Amibroker FAQ

[howardbandy]

A very basic question for setting up AB I know but I figure it will save me a few hours messing around. It took me ages to work out that a chart was in fact a window when I wanted to have more charts showing.

Currently have EOD setup in one data base that reads data in MS format using the MS plugin.

Just open an IB account and I am going to setup to receive their data so I can try a few things out testing / simulation and check the SPI, HSI etc.

To do this I understand I need to setup another data base for TWS and make the necessary settings for intra day etc.

Is it the case that every time I wish to look at EOD I have to change data base?

Can I have more than one data base open at the same time?

Is this the best way to set it up or......?

Appreciate any guidance

Hi IFocus --

You can run as many instances of AmiBroker as you wish on a given computer, but each one can have only one database open at a given time.

Depending on your data provider, you May be able to combine intraday with end-of-day data in the same database. But I do not recommend doing that.

I run two computers and two instances of AmiBroker -- one on each machine. One is getting intraday data, the other is using an end-of-day database.

Installing the second copy on a second machine is acceptable to Tomasz.

Thanks,
Howard

 

[IFocus]

Excellent thanks for the reply Howard

When looking at the SPI if I want to have a 5 min chart showing 24hr and another showing day time trading hrs to follow opening gaps etc is this configurable at the chart level to differentiate?

I can see the setting in the data base configuration but that applies to all charts out of that data base, I think.

BTW have IB running charts on AB and it absolutely rocks, Surprised at clear the trading setups on the 1 minute bar chart are today still testing will see if its only hindsight for me.

 

[IFocus]

Also if I mark up a chart in one time frame how do I stop the markups appearing across all time frames?

Thanks for any help

 

[IFocus]

This is a chart of the SPI today I am a bit blown away by the 1 min chart as I mark it up in hindsight

AB charts it very nicely really looking forward to testing my skills over the coming weeks....

 

[IFocus]

Excellent thanks for the reply Howard

When looking at the SPI if I want to have a 5 min chart showing 24hr and another showing day time trading hrs to follow opening gaps etc is this configurable at the chart level to differentiate?

I can see the setting in the data base configuration but that applies to all charts out of that data base, I think.

BTW have IB running charts on AB and it absolutely rocks, Surprised at clear the trading setups on the 1 minute bar chart are today still testing will see if its only hindsight for me.

OK found where to toggle this under View/ intra day........nothing like talking to myself on ASF :bonk:

Good thing is I seem to be winning the arguments

Still looking for the answer on how to have text/line studies on only one chart for the same contract across different time frames.

And how do I set the exchange time for SPI and HSI day sessions ?

 

[wayneL]

Also if I mark up a chart in one time frame how do I stop the markups appearing across all time frames?

Thanks for any help

Hi IFocus,

I use a different window(?) for each time frame. You know, the tabs along the bottom. You can rename the tabs to reflect the time frame etc

 

[IFocus]

Thanks Wayne

So you use the "Sheets" (high light yellow) good idea one is not affecting the other.

I used windows high lighted orange markup the one minute and get the markups in the 5 min as well.

Any idea what the purple areas are indicating down the bottom of the chart?

 

[wayneL]

Any idea what the purple areas are indicating down the bottom of the chart?

No idea, It doesn't show on my charts. But I haven't got the latest release either. (The last update nuked all my data, so don't want to go through that agin)

 

[IFocus]

OK found where to toggle this under View/ intra day........nothing like talking to myself on ASF :bonk:

Good thing is I seem to be winning the arguments

Still looking for the answer on how to have text/line studies on only one chart for the same contract across different time frames.

And how do I set the exchange time for SPI and HSI day sessions ?

Still talking to myself but posting in case some one else has the same issue and just wants a quick answer.

The answer to the text/lines studies is in using "Layers" just select and configure a layer selecting the time frame you want and when ever that layer is highlighted the studies will only be drawn on the time selected in the layer.... or read layers in the help file.

I can see that the exchange time is in the data base but still to play around to see what works for each contract.

I must say I am surprised at the lack of responses either AB is not widely used in this manner or my questions are just toooo basic.

 

[chops_a_must]

Just wondering if the AFL Code Wizard when bought, allows you to import custom indicators, and the full range of other indicators, to be used as items?

 

[Mike Trader]

Is there a good textbook for learning the amibroker programming Language?
Cheers Mike

 

[howardbandy]

Is there a good textbook for learning the amibroker programming Language?
Cheers Mike

Hi Mike --

I am writing a book -- Introduction to AmiBroker.

The book covers everything you need to know to get started, to use AmiBroker as a charting tool, to use AmiBroker as a mechanical systems and backtesting tool. The format is similar to the "Quicksteps" or "Plain and Simple" books. Screenshots with numbered and annotated steps to accomplish what you want to do.

It is still in the writing stage. From the time I am finished, the editing and printing takes about two months. So, no promises, but likely available around the end of summer or early fall (Northern hemisphere).

