What is the difference?

[Mindset]

if(account.Positions[0].MarketPosition == MarketPosition.Long)
if(Position.MarketPosition == MarketPosition.Long)

I get that one uses Position Info and the other uses Account position info but I am using them when pressing buttons and the bottom line gives an obj instance error which I don't understand as it merely determines whether or not we have a long position.

Can someone explain what I am missing here?
Edit - I should add that I am instantiating an order on the press of this button.

[NinjaTrader_Gaby]

Hello Mindset,

Thank you for your post.

The difference is that with account.Positions you are checking a collection of positions on the account, while Postion.MarketPosition is specifically checking the strategy's position. Strategy and account positions are separate.

Are you submitting orders directly to the account (i.e. using account.Submit), or are you submitting orders via managed or unmanaged approach methods?

What is the full error message you are getting? Which line specifically is throwing the error?

[Mindset]

Hi Gaby
Excuse me for asking a dumb question but even in the Positions.Collection surely the condition am I long is true?
I am using the managed approach for orders and the situation is resolved by using line 1 instead of line 2.
Let me use try catch and see if I can get the line that is throwing the error

[NinjaTrader_Gaby]

Hello Mindset,

Excuse me for asking a dumb question but even in the Positions.Collection surely the condition am I long is true?

This may or may not be the case. Since strategy and account positions are not the same, it is possible for your strategy to be long but your account to be short or flat. If you are running other strategies on the same account, or placing manual orders to the account, then this would cause the positions to not match.

Please let me know when you identify which line in particular is triggering the error.

[Mindset]

Thanks for that clarification. Running the strategy last couple of days and all is currently working fine. Still a little unclear if with a single strategy running ( it's actually just an entry order and trade management system for discretionary trading in reality) if I should use
if(account.Positions[0].MarketPosition == MarketPosition.Long)
or
if(Position.MarketPosition == MarketPosition.Long)

I have come across situations where I get object instance errors with one but not the other - which doesn't make sense to me as the account and the strategy must by definition be in the same marketposition??

[NinjaTrader_Gaby]

Hello Mindset,

If you are just wanting to track the account position of your particular strategy instance then I would recommend use Position.MarketPosition.

" the account and the strategy must by definition be in the same marketposition??"

This is not true, as mentioned before strategy position and account position are not the same.

https://ninjatrader.com/support/helpGuides/nt8/strategy_position_vs_account_p.htm

If you're hitting an object reference error, I recommend debugging the script using prints and providing the output so we can analyze why you're hitting that error.

[Mindset]

Thanks Gaby.
Not beating a dead horse but I am only wanting to simply question if I am long or short - doesn't matter if it's 1 contract or 5. So again how can account position and strategy position be different in that respect? Could you give me the scenario where account and strategy would be different??
But moving on - I am not getting any obj instance errors now I have changed to your above suggestion but I will keep an eye on it of course ;-).
But thank you for the discourse and I am only trying to understand this rather than being difficult.

[NinjaTrader_Gaby]

Hello Mindset,

No worries. The link I provided in my last reply contains an example of when your account position would not match your strategy's position.

https://ninjatrader.com/support/helpGuides/nt8/strategy_position_vs_account_p.htm

[Mindset]

Ah thank you - I get it now. :-)