Daily Files Help Page

Daily Files Help Page

Barchart offers end of day futures and options prices in many different formats and delivery methods. To try out our end of day files click on Daily Files in the Market Overview section.

Barchart currently has 10 different formats of end of day data available for futures as well as a single end of day file for options. End of day futures prices can either be downloaded directly off our site or you can use our Email Data service to have the prices emailed to you each night. With the Email Data service you can restrict the file to only the commodities you are after.

You can also get all the prices that make up our barcharts for each commodity in the daily chart and statistics page for each contract we feature. This is under the "daily prices" link directly below the chart. Custom Charts will also allow you to download data by changing the "Prices On" selection to decimal or integer file. This will also work for historic contracts, and weekly and monthly prices.

To download end of day data go to the "Daily Prices" page within the Market Overview section. This page will list today's end of day files for futures and options. To access historical prices click on either "Archive Futures" or "Archive Options".

Archive Futures prices are split into the Daily data for the past 2 trading months with a link to historical data by monthly zip files going back to 2001 and then a yearly zip file containing all the prices for that year for every commodity we cover sorted by contract symbol. Historical Futures prices are available going back to Jan 1990.

Archive Options prices are split into Daily options files going back 40 trading days and then Monthly zip files containing all the options files for that month. Historical Options prices are available going back to January 2001.

The different futures formats, described below, are split into 10 different format, designated by different letters. When inside the futures pages click on the letter of the format you are after to download the data for that day. The file will appear in your Internet browser. Next click on the "file" option on the top left hand corner of your browser and then click on the "save as" option that appears in the pull down menu. This will save the data onto your computer harddrive where you can load the data into your charting software of your choice.

Barchart is compatible with charting software that accepts ascii delimited data. At this time we are not compatible with Omega Tradestation or SuperCharts.

Comma (CSV) Delimited Formats

Most programs accept the N data format. The N data format is an Ascii text comma delimited format, compatible with Metastock, OmniTrader and other such progams.

Data Formats

Below is a quick snapshot of the 10 formats and a short summary at the bottom.

Date Format

BP Y 02/28/2003 15762 15775 15734 15738
BP H2003 02/28/2003 15768 15822 15712 15726 6085 26884
BP M2003 02/28/2003 15674 15730 15620 15634 205 1308
BP U2003 02/28/2003 15550 15608 15550 15550 0 4
BP Z2003 02/28/2003 15466 15522 15466 15466 0 32
BP H2004 02/28/2003 0 15436 15382 15382
BP M2004 02/28/2003 0 15350 15298 15298
BP dvl 02/27/2003 6290 28228

Y Format

BPY,030228,1.5762,1.5775,1.5734,1.5738,0,0
BPH3,030228,1.5768,1.5822,1.5712,1.5726,6085,26884
BPM3,030228,1.5674,1.573,1.562,1.5634,205,1308
BPU3,030228,1.555,1.5608,1.555,1.555,0,4
BPZ3,030228,1.5466,1.5522,1.5466,1.5466,0,32
BPH4,030228,1.5436,1.5436,1.5382,1.5382,0,0
BPM4,030228,1.535,1.535,1.5298,1.5298,0,0

C Format

BP,Y,02/28/2003,15762,15775,15734,15738
BP,H2003,02/28/2003,15768,15822,15712,15726
BP,M2003,02/28/2003,15674,15730,15620,15634
BP,U2003,02/28/2003,15550,15608,15550,15550
BP,Z2003,02/28/2003,15466,15522,15466,15466
BP,H2004,02/28/2003,0,15436,15382,15382
BP,M2004,02/28/2003,0,15350,15298,15298
BP,dvl,02/27/2003,6290,28228

D Format

BP,Y,02/28/2003,1.5762,1.5775,1.5734,1.5738
BP,H2003,02/28/2003,1.5768,1.5822,1.5712,1.5726
BP,M2003,02/28/2003,1.5674,1.573,1.562,1.5634
BP,U2003,02/28/2003,1.555,1.5608,1.555,1.555
BP,Z2003,02/28/2003,1.5466,1.5522,1.5466,1.5466
BP,H2004,02/28/2003,1.5436,1.5436,1.5382,1.5382
BP,M2004,02/28/2003,1.535,1.535,1.5298,1.5298
BP,dvl,02/27/2003,6290,28228

