Hi, 

I see that in V17 in the search criteria we have a "True" option which allows the user to input a number as to when their condition was true. 

I would like to use this as a indicator, so I can put my custom condition inside, below is a very simple one but i have complex conditions and i'd like to when it was true, for example:

Close > Simple Moving Average 5

OR 

Close > Simple Moving Average 5 > and Slow K > D and Close > EMA etc....

The idea is to use this as a column, the value returned would tell me when the condition was true, i.e. 8 would tell me 8 bars ago this condition was true.

I know we can achieve this indirectly but formulas are long and messy, I'd really like a function and then input my condition. 

i.e. barssince(Close > AVGC5 > and Slow K > D and Close > EMA)

returns 50 - (50 bars ago this was true).

If this isn't available in V17, it would most certainly be a great addition. 

Thank you for your suggestion.

On a sidenote, formulas such as this have recently become a lot shorter in TC2000 v17 versus previous versions of TC2000. You used to have to use the techniques outlined in the following topic to get such counts.

Days Since Last Peak (or other day-counting needs)

But such a formula could be written in a much shorter form today (this is just an example as you did not list your specific settings).

SinceTrue(C > AVGC5 OR (STOC12.3 > AVG(STOC12.3, 5) AND C > XAVGC5), 100)

Version 17 PCF Capabilities

Bruce,

  Please help me understand how to use the new R17 Beta syntax :

TrueInRow(b, x) -> Will return a value between 0 and period that is how many times the Boolean formula was true in a row

Where b can be any formula which returns a true or false result

Where x is the Period of the Indicator

Example you gave for 21 ema rising  bars, for 60  bar look back

http://forums.worden.com/default.aspx?g=posts&t=66185

TrueInRow(XAVGC21 > XAVGC21.1,60)

So the new syntax returns a value between 0 and x, with x being the number of bars to look back to see if the Boolean formula was true in a row.

The output is identical to the old, very long way.

I could use this to AND several of these T/F formulas in 1 pcf which would likely be far too long using the old counting bars formulas.

Do I have this correct?

I am not currently using V.  17 but am preparing ...

Many thanks,

Don

I am not quite sure what help you need in understanding as you do seem to have it correct.

Bruce,

   Thank you for confirming. 

I want to make sure I understand the power of the new bar counting syntax as it could really help me.

Don

If the most recent bar is False, then the indicator value will be 0.  If the last 10 bars are True the indictator value will be 10.

Stockguy,

   Thank you.

 Stockguy or Bruce,

  How would I create a pcf with the new syntax that counts the number of bars in a TTM squeeze up to maybe 30?

Many thanks for any help.

Don

Please try the following Indicator Formula.

TrueInRow(STDDEV(C, 20) * 4 <= 3 * ATR(20), 30)

Bruce,

Thank you very much.

    I don't have a way to check it quite yet but will soon enough.

I am in awe at the power and simplicity of the new syntax compared to the old counting method.

The new syntax opens up many more counting possibilities.

Don

Bruce, 

I currently use the formula to tell me "how long Closing Price has been above Moving Average 50"? It returns -1 when its not true and when true, it returns the value of how long its been true for? 

The formula is below: 

TRUEINROW(C > AVGC50,100)

The result is the number of bars that the close has been above the 50 bar average.  If C is less than AVGC50 on the latest bar it will return 0.

I'm not actually sure the formula does what you think. That said, you can use either TrueInRow() or SinceTrue() for this sort of thing.

SinceTrue(b, x) -> returns -1 if Boolean Formula was not true in period, or bars since it was true, 0 being the current bar, and period-1 the max it will return

TrueInRow(b, x) -> Will return a value between 0 and period that is how many times the Boolean formula was true in a row

So the SinceTrue version would be:

SinceTrue(C <= AVGC50, 50)

And the TrueInRow version would be:

TrueInRow(C > AVGC50, 50)

Both return 0 if the C > AVGC50 is not true and the number of bars in a row C > AVGC50 if C > AVGC50 is true as long as C > AVGC50 is not true for all 50 bars.

If C > AVGC50 is true for all 50 bars, the SinceTrue version would return -1 while the TrueInRow version would return 50.

If you want to plot -1 instead of 0 when C > AVGC50 is not currently true, then you could write this as follows.

IIF(C <= AVGC50, -1, TrueInRow(C > AVGC50, 50))

Bruce,

   Is there any way you could make this post a sticky or more easily  accessible?

It is very useful.

R17 Beta PCF Capabilities

Many thanks,

Don

Made it sticky.

Stockguy,

   Thank you.

don

Bruce, 

I'm trying to extend this formula further and want to use it in another column to tell me the change in % since the crossover.

this is the formula i'm using:

I have requested that the bars ago parameters in function accept formulas as arguments, but they do not do so currently. I do not know for sure when or if this might happen. Until or unless it does, you will not be able to use this sort of short syntax to create the desired formula and you will have to do it the long way.

