I would appreciate help with the following. I would like to develop a formula for a System Test which would "buy" a security when the underlying index moves up X% from its most recent trough and would "sell" the security when the underlying index moves down Y% from its most recent peak. The parameters would be along the lines of the following: Recommended Index: User programmable Limiting data: User programmable Earliest Start date: User programmable Startup Period: User programmable Signals Change: User programmable Data: User programmable Originator: Public Domain. Options / Defaults ------------------ Buy Swing % (BS) Sell Swing % (SS) Frequency (F) D=Daily, W=Weekly, M=Monthly Single Day Moves (SD) 0=Unchecked, 1=Checked Base Index (I) PSW: BS=0.9, SS=0.9, F=D, SD=0, I=SPX PSWN: BS=1.0, SS=1.0, F=D, SD=0, I=NDX F is how often swings are checked. (e.g. Weekly causes only weekly closing values to be used in setting up peaks, valleys, and signal swings.) If SD is checked the swing percentage for buy and sell signals must occur on a single day, week, or month depending F. Index or EDF (I) - This is the index that you would like PSW to use for the %swings. You may enter and External Data File (EDF) filename in this field. Buy Signals ----------- B0: I closes BS% above any low since the last sell signal on an F basis. Sell Signals ------------ S0: I closes SS% below any high since the last buy signal on an F basis. Indicators ---------- Swing %= This indicator graphs the percent change of the base index since the last short term top or bottom.

Sorry Jose. Thank you for your prompt (if somewhat curt) response. I was just trying to find out if anyone had seen such a program written in MetaStock Code before I contact the professional MetaStock staff to engage them for such a project (something which I have done a number of times in the past). As you indicated: "This forum is all about assisting MetaStock users with their own programming issues." I scanned the formulae on the forum site but did not see one that was similar. Please don't fault me for first checking to see if that formula is already published elsewhere before I pay for it to be (re)created.

No problem, Michael. Try splitting up your coding request into small "modules" - you'll have a much better chance of a useful response this way. jose '-)

Earlier this year, I was seeking assistance with the preparation of formula for a system backtest involving what I would call "Percent Swing". The system should "buy" when the referenced security or index (in this example, the SPY) has moved up 1% from its most recent trough. I came across the following formula which, I believe, may provide the "Buy" signals:

target:=1.0;

pt:=Trough(1,Security("SPY",c),target);

time:=TroughBars(1,Security("SPY",c),target);

signal:=Cross(((Security("SPY",c)-pt)/pt)*100,target);

signal AND (Ref(BarsSince(signal),-1)>=time)

Similarly, the following formula is intended to provide a "Sell Signal" when the SPY has declined 1% from its most recent Peak:

target:=1.0;
pt:=Peak(1,Security("SPY",c),target);
time:=PeakBars(1,Security("SPY",c),target);
signal:=Cross(Neg(target),((Security("SPY",c)-pt)/pt)*100);
signal AND (Ref(BarsSince(signal),-1)>=time)

Being somewhat of a novice programmer, I was hoping someone with some Metastock programming experience might be able to confirm that this what the formulas in fact provide. When I use the formula in the System Backtest and then come the results with a mannual backtest, some of the signals are correct and others are not. Therefore, it seems there may be more going on in the formula than I suspect.

Any help in deciphering the above code would be appreciated.

Regards,

Michael

hi again,

Your formula is better. I used weekly data from 1982 to 1992 and all buy and sell signals were 100% accurate.