Calculate a Value Wizard: Select Inputs

Apply an Entry/Exit System Wizard: Select Inputs

Generate an Alert Wizard: Select Inputs

Modify Field Dialog: Function, Entry/Exit System, or Alert Inputs

Modify Trading Solution Input Assignments Dialog: Solution Inputs

This dialog appears in several forms. The Calculate a Value Wizard allows you to create a new calculation field in a data series or in all data series in a portfolio or group. The Apply an Entry/Exit System Wizard allows you to create a new signal field. The Generate an Alert Wizard allows you to create a new alert field. The Modify Field Dialog allows you to modify the properties of a previously created field. The Modify Trading Solution Inputs Dialog allows you to modify fields and data assigned to the inputs of a trading solution. This page allows you to select which fields and values you would like to use for the required inputs.

Ä    Note: Fields that are currently being used by the Solution Service cannot be modified.

&  For help with calculated values, see Calculating Values and Financial Indicators.

&  For help with entry/exit systems, see Creating and Analyzing Entry/Exit Signals.

&  For help with alerts, see Using Alerts to Highlight Events.

&  For help with trading solutions, see Working with Complete Trading Solutions.

Selecting Input Values

The inputs required by the selected function, entry/exit system, alert, or trading solution are displayed in a list. To select the value for an individual input, select the input you would like to specify, then select a value for it. When you select an input from the required input list, the current value associated with the input will be displayed in the lower portion of the dialog.

After selecting an input, the following controls are available for modifying its value:

¨    Use the values in a selected field:

¨    Select from fields for: Series

This option will cause the selection tree to contain all of the fields available in the selected data series. The selection tree can then be used to select a field to use for the input values or a new field can be created using the Create a New Field… button. This will display the Create a Field Wizard.

¨    Select from fields for: Entire Portfolio

This option will cause the selection tree to contain all of the fields available from all of the data series in the portfolio. This is useful for combining information in a data series with information from outside the data series. When this option is chosen, the selection tree can then be used to select a field to use for the input values.

&  For help using the selection tree, see the help for Selection Trees.

¨    Use a constant value:

This option allows you to specify a constant value for an input. When this option is selected, use the box next to the constant value to indicate the value of the field.

Ä    Note: Some functions may require some input values to be integers, such as when a number of bars is being specified as a period.

Ä    Note: Constant inputs can be optimized in some situations. See Optimizing Constant Input Values below for more information.

After selecting a value for an input, you advance to the next input by pressing the Next Input… button or selecting it from the input list.

Ä    Note: If you are using the Modify Field Dialog to change the inputs to an existing field, you will be asked if the field name should be updated to reflect the new inputs.

Optimizing Constant Input Values

Some types of inputs can be optimized to locate the best results. These include the following:

·      Constant inputs to entry/exit systems

·      Constant inputs to optimizable functions which are used as inputs to predictions

Inputs which can be optimized have the following additional settings:

þ    Include this value in optimization.

This setting indicates whether this input should be optimized when the field is being optimized. Removing the check from this box excludes this input from optimization, leaving it at the specified value.

¨    Range

These values indicate the minimum and maximum values which should be tried when this input is being optimized.

Ä    Note: If this input is restricted to integer values, only integer values will be tried. Otherwise, any floating point value may be tried within the range.

Optimization of entry/exit systems is controlled using the following controls:

þ    Optimize Inputs Now

This setting indicates whether to optimize the constant inputs for this prediction when this dialog is exited. This setting is selected by default when you first apply an entry/exit system.

Ä    Note: If no inputs are defined as constant values or no inputs are included in optimization, optimization will not be available.

Ä    Note: If this is a field defined for an entire group, optimization cannot be turned off for this field once it has been used.

Ä    Note: When modifying an existing field and optimization is selected, it cannot be deselected after leaving this page except by pressing the Cancel button to leave this dialog.

p    Optimization Options…

This button displays the Signal Optimization Settings Dialog, where you can specify the settings which will be used to optimize the inputs.

Optimization of predictions and prediction inputs is controlled from the wizards and dialogs associated with the prediction.

&  For help with optimizing fields, see Optimizing Signals and Predictions.

What Do I Do Next?

If you are modifying the inputs of a trading solution, press the OK button to save your changes or select another property page. If you would like to exit from this dialog without performing any changes, press the Cancel button.

If you are creating a new field, press the Next button to continue on to the Select Name page. If you would like to exit the Wizard without creating a new field, press the Cancel button. If you would like to select a different function or entry/exit system, press the Back button to return to the previous page.

If you are finished updating the properties of a previously created field, press the OK button to save your changes or select another property page. If you would like to exit from this dialog without performing any changes, press the Cancel button.

Additional Property Pages

The Modify Field Dialog has many different property pages that will be displayed as is appropriate for the type of field being modified. For information on the other property pages available, see the help for the Modify Field Dialog.

The Modify Trading Solution Inputs Dialog may also contain an External Data page if the selected trading solution requires external data.

How Did I Get Here?

The Select Inputs page appears after the Select Function page in the Calculate a Value Wizard and after the Select Entry/Exit System page in the Apply an Entry/Exit System Wizard.

The Modify Field Dialog appears when you select to modify or analyze the selected field from the Modify Data Series Dialog or the Modify Portfolio/Group Dialog. It is also displayed when you select Modify Field… from the context menu for a field in a chart or spreadsheet.

The Modify Field Dialog: Function Inputs page appears by itself when you press the Modify Input… button on the Predict a Value Wizard: Select Inputs page for an input which is an optimizable function.

The Modify Trading Solution Input Assignments Dialog appears when you press the Modify Input Assignments… button on the Apply a Trading Solution Wizard: Create Fields page.

Ä    Note: After trading solutions are applied, the created fields cannot be modified as a solution. The individual fields are modified instead.