Note: The procedure AmiBroker does internally is as follows: When you save the chart into new format it saves XML file with:
a) names of all sheets, panes, their sizes, locations and other settings
b) paths to all formulas used by all panes
c) the text of formulas themselves
When you load the chart in new format AmiBroker:
a) sets up the sheets/panes according to information stored in the file
b) for each formula stored in the file it checks if the same formula exists already on target computer:
- if it does not exist - it will create one
- if it exists and the contents is identical to the formula stored in .chart file it will do nothing
- if it exists and the contents is different then it will create NEW formula file with _imported.afl suffix (so old file is not touched) and will reference the pane to the _imported.afl formula instead.
IMPORTANT NOTE: if you use any #include files AmiBroker will store the contents of include files as well inside chart file and will attempt to recreate them on target machine. Please note that in case of includes it will check if it exists and if it is different. If both conditions are met (different file exists already) it will ask to replace or not. If you choose to replace - it will replace and make backup of existing one with .bak extension. If you are using any files in "standard include files" and include them using <> braces, AmiBroker will restore files in target machine standard include folder as well (even if the standard include folder path is different on the source machine).
A new .chart format is intended to be used to port charts between different computers. For storing layouts/templates on local computer you should rather use old formats as they consume much less space (they store only references,not the formulas themselves). One may however use new format for archiving purposes as it keeps formulas and all references in one file that is very convenient for backups.
As per this description, creating, moving, and loading a .chart file will allow us to recreate a layout on another machine - however, there is one important caveat:
Parameter settings are not saved in the .chart file.
This means that when loaded on the new machine, the template will have all techniques in all panes displaying according to their default param settings, and not according to the param settings of the layout when saved (unless those just happen to be the defaults).
Bottom lines are:
- There is NO WAY to transfer a layout from one machine to another exactly as-configured (unless as-configured is not configured at all, i.e. purely default param settings).
- You should be prepared to (re)-configure your layout on the target machine to the desired parameter setups manually. (So take notes, or make sure the layout on the first machine remains available for comparison).
