Hi
Does anyone know if there is any step by step cheatsheet and instruction on how to Encrypt an indicator and then use it in a strategy?
Thanks
Any code, whenever written in plain text, is automatically converted ti an ITF file.
ITF files can be regularly read within the PRT platform (you can easily copy & paste it to a common TXT file, though).
Indicators’ITF files can be exported in 3 ways:
- can be installed and read with no restrictions
- can be installed with no restrictions, but can’t be read nor modified
- can be be installed only once and can’t be read, nor modified.
Export your indicator using the 2nd or 3rd way not to let anyone know how it’s built.
If your indicator is named MyIndicator, you should call it from any strategy with CALL;
MyVar = CALL MyIndicator //use quotes when there are blanks in the name
The drawback is that exporting the strategy will also export a fully readable, unprotected copy of the indicator which will overwrite any previously exported file of the same indicator.
To overcome this you will have to code an empty indicator called, say, Dummy, with this single line:
Return 0
then add these two lines to your strategy;
MyVar = CALL MyIndicator
//MyVar = CALL Dummy
when you want to export it, but don’t want to overwrite the protected indicator, move the two leading slashes from the second line to the first line, so that the empty indictor is exported.
Of course you must explain your client or friend that, after importing both the protected indicator and the strategy, the two lines will have to be restored to be the same as above in order to work.
If you plan to sell your strategy through the Marketplace, though, you will not need to make those tricks, as it grants a special way to deal easily with that feature.
If you plan to sell your strategy through the Marketplace, though, you will not need to make those tricks, as it grants a special way to deal easily with that feature.
Indeed, a secured and simple way to protect your IP is possible by using the marketplace service: Become a seller
Thanks . I can see the below option for the export of Indicator and Strategy. So what is the application of Export features in Backtesting & Automatic Trading. There are similar options to the Indicator export. Does it mean I no longer need to export an encrypted indicator and can directly encrypt a strategy?
- Non, code will be fully editable
- Code not modifable
- Code not modifiable with unique import
Also when you are saying it will be installed only once , is it once for one account/computer or after one time installation the .itf file will no longer work even on a new device?
ONCE means that if you want to use it on both demo and real account, you need to get TWO copies of the same code. If you happen to delete the installed file, you’ll have to ask for another copy.
ONCE means that after you have installed it, you can delete the original file as it is useless, being not readable and not usable again.
There’s no problem with devices because all your codes (indicators, strategies and screeners) are stored on PRT’s servers, not on your PC (unless exported, which you can’t do with protected indicators that you have previously installed), so you can access them from any device of yours.
Only indicators can be protected, not strategies. You will have to split your strategy into two parts: a) an indicator that returns signsls, which can be protected, b) a strategy that takes care of those signals, entry, position sizing, risk & money management, stop loss and profit. The latter is visible and modifiable and even distributed, but will be useless without the indicator as there’s no incoming signal!
@Nicolas
Do I see that correctly. You can also LET your strategies protected? So as a service from you? What if I can’t do it myself? Unfortunately, I’m not a great programmer.
The marketplace website offers many layers of protection:
- a code cannot be installed/used in different account if the user only own 1 license
- your CALL indicators used by the strategy are not visible by users and therefore protected (no exportation)
- with a single Export click, your code can be added into the website (no multiple itf files manipulation)
- you can protect the time of use with internal time limitation of the licence (with recurring extension or not)
If you need help to delocalize the signals of the strategy into an indicator, sure I can help, here on forums and via the private assistance which is a paid service.
I’ll try it first and have a question.
How to hide a programming based trailing code? Can you show it on your original trailing code?
A trailing code is more complex, because we cannot add orders related instructions into an indicator (SELL, EXITSHORT, SELL AT x STOP, etc..).
But you can inject settings into a CALL indicator that will return values you can use with these orders related keywords in the strategy code.
HI phoentzs,
I was thinking the same thing, selling my code to the public outside of marketplace as I can get larger exposure. did you get your encryption or hidden strategy’s sorted out ? I’m about to start on mine. and it’s been a few years since your post.
would like to chat to see how you went.
thanks
This is an example to prevent and indicator from being read and copied outside of the Marketplace https://www.prorealcode.com/topic/hide-the-code-and-limit-date-for-demo-version/#post-140639.
Ok so testing today, I created a trading system (encrypted_v01) + 2 indicators BuyLong & ExitLong. I exported both indicators as Code not modifiable and exported out the trading system as None. Tested it all and worked a charm … not the huge task of modifying all my existing code to call each module, buy / sell, sellshort / exitshort .. and I should have a full running version + encryption.
all this was done from PRT .. Examples attached. Thanks robertogozzi for your assistance and guidance.
I can ship all three files for sale and they can all be imported from the indicators tab or back testing tab and work.
These are the text files for reference to others.
