Need some help please. How can I intialize a constant value in MS? The manual is no help on this. I'm writing a trivial exploration where the price at t-n is within the channel formed by the high and low at t, + and - a specified percentage.

It seems the constant values for my channel are constantly changing rendering my algorithm useless. The code:

{ change the next 3 lines to change search criteria }
upPct:=.20; { 20 % }
dwnPct:=.20; { 20 % }
lookBack:=10;

baseHigh:=ref(H,0);
baseLow:=ref(L,0);

upLimit:=baseHigh+(baseHigh*upPct);
dwnLimit:=baseLow-(baseLow*dwnPct);

hiHigh:=HHV(H,lookBack);
lowLow:=LLV(C,lookBack);

{ if condition is true, return 1, els, return 0 }
If( upLimit <= hiHigh AND dwnLimit >= lowLow, 1, 0 )

Thanks in advance

G

I want to initialize those 2 values, baseHigh and baseLow as const variables, i.e., non-mutable. I want these to be set to the H and L values as they are today, right now, the day this exploration is run. Then, if the prior H and L for 10 days, or periods, falls within the calculated channel of the H and L at t sub 0, I want to return a boolean true, else, return a false.

The current program changes the vase values to the OHLC value of every period examined, which makes the channel value useless. The manual's explanatio of ref() gives the impression that the value at a given time is returned, i..e., 0, but that is now what happens. So the script does what I asked, but not what I wanted. Hence, I'm asking the gurus that frequent this forum.

Garp

{ change the next 3 lines to change search criteria }
upPct:=.20; { 20 % }
dwnPct:=.20; { 20 % }
lookBack:=10;

/* const */ baseHigh:=ref(H,0); // how do I do this???
/* const */ baseLow:=ref(L,0); // how do I do this ???

upLimit:=baseHigh+(baseHigh*upPct);
dwnLimit:=baseLow-(baseLow*dwnPct);

hiHigh:=HHV(H,lookBack);
lowLow:=LLV(C,lookBack);

{ if condition is true, return 1, els, return 0 }
If( upLimit <= hiHigh AND dwnLimit >= lowLow, 1, 0 )

Thanks johnl,

Following the MetsStock manual, I changed the initialization code to:

myDay:=3;
myMon:=11;
myYear:=2009;
myHr:=0;
myMin:=0;

start::= myDay=DayOfMonth() AND myMon=Month() AND myYear=Year() AND myHr=Hour() AND myMin=Minute();

baseHigh:=ValueWhen(1,start,H);

However, it does not work. Is the above correct?

G

Thanks johnl,

Following the MetsStock manual, I changed the initialization code to:

myDay:=3;
myMon:=11;
myYear:=2009;
myHr:=0;
myMin:=0;

start:= myDay=DayOfMonth() AND myMon=Month() AND myYear=Year() AND myHr=Hour() AND myMin=Minute();

baseHigh:=ValueWhen(1,start,H);

So, I grab the high value on 11/3 and initialise baseHigh. I plot this variable on the screen to debug. I expected a straight line touching the high on 11/3 but got a big nothing. I stared at the definition of valueWhen(<int period>, <bool condition>, <array>); and I am conforming to the call standard. I assume it returns a numeric. There is nothing wrong that I can see.