Beginner Questions

Questions about MCFX and MCFX Data Feed.
gian piero
Posts: 14
Joined: 24 Dec 2007

Beginner Questions

Postby gian piero » 22 Jan 2008

Hello;
I'n new to MCFX and have the following first inquiries:

1) I have a hard time understanding some signals that MCFX is generating and are not explained by the code.
Please, have a look at the attached image labeled Signals.Gif. There you can see some signals inside a red square. The signals are simple: Buy and sell short only when the ADX indicator is higher that 16 and crossovers between DMI+ and DMI- occur.
In the image, the white horizontal line in the indicator area is at 16. As you can realize, these signals are being triggered when ADX is under 16, while the code explicitly says to signal when ADX > 16. I have double checked that the indicators and signals DO share the same set ups.
In the 2nd attachment, code.txt, you can also check my code for further verification on this issue.
Also, the rest of the signals are being correctly generated. I don't know why these particular signals are triggered...

2) I want to know how to output text to the output tab of the PLEditor. According to the EasyLanguage documentation, this can be done by adding the following example line of code:

Print(File(“c:\test.txt”), “Date “,Date:7:0,“ Last ”,Close);

And then I should check the Print Log to see the outputs. But I can't find such log anywhere on the editor!

3) Judging by the way the strategy performance report is done, MCFX is dealing with FXCM's standard lots. Every pip is roughly worth $10. But I want to change this to the mini lot mode. How can I make MCFX to switch to mini lots?

I will really appreciate all available insights on these inquiries.

With best regards;
Gian Piero Bandieramonte.
Attachments
code.txt
(567 Bytes) Downloaded 469 times
Signals.GIF
(28.62 KiB) Downloaded 874 times

gian piero
Posts: 14
Joined: 24 Dec 2007

Update

Postby gian piero » 24 Jan 2008

Since many days have passed since I made this thread, I must make an update to make it easier for anyone to reply.

I've already managed to solve my question 2). So I took advantage of this print function to have my code print the oADX values for each of the bars of the chart. And as exactly as I expected, the printed values DO differ from the ones depicted by the ADX indicator right on the chart.

It must be noted that I compared the same exact dates and hours, with the same exact parameters for the indicators between the code and the chart. So this is really strange. This might be distorting the signals' generation as well as the strategy performance results, which is really severe.

Please anybody help.

Thanks.

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Marina Pashkova
Posts: 2758
Joined: 27 Jul 2007

Postby Marina Pashkova » 24 Jan 2008

Hello,

I apologize for this delay.

Your post will be answered shortly.

Thank you for your patience.

Regards.

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Marina Pashkova
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Joined: 27 Jul 2007

Postby Marina Pashkova » 24 Jan 2008

Dear Gian Piero,

When you compare the signal and the indicator make sure that they have the same starting point. For example if in the signal the 'maximum number of bars the study will reference' equals 50, the same number should be used for the indicator as well.

If setting the same numbers does not solve the problem, could you please post the indicator code as well?

Regards.

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Marina Pashkova
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Postby Marina Pashkova » 24 Jan 2008

Regarding your last question, to trade mini-lots, in Autotrading type in 10,000 for Fixed Shares/Contracts.

gian piero
Posts: 14
Joined: 24 Dec 2007

Postby gian piero » 24 Jan 2008

Hello Marina;

Indeed, you are right, taking care of the number of bars the study would reference fixed this issue. But I don't get how this variable affects the way the ADX indicator is showed. I'm confusing this variable with the Length variable that is associated with the ADX indicator. If I play with both variables, the indicator will always change. I don't understand this. If I have a fixed value for the Length variable, then the ADX indicator should be exactly the same no matter if I change the max number of bars it will reference. I'm confused with this. Please help me clear this.

The las thing is about the minilot issue. Changing the fixed shares/contracts to 10,000 as you said wouldn't change to minilot mode. Instead, MCFX is understanding this as it would trade 10,000 Standard Lots on every transaction, which is absurd. I confirmed this by viewing the strategy performance report, where a pip was worth $100,000. I also could realize that if a put a 1 on this variable, then the program would trade 1 standard lot ($10 a pip according to the strategy performance report). But I want to backtest with minilots, which is the tenth part of a standard lot. So, it should be something like inserting a 0.1 value on this variable.

Thanks for your attention.

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Marina Pashkova
Posts: 2758
Joined: 27 Jul 2007

Postby Marina Pashkova » 29 Jan 2008

Hello,

The starting point normally influences the values of the indicators that reference the series values preceding this starting point. If an indicator uses it's previous values to calculate the current value, then the current values will also be different because the previous values would be different for different starting points.

gian piero
Posts: 14
Joined: 24 Dec 2007

Minilots then?

Postby gian piero » 29 Jan 2008

Okay thanks.

And what about the minilot issue I explained on just my previous post?

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Marina Pashkova
Posts: 2758
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Postby Marina Pashkova » 30 Jan 2008

Hello Gian Piero,

We would need to look into that. As soon as I have an answer I'll post it here.

Regards.

gian piero
Posts: 14
Joined: 24 Dec 2007

Postby gian piero » 30 Jan 2008

I will be waiting for your response then.

Thanks.

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Marina Pashkova
Posts: 2758
Joined: 27 Jul 2007

Postby Marina Pashkova » 08 Feb 2008

Hello Marina;

The las thing is about the minilot issue. Changing the fixed shares/contracts to 10,000 as you said wouldn't change to minilot mode. Instead, MCFX is understanding this as it would trade 10,000 Standard Lots on every transaction, which is absurd. I confirmed this by viewing the strategy performance report, where a pip was worth $100,000. I also could realize that if a put a 1 on this variable, then the program would trade 1 standard lot ($10 a pip according to the strategy performance report). But I want to backtest with minilots, which is the tenth part of a standard lot. So, it should be something like inserting a 0.1 value on this variable.
Thanks for your attention.
Hello gian pierre,

I apologize it took me so long to answer your question.

The thing is that strategy performance report and autotrading treat the lot settings differently. To have autotrading work correctly, in Strategy Properties-> Fixed Shares/Contracts type in 100,000 for standard lots or 10,000 for mini lots. And autotrading will work just fine.

However, strategy performance report cannot handle this difference correctly. It multiplies the calculated values either by 100,000 or by 10,000 (I think Donald mentioned this earlier). This issue will be soon fixed.

Regards.

gian piero
Posts: 14
Joined: 24 Dec 2007

Postby gian piero » 16 Mar 2008

Hello gian pierre,

I apologize it took me so long to answer your question.

The thing is that strategy performance report and autotrading treat the lot settings differently. To have autotrading work correctly, in Strategy Properties-> Fixed Shares/Contracts type in 100,000 for standard lots or 10,000 for mini lots. And autotrading will work just fine.

However, strategy performance report cannot handle this difference correctly. It multiplies the calculated values either by 100,000 or by 10,000 (I think Donald mentioned this earlier). This issue will be soon fixed.

Regards.
I'm anxiously waiting for the fix on this strategy performance report issue. I really need to analyze strategies based on mini lots. It's not easy to code strategies and to analyze their reports based on standard lots to mentally transform them on a mini lot basis.

When will this issue be fixed?
Thanks.

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Marina Pashkova
Posts: 2758
Joined: 27 Jul 2007

Postby Marina Pashkova » 19 Mar 2008

Hi Gean Piero,

We are working on this issue. It will be fixed when the notion of lots will be introduced into MCFX. We will try to complete this feature in time to be added inth MCFX beta due in April.


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