In the meantime, "Quantitative Trading Systems" is already available. While it focuses on mechanical systems, it has enough detail about how to use AmiBroker that some people are using it as a way to learn about AmiBroker itself.

Thanks,
Howard

 

[rub92me]

Hi all, looking for some help in using Timeframeset / compress / expand in Amibroker.
I'm trying to create a scan for 3 minute timeframe looking for some simple cross-overs. I'm running it on one minute data for futures imported from IB (e.g. SPI, with setting to import 1 minute data) but for some reason I can't get it to work as it seems to ignore/override the timeframeset or compress functions in the scan and applies it to eod data.
I replicated the code to try a similar scan on weekly criteria running over daily data, which works fine so I think I understand how to use these functions. Could it be a problem with the data, and if so how would I fix it?
If I set intraday timeframe to 3 minutes the charts are displaying fine and so do the indicators based on the 3 minute timeframe .

 

[NAsX]

Hi guys,

Currently I have a database set up that I use in AB, live feed from IB, what I want to do is to have multiple instances of AB running, all of them showing different contracts in real time, currently I'm just using multiple chart windows within the one instance, but am finding that once I get past two they are a bit small for me. I've tried doing this with the same database in a new AB session and although it connects, does not update in real time; also tried creating a new database but this doesn't work either if the main one is open.

I managed to try NinjaTrader at the same time and was able to get live quotes for the same contract, this leads me to think that it's perhaps a setting in AB (if this is possible)?

Hope that makes sense and thanks for any inputs in advance.

 

[Chorlton]

Alternatives to Zig Zag indicator

Hello All,

Has anyone got any ideas on how I can identify turning points / swing reversals without the use of the Zig Zag indicator?

For clarification the Zig Zag indicator performs well but like the Trough and Peak functions in AB apparently sometimes references future data.

Consequently, it cannot be accurately used in backtesting, which is something which I would like to do.

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance,

Chorlton

 

[danhutch333]

Hi All,

I've just recently started using Amibroker and as a result am still struggling with programming AFL code. Actually, I have little to no idea. I've set myself up with a basic buy/sell alert using a 30 day/60 day EMA crossover which I was able to cut and paste from Amibroker's help pages.

I would like some help to set up an alert for stocks which reach a 60 day high/low. Then set a 10 or 20 step countback line trailing stop.

GreatPig, I saw the code you posted for a 20 step countback line trailing stop(1/9/08) but was unable to get it to work (a few syntax errors which I couldn't rectify). Could that be because of the version of Amibroker I am using (4.80)?

Thanks for any help.

Dan

 

[GreatPig]

For clarification the Zig Zag indicator performs well but like the Trough and Peak functions in AB apparently sometimes references future data.

This is another logical issue, not a problem with the Zig Zag indicator. You can't identify any point as a peak or trough until you've had some degree of retracement after it. At that point you can go back and identify the peak or trough, but of course it's too late to buy or sell at that turning point (naturally performance will be good if you do use the peak and trough bars as signals).

For example, if you say a turning point is defined by a 10% retracement, then you can only generate a buy or sell 10% above a trough or below a peak. As long as you only use the bar where the peak or trough is determined, and not the peak or trough bar itself, then you can safely backtest it (mind you, that's not all that easy).

So you can write alternatives to the Zig Zag indicator to do the same thing, but you can't get around the logical issue that a peak or trough can only be known in hindsight after some amount of retracement.

GP

 

[GreatPig]

I would like some help to set up an alert for stocks which reach a 60 day high/low.

To specify a new 60 day high of the High array:

newHigh60 = High > Ref(HHV(High, 59), -1);

This basically says you want today's high to be higher than the highest high of the previous 59 days. Similarly for a new low:

newLow60 = Low < Ref(LLV(Low, 59), -1);

Then set a 10 or 20 step countback line trailing stop

This is not so easy in AFL (and 10-20 steps is a very wide stop). I'm not sure which code of mine you are referring to, as I only remember mentioning countback line code in a plugin (plus the AFL to reference it). If you're perhaps trying to use the AFL without having the plugin, then you will have a problem. The version of AB shouldn't matter.

Which code of mine are you referring to, and what exactly are the syntax errors you are getting?

GP

 

[NAsX]

Hi all,

I was wondering if possible to display the same symbol but with different chart style (candle and bar) all within the same window?

Or is it possible to have two separate windows but whenever I scroll one the other follows?

Thanks

 

[NAsX]

Hi all,

I was wondering if possible to display the same symbol but with different chart style (candle and bar) all within the same window?

Or is it possible to have two separate windows but whenever I scroll one the other follows?

Thanks

Looks like I've found the solution to this on AmiBroker site,

http://www.amibroker.com/kb/2006/09/01/price-chart-with-independent-style/

For those interested. Cheers