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Ken:
This is one of the most powerful features of making certain functionality a
user settable option. Instead of developing the application to fit the
average customer's PC (which still overburdens the slower ones and denies
features from the faster ones) you offer options that can be turned on/off
at will, perhaps with a warning that a certain feature has a significant
impact on performance.
In an OO app it's a simple matter to check an option during a routine and,
if set, branch to the option's module and perform. I don't pretend to know
how MS is designed but I would think that once a multiple plot had the
values calculated, just prior to drawing the lines, an option could be
checked to see what colour option a user had selected, then draw.
Programming in user options does make the code more complicated than just
hard coding things in, but the increase in user satisfaction can be
substantial, with additional sales that more than compensate for the
additional time & effort to provide the customizations.
Additional functionality should always be programmed in an optimal way to
minimize the impact, but to try and put a value on a feature, in terms of
the performance hit, is like trying to hit a moving target. A performance
hit that would be deemed by most to be unacceptable today could likely be
very acceptable next year after my next upgrade. Making features available
for those that decide, based on the magnitude of the hit on their platform,
to use them is the way to please most of the customers most of the time.
I do appreciate your input and would never try to hold you to a committed
time frame.
Bill
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-metastock@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> [mailto:owner-metastock@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of PD Manager
> Sent: Thursday, December 21, 2000 4:17 PM
> To: 'metastock@xxxxxxxxxxxxx'
> Subject: RE: Setting colour on a multi-plot indicator
>
>
> Lionel:
>
> I am not able to give a specific estimate at this time. I do
> know that in
> the past when we have added functionality that degraded
> performance (no
> matter how small) we have received numerous complaints. You
> are right in
> your statement that all changes degrade performance to some
> degree. I am
> not willing, however, to simply add tons of functionality at
> the expense of
> performance and tell all of our customers that the only
> solution is to buy a
> faster machine. My goal is to add functionality, minimize
> the performance
> degradation and hope that we do not overwhelm the existing
> hardware of our
> average customer.
>
> Ken Hunt
> Programming Manager
> Equis International
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Lionel Issen [mailto:lissen@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]
> Sent: Thursday, December 21, 2000 1:30 PM
> To: metastock@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: Setting colour on a multi-plot indicator
>
>
> PD Manager:
> This answer is a platitude; almost all, if not all, the
> subscribers are
> aware that more features can mean slower performance. You
> could have added
> that this would also make the program larger. With the
> current speed of 800
> Mhz to over 1 Ghz, a minor slow down in performance speed is
> tolerable. Just
> how much degradation do you estimate?
>
> Lionel Issen
> lissen@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "PD Manager" <pdmanager@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: <metastock@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Thursday, December 21, 2000 11:54 AM
> Subject: RE: Setting colour on a multi-plot indicator
>
>
> > J.
> >
> > Hint taken.
> >
> > We have been exploring this possibility for quite awhile.
> It MAY possibly
> > show up in a future version, but I'm making no promises.
> The problem with
> > adding the capability to manipulate attributes in a formula
> (color, style
> > etc) is that it will slow down the native number crunching
> capability of
> the
> > formulas.
> >
> > If we add this ability to the formula language, it will
> only be done if we
> > can minimize the impact on basic mathematical operation performance.
> >
> > Ken Hunt
> > Programming Manager
> > Equis International
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: j seed [mailto:jseed_10@xxxxxxxxxxx]
> > Sent: Thursday, December 21, 2000 12:05 AM
> > To: metastock@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > Subject: RE: Setting colour on a multi-plot indicator
> >
> >
> > Dave,
> > I am completely lost with your explanation. I know that I can plot a
> > multicolored oscillator...green for increasing and red for declining
> simply
> > by using an if statement to plot or not plot(value zero).
> This works with
> an
> >
> > oscillator simply because I can plot to a value of zero. I
> can also plot a
> > third indicator simply by adding a moving average into the
> formula. This
> > still requires that I manually select the colors that I
> desire for each
> and
> > yes I can simply this operation by assigning all of this to
> a template.
> > But...I still cannot assign the color in the formula which is what I
> thought
> >
> > the question was(wouldn't that be nice! Metastock can you
> take a hint?).
> > Beyond this point your explanation has me lost. So...if you
> don't mind
> would
> >
> > you give us some more detail?
> >
> > J.
> >
> >
> > >From: Dave Nadeau <dave_nadeau@xxxxxxxxx>
> > >Reply-To: metastock@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > >To: metastock@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > >Subject: RE: Setting colour on a multi-plot indicator
> > >Date: Wed, 20 Dec 2000 23:18:50 -0700
> > >
> > >Bill,
> > >
> > >There is a faster way. You'll need to use a very
> structured approach.
> > >
> > >Start with a custom formula with three lines which are
> something like
> this:
> > >
> > >LineA:=<time period one>;
> > >LineB:=<time period two>;
> > >LineC:=<time period three>;
> > >Mov(C,LineA,S); Mov(C,LineB,S);Mov(C,LineC,S)
> > >...
> > >
> > >You can later change these to OPT1, OPT2, and OPT3 in your
> system test.
> > >
> > >Build your next formula based on the first, and give
> signals for enter,
> > >short, exit, etc. as 1,2,3,4 or something like that.
> > >Then a third formula(Indicator3), based on the second, would use
> > >Barssince(<your long signal>)<Barssince(<your short signal>) AND
> > >Barssince(<your long signal>)<Barssince(<your exit
> signal>) = 1 for long
> or
> >
> > >=-1 for short and =0 for out.
> > >
> > >Then you can create a fourth custom indicator based on
> this, the equity
> > >line. This one says, Cum(If(Indicator3=1,Open-Ref(Open,-
> > >1),If(Indicator3=-1,-1*(Open-Ref(Open,-1),0).
> > >
> > >Now you've got four indicators based on those three
> variable definitions
> > >which are easy to change. You can run an exploration with
> > >this equity line to guage the performance across a
> portfolio of stocks.
> > >
> > >You can write an expert that is based on the formulas and
> a template.
> Your
> >
> > >arrows for exits and entries as well as the lines
> > >themselves will adjust whenever you go back to adjust
> those three first
> > >lines of the first indicator.
> > >
> > >You can also run a new exploration once you've adjusted those three
> values
> > >in the formula. You can do this as many times as you'd
> > >like.
> > >
> > >I hope this explanation makes sense. I'm happy to clarify. It is
> quicker,
> >
> > >but still has some manual steps.
> > >
> > >Dave Nadeau
> > >Fort Collins, CO
> > >
> > >12/20/00 10:53:21 AM, "Bill Irwin" <Bill-Irwin@xxxxxxxx> wrote:
> > >
> > > >Thanks Frans & Steve for the suggestion. Maybe if I'd more fully
> > >explained
> > > >what I'm doing perhaps another method is available, and would be
> better.
> > > >I'm working on a System that's based on this triple
> plot. I'm going to
> > >be
> > > >optimizing the values of this triple MA and, after the
> test, observe
> the
> > > >most profitable scenario.
> > > >
> > > >What I'd really like is for the System tester to plot
> the triple MA (in
> 3
> > > >colours) along with the Buy/Sell/Exit signs so that I
> can see the MAs
> > > >crossing at these triggers. As it is, it appears I'll
> have to apply
> the
> > > >Triple MA Coloured Template, then adjust the lengths of
> the MAs to
> match
> > >the
> > > >winning System (after digging into the winning System to
> see the values
> > >of
> > > >OPT1/2/3 in a window that can't be sized to avoid the
> extra step and
> time
> >
> > >of
> > > >scrolling). This doesn't make for a speedy review of a
> given System
> > >across
> > > >many charts. Of course, having to run the System test on each
> individual
> > > >chart (rather than on a selection, as in an Exploration)
> is what really
> > > >takes the time.
> > > >
> > > >If there's a faster way of doing this, please advise,
> and thanks again.
> > > >
> > >
> > >Dave Nadeau
> > >Fort Collins, CO
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >_________________________________________________________
> > >Do You Yahoo!?
> > >Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com
> > >
> >
> > _________________________________________________________________
> > Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com
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