[drosengarden]

Hi all,

I noticed that there is a lot of help and information offered here when questions are asked. I will be opening my TS account in the next week or so. I have programming experience - and I am trying to prepare for programming once I get access.

I believe I have enough knowledge and seen the appropriate functions and words that will allow me to put my stategy in place.

However - I will be using a position pyramiding technique. I need to track info on each individual position (order) entered and I'm having dificulty finding the correct functions/words, etc.

Here's what I'm trying to do:

1. Track the status of an order (open, partial fill, how many remaining.)
2. Cancel any partial remaining open order upon a certain condition being met.
3. Track the actual number of shares opened for the order.
4. Track the average entry price of the shares opened for the order.
5. Immediately place stop loss for each share opened - as the share is opened. (eg - order 5000, 5 partials complete the order, as the 1st 1000 filled - have stop loss for 1000 shares entered, as 2nd 1000, add the 1000 to current 1000 stop loss, etc.)

I appreciate any insight given.

Also - is it true that TS treats a stop loss order only for the current bar and then cancels it? I would want a stop loss order entered and I would want it to STAY until I tell it to cancel.

Thanks.

[Tams]

these are the keywords you might be interested in...
they are from MultiCharts dictionary... most of them should be the same as TradeStation's

[drosengarden]

Tams,

Thanks for pointing out the more "targeted" functions/words.

Call me blind - but I'm still having the darndest time envisioning how the sytem reports back to me the AVERAGE Entry Price during live trading.

It would appear that AvgEntryPrice is only usable to evaluate the strategy - which I take to mean is not a function you can use trading the strategy live.

Does the EntryPrice function return the price at which the strategy indicated to enter the trade - or will it in fact report back to me the true AVERAGE Entry Price for the position entered? (My list item 4) If it does not give average entry price - would there be any way to do this for the individual order entered? (I could be tracking the average entry price for 4, 5, 6 or more indivudally pyramided positions.)

As for determining if an order is still open - would I have to create a "while" statement that continually counted the number of shares open versus my total number of shares to be open goal and then exit the loop either at completion of goal - or a condition was met? Also during that while - update a standing stop loss order with REAL TIME number of shares in case the market moved fast? (My list items 1-3, and 5)

Sorry - I am Googling quite a bit and getting results. ('Cuz I know you say you can't help me if I don't at least know how to do that! ) I thought I had a SLEW more questions- but continued reading the EasyLanguage Reference guide based on the commands you listed for me. The above still stumps me - however.

[Tams]

Originally Posted by drosengarden »

...
Does the EntryPrice function return the price at which the strategy indicated to enter the trade - or will it in fact report back to me ...

the answer you are looking for can be found in the dictionary...
so I won't repeat them here.

[drosengarden]

Tams,

Perhaps I can share with you what I see in the "dictionary" so you can see why I asked the question:

EasyLanguage Functions and Reserved Words Reference
598
EntryPrice (Reserved Word)
Disclaimer
Returns the entry price for the specified position.
EntryPrice(Num)
Where Num is a numeric expression representing the number of positions ago (up to a maximum of ten).
Remarks
This function can only be used in the evaluation of strategies. It does not require an input, however, by using the input
Num, you can obtain the specified value from a previous position, up to ten positions ago.
Example
EntryPrice(2) might return a value of 101.19 as the entry price of 2 positions ago on a chart of Microsoft stock.

----
That definition does not CLEARLY answer my question. The entry price at the price which the order was to be entered would seem to make more sense. (But then I wouldn't need the function because I would just save the price I placed the order in a variable or array.)

However, in theory I could say "enter the order at $20.00" but the first fill doesn't happen until $20.01 - so technically the order was "entered" at $20.01.

Either way neither of these helps me because I'm looking for the total average price of the order entered upon it being completed. So if this function is not the answer - this is what I'm trying to say that I'm having difficulty finding.

Also - this definition calls for another "only used in evaluation of strategies." So am I to take it that this entire exercise becomes useless to me anyway because I cannot use it during live trading?

[Tams]

KISS...

don't try to look for something that's not there,
take the definition at it face value...
if it is not what you are looking for,
move on,
go build the function that can give you the data you want.

[drosengarden]

I take it you mean "Keep It Simple Superstar," right?

Let me guess - you always wanted to be like Yoda? "Riddles to me speak do you!"

Well - I've already formulated how to build the function (as you refer) that will yield the results I desire. I'm concerned it will slow down my processing time because it will use the function to get the position average price - and that definition warns of "intense processor useage." Not having experienced it yet - I'm just hoping it doesn't slow it down to a "detrimental" pace.

But during our beloved time together - I've continued reading and researching - and I "get it" now. I make what I want. I'll just have to learn more about what the "face value" of functions means as I go along.

I'm certain I would be a difficult student for you - considering you would be qualifed to teach. I don't exactly take much of anything at face value. There's ALWAYS a way to think outside the box - and stretch the limits. And I seem to do that quite often - think of something that someone else hasn't seen yet...too-da-loo.