Where to start if I want to create a strategy on a trading set-up?

[NinjaTrader_RyanM1]

Hi Belecona,

Backtesting results will be the same with CalculateOnBarClose set to false or true. All signal processing is done on a complete bar and orders are placed on the next bar.

Backtesting can fill differently than what will be filled in real-time therefore there are potential differences

Please see the article below which discuss some of the reasons for this:

http://www.ninjatrader-support.com/HelpGuideV6/DiscrepanciesReal-TimeVsBacktest.html

[belecona]

Thanks Ryan. That means my trail does not work .. sigh ..

Is there a sample strategy with trail codes? Please help!! Thank you.

[NinjaTrader_RyanM1]

There's the reference sample below:
Modifying the price of stop loss and target orders.

You have already been working with that one.

Please outline what you would like the trailing stop to do. Does the issue lie with how your trailing stop behaves in backtesting?

[belecona]

Thanks Ryan for the link again. Yes, I worked with it and that's how I have the BE condition working with your guidance.

What I'm trying to do now is after SL is adjusted to BE (when price moves 8 ticks from my entry), I would like to have a bar by bar trailing stop adjustment, ie constantly adjusting the SL up 2 ticks (for long) or down 2 ticks (for short) when the trade continues working to my favor. This will protect some of the gains until the revised SL gets hit.

Just having a BE SL won't help protecting the gains. I'm back to square 1 where I started last week ... ooooo .. sigh .. Please help Ryan!

[belecona]

An example,

1. Long at 1000 with SL at 985 (initial 15 ticks SL) and BE when it moves 8 ticks from entry
2. Price moves to 1008
3. BE condition moves SL to 1000 (from 985)
4. Price continues moving to 1010 (1008 + 2)
5. Trail stop kicks in with SL adjusts to 1002 (1000 + 2)
6. Price continues moving to 1012 (1010 + 2)
7. Trail stop to have SL adjusted to 1004 (1002 + 2)
.. ..

For every 2-tick move, SL will be adjusted 2 ticks to protect some gained profits.

I will continue searching for some sample codes and wish me luck. Appreciate your giving me some hints. My trillion thanks Ryan.

[NinjaTrader_RyanM1]

Thanks, that is a clear example. Unfortunately we don't have a reference sample but you can find a discussion on this and some code samples at the link below:

http://www.ninjatrader-support2.com/vb/showthread.php?t=10344

[belecona]

Thanks Ryan. I believe my research will pay off soon.

Have a Great Wed.

[belecona]

Good morning Ryan

Believe you have had a nice weekend.

I tried to create a simple strategy with fast SMI crossabove/crossbelow slow SMI for long and short respectively.

[FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2][COLOR=#008000][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2][COLOR=#008000][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2][COLOR=#008000]// Condition set 1
[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]if[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2] (CrossAbove(SMI4([/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]true[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2], [/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2][COLOR=#800080][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2][COLOR=#800080][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2][COLOR=#800080]0[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2], [/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Courier 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[/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2][COLOR=#800080][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2][COLOR=#800080][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2][COLOR=#800080]5[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2], [/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]false[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2]).SMIEMA, SMI5([/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]true[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2], [/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2][COLOR=#800080][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2][COLOR=#800080][FONT=Courier 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[/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]false[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2], [/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2][COLOR=#800000][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2][COLOR=#800000][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2][COLOR=#800000]"AutoTrail.wav"[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2], [/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2][COLOR=#800080][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2][COLOR=#800080][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2][COLOR=#800080]0.25[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2], [/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2][COLOR=#800080][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2][COLOR=#800080][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2][COLOR=#800080]10[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2], [/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2][COLOR=#800000][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2][COLOR=#800000][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2][COLOR=#800000]"short.wav"[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2], [/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]false[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2], [/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2][COLOR=#800080][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2][COLOR=#800080][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2][COLOR=#800080]2[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2], [/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]false[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2]).SMIEMA, [/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2][COLOR=#800080][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2][COLOR=#800080][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2][COLOR=#800080]1[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2]))
{
EnterLong(DefaultQuantity, [/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2][COLOR=#800000][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2][COLOR=#800000][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2][COLOR=#800000]""[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2][FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2]);
}
[/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT]

I market replayed the strategy and no trades were triggered even there're crossabove and crossbelow per enclosed chart!? Please help! Thank you. Have a Great week.

[NinjaTrader_Bertrand]

belecona, please add a drawing on your condition for trade entry as well, so you can visually check if your condition triggers as you would expect then.

[belecona]

Thanks Bertrand. I checked the log and here it comes the error message:

Error on calling the "OnBarUpdate" method for indicator SMI5 on bar 34: Object reference not set to an instance of an object.

Appreciate your tip on how to fix it please. Thank you.

[NinjaTrader_RyanM1]

Belecona,

You can use Try - Catch blocks to identify which line of code is contributing to the exception. You "try" a block of code and if it fails then it will "catch" the exception.

More information on this can be found at the link below:

http://www.ninjatrader-support2.com/vb/showthread.php?t=9825

[belecona]

My belated thanks Ryan!

I would like to better understand how Ninja handles the entry/exit requests when CalculateOnBarClose @ false or @ true. This will help my designing a more effective strategy. Please direct me to a link or links. Thank you.

[NinjaTrader_RyanM1]

Belecona,

Below is the CalculateOnBarClose property article:

http://www.ninjatrader-support.com/HelpGuideV6/CalculateOnBarClose1.html

For a backtest, this property is always going to be true. Orders are submitted on the next bar following the condition.

The article below may also be helpful for you. It explains why you might see different results when backtesting compared to realtime.

http://www.ninjatrader-support.com/HelpGuideV6/DiscrepanciesReal-TimeVsBacktest.html

[belecona]

Thanks Ryan. Enjoy your evening.

[belecona]

Good afternoon Ryan

Need to pick your brains again (what's new .. smile ..). I'm trying to figure out how to use CountIf to create an Exit condition.

Does the following make sense to you:

//If we have had the price going below the lowest low of the last 2 price bars, Exit Long

If (CountIf(delegate(return Low[0]<Low[0];},2))
ExitLong();

Please help fixing it or direct me to a link that will show me how to fix it. Thank you very much!