Convenience/Workflow Features Requests

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Convenience/Workflow Features Requests

Postby MC_Prog » 19 Aug 2009

Hi.

I'm finding MC Version 5.5 Beta 5 (Build 2643) to be the most usable yet.

However, there are still a few top-level general convenience/workflow-efficiency items that I really feel the lack of during every session. I'll mention them here in the hope that they can be added to a future release.
  • Copy Window as right-click mouse item
  • Paste Window as right-click mouse item
  • Ability to Import a .pla, .eld etc. file by dragging into PowerLanguage Editor from Windows Explorer

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Postby MC_Prog » 12 Feb 2010

I note that this situation persists in MC 6.0 Beta 2.

The suggested items are nice-to-haves, to be sure, but they are very simple and easy to implement nice-to-haves which would improve the daily MC usage experience for all customers forever-after.

As such, this is low-hanging fruit ...

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Postby Tresor » 12 Feb 2010

I note that this situation persists in MC 6.0 Beta 2.

The suggested items are nice-to-haves, to be sure, but they are very simple and easy to implement nice-to-haves which would improve the daily MC usage experience for all customers forever-after.

As such, this is low-hanging fruit ...
Manual trading is low hanging fruit. TSS should focus on manual trading.

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Postby MC_Prog » 13 Feb 2010

The phrase low-hanging fruit refers to something that is relatively simple/easy/fast/cheap to implement, yet beneficial (possibly with benefits out-of-proportion to the relatively small effort of creation).

The phrase clearly does not apply to an entire new subsystem (e.g. manual trading) which ideally needs to be intelligently and carefully designed from scratch and then implemented for most beneficial integration into the platform as a whole - and which is almost certain to require at least one and probably several cycles of release-feedback-release before reaching an easy-to-use and reliable plateau.

Manual trading is an important major addition to MC, perhaps the most important next major addition to MC - and I hope it comes soon. And when it comes, I hope that the job is seen thru to a very high level of ease-of-use, efficiency, and reliability before being orphaned in favor of "the next checklist item".

All of the things I've recently mentioned wrt. backtesting and optimization could be implemented by a single programmer in a period of weeks, or 2-3 months tops - to the great benefit of the platform and the user community.

IMO, such "finishing the job" efforts, though minor from the required labor point-of-view, are major from the viewpoints of completion, usability, customer care, competitive standing, and positive publicity. Specifically because such efforts are minor from the required labor point-of-view, they are the "low hanging fruit". While most of the team may be working the ladders, someone ought to be just filling their basket with what is right there to be plucked for the reaching.

That's how I see it, and that's how I'll call it. To me, this is not in conflict at all with simultaneously pursuing next major advances such as manual trading, etc.

I did previously write "prior to (IMO) turning all development attention elsewhere". Keyword here is "all". But, since that's apparently not coming across to everyone, I will rephrase:

This is one of several key items pertaining to real-world usage of the MC backtesting capabilities that needs and deserves completion/enhancement alongside other important new features and efforts (e.g. manual trading, etc.) that are currently planned or in-progress.

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Postby Tresor » 13 Feb 2010

The phrase low-hanging fruit refers to something that is relatively simple/easy/fast/cheap to implement, yet beneficial (possibly with benefits out-of-proportion to the relatively small effort of creation).
My phrase ''low-hanging fruit'' refered to potential benefits that TSS may generate as a result of implementing a basic ''manual order window'' (4 buttons: sell, buy, close, quantity).

In the beginning only this is required to start attracting thousands of users of MT4, TS, NT (which has terrible beta) and other platforms that have manual trading feature. My low-hanging fruit = revenue of TSS.

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Postby MC_Prog » 13 Feb 2010

One more key point that I want to make along these lines -

When you know that a few hours of effort by a programmer at the source can save many hours (over time) of effort for every one of your customers (OK, backtesters only in this case, and god-bless the non-backtesters for their participation in the markets :wink: ) - and you refuse to make that effort, you are displaying disregard for your customers and potential customers by placing zero value on their time.

It's a mis-conceived business decision, IMO, to save a small amount of developer's effort at the cost of foisting an even higher burden (over time) across your entire customer base.

The whole point of computers and software is to streamline and empower human life. If you get this, word gets around. If you don't, likewise. That's the opportunity and the peril of the digital age.

What I write, I write to remind (not to offend), because observation of current facts suggests that reminding might be helpful (for all).

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Postby MC_Prog » 13 Feb 2010

a basic ''manual order window'' (4 buttons: sell, buy, close, quantity).
Failure to integrate manual ordering with the automation system to create seamless operation is a gigantic, persistent flaw in more than one competing product.

TSS has an opportunity to craft a superior solution.

If manual/automated ordering is not integrated by design in the first implementation, it may never be. That would be an undesirable outcome, and a major competitive opportunity lost.

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Postby janus » 13 Feb 2010

Failure to integrate manual ordering with the automation system to create seamless operation is a gigantic, persistent flaw in more than one competing product.

TSS has an opportunity to craft a superior solution.
Yes, it would be more than just a nice feature - IMHO it's essential. However, it's not trivial to implement. I managed to develop my own approach to submit manual orders using DLLs during real-time trading sessions. The approach works well after much testing. I've attached a screen shot of my approach. I might pretty it up using windows gui but for now it does the job. I look forward to seeing such a feature built into MC as it would be more integrated.
Attachments
manual.png
(14.45 KiB) Downloaded 719 times

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Postby Tresor » 13 Feb 2010

Yes, it would be more than just a nice feature - IMHO it's essential.
COOL.


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