Better practices to include checking the ^VIX for my strategy

[Don22Trader1]

Hello,

I would like to know what are good practices when checking a daily bar chart of the ^VIX whilst trading the ES.

The data series in use are these:
-Primary data series : 30 Minute ES
-Secondary data series : 1 Tick ES (mainly for intra bar fills in back tests.)

I would like to include another data series, which is the ^VIX Daily Bar Chart. Within this data series I would like to create a bool that is set to true when its monthly EMA is greater than its yearly EMA, to imply greater volatility in the market.

Should I include the ^VIX as a tertiary data series within this strategy? I had an idea of writing some logic like this to make the bool true to allow for trading:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

else if (State == State.Configure)
{
//primary data series is the 30 Minute
AddDataSeries(Data.BarsPeriodType.Tick, 1);
AddDataSeries("^VIX", Data.BarsPeriodType.Day, 1);
}

OnBarUpdate()
{
if (BarsInProgress == 2)
{
if (^VIXEMAMonthly > ^VIXEMAYearly)
{
highVolatility == true;
}
else if (^VIXEMAMonthly <= ^VIXEMAYearly)
{
highVolatility == false;
}
}

if (highVolatility == true)
{
//Rest of trading logic
}
}
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Even though BIP 2 is a larger and different data series than the first two, would it be ok to check in this BIP first before all other BIPs and trading logic?

[NinjaTrader_Jesse]

Hello Don22Trader1,

If you need the vix data you would have to include it as a secondary series like you have done.

The order of your conditions for BarsInProgress don't matter, only 1 BarsInProgress calls OnBarUpdate at a time so whatever logic is surrounded by a BarsInProgress condition will be executed only if the correct BarsInProgress called OnBarUpdate.