Strategy problem...

[jason83]

Hi,

Here is a simplified explanation of a problem I have:

if (Indicator) > (Indicator) [1 bar ago]
Go long

I have profit targets and stop loss targets as well.

My problem is, once I meet my profit target or stop loss and the above conditions are still true it will re enter another long position. I don't want this. I'm wondering if it's possible to not re enter a position until the next signal is a short signal? So it alternates long/short signals and will never go long then long or short then short.

[NinjaTrader_JoshP]

Sure thing. You will need to run a variable along with your condition.

Do something like:

// In the Initialize section
private bool wasLong = false;

// In the OnBarUpdate() method
if (indicator[0] > indicator[1] && wasLong == false)
{
     EnterLong();
     wasLong = true;
}

if (indicator[0] < indicator[1] && wasLong == true)
{
     EnterShort();
     wasLong = false;
}

[jason83]

Maybe I need to have a better understanding of coding. I'm sure this is as simple as it gets but I tried what you have there and it gave me a bunch of errors.

[NinjaTrader_JoshP]

Hi jason83,

Please post what you have coded exactly and the related error messages. What I posted was more of a framework for how to approach the issue; not actual code.

[jason83]

Hi Josh,

First of all, thank you for your help, especially on a holiday. Do you ever sleep haha. I'm not a programmer but picked up an intro C# book, so hopefully I will be able to understand the basics soon. Right now I start the code in the Wizard then unlock it. I just copied what you had into the code below, but obviously I needed to do more than that.

Regards,
Jason

// This namespace holds all strategies and is required. Do not change it.
namespace NinjaTrader.Strategy
{
    /// <summary>
    /// 
    /// </summary>
    [Description("")]
    public class Trend : Strategy
    {
        #region Variables
        // Wizard generated variables
        private int movingAv = 24; // Default setting for MovingAv
        // User defined variables (add any user defined variables below)
        #endregion

        /// <summary>
        /// This method is used to configure the strategy and is called once before any strategy method is called.
        /// </summary>
        protected override void Initialize()
        {
            SetProfitTarget("", CalculationMode.Ticks, 16);
            SetStopLoss("", CalculationMode.Ticks, 8, false);

            CalculateOnBarClose = false;
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// Called on each bar update event (incoming tick)
        /// </summary>
        protected override void OnBarUpdate()
        {
            // Condition set 1
            if (EMA(MovingAv)[0] >= EMA(MovingAv)[1])
            {
                EnterLong(DefaultQuantity, "");
            }

            // Condition set 2
            if (EMA(MovingAv)[0] <= EMA(MovingAv)[1])
            {
                EnterShort(DefaultQuantity, "");
            }
        }

        #region Properties
        [Description("")]
        [Category("Parameters")]
        public int MovingAv
        {
            get { return movingAv; }
            set { movingAv = Math.Max(1, value); }
        }
        #endregion
    }
}

[NinjaTrader_JoshP]

Hi jason83,

You are missing the critical step with the bool. You need "private bool wasLong = false" in the Initialize section (next to where you have movingAv declared). Then you need to add the additional conditional check on the bool and change the bool value depending on if you just went short/long as outlined in my previous post.

[jason83]

Josh,

Thanks for your help. I wasn't expanding the variables section and inserting the private bool there. I was inserting it near the stop loss and profit targets.

Thank you.

[NinjaTrader_JoshP]

Oh sorry for the confusion. Not the Initialize() but the Variables section.