How to reload NinjaScript in Strategy Analyzer?

[wayneFH]

How do I reload only the NinjaScript in the Strategy Analyzer?

On charts, all I have to do is press F5 or right click and choose reload NinjaScript. Andit only reloads NinjaScript.
The only way I can find to reload NinjaScript in Strategy Analyzer is to right click Back Test ... again. The problem is that it reloads all the data also. So it takes a long time since I'm using tick data.

Even with tick data for only one week, it takes 20 seconds or more to reload all the data.

On a chart, it only takes 1 or 2 seconds to reload only the NinjaScript.

If you don't have a separate reload of NinjaScript option, please add that as a feature in the next release.

If you put that option on the right click box along with the Back Test... Optimize... and other options. That will work.

Also, please add an F5 shortcut just like in the Charts. That shortcut works in the script editor, charts, and Market Analyzer. Why not the same in Strategy Analyzer?

Wayne

[NinjaTrader_JoshP]

You will just need to rebacktest. Thanks for the suggestion. What you can try is just disconnect from your data feed after you do the first backtest. This way NinjaTrader won't go off and try to get new data.

[wayneFH]

Thanks. I just tried it. I disconnected from eSignal and selected Back Test... again.

But it does the same thing. I even watch the process memory while it's happening. You can see it climb from process size of 356Meg to 395Meg and then drop back down to around 354Meg.

That takes about 15 to 20 seconds to 40+ Meg into memory.

Could it be because I the "store real time data" selected? Maybe it finds the data on disk even if eSignal is disconnected and loads from there.

If you have another idea, let me know.

Sincerely,
Wayne

[NinjaTrader_JoshP]

Tick data just requires a lot of memory. When you are connected to a data feed it will try to pull data from your data feed which takes more time. If you are not connected to a data feed it will just pull it from the database. Pressing F5 in the strategy analyzer while you are in the chart tab will work to a degree, but realistically, if you changed your strategy it will just have to redo the whole thing.

[wayneFH]

Yes. I found that the Chart window in the strategy analyzer is somewhat disconnected from the Strategy Analyzer.

I found that 2 ways:

1. When I tried F5 it reloaded in the chart window but the rest of the tabs didn't update.

2. When I changed the time frame from second to minute in the Chart, the other tabs failed to change. And changing time frame changes when my custom strategy enters and exits.

So it appears that the Chart Window is just a snap shot created when the strategy first loads.

There appears to be (as I mentioned before) no way to reload only the strategy without the data.

Sincerely,
Wayne

[NinjaTrader_JoshP]

Correct. Changing things on the Chart tab is not the same as rebacktesting. If you want updated results you need to rebacktest.

To reload only the strategy the data needs to still be in memory. If it isn't it will have to go off and access the database. There is nothing that can be done about this.

[wayneFH]

The data is still in memory when I run back test for the purpose of reloading the NinjaScript. I watch the memory usage of the NinjaTrader process.

You see it climb by 40 Meg (the amount of tick data) and then DROP by 40 meg (obviously releasing the memory of the replaced data).

Can't you add a feature in another version to allow for just rerunning the strategy without reloading?

As you will see in other posts, the demand for testing on tick data is increasing.

One of your representatives said you will work on optimizing it so that it can load much longer durations of tick data in version 7.

At that time, if it can load multiple years of data via disk caching, etc. It will be a killer if the only want to change and update your strategy is to reload everything.

In that scenario it could take many minutes each time.

Right now, it's bearable at 20 seconds for a week of data.

Please add this to the list for version 7, if not sooner.

Sincerely,
Wayne

[NinjaTrader_JoshP]

Rest assured we are working on it. Optimizations in this regard are on the list. Thanks for the suggestion.