referring to indicator in strategy analyzer

[edstaffin]

Hi,
Currently, I have something like the following in my Initialize event handler of my strategy to load my indicator:
Add(MyIndicator());

I have a module level variable (m_iMyIndicator) that gets initialized
in the OnStartUp event.

The Add function doesn't have a return value, so I have to get a reference to my indicator via the following in the OnStartUp event:

m_iMyIndicator = (NinjaTrader.Indicator.MyIndicator)(from a in ChartControl.Indicators where a.Name == "MyIndicator"
select a).FirstOrDefault();

This works great under normal chart operations. However, when I try to run it in the strategy analyzer, ChartControl is null.

So, my question is how to get a reference to an Added indicator from something other than the chart control? My strategy needs info from the running indicator to make decisions.
Thanks ... Ed

[NinjaTrader_PatrickH]

Hello edstaffin,

Thank you for your post.

You would call the indicator method for your calculations, not the "added" indicator via the Initialize() method.

Please take a look at the indicator methods at the following link for examples: http://www.ninjatrader.com/support/h...indicators.htm

[edstaffin]

I guess I didn't explain properly. I am not interested in those methods. Only certain custom properties that I wrote into the indicator that are set at runtime.
Thanks .... Ed

[NinjaTrader_PatrickH]

Hello edstaffin,

They are values you exposed, correct? If so, just call the method and the values.

[edstaffin]

Via what object? I am currently using he object returned from

m_iMyIndicator = (NinjaTrader.Indicator.MyIndicator)(from a in ChartControl.Indicators where a.Name == "MyIndicator"
select a).FirstOrDefault();

which works perfectly when I add my strategy to a chart and enable it. However, as I said in my original note, when I try to optimize my strategy via the strategy optimizer, ChartControl is null. So the question remains ...
how to get a reference to an Added indicator from something other than the chart control?
Thanks ... Ed

[koganam]

Via what object? I am currently using he object returned from

m_iMyIndicator = (NinjaTrader.Indicator.MyIndicator)(from a in ChartControl.Indicators where a.Name == "MyIndicator"
select a).FirstOrDefault();

which works perfectly when I add my strategy to a chart and enable it. However, as I said in my original note, when I try to optimize my strategy via the strategy optimizer, ChartControl is null. So the question remains ...
how to get a reference to an Added indicator from something other than the chart control?
Thanks ... Ed

You cannot.

It may not be such a good idea to be using the undocumented ChartControl if you can avoid it. Instead, create a named instance of the indicator object, and refer to that specific instance.

[edstaffin]

Hi,
Thanks for the response. The question here is ... how? How do I "create a named instance of the indicator object?"
Thanks ... Ed

[koganam]

Hi,
Thanks for the response. The question here is ... how? How do I "create a named instance of the indicator object?"
Thanks ... Ed

Either one of these posts demonstrate how to declare and reference a named instance of an indicator.

ref: http://www.ninjatrader.com/support/f...d.php?p=221406

http://www.ninjatrader.com/support/forum/showthread.php?p=297907

[edstaffin]

Take 2

Hi,
Let me try this from a different angle.
Here is what I am trying to accomplish. I have a completed indicator that works like a champ. I want to create a strategy for it. I have a set of properties on my indicator that are designed to communicate indicator state to the strategy. Chief among them is a property called DoTrade, which tells the strategy to enter a trade.

I could duplicate my code in the strategy (and in fact I have done this in the past), however, that means maintaining duplicate code in 2 places ... bad.

So, I want to reference a running indicator in my strategy. Going through the chart control to get that reference works perfectly on a chart, but does not work when going through the strategy analyzer. The question is, how can I get my already working code to play nice with the analyzer?

Thanks ... Ed

[koganam]

Hi,
Let me try this from a different angle.
Here is what I am trying to accomplish. I have a completed indicator that works like a champ. I want to create a strategy for it. I have a set of properties on my indicator that are designed to communicate indicator state to the strategy. Chief among them is a property called DoTrade, which tells the strategy to enter a trade.

I could duplicate my code in the strategy (and in fact I have done this in the past), however, that means maintaining duplicate code in 2 places ... bad.

So, I want to reference a running indicator in my strategy. Going through the chart control to get that reference works perfectly on a chart, but does not work when going through the strategy analyzer. The question is, how can I get my already working code to play nice with the analyzer?

Thanks ... Ed

Is DoTrade a public property? What kind of primitive is it? A bool, int or double? Or is it a member of a ...Series?

[edstaffin]

DoTrade is a public bool property that is one of several similar properties such as Direction (short), EntryPoint (double) etc.
Thanks ... Ed

[koganam]

DoTrade is a public bool property that is one of several similar properties such as Direction (short), EntryPoint (double) etc.
Thanks ... Ed

In accordance with both of the threads to which I referred you initially.

Declare an instance of the object.

#Variables
private MyIndicator m_iMyIndicator;

Initialize the object, and Add, if wanted visually

protected override void Initialize()
{
// ...
m_iMyIndicator = MyIndicator(desired parameters listed here, comma delimited);
Add(m_iMyIndicator);
// ...
}

Use the object, by referring to its public properties.

protected override void OnBarUpdate()
{
// ...

//such as,
bool SomethingThatDependsOnDoTrade = ... m_iMyIndicator.DoTrade ...;

//or,
if (m_iMyIndicator.DoTrade)
{
//MakeMegaBucks();
}

//...
}

You have to make sure the DoTrade is populated correctly, by calling Update() in the getter of the indicator.

The alternative will be to make DoTrade a boolSeries, trading convenience for memory use.

ref: http://www.ninjatrader.com/support/f...ead.php?t=4991

[edstaffin]

I knew there was some magic sauce!

Hi,
Got it!
So the big issue turned out to be the missing Update() call in my indicator's getters.
I don't know how I was supposed to know about this without someone like you telling me but I am ever so grateful you did.

Thanks again ... Ed