Building my first strategy...it doesn't execute orders, help!

[mattlaguardia]

Thanks for the reply.

The stop loss is here: stopLoss = openingRangeLow - (openingRangeHigh - openingRangeLow) * 0.5;

There is no OnBarUpdate() call because price is not calculated OnBarUpdate(). It's calculated on tick data. If I wait for a bar to close before taking the position, it's often too late and the trade is missed. That's why I used the (MarketDataEventArgs marketDataUpdate) arguments.

Maybe I should set an OnBarUpdate() = false; argument?

[KonstantinosNT]

(I am just trying to help you finding a solution to your problem)

I have to insist on the necessity of the OnBarUpdate() in your script.
Don't confuse the OnBarUpdate() with the Calculate.OnBarClose.

In NT we can have:
Calculate.OnBarClose
Calculate.OnEachTick
Calculate.OnPriceChange

In your script you can have Calculate.OnEachTick. That's fine, but you can't omit OnBarUpdate().
Actually, a bar is updating in real time every moment a new tick is coming in, not only in bar close.

[mattlaguardia]

I'll add an OnBarUpdate() method and see if it solves the issue--NO LUCK.

Edit: I think there is a conflict between OnMarketData and Calculate.OnEachTick. I want to calculate on price changes, so Calculate.OnPriceChange method + OnMarketData seems like the better combination? Calculate.OnEachTick would need to be used with the OnBarUpdate method.

The issue though, is that neither method actually works. I still get no logs, no ability to add the strategy to a chart, and it doesn't ever take trades in the backtester.

When I look in the folder after compiling the strategy, I notice that all the other strategies have the @ symbol in front of their name, but the strategy I build in the Editor does not have the @ symbol.

[mattlaguardia]

Just for reference, here's the most recent iteration of the code with print statements added:

region Using declarations
using System.Linq;
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.ComponentModel;
using System.ComponentModel.DataAnnotations;
using System.Text;
using System.Threading.Tasks;
using System.Windows;
using System.Windows.Input;
using System.Windows.Media;
using System.Xml.Serialization;
using NinjaTrader.Cbi;
using NinjaTrader.Gui;
using NinjaTrader.Gui.Chart;
using NinjaTrader.Gui.SuperDom;
using NinjaTrader.Gui.Tools;
using NinjaTrader.Data;
using NinjaTrader.NinjaScript;
using NinjaTrader.Core.FloatingPoint;
using NinjaTrader.NinjaScript.Indicators;
using NinjaTrader.NinjaScript.DrawingTools;
using NinjaTrader.NinjaScript.Strategies;
#endregion

class CrudeOilOpeningRangeBreakoutStrategy : Strategy
{
private DateTime lastTradeTime = DateTime.MinValue;
private double stopLoss;
private double profitTarget;
private int Quantity = 1;
private bool longPositionOpened = false;
private bool shortPositionOpened = false;
private double openingRangeHigh = double.MinValue;
private double openingRangeLow = double.MaxValue;


protected override void OnStateChange()
{
if (State == State.SetDefaults)
{
Description = "Crude Oil Opening Range Breakout Strategy";
Name = "CrudeOilOpeningRangeBreakoutStrategy";
Calculate = Calculate.OnPriceChange;
}
else if (State == State.Realtime)
{
}
base.OnStateChange();
}
protected override void OnMarketData(MarketDataEventArgs marketDataUpdate)
{
// Set opening range high and low
if (Time[0].Hour == 8 && Time[0].Minute == 30)
{

openingRangeHigh = High[1];
openingRangeLow = Low[1];

stopLoss = openingRangeLow - (openingRangeHigh - openingRangeLow) * 0.5;
profitTarget = openingRangeHigh + (openingRangeHigh - openingRangeLow) * 0.5;

Print("Opening Range High: " + openingRangeHigh);
Print("Opening Range Low: " + openingRangeLow);
Print("Stop Loss: " + stopLoss);
Print("Profit Target: " + profitTarget);
}
{

longPositionOpened = false;
shortPositionOpened = false;
openingRangeHigh = 0;
openingRangeLow = 0;
stopLoss = 0;
profitTarget = 0;
}
// Place a long trade if price rises above the opening range high and no long trade has been placed
if (marketDataUpdate.Price > openingRangeHigh && !longPositionOpened)
{
longPositionOpened = true;
EnterLong(Quantity, "Long");
lastTradeTime = Time[0];
}
// Place a short trade if price falls below the opening range low and no short trade has been placed
if (marketDataUpdate.Price < openingRangeLow && !shortPositionOpened)
{
shortPositionOpened = true;
EnterShort(Quantity, "Short");
lastTradeTime = Time[0];

// Reset trade flags and range at 2PM
if (Time[0].Hour == 14);
}}
}

[KonstantinosNT]

After the #endregion , add:

namespace NinjaTrader.NinjaScript.Strategies
{
public class CrudeOilOpeningRangeBreakoutStrategy : Strategy
{
......
...... your code here......
......
}
}

[mattlaguardia]

OK, I'm not sure how I missed that critical line.

I made the changes, sorted out a few CS errors, and got the code to compile.

It shows up in the strategies menu, and I can add it to a chart.

It still won't take a trade in the backtester, though. The log shows:

05-02-2023 15:04:33 Connection Using HDS (hds-us-nt-004.ninjatrader.com/31655)
and
05-02-2023 15:04:33 Connection Time to auto close position='00:00:00', Enabled=False

[mattlaguardia]

On some further investigation, it looks like there might be a conflict between the last declaration of the Region line:

using NinjaTrader.NinjaScript.Strategies;

and the Namespace declaration that follows the Region block:

namespace NinjaTrader.NinjaScript.Strategies

Before compiling, there's an error that shows for the Region line:

Extern alias declarations, using clauses, assembly/module attributes, or namespace/type declarations expected.

If I compile the code, the error goes away, but the code still isn't quite working properly. It will attach to a chart now, but it still doesn't generate trades in the backtester, and it doesn't really produce much information in the way of logs or print messages.

UPDATE: I solved the error by moving the Namespace declaration above the Region block.

[NinjaTrader_ChelseaB]

Hello mattlaguardia,

Moving forward, create your strategy in the NinjaScript Editor. This will automatically create the correct framework with the correct namespace and will automatically have OnBarUpdate().

Below is a link to a forum post with helpful resources on getting started with C# and NinjaScript. Please watch the two training videos.

https://ninjatrader.com/support/forum/forum/ninjatrader-8/indicator-development/97575-sample-scripts#post786040

[mattlaguardia]

Thanks for the tip.