2) Added another test when displaying or listing the investment. Previously, a record was
flagged as incomplete or ambiguous if the date was incorrect, or the program couldn't
determine its record type. The new test also verifies whether the arithmetic is correct
for sales (since sales are the only transaction for which all 3 numeric fields must be
input). For these, a record will be flagged if the '# of shares bought or sold'
multiplied by 'share price' doesn't equal the amount entered for the transaction.
Also, these errors are now flagged in listings to the printer and disk file.
3) Added the ability for the user to adjust page margins to their preference.
Version 6.18
1) New Printer/page setup options were added, to specify the # of blank lines to skip
at the top of each page, and user-specified printer initialization and reset control
codes.
2) Added the date format (MDY, YMD, DMY) to the saved import file layout definition.
3) Can now share data files more easily with The Variable Investment Analyst (the original
1990's MS-DOS incarnation of Horizon Investment Analyst).
4) Added code that automatically updates the screen and grid when the system date changes.
Version 6.17
1) Some enhancements were made to the new Print Preview and Print Options functions which
were introduced in 6.16 and which now give you total control over report layout
and appearance.
2) The previous version also introduced the ability to change the colors of the various
parts of the data grid. This version expands that to allow the user to customize even
more colors and attributes *and* now, the user can even select the font, font size, and
font emphasis used in the data grid.
3) To further customize the data grid, the user can now optionally move the RT (record types)
column from the far right column to the far left. If you choose to display the RT column
on the left, *that* column will become a *fixed* column, so that when you scroll the
grid horizontally, that column will always be visible, and columns to the right will
appear to 'slide under' it. You will also be able to change the data grid's row height
and column widths.
4) An option has been added to allow the user to save imported file layout definitions so
they can be easily retrieved and re-used between sessions.
5) An option has been added to require the program to ask for confirmation before clearing
cells and deleting rows.
6) Quite a bit more context-sensitive, popup, and other help text has been added to the user
manual, and quick access keys were added to the command buttons on all the screens.
Version 6.16:
1) Added a dialog to the Rebuild function so you can rebuild any data file, not just the
file that's currently open.
Version 6.13:
1) The old 'User Manual.doc' file was replaced with a slick, new, completely customizable,
hypertext linked, 3-pane help engine. It is really nice, and includes 'Contents',
'Index', 'Full text Search', and 'Favorites' tabs, the latter allowing you to bookmark
specific topics so you can easily jump to them any time you want, not only during the
'current' session, but every time you run the program. It is completely customizable
by the user.
2) Added a 'Record Type' column when listing an investment to disk file.
Version 6.12:
1) Modified the Import routine, so it will provide a default description in most output
records, if the input record doesn't already include one.
2) Added the ability to select the Pie chart weighting basis. The choices are 'None',
'By area', and 'By diameter'.
3) Modified the X-Y charting routine, when charting share price history, to include records
where the share price = 0.
4) Imported all the Dow Jones 30 and S&P 500 monthly closing prices from 1981 thru 2001,
giving 20 years of price history for both indices.
Version 6.11:
1) For the Yearly charts, added 'Previous' and 'Next' buttons, which, when clicked, cause the
program to automatically re-plot the data using the next sequential chart type of the 11
possible types.
This saves having to close the chart window, and then clicking the Chart options each time
you want to see how your data looks using a different chart type. Also a label was
added to the screen and footnote, to identify which type of chart is being shown.
2) Added a chart option to display data in 'stacked bar' format.
3) Added a chart option to display the datapoints as values or percentages.
4) Added a chart option to display an additional statistical line on 2D Line charts, to show
minimum, maximum, mean, standard deviation, or regression trend.
5) Modified the charting routine for the *category* charts, so that if you plot multiple
series, and one series includes a year that wasn't included in a prior series, it will
insert the new column into the appropriate spot in the existing columns, rather than
appending it to the right side of the chart.
6) Added many more Y-scale scaling options to the charts. Scaling options now include
linear, % of chart, series, or column maximum or sum, and even logarithmic.
7) Fixed a bug that prevented loading an investment where the purchases and dividends were
exactly equal.
Version 6.10:
1) Added convenient right-click popup context menus to the data grid and chart screen.
2) Fixed a problem with the Delete key not working in the Share Price text box.
3) Clarified the instructions concerning changing chart component colors.
Version 6.09:
1) All dates, numbers, and currencies now display and print using the format defined under
the Regional settings in your Control Panel.
2) More flexibility has been added to the Import option, to import dates in different
formats.
3) An option has been added to the 'Preferences' tab, to show negative amounts on the data
grid in red color.
Version 6.08:
1) Fixed a problem, where, after viewing a large file, then opening a very small file, some
records in the small file weren't shown on the data grid.
Version 6.06:
1) Many more chart options have been added, including 2 and 3 dimensional bar, line, area,
and pie charts.
2) You can now interact with the charts. For instance, using your mouse, you can drag the
3D charts to change their perspective (rotation and elevation). You can also change the
colors of the series and other components of any of the charts, by double clicking on the
component you want to change.
Version 6.05:
1) An option has been added to toggle the display of the Grid Control frame on or off. If
you toggle it off, the visible part of the data grid will expand, giving you more space
to work. This is especially helpful for people using lower resolution settings on their
monitors.
2) You can now save your preferred data grid column widths so that the program will remember
and use them every time you run the program.
3) New Y scaling options, 'Linear', and 'Percentage of maximum', have been added to the chart
options. The latter is especially useful when plotting multiple investments on one chart,
and allows you to compare them much more easily.
4) New options have been added for printing the Chart to a printer. You can now specify
your preferred orientation (portrait or landscape). Also, you can specify whether you
want to copy the chart to the printer as is (unmodified), or to stretch or shrink the
chart to better fit the paper size in your printer.
Thank you!
