I figured I'd post this here since this would seem to be most apt.  Is there any way that I can load the .dat files into a java api or do I have to purcase the metastock java api?  It seems like there are a lot of tools that are available for free that allows you to convert from the .dat files to a comma delimited or other formats.  My question is how exactly are they doing this?  Have these people purchased the api or are they simple "hacking" the .dat files?

Are you asking about loading MetaStock security data files in a program written in Java?
We don't have API for Java.
You can purchase a MetaStock Developer's Kit that lets you read security files in a variety of languages including C++, PowerBasic, VB, and Delphi.
Contact sales for information on purchasing the MDK.

If they are doing any "hacking" of the data files, they are breaking the law.

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Equis International, Inc.
A Thomson Reuters Company
90 S. 400 W Suite 620
SLC, UT 84101

"hacking" aka reverse engineering a DATA file is quite legal.

indeed it is not possible to make a data file format copyright.

the metastock data file formats are derived from the computrac system that was popular in the mid 80s onwards.  the format itself has been modified over the years to support more securities, composites securities and intraday time frames but remains mostly the same.

it has been tested several times in court (autodesk autocad file format, compaq and phoenix reverse engeering of the ibm bios format to create ibm compatible pcs, amd's reverse engineering of intel microcode to create intel compatible cpus, samba's reverse engineering of the windows networked file system, allowing non-windows pcs to connect to windows networks and vice versa, trillian's reverse engineering of the instant message message format of msn/aim/yahoo messenger/icq, etc.)

indeed this file format has been openly discussed since (at least) 1992:
http://groups.google.com.au/group/misc.invest/browse_thread/thread/6ca4a946b54aac60/49d6980d86353f6e?lnk=st&q=computrac+file+format&rnum=193&hl=en#49d6980d86353f6e

the links that come up on:
http://www.google.com/search?source=ig&hl=en&q=metastock+file+format&btnG=Google+Search
also show several documents that contain the data format.

many other charting packages (eg. tradestation, amibroker, market analyst) and data vendors out there  (eg. CSI data, Just Data, End Of Day, Quotes Plus (QP3) etc.) have implemented the metastock data format without using the metastock libraries so on the above basis

perhaps equis could confirm their understanding of the legalities of reading the metastock data format here.

jb

While I didn't want to get into an argument about the legalities of hacking it, I was just wondering if most of those converters out there were using the metastock libraries.  However, I think jb does bring up a good question with regards to the legalities of reading the metastock data.

mansoor's extremely popular and powerful command line metastock to ascii converter does not use the metastock libraries.

see it here at:
http://www.geocities.com/mimansoor/

i am sure if equis forced these types of utilities to be removed they would be facing a tremendous backlash from users.

JB