IIF(TrueInRow(C > AVGC50, 50) > 0, 100 * (C / (ABS(C <= AVGC50) + ABS(C > AVGC50) * (ABS(C1 <= AVGC50.1) * C + ABS(C1 > AVGC50.1) * (ABS(C2 <= AVGC50.2) * C1 + ABS(C2 > AVGC50.2) * (ABS(C3 <= AVGC50.3) * C2 + ABS(C3 > AVGC50.3) * (ABS(C4 <= AVGC50.4) * C3 + ABS(C4 > AVGC50.4) * (ABS(C5 <= AVGC50.5) * C4 + ABS(C5 > AVGC50.5) * (ABS(C6 <= AVGC50.6) * C5 + ABS(C6 > AVGC50.6) * (ABS(C7 <= AVGC50.7) * C6 + ABS(C7 > AVGC50.7) * (ABS(C8 <= AVGC50.8) * C7 + ABS(C8 > AVGC50.8) * (ABS(C9 <= AVGC50.9) * C8 + ABS(C9 > AVGC50.9) * (ABS(C10 <= AVGC50.10) * C9 + ABS(C10 > AVGC50.10) * (ABS(C11 <= AVGC50.11) * C10 + ABS(C11 > AVGC50.11) * (ABS(C12 <= AVGC50.12) * C11 + ABS(C12 > AVGC50.12) * (ABS(C13 <= AVGC50.13) * C12 + ABS(C13 > AVGC50.13) * (ABS(C14 <= AVGC50.14) * C13 + ABS(C14 > AVGC50.14) * (ABS(C15 <= AVGC50.15) * C14 + ABS(C15 > AVGC50.15) * (ABS(C16 <= AVGC50.16) * C15 + ABS(C16 > AVGC50.16) * (ABS(C17 <= AVGC50.17) * C16 + ABS(C17 > AVGC50.17) * (ABS(C18 <= AVGC50.18) * C17 + ABS(C18 > AVGC50.18) * (ABS(C19 <= AVGC50.19) * C18 + ABS(C19 > AVGC50.19) * (ABS(C20 <= AVGC50.20) * C19 + ABS(C20 > AVGC50.20) * (ABS(C21 <= AVGC50.21) * C20 + ABS(C21 > AVGC50.21) * (ABS(C22 <= AVGC50.22) * C21 + ABS(C22 > AVGC50.22) * (ABS(C23 <= AVGC50.23) * C22 + ABS(C23 > AVGC50.23) * (ABS(C24 <= AVGC50.24) * C23 + ABS(C24 > AVGC50.24) * (ABS(C25 <= AVGC50.25) * C24 + ABS(C25 > AVGC50.25) * (ABS(C26 <= AVGC50.26) * C25 + ABS(C26 > AVGC50.26) * (ABS(C27 <= AVGC50.27) * C26 + ABS(C27 > AVGC50.27) * (ABS(C28 <= AVGC50.28) * C27 + ABS(C28 > AVGC50.28) * (ABS(C29 <= AVGC50.29) * C28 + ABS(C29 > AVGC50.29) * (ABS(C30 <= AVGC50.30) * C29 + ABS(C30 > AVGC50.30) * (ABS(C31 <= AVGC50.31) * C30 + ABS(C31 > AVGC50.31) * (ABS(C32 <= AVGC50.32) * C31 + ABS(C32 > AVGC50.32) * (ABS(C33 <= AVGC50.33) * C32 + ABS(C33 > AVGC50.33) * (ABS(C34 <= AVGC50.34) * C33 + ABS(C34 > AVGC50.34) * (ABS(C35 <= AVGC50.35) * C34 + ABS(C35 > AVGC50.35) * (ABS(C36 <= AVGC50.36) * C35 + ABS(C36 > AVGC50.36) * (ABS(C37 <= AVGC50.37) * C36 + ABS(C37 > AVGC50.37) * (ABS(C38 <= AVGC50.38) * C37 + ABS(C38 > AVGC50.38) * (ABS(C39 <= AVGC50.39) * C38 + ABS(C39 > AVGC50.39) * (ABS(C40 <= AVGC50.40) * C39 + ABS(C40 > AVGC50.40) * (ABS(C41 <= AVGC50.41) * C40 + ABS(C41 > AVGC50.41) * (ABS(C42 <= AVGC50.42) * C41 + ABS(C42 > AVGC50.42) * (ABS(C43 <= AVGC50.43) * C42 + ABS(C43 > AVGC50.43) * (ABS(C44 <= AVGC50.44) * C43 + ABS(C44 > AVGC50.44) * (ABS(C45 <= AVGC50.45) * C44 + ABS(C45 > AVGC50.45) * (ABS(C46 <= AVGC50.46) * C45 + ABS(C46 > AVGