This is a buy and sell system e.g. {Moving average crossover system} a:=Mov(C,13,S) > Mov(C,21,S); N:=a AND Ref(a=0,2); X:=a=0 AND Ref(a=1,2); I:=Cum(N+X>-1)=1; Tr:=BarsSince(I OR N)<BarsSince(I OR X); Tr; Do you mean a complete system, Enter Long, Exit Long, Enter Short, Exit Short?? wabbit :D

dieselpr, Quite often I see this happen when you have code where it is possible to be long and short simultaneously. Personally I dont like this situation, but if you trade like this then... ok. What you need to do is to is code the Long Entry and Long Exit in one latching code section, and the Short Entry and Short Exit in another section. When you combine the sections, you should end up with an indicator that has values: 2 when long 1 when long entered first, then short entry 0 when out of all trades -1 when short short entered first, then long entry -2 when short To make this happen, test to see if any trades are open, and if so, are they long or short? If no trades are open, the first trade opened is multiplied by 2. If a subsequent trade is opened, a value of 1 is subtracted/added. If this are not the results you are looking for, please provide a detailed example, and maybe your conditions and I will try to code them up for you. Hope this helps. wabbit :D

Wabbit, This is what I came up with on the latch design into the system but it still allow for more then one trade at a time before an exit. pds:=2; XAT:=2; {Zero Lag MA} EMA8:=Mov(2*(Mov(C,8/2,W))-Mov(C,8,W),2,W); EMA17:=Mov(2*(Mov(C,17/2,W))-Mov(C,17,W),4,W); {Entry Signals} MACBuy:=If((EMA8-EMA17)>Mov((EMA8-EMA17),9,E) AND Alert((EMA8-EMA17)<Mov((EMA8-EMA17),9,E),pds),1,0); MACSell:=If((EMA8-EMA17)<Mov((EMA8-EMA17),9,E) AND Alert((EMA8-EMA17)>Mov((EMA8-EMA17),9,E),pds),-1,0); {Buy & Sell Exit Alerts} LE:=HHV(H - XAT*ATR(5),10);{For Long} SE:=LLV(L + (XAT*2)*ATR(5),10);{For Short} MACBuyExit:=If(L<LE AND Alert(L>LE,pds) OR L<HHV(H - (XAT*2)*ATR(5),10) AND Alert(L>HHV(H - (XAT*2)*ATR(5),10),pds),-1,0); MACSellExit:=If(H>SE AND Alert(H<SE,pds) OR H>LLV(L + (XAT*2)*ATR(5),10) AND Alert(H<LLV(L + (XAT*2)*ATR(5),10),pds),1,0); {Buy & sell latchs-turning On & Off} IBuy:=Cum(MACBuy+MACBuyExit>-1)=1; ISell:=Cum(MACSell+MACSellExit>-1)=1; BuyEnterExits:=BarsSince(IBuy OR MACBuy=1)<BarsSince(IBuy OR MACBuyExit=-1); SellEnterExits:=BarsSince(ISell OR MACSell=-1)<BarsSince(ISell OR MACSellExit=1); {Formula} Buy:=If(BuyEnterExits=BuyEnterExits AND Alert(BuyEnterExits=0,pds) AND SellEnterExits=0,1,0); Sell:=If(SellEnterExits=SellEnterExits AND Alert(SellEnterExits=0,pds) AND BuyEnterExits=0,-1,0); BuyExits:=If(BuyEnterExits=0 AND Alert(BuyEnterExits=1,pds),-2,0); SellExits:=If(SellEnterExits=0 AND Alert(SellEnterExits=SellEnterExits,pds),2,0); Buy+Sell+BuyExits+SellExits

If I have interpreted what you are trying to do correctly then hopefully this code will suit your purpose: --8<------------------------ pds:=2; XAT:=2; {0-Trade Short before Long} {1-Trade Long before short} bias:=0; {Zero Lag MA} EMA8:=Mov(2*(Mov(C,8/2,W))-Mov(C,8,W),2,W); EMA17:=Mov(2*(Mov(C,17/2,W))-Mov(C,17,W),4,W); myMACD:=EMA8-EMA17; myTrigger:=Mov(myMACD,9,E); {Buy & Sell Exit Alerts} LE:=HHV(H - XAT*ATR(5),10);{For Long} SE:=LLV(L + (XAT*2)*ATR(5),10);{For Short} {Long Trades Section} nLong:=myMACD>myTrigger AND Alert(myMACD<myTrigger,pds); xLong:=(L<LE AND Alert(L>LE,pds)) OR (L<HHV(H - (XAT*2)*ATR(5),10) AND Alert(L>HHV(H - (XAT*2)*ATR(5),10),pds)); I:=Cum(nLong+xLong>-1)=1; Long:=BarsSince(I OR nLong)<BarsSince(I OR xLong); {Short Trades Section} nShort:=myMACD<myTrigger AND Alert(myMACD>myTrigger,pds); xShort:=(H>SE AND Alert(H<SE,pds)) OR (H>LLV(L + (XAT*2)*ATR(5),10) AND Alert(H<LLV(L + (XAT*2)*ATR(5),10),pds)); I:=Cum(nShort+xShort>-1)=1; Short:=BarsSince(I OR nShort)<BarsSince(I OR xShort); {plot as line} 0; {plot as histograms} Long; -Short; {Actual Trade Open - plot as heavy line} If(bias=1,If(Long=1,1,long-short),If(Short=1,-1,long-short)) --8<----------------------------------- I have taken some liberties with your code that will hopefully make it a bit easier to read and manipulate. Firstly, the judicious use of variables will speed up your code and make it easier to read, understand and debug. Secondly, I was able to solve the problem by breaking it into the two sections for long and short trading, then combining the two at the end. As you are only going to be long OR short, then you need to set a priority; you will either trade long in prefernce to short, OR, you will trade short in preference to long. This indication is set with the bias value. Hope this helps. wabbit :D Two pictures of the same stock: the heavy line is the current trade, +1 is long, -1 is short, 0 is out

If I was reading the code in that discussion correctly (I probably wasnt 'caus eI am very tired atm) it looked like there was the possibility to have long and short trades open at the same time? Diesel was looking to avoid that situation, I think???? Now, I am just confused! :-k wabbit :D :smt015

Patrick, I read that post last night but I ran away from it because it used the prev function which for Intraday trading the way I want to trade would be very foolish. I was looking for speed because I am trading on a 5 min chart. Wabbit has the correct idea I wanted to either be long or short not both. I'll take a look at the code more later tonight when I'm sitting in front of metastock Thanks Wabbit.

That's what the code iI refered to does. If you guys find the way to do this without the prev function and so that it can be used as an expert properly, let me know ... Patrick :mrgreen:

Wabbit, Do you know if there is a better profit stop that doesn't use the prev function that I might use?