henry1224 wrote:Why do you consistently question the use of external Functions from PowerPivots Plus?
I question any decision-making process that is not absolutely transparent. This should be a very important consideration if we are to trust the process in question with our capital.
henry1224 wrote:The systems that were included with this Add-on are Password protected but the external functions are not. Several of them have sufficient documentation to satisfy any user!
My point is, that unless the MS dll in question comes complete with source code, we will never know what process it uses to create its signals.
As an example, I could also put together a basic external function with sufficient documentation, but that would not stop me using hindsight-based code hidden within the dll code, if I wished.
henry1224 wrote:Your claim that external functions are less effective than pure MSFL Language and should be avoided is nonsense!
I have not written anything of this sort:
jose wrote:Avoid using black-box type external functions whenever MS code can do the same or a better job, using normal MetaStock Formula Language(MSFL).
In other words, if the result for a given MS task is the same for either MSFL or DLL, I recommend the user chooses fully-visible MSFL code and adapt it to his/her own use.
henry1224 wrote:The use of the Metastock Developers Kit to develop external function as dll’s greatly expands the MSFL Language.
I have never argued against this potential. The problem is, unless the DLL's code can be verified to work as expected, it becomes just another black-box process.
Your 500Kb PDF (with no visible charts) doesn't prove anything at all to me when it comes to shifting signals. The only way to see these ghost signals appear & disappear in real-time, is to load one new period of data at a time on a chart.
I've been designing (not coding) and using external MS DLLs for over six years, but only when I have absolute proof that they process data as intended, without "cheating" with shifting, hindsight-based code.
henry1224 wrote:I would like to take this moment to offer you an olive branch to end this hostility that has been brewing between us.
Henry, it is not in this forum's (or my) interest to upset anyone.
I'll take your olive branch as long as there is no hindsight-based process attached to it. ;)
henry1224 wrote:You are an excellent programmer and I often wondered as to why you never used the MDK to develop new dll’s?
I prefer to leave the nuts & bolts to more capable hands and concentrate on other tasks, such as trading. The amount of time that I put into this industry, means that I have little time left to create (or even duplicate) what others can do just as well with their programming skills.
Besides, it is also in all our interest to make sure MetaStock is not just another charting tool, but also a transparent vehicle for learning about the process of automating trading methods, and ultimately, learning about ourselves in the process.
jose '-)
