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Date/Time: Sun, 16 Mar 2025 12:44:47 +0000



[Programming Help] - Automated/Discretionary Trading - Arm in Long/Short Direction

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[2022-08-10 04:28:12]
Sam McLennan - Posts: 9
Hi,

Lately I've been developing my own automated strategies using the Spreadsheet System for Trading study. I have a few strategies which enter long or short when strength is detected in the given direction, but I would still like to be able to control the direction in which the strategy trades at my discretion. For example, in a trading range I want to enable long-only trades when the price reaches the bottom of the range, and short-only trades when price reaches the upper boundary. Or, if I anticipate a breakout, I want to be able to arm the strategy in the direction of the breakout. I understand that auto trading can be armed or disarmed under the trade menu, but I would like to know if there's a way to enable trading only in a long direction or only in a short direction at my discretion by the press of a button. Otherwise, if there is a way to implement this from within the spreadsheet, please inform me. I am yet to discover a way to do so.

Thanks
[2022-08-10 13:08:00]
Sawtooth - Posts: 4184
I would like to know if there's a way to enable trading only in a long direction or only in a short direction at my discretion by the press of a button. Otherwise, if there is a way to implement this from within the spreadsheet, please inform me.
You could use two cells in column H to enable/disable longs/shorts (1=enable/0=disable):
K3:
=AND(YourBuyEntryConditions,$H$2=1)
M3:
=AND(YourSellEntryConditions,$H$3=1)

You could use separate instances of the Spreadsheet System for Trading study, each on their own chart, one for longs, one for shorts.
Then use a Control Bar button to enable/disable the chart's autotrading.
This might not work with all entry conditions, or with reversals.
[2022-08-12 19:02:33]
Sam McLennan - Posts: 9
Thanks for the suggestions. Do you know if there is a way to toggle these spreadsheet columns 1/0 via a button on the dashboard or a hotkey? Is this programmable with C++?
[2022-08-12 21:11:55]
Sawtooth - Posts: 4184
Do you know if there is a way to toggle these spreadsheet columns 1/0 via a button on the dashboard or a hotkey?
No, but you could use a 3rd party app, like AutoHotKey
https://www.autohotkey.com/

Is this programmable with C++?
You could program something using native ACSIL
Advanced Custom Study Interface and Language (ACSIL)
[2022-09-07 00:12:18]
OctoPi - Posts: 38
Sam,
We made back-testing and auto-trading software on top of SC that makes it really easy to create conditions you are asking for. Any trade signal you create can have an override long->short or short->long if you detect range vs trend conditions. All doable in a few clicks.

We are doing a trial run with limited number of users, if you'd like to sign up please see the post with details here:
EASY Automated Back-testing. We are licensing the software for $0 for limited time.

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