Hi all
Within the last couple weeks, i have downloaded ProRealTime and have started to learn how to programme a simple idea i have had. Ive learn alot since starting and looking through the library of code on here and really helped but I am currently stuck on 2 points and wondered if anyone would be able to help me with these please.
These are quite basic questions but i just cant figure out how you would write these scenarios in code:
- If my code opens a position (either long or short) with 2 contracts on an action, how can i set the code to close 1 of the contracts on a profit target and leave the remaining running until another action closes it? Is that possible? This would really help to maximise profits but limit risk.
- Also, how can I get my code to close a position (long or short) if there are say 4 candles in the row that have only moved a maximum of say 2 points in either direction?
Thanks in advance
Use LIMIT orders. You have to place one at the time you enter the trade (you can only use the closing price to calculate the exit at this point and hope there is no big gap!) so that it is on the market from the moment the 2 positions are opened. After the first bar closes you can calculate the exit price based on the actual price you bought at. Limit orders last only one bar so you then have to keep sending them to the market on every candle.
You should be aware that at the current time it is not possible to run a strategy either live in demo or in real live trading that uses partial position closure. You can back test ideas though.
In this example the first position is closed out at 1% profit.
if not onmarket and (your long entry conditions) then
buy 2 contracts at market
profitprice = close * 1.01
sell 1 contract at profitprice limit
endif
if longonmarket and countofposition = 2 then
profitprice = tradeprice * 1.01
sell 1 contract at profitprice limit
endif
if longonmarket and countofposition = 1 and (your long exit conditions) then
sell at market
endif
if not onmarket and (your short entry conditions) then
sellshort 2 contracts at market
profitprice = close * 0.99
exitshort 1 contract at profitprice limit
endif
if shortonmarket and countofposition = -2 then
profitprice = tradeprice * 0.99
exitshort 1 contract at profitprice limit
endif
if shortonmarket and countofposition = -1 and (your short exit conditions) then
exitshort at market
endif
To answer your second question:
if summation[4](high-open<=2) = 4 and if summation[4](open-low<=2) = 4 then
sell at market
exitshort at market
endif
Hi Vonasi
Thanks very much for coming back to me with the above, much appreciated!
Oh right, is there a reason that we are not currently able to do partial position closure? Thats a shame….so the code you’ve sent me above for the limit order wouldnt actually work on the live or live demo system, only on back test?
Thanks again
Correct.
The PRT platform has the ability to do partial position closure but the broker IG doesn’t allow it via automated trading at the moment. The closest we can get is to use SET STOP and SET PROFIT instructions that allow positions to be closed separately. All positions however have exactly the same stoploss and takeprofit distances from their opening price set to whatever the last SET instruction values were.
Hi Vonasi
Thanks again, i would never have worked all this out without speaking to you! 🙂
I know this is going to be a dumb question but i just want to make sure i understand it correctly….how exactly do we use the SET STOP and SET PROFIT instructions to close positions separately?
set target pprofit 2
set stop ploss 2
set set target %profit 2
set stop %loss 2
set target profit 2
set stop loss 2
Whenever one of the above instructions is read at the close of a candle then the stop loss and target orders are sent to the market and effect all open positions. The orders stay on the market until the position they are attached to are closed or until a new SET order is sent. If you change the 2 to a 3 then all positions will have their exit orders changed to 3 pips or 3%.
Thanks again for explaining, this makes it alot easier to understand.
One last question i promise, then i’ll leave you alone 🙂
Within my code, my buy instructions are looking at when exponential lines cross but also to then count 2 candles after the lines cross to ensure that the market is still heading that way at that point….the code i have used is below:
Example of buy order:
c1 = (indicator1 CROSSES OVER indicator2)
IF c1 AND timeEnterBefore AND timeEnterAfter AND not daysForbiddenEntry AND open < close AND open[1] < close[1] THEN
BUY 1 CONTRACT AT MARKET
ENDIF
But i’m still getting buys (or shorts) in my backtesting when the candles arn’t as i’ve set in the code, i think i’ve set it so it doesn’t buy before the indicators cross and there are 2 subsequent candles that are green before buying? Or have i got the code wrong? I have done the same but in reverse for shorts.
Thanks again
There are some simple rules that everyone using the forums is expected to follow. Your post has broken one or more of these rules.
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I have edited your post where required. Please ensure that your future posts meet these few simple forum rules. 🙂
You need to check C1 two candles back.
c1 = (indicator1 CROSSES OVER indicator2)
IF c1[2] AND timeEnterBefore AND timeEnterAfter AND not daysForbiddenEntry AND open < close AND open[1] < close[1] THEN
BUY 1 CONTRACT AT MARKET
ENDIF
So this will now need a cross followed by two green candles.
Ah, sorry about that, i’ll make sure i do that from now on 🙂
As, so close!
Thanks for your help Vonasi, that seems to have worked but now thats given me a new thing to look at tomorrow 🙂
