Priceline Indicator Anomalies

[jeronymite]

The NinjaTrader 8.1.3.0 Priceline indicator seems to be behaving strangely.

On a EURUSD chart when the Forex market is closed, the data presents correctly as expected, even though it is after market hours.
Now:

1. Add the Priceline indicator. Select the three available lines (Ask, Bid, Last).
2. Behaviour can vary, but typically it produces no lines on the chart. It can, however, also go immediately to the issue described in the point below (point 3).
3. Reload NinjaScript. Now all bars disappear, the Y-axis price information disappears, and the lines are bunched as a single yellow line at the top of the chart.
4. Remove the indicator. The chart reverts to a correct display of the data.

The behaviour is not consistently reproducible except in being aberrant one way or another. If one presses F5 several times, sometimes the behaviour above occurs, but also sometimes when the aberrant view described above is showing, pressing F5 can restore the expected view, albeit without any price lines. This would seem to point to (at least) some form of timing issue in the indicator, amongst other possible bugs.

Also, more generally, I note that one can select the indicator lines and that highlights the indicator name, at which point one can right-click on the lines or the name for a small menu that allows access to the indicator properties and removal of the indicator etc. This is good. However, wouldn't it also be sensible to be able to simply select via the displayed indicator name, and even directly right-click on that name for the same effect, rather than only on the lines?

Thanks.

[NinjaTrader_BrandonH]

Hello jeronymite,

Thanks for your post.

I am not able to reproduce the behavior at this time likely because the markets are not closed.

We will test this further when the FOREX markets are closed to see if we are able to reproduce the behavior you are reporting.

If possible, please provide us with a short demonstration video showing the behavior you are reporting so we may see what you are seeing.

As for your other note, that is the expected behavior. When selecting the indicator plots on the chart, you could right-click on the plots and select Properties to bring up the Indicators window, or you could double-click on the plots on the chart to bring up the Indicators window. Selecting the indicator label in the top-left corner of the chart will not bring up the Indicators window. Please let us know if you would like us to submit a feature request to the Development team so they may consider implementing this in a future NinjaTrader release.

[jeronymite]

Thanks, NinjaTrader_BrandonH. I think the "trick" is to add the indicator to a chart that has not yet received any real-time data since the indicator was added. That is certainly going to be the case when the market is closed, but I also saw the issue just now during normal Forex market hours by adding the indicator during what is obviously a "slow" period. The problem happened immediately because there was no additional real-time data after the indicator was added. As soon as a real-time data tick arrived, the problem did not happen.

This would seem to point to an initialisation issue in the code. It would make sense to initialise the relevant values to the last data received so as to avoid any issue with "default" values such as double.MaxValue.

I hope that helps.

Edit: It's also seems that the indicator does not attempt to paint lines after initialisation until data arrives (or some other unusual set of conditions), because if some data has already arrived, preventing the "main" issue noted here, pressing F5 repeatedly every second or so causes the lines to appear and disappear alternately on each press until a new data tick arrives.

Edit: Also, more generally, as I note in my original post, "one can select the indicator lines and that highlights the indicator name, at which point one can right-click on the lines or the name for a small menu that allows access to the indicator properties and removal of the indicator etc". I also said it would "be sensible to be able to simply select via the displayed indicator name, and even directly right-click on that name for the same effect, rather than only on the lines", to which you responded with an offer to submit this latter recommended behaviour as an enhancement request. Yes, please.

Thanks.

[jeronymite]

Thanks, NinjaTrader_BrandonH

I would recommend that to work "sensibly", the initialisation should set the required line values to the last known appropriate data values. That is not the same as OnMarketData "being called". It is initialising in a sensible way to avoid aberrant displays when data has been received prior to adding the indicator to the chart.

This applies to situations when there will be no data for some time due to the market being closed, but also applies to real-time data when the market is slow. In both these situations, the behaviour is aberrant until the next data tick arrives. The fix is simple and effective.

Also, perhaps you would comment on the two edits I added in my post above?

Thanks.

[jeronymite]

NinjaTrader_BrandonH The point is that the indicator can and should be improved to remove the aberrant behaviour in such circumstances. The fix is easy and would be effective. People should not be required to have the overhead of enabling another feature to overcome a problem in a simple indicator.

Also, you have yet to address the two edit points I made.

Thanks.