Importing data

The Data screen (sidebar → Data, or Ctrl/Cmd+1) is where bar data enters the app: "Import BarsExporter CSVs and manage the dataset catalog."

Import a CSV#

Click Import CSV (top right), or use File → Import BarsExporter CSV… (Ctrl/Cmd+I). In the Import bars CSV dialog:

1. CSV file — click Browse… and pick the file BarsExporter wrote. The dialog previews the header plus the first rows and checks the format. If the header doesn't look like BarsExporter output you'll see a warning naming the expected columns (timestamp_utc;open;high;low;close;volume) — the import will still parse best-effort, but a wrong header usually means the file was re-saved by another program. Re-export instead.
2. Instrument — the symbol this data belongs to (e.g. MES). Free text with suggestions; input is upper-cased automatically.
3. Recorded timeframe — the bar size the file was exported at: 1m, 5m, 15m, 30m, or 60m. This must match the export, not the timeframe you want to trade — you can resample afterwards.
4. Press Import. On success you'll see a summary like:

   Imported 252,000 bars of MES 1m · 2023-01-01 → 2024-12-31
   

   Any warnings (skipped malformed rows, header oddities) are listed under the summary. A handful of skipped rows is harmless; thousands means the file is damaged — re-export it.

Already have this dataset? If an import overlaps an existing dataset with the same instrument and timeframe, the dialog offers Replace existing & import — replacing swaps the old dataset for the new file.

The dataset catalog#

Each row in the catalog is one dataset — one instrument at one bar size:

Click a column header to sort. The Coverage from / to date filters above the table narrow the list to datasets covering a given window — useful once the catalog grows.

Delete removes a dataset from the catalog (two-click confirm). Runs that already used it keep their results.

Resampling#

Resample builds a coarser copy of a dataset as a new catalog entry — for example 1m → 5m, 15m, 30m, 60m, 120m, 240m. The target must be a strict multiple of the source (1m → 5m works; 5m → 7m is refused). This is why exporting 1-minute bars is the most flexible: one export covers every timeframe you might want to search.

Building blocks strip#

Below the catalog, the Building blocks strip previews the indicator and primitive palette available on the Build screen — each card names a block and its kind. Blocks marked repaints — not sampleable are shown for completeness but can't be used in searches (see non-repainting by construction).

Housekeeping notes#

• One dataset = one instrument + one bar size. Runs pick exactly one dataset; higher-timeframe context is derived internally, so you don't need to import multiple timeframes for one search.
• Your market data stays on your machine — it is never uploaded. See Account & sync.
• Import problems? See Troubleshooting → Import errors.