Apply a Trading Solution Wizard: Create Fields
The Apply a Trading Solution Wizard allows you to create one or more predefined fields that typically perform interrelated functions. This page allows you to confirm the fields that will be created by this trading solution.
& For help with trading solutions, see Working with Complete Trading Solutions.
Confirming the Field to Be Created by the Trading Solution
This page has two different modes. By default, the advanced options and information associated with applying a trading solution are hidden. To display these options and information, press the Show Advanced Options button. Once displayed, these options can be hidden by pressing the Hide Advanced Options button that will appear.
In most cases, the default values will be acceptable. Press the Finish button to create the indicated field, along with any fields that are required for its calculation.
Notes about Training Weights in Trading Solutions
Trading solutions can be saved so that they include the training weights for the predictions included in the trading solution. Here are some notes about how these saved training weights are used:
· Trading solutions created with TradingSolutions v2.0 or later include information about the data series that was used to create them. If this information is available, the default is to only use the saved training weights if the trading solution is being applied to the same data series.
· Trading solutions created with versions before TradingSolutions v2.0 did not include this information. In this case, the default is to always use the saved trading weights if they were available. This can cause unusual results, as noted below.
· When applying a trading solution to an entire group, the option to use the saved training weights is not available. This overrides the defaults for using the saved training weights mentioned above.
· When applying a trading solution to a data series, you can determine whether the saved training weights are being used and adjust this setting by pressing the Show Advanced Options button on the Apply a Trading Solution Wizard: Create Fields page.
· It is important to note that because of these defaults, when applying a trading solution to a data series at both the data and group levels, that different defaults may be used. And, because of this, you may get different results.
Here are some things to consider concerning the use of saved training weights:
· When you use the saved training weights, the predictions in the trading solution will not be trained or optimized based on the data in the data series. You can force this training and optimization to occur from the Modify Data Series: Predictions page by pressing selecting the individual predictions and pressing the Retrain button.
· You will not typically want to use the training for one data series with the data for another data series. While this is a valid approach that can produce reasonable results, better results will typically be obtained by training specifically on the target data.
Viewing the Advanced Options Field List
The advanced mode for this page includes a complete list of the fields that will be created by applying this trading solution with the selected data and inputs, along with any informational messages associated with those fields.
It is important to note that all of the fields contained in a trading solution may not be listed here. If a field exists that has the same definition as a field that would be produced, the existing field will be used instead. For example, if a trading solution uses a 10-period moving average of the closing price in its calculation and a 10-period moving average field is already defined, it will not create a new one. The one exception to this rule is the final output of the trading solution (also known as the source field). The final output field will always be created.
The following informational messages may be displayed with the fields being created.
· One or more inputs could not be resolved.
This message will appear if data or a raw value field required by the trading solution could not be located. Typically, it is accompanied by one or more inputs being indicated as being invalid. To resolve the problem, press the Modify Inputs… button and select the data and/or fields to use. This will display the Modify Trading Solution Inputs Dialog.
· Training range adjusted for available data.
Predicted fields are defined with a date range to use for training the prediction and validating the results. If this date range is larger than the available dates for the target data series, the training range will be adjusted to fit the new data. Specifically, if the start date of the training range is before the first date in the data series, the start date will be moved forward to the first available date. Likewise, if the end date is after the last date in the data series, it will be moved to the last available date.
· Training weights available for this prediction.
Trading solutions that include predicted fields can be created to include the training weights associated with those predictions. This allows you use a prediction without having to train it again and makes it possible to get the same results as the trading solutions user that created the trading solution when using the same data. To use the training weights saved with a trading solution, select Use prediction training weights saved with this trading solution.
Understanding the Advanced Options
The following field creation options are available when the advanced options are being displayed.
þ Use default field names.
By default, any fields created by the solution will be named the same as the fields used to create the solution. This option causes the fields to be named with their default generated names, which may or may not be different from the names stored in the trading solution.
þ Create redundant fields.
By default, if a field exists that has the same definition as a field that will be produced, the existing field will be used instead. This option causes redundant fields to be created instead of reusing existing fields.
þ Use prediction training weights saved with this solution.
This option indicates to use any training weights that are stored in the trading solution. Typically, this should only be used when a trading solution is being applied to the same data it was created with. This option is selected by default if training weights are available and the target data has the same symbol and periodicity as the original data.
Ä Note: If you select to use the training weights saved with a trading solution and later decide you do not want to use them, simply retrain the prediction.
þ Re-optimize previously optimized fields using target data.
This option indicates to optimize any fields which were previously optimized before being stored in the trading solution. This allows you to optimize a trading solution based on the target data. This option is only available when saved training weights are not being used and the trading solution contains fields that were previously optimized.
Ä Note: The optimization will start with some of the current settings stored in the field. Therefore, it is possible to get different results from the original optimization when the solution is applied to the same data.
· Modify Inputs Assignments…
This button will display the Modify Trading Solution Inputs Dialog, which allows you to modify the external data and fields being used to create the fields for the trading solution.
· Hide Advanced Options
This button will hide the advanced options, returning this page to its normal state.
What Do I Do Next?
When you are ready to continue, press the Finish button to create the indicated fields. If you would like to exit the Wizard without creating a new field, press the Cancel button. If you would like to modify the properties of the field being created, press the Back button to return to the Select Trading Solution page.
How Did I Get Here?
The Create Fields page appears at the end of the Apply a Trading Solution Wizard, after the Select Trading Solution page.