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As I get my feet more wet with AB (trial period) and its AFL, I found something called PowerScan. It seems that there have not been any updated versions in several years though. If I'm not mistaken, AB's AFL Code Wizard arrived shortly afterwards...
Are there PowerScan abilities or virtues that are not available with the AFL Code Wizard that make it desirable?
The primary knock on AB is that AFL can be a bit daunting for some, so anything that can help toward that end would certainly be a plus. However, I thought I read somewhere that PowerScan was not working on the more recent AB releases?
I'd be curious to hear any input users might have on PowerScan, the AFL Code Wizard, or anything comparable... Thank you.
I've never used that third party tool called PowerScan since the beginning of observing Amibroker but I have seen pictures and videos of it and in my opionion you don't need that because it's very simple and limited. It just provides simple examples like
But to get familiar with that you could just read the help file. Or ask here or elsewhere.
AFL Code Wizard is a bit more detailed and more comfortably but also that tool just provides simple examples for beginners as far as I know. IMO, you can save your money and better look at given examples on the internet or asking in forums. But that's just my opinion so do what ever fits your needs.
AMIrican, thank you for confirming what I've read since I started this thread, that it seems these AFL "helpers" are useful to a point, apparently early-on mostly. The great majority seem to gain proficiency by finding code and simply playing with it...
There is a time investment of course, and that is what I'm trying to gauge now; as that what I see as the primary and possibly only deterrent for not choosing AB. I joined the Yahoo! Groups, making time where I can, but with two babies in the house, I don't always have the time, the quiet time needed that I'd like...
It seems that the trial version does not save data, so I find myself having to download EOD historical data each time I want to to play with it. Maybe I'm doing something wrong though...
I've used Amibroker for years (stopped 2 years ago) and indeed the trial version doesn't save data, so you have to load what you have/need every time.
However if you want a fast analytical tool with a good user forum and a responsive owner/trader/programmer the $279 is a good investment (and I'm not getting anything from Tomasz to say this.
PS: if you don't have the time to follow the forum there's also an archive I used quite often. Can be found here amibroker archive.
Hans, thank you for confirming the trial version's save limitation. Makes it bit more challenging, or time-consuming to test...
Indeed, it's a great deal alright, and a fantastic product. You won't find me or I think any objective person argue otherwise. Since I'd be using EOD data, like from Yahoo! and / or Google, at least initially, it seems that I would also need AmiQuote. 65 bucks, and includes 2 years of free upgrades. However, for $409, that includes AmiQuote, with lifetime license and upgrades, as well as the aforementioned AFL Code Wizard...
Thanks for the link Hans. It seems that there are several places to access helpful data, which is nice, in some respects. I wish there was an AmiBroker forum, such as here, with very structured topics / sections to logically and more easily find information. I wonder if Tomasz, or those in the Yahoo Groups! would be willing to consider that... I'll ask. I have a forum (not investment-related) that "outgrew" its life as a blog and days in Yahoo Groups!. It is so much easier to find information and communicate as a community...
Hans, may I ask why you ceased using AB a couple years ago?
If you use EOD data sources only you don't need the pro version but just the standard one which costs $199 so you would save $80. At the moment there is also a special offer of 24 months of free upgrades and support. Normally it's 12 months.
I'd want to trade futures at some point again (paper trading off-and-on now), but there are other benefits of the Pro version, like with backtesting, and 64-bit compatibility...
I saw that on the 24 months support. Good deal. I'd get the $409 package most likely.
AMIrican - I just "saw" your post in my email notification... Very, very little programming. I'll just say newbie. I did some coding a few years back in TDA's StrategyDesk, a bit in TOS more recently, but a few lines...
Main reason was that I was putting more focus on the trading part, and in those days it was quite a hassle to get a real-time datafeed directly into AB, and have the possibility to place orders from within AB. It seemed all possible, but required connections, APIs, triggers, whatever, to other tools which I found too complex and too risky (too many possibilities of failing components).
I then switched to NinjaTrader to have one tool to "handle them all" (mainly because of the link with Zenfire). Had quite a struggle to revert my way of thinking back into an event driven manner though.
Still love AB for it's speed and features like the parameter-thingy where you slide the value-bar and the results appear instantaneously, like the graphical representation of backtest results. Also loved Tomasz for his can-do attitude and active participation to the forum, and his ability to push out new versions (also betas) on a very regular basis with an ever increasing feature list.
If your only using Yahoo-EOD for backtesting and set-up validation, and you're not trading on-line/real-time then the standard Amiquote (free one) and the standard AB for $199 should do the trick, at least it did for me several years ago.
Hans, I appreciate you sharing. Your move makes sense. Data into to AB has improved, but it's still not ideal, or with many options yet...
I will re-think what it is that I'd really like to get out of AB; and what I have to put into it (time investment), which is also very important too, and why I brought-up this topic.
Validation and back-testing are priorities, and if AB did not offer those, or excel as they do, there would not be this interest. However, having the platform do more at some point, which it can of course, would be a next step. To have one of my broker's live feeds connected and trading off the AB charts, or otherwise through AB, is what I ultimately envision. After talking to TS, API groups and with AB, it was clear that it was not possible yet. I'd consider starting-up another brokerage account at IB though, just for AB...