E Format

BP Y 030228 15762 15775 15734 15738 0 0
BP2003H 030228 15768 15822 15712 15726 6085 26884
BP2003M 030228 15674 15730 15620 15634 205 1308
BP2003U 030228 15550 15608 15550 15550 0 4
BP2003Z 030228 15466 15522 15466 15466 0 32
BP2004H 030228 0 15436 15382 15382 0 0
BP2004M 030228 0 15350 15298 15298 0 0

F Format

BP,Y,030228,15762,15775,15734,15738,0,0
BP,2003H,030228,15768,15822,15712,15726,6085,26884
BP,2003M,030228,15674,15730,15620,15634,205,1308
BP,2003U,030228,15550,15608,15550,15550,0,4
BP,2003Z,030228,15466,15522,15466,15466,0,32
BP,2004H,030228,0,15436,15382,15382,0,0
BP,2004M,030228,0,15350,15298,15298,0,0

G Format

BP,Y,030228,1.5762,1.5775,1.5734,1.5738,0,0
BP,2003H,030228,1.5768,1.5822,1.5712,1.5726,6085,26884
BP,2003M,030228,1.5674,1.573,1.562,1.5634,205,1308
BP,2003U,030228,1.555,1.5608,1.555,1.555,0,4
BP,2003Z,030228,1.5466,1.5522,1.5466,1.5466,0,32
BP,2004H,030228,1.5436,1.5436,1.5382,1.5382,0,0
BP,2004M,030228,1.535,1.535,1.5298,1.5298,0,0

N (Metastock compatible) Format

BP----Y,030228,1.5762,1.5775,1.5734,1.5738,0,0
BP2003H,030228,1.5768,1.5822,1.5712,1.5726,6085,26884
BP2003M,030228,1.5674,1.573,1.562,1.5634,205,1308
BP2003U,030228,1.555,1.5608,1.555,1.555,0,4
BP2003Z,030228,1.5466,1.5522,1.5466,1.5466,0,32
BP2004H,030228,1.5436,1.5436,1.5382,1.5382,0,0
BP2004M,030228,1.535,1.535,1.5298,1.5298,0,0
BPNFVOI,030228,1.5768,1.5822,1.5712,1.5726,6290,28228

S Format

BP_A0,030228,1.5762,1.5775,1.5734,1.5738,0,0
BP_H3,030228,1.5768,1.5822,1.5712,1.5726,6085,26884
BP_M3,030228,1.5674,1.573,1.562,1.5634,205,1308
BP_U3,030228,1.555,1.5608,1.555,1.555,0,4
BP_Z3,030228,1.5466,1.5522,1.5466,1.5466,0,32
BP_H4,030228,1.5436,1.5436,1.5382,1.5382,0,0
BP_M4,030228,1.535,1.535,1.5298,1.5298,0,0

W Format

BP Y 02/28/2003 15762 15775 15734 15738 0 0
BP H2003 02/28/2003 15768 15822 15712 15726 6085 26884
BP M2003 02/28/2003 15674 15730 15620 15634 205 1308
BP U2003 02/28/2003 15550 15608 15550 15550 0 4
BP Z2003 02/28/2003 15466 15522 15466 15466 0 32
BP H2004 02/28/2003 0 15436 15382 15382 0 0
BP M2004 02/28/2003 0 15350 15298 15298 0 0

Quick Summary of the different Formats

The first 2 columns always contains the commodity code. A translation of which is available from the Commodities List. BP is the British Pound.

Y - is the cash contract.

{F G H J K M N Q U V X Z} - {Jan ... Dec}

dvl - is the total Volume and Open Interest for the commodity for the previous days trading.

The date in the example is February 28th 2003.

The data is always "Open High Low Close" with individual volume and open interest when applicable.

Data Format Help Page - Options

The format for options data is similar to the futures. The first 2 characters are the commodity code. In this case AD is the Australian Dollar. The 3rd character is the contract month. F for January. Next is the strike price of the call C or the put P. Options prices for next year have a D for calls and a Q for puts. Options prices for two year out have a E for calls and a R for puts.

The second column is the date of the price for 10.
The third column is the opening price starting in column 21 for 8.
The forth column is the high price starting in column 29 for 8.
The fifth column is the low price starting in column 37 for 8.
The sixth column is the closing price starting in column 45 for 8.
The seventh column is the contract volume starting in column 53 for 8.
The final column is the contract open interest starting in column 61 for 8.

ADF0710C 11/25/1997        0     270     270     270       1       7
ADH6900P 11/25/1997        0    1510    1510    1510      20     112

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