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Re: Replacement for TS with EOD in mind



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Ok, I cannot resist replying to this one :-)

You are describing PowerST!

http://www.powertesting.com

At 11/18/2002 09:38 PM, Barry Kaufman wrote:
>There is a long thread in progress on this list about replacements for TS.
>But these messages have been specifically directed to day trading.  There
>must be many like me who EOD trade funds and indexes and who's systems change
>direction say between 5 and 50 times a year.  Our needs are different than
>commodity day traders.
>
>What I am looking for is:
>
>   Good EOD charting like TS, but even better.

Yes

>   Can include system and its chartable indicators in same source code file.

Yes

>   Compress to show up to 10 years daily equity curve in chart window.

Yes

>   Variety of back testing and optimization options - normal and walk
>   forward.

Yes, except there is not native walk forward optimization. However, a 
current customer has been accomplishing this type of testing with some 
external programming and Macro Express.

>   Sharpe, Ulcer Index, and other summary built in reports.

Sharpe, yes. Ulcer Index, no. However, all performance statistics are end 
user programmable. End users can add any performance statistics they desire 
(and even add them to the standard reports), and this is a feature which 
current customers are taking advantage of.

>   Customizable built in reports.

Yes! This is one of the strong points of PowerST.

>   Built in reports, commission and slippage allowance more oriented to
>   percentage gain/loss than to $ gain/loss.

Commission and slippage can be expressed as a percent.

>   Multiple data streams (like TS) for inter-market analysis.

Yes

>   Scroll through / backtest / optimize up to 50 years of EOD bars, up to
>   10 data series per system.

10 data series for 50 years is absolutely no problem. However, I would want 
to discuss exactly what kind of testing you need to accomplish because this 
request is general and I wouldn't want to make misstatements.

>   A darn good high level language with: subroutines and not just
>   functions; global variables; powerful like PowerBasic or TurboPascal;
>   not for novices.

Yes!

>   Compile from ASCII source so I can use my favorite programmer's text
>   editor.  I want to keep source files in ASCII and not have to copy -
>   paste to an oddball format like ELA - ELS.

Yes. There is a built in editor, but some PowerST users prefer to use their 
favorite text editor instead.

>   Import EOD data from DialData.  Any suggestions for better EOD data?

You download data files with the data vendor software. Then import is 
automatic.

>   Import EOD data from ASCII files.

Yes

>   Faster optimization engine, and with more options than TS.

Definitely yes.

>   If language is not powerful or compiled code is not blazing fast, then
>   allow DLL hooks so systems and indicators can be programmed with
>   PowerBasic or other DLL compiler.

You can call DLLs, but the language is powerful and fast so there is no 
need for calling DLLs for power or performance reasons.

>   Switch between two securities based on position - example: SPY when
>   long and interest from a short term yield fund when not long.

In historical testing, or for tracking forward trading? Yes, for tracking 
forward trading. For historical testing, let's talk about it. I am thinking 
that the short term yield can be faked as a trade during the flat periods.

>   32 bit program.  Virtually no user code size limit.

Yes

>   No Y2K blowout in say year 2020.

Yes

>   Double precision float.

Yes

>   I deal with only a few dozen indexes and funds so don't want the
>   TS bloat of a security scanner or a server.

PowerST is lean and mean :-)

>So, what are good TS replacements slanted to the intermediate term EOD
>trader?

PowerST is the best around for EOD. There is currently a small community of 
early adopter customers using PowerST intensively as their primary testing 
software. These are people who have done the full evaluation of 
alternatives, and ended up with PowerST.

>Barry.

For those who have been following the discussion about PowerST, I got a lot 
of criticism about the original $5000 price. As a result, I have bowed into 
pressure and reduced the price to $2500 for individual traders (the price 
is still $5000 for trading businesses with up to $10 million under 
management) Here is a quote from an email I sent to a customer recently:

<<<<
I am still 50/50 about the decision to reduce the price from $5000. Or 
maybe I should say I am decisively 51/49 - I am very likely going to stick 
with the $2500, at least through the introduction period.
 >>>>

I just uploaded a web site update. Charting is now working, and the PowerST 
charts are very nice.

Take a look!

Bob Bolotin
President, RDB Computing, Inc.
Developer of "PowerST: The Power System Tester"
http://www.powertesting.com
bob@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
847-982-1910