Creating a function to condense code

December 13th, 2010, 06:05 PM

How difficult is it to create a method for time series, that I can call?

Rather than have 20 condition sets, there must be a way of a) shortening and b) automating to some degree.

see attached as simple example:

if (Position.MarketPosition !=MarketPosition.Flat) return;
// Condition set 1 for short
if (High[1] > High[0]
&& Close[1] < hmav[2]
&& ToTime(Time[0]) > ToTime(1, 0, 0)
&& ToTime(Time[0]) < ToTime(8, 0, 0))
{
DrawDiamond("My diamond" + CurrentBar, false, 0, Low[0] + 400 * TickSize, Color.LimeGreen);
GoShort();
}

// Condition set 2 for short
if (High[1] > High[0]
&& Close[1] < hmav[2]
&& ToTime(Time[0]) > ToTime(9, 0, 0)
&& ToTime(Time[0]) < ToTime(21, 0, 0))
{
DrawDiamond("My diamond" + CurrentBar, false, 0, Low[0] + 400 * TickSize, Color.LimeGreen);
GoShort();
}

I want to condense the time conditions, as I may have 10 condition sets before even start to use time.

thanks

December 13th, 2010, 06:56 PM

I moved your post to a new thread since it is a different subject.

What you want are functions. You can read about them in most any C# book for beginners.

Code

                            


void bool MyCondition1(int val1, int val2)

{



bool _retval = false;



if val1 > val2 then _retval = true;



return _retval;



}



// onbarupdate



if (MyCondition(Close[0], Close[1]))

{

Print("True");

}

Typed freehand, but you get the idea.

Mike

December 14th, 2010, 04:35 AM

I put together the time validation as a separate strategy (ValidtimesforTrades) that I could modify simply & call in any other strategy.

It is is the attached 5patt strategy, line 122 but doesn't seem to call. Any clues?

Thanks

December 14th, 2010, 03:47 PM

brightredmegaphone

I put together the time validation as a separate strategy (ValidtimesforTrades) that I could modify simply & call in any other strategy.

It is is the attached 5patt strategy, line 122 but doesn't seem to call. Any clues?

Thanks

I would suggest first getting the example I gave to work before separating the function out. I do not use NT any more, so can't test, but pretty sure you can't put the function in a remote strategy file, it needs to be in an indicator. But walk before you run, just keep it in the same strategy you are calling it from first.

Mike

December 14th, 2010, 05:13 PM

Big Mike

I moved your post to a new thread since it is a different subject.

What you want are functions. You can read about them in most any C# book for beginners.

Code

                            

void bool MyCondition1(int val1, int val2)
{

bool _retval = false;

if val1 > val2 then _retval = true;

return _retval;

}

// onbarupdate

if (MyCondition(Close[0], Close[1]))
{
Print("True");
}

Typed freehand, but you get the idea.

Mike

Where do I put the 'void bool'function Mike?

protected override void Initialize()
{
CalculateOnBarClose = true;
EntryHandling = EntryHandling.UniqueEntries;
TraceOrders = true;
}

public bool ValidTimestoTrade (DateTime barTime)

{
//If the current bar times are equal to these, then call them in another strategy
if (ToTime(barTime) > ToTime(2,0,0) && ToTime(barTime) < ToTime (4,0,0))
if (ToTime(barTime) > ToTime(8,0,0) && ToTime(barTime) < ToTime (15,0,0))
if (ToTime(barTime) > ToTime(17,0,0) && ToTime(barTime) < ToTime (23,0,0))
return true;

return false;
}

thx

December 15th, 2010, 12:01 AM

Look at this advanced Murrey Math strategy I posted, it has lots of functions in it being called from OnBarUpdate and should be plenty to make it clear.

Murrey Math automated strategy for NinjaTrader

I wrote this strategy over a year ago for NT. I haven't looked at it in a year, but I've received dozens of requests from people who read about the strategy for me to sell it or give it to them, etc. I've always declined, but the fact is, …

My C# is a bit rusty, haven't written anything for NT in a long time now. It is private bool, not void bool, a mistake on my part in my original post above (void meaning nothing to return, and here you are returning a bool).

Mike

December 16th, 2010, 05:52 AM

Still can't seem to get this to call in the condition set; the initial idea was to put together a function where I could change times more simply.

the method is at the bottom of OnBarUpdate:

private bool TimestoTrade(DateTime barTime)
{
if (ToTime(barTime) > ToTime(2,0,0) && ToTime(barTime) < ToTime (8,0,0)

|| (ToTime(barTime) > ToTime(8,0,0) && ToTime(barTime) < ToTime (15,0,0))

|| (ToTime(barTime) > ToTime(17,0,0) && ToTime(barTime) < ToTime (23,0,0)))

return true;

else return false;

}

OnBarUpdate then reads:

protected override void OnBarUpdate()
{
EntryHandling = EntryHandling.UniqueEntries;
HMA hmav = HMA(hmaperiod);

ManageOrders();
{
if (Position.MarketPosition !=MarketPosition.Flat) return;

// Condition set 1 for short
if (High[1] > High[0]
&& Close[1] < hmav[2])
&& (TimestoTrade(Time[0])==true))
{
GoShort();
Print(Time[0]+"Time is (bartime)");
}
}
}

I did move the method up to initialise but no effect; I appreciate my limited coding skills, now I am stuck. Any further thoughts? The irony is this was originally taken from NT code base.

Thx

December 16th, 2010, 06:50 AM

You need to be a bit clearer

brightredmegaphone

Still can't seem to get this to call in the condition set

What does this mean? What exactly doesn't work and what do you see?

Code

I did move the method up to initialise but no effect;

To Initialise? What inside it? just after it?

Code

the method is at the bottom of OnBarUpdate:

You mean contained in but before the end? Or after? The method, or the method call?

By the way, your ToTime proc can be much simplified by something like

int h = barTime.Hour

if (h > 1 && h < 8 etc etc

December 16th, 2010, 04:01 PM

hi Xeno
I am trying to set up a simple function that allows me to trigger different times [hours] of the day to trade. Rather than add those times to each separate entry condition I have tried to set this up with a simple function.

I have now run a debugged version of the code, which prints out true/false as you would expect, but when I run it in the actual strategy the function no longer seems to work. So, the strategy and the function in isolation seem to work, but not together.

Debugged is attached.

December 16th, 2010, 04:14 PM

brightredmegaphone

hi Xeno
I am trying to set up a simple function that allows me to trigger different times [hours] of the day to trade. Rather than add those times to each separate entry condition I have tried to set this up with a simple function.

I have now run a debugged version of the code, which prints out true/false as you would expect, but when I run it in the actual strategy the function no longer seems to work. So, the strategy and the function in isolation seem to work, but not together.

Debugged is attached.

Then if I add back some conditions, function seems to stop functioning.

Creating a function to condense code

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Creating a function to condense code