# OptionsChain Toolstrips — Button Reference
This document lists the actual buttons and controls available on the OptionsChain (OA) toolstrips in SOAP2, grouped by function. Use this as a quick reference to find the action, its purpose, and keyboard shortcut where available.
## Top toolstrip — primary controls
- Expiry selector (`Expiry ▼`)
- Purpose: Choose the option expiration shown in the grid.
- Behavior: opens a dropdown of available expiries and updates the chain when changed.
- Shortcuts: `Ctrl-Right` / `Ctrl-Left` (next/previous expiry), `Ctrl-1`, `F1`, `F2`, `F3` (jump to specific expiries).
- Trading class buttons (`M`, `W`, `A`)
- Purpose: Filter trading class to Monthly (`M`), Weekly (`W`), or AM settlement (`A`).
- Behavior: toggles visible contracts to the selected trading class.
- Strike interval controls
- Minimum interval toggle (icon / `Ctrl-M`):
- Purpose: enable minimum allowed strike interval for this contract.
- Strike interval dropdown:
- Purpose: choose display spacing (every Nth strike).
- Panel expand/collapse
- Top panel expand/collapse:
- Shortcuts: `Alt-Down` (expand top panel), `Alt-Up` (hide top panel).
- Purpose: show or hide auxiliary controls and summary panes.
- Refresh / Toggle weeklies
- Refresh icon:
- Purpose: refresh the risk graph and visible chain data.
- Shortcut: `Ctrl-U` (refresh risk graph).
- Toggle weeklies:
- Shortcut: `Ctrl-W`.
## Model, descriptor and view controls
- Reset descriptors / Clear view
- Reset descriptors button:
- Shortcut: `Ctrl-D`
- Purpose: reset chain descriptors to defaults for the current symbol.
- Clear grid / New trade (`Clear` / `New`)
- Shortcut: `Ctrl-T`
- Purpose: clear grids and restore the UI to a new trade state.
- Model Save / Restore
- Save model button:
- Purpose: persist the current model parameters for the active chain.
- Restore model dropdown:
- Purpose: apply a saved model to the active chain (only valid models applicable to the symbol/expiry are shown).
## Risk, Greeks and analytics
- Show Greeks (`Greeks`)
- Shortcut: `G`
- Purpose: toggle Greeks overlay columns or a dedicated Greeks panel.
- Risk graph / Update risk
- Risk graph button:
- Purpose: update the risk graph using the currently selected model/positions.
- Vol lever (`Vol`, Risk Graph only)
- Shortcut: `Ctrl-Y`.
- Purpose: show or hide a vertical slider at the right edge of the Risk Graph that shifts implied volatility, to answer "what if vol moves?". Drag up to raise IV, down to lower it. Every curve (expiry and each T+n) and the summary Greeks are repriced; it works together with the time slider. The chart notes "WHAT-IF IV ..." while a shift is active, and the Vol button turns khaki.
- Modes (General Settings, Options Analysis tab): Parallel (add vol points everywhere), Term-weighted (points at a reference DTE, nearer expiries move more), Relative % (multiply IV), Skew tilt (rotate the smile around the money).
- It is a what-if only: the chain grids keep showing market IV, and nothing is stored or sent to the AI assistant while a shift is active. Closing the slider puts it back to zero; leaving the Risk Graph for another mode only hides it, and it is still there when you return.
- Request HSkew / Volatility skew
- Request HSkew:
- Shortcut: `Ctrl-H`
- Purpose: request historical skew/volatility surface data for plotting.
## Order, commit and trade actions
- Commit / Send trade (`Commit`)
- Shortcut: `T`
- Purpose: open the commit form to send, simulate, or record the trade.
- Open Orders / Fill tools
- Purpose: quick access to order entry, fill simulation, or order preview dialogs (if present on the toolstrip).
## Data requests, cancellation and connectivity
- Cancel contract definition requests
- Shortcut: `Ctrl-F`
- Purpose: cancel background contract definition requests to reduce load or stop stuck lookups.
- Cancel all data / Disconnect
- Shortcut: `Ctrl-Q`
- Purpose: cancel active data requests and disconnect from TWS (use with caution).
## Advanced / Debugging tools
- Show hidden columns (`Alt-V`)
- Purpose: reveal debug-only columns and diagnostic fields in the grid.
- Hidden/diagnostic tools
- Purpose: other developer-focused buttons that surface internal IDs, reqId mappings, or saved contract metadata.
## Typical quick workflows (examples)
- Analyze current expiry
1. Set expiry via `Expiry ▼` or `Ctrl-Right`/`Ctrl-Left`.
2. Select trading class (`M`/`W`/`A`).
3. Adjust strike interval and enable minimum interval if required (`Ctrl-M`).
4. Show Greeks (`G`) and update the risk graph (`Ctrl-U`).
5. Commit a trade using `T` when ready.
- Debugging / reconnect
1. Reveal hidden columns with `Alt-V`.
2. Cancel background contract definition requests (`Ctrl-F`) to stop excessive lookups.
3. If needed, cancel all data and reconnect with `Ctrl-Q`.
## Tips
- Tooltips: hover any icon to see a brief description and available keyboard shortcut.
- Shortcuts: most frequently used actions expose keyboard shortcuts for rapid use.
- Models: Save models only against the matching chain (symbol + expiry + class). Restoring a model will only apply if it matches the current chain.
- Debugging: when troubleshooting data or grid-refresh issues, reveal hidden columns and check reqId/ConId mappings.
## Related documentation
- [OptionsChain (OA Window) Guide](./optionschain_overview.md.html)
- [Handling expiries in SOAP2](./optionschain_expiries.md.html)
- [Keyboard shortcuts](./keyboard_shortcuts.md.html)
For more details, see the [SOAP2 Help Guide](index.md.html) or access help from the toolstrip.
Contact: soap.2.bv@gmail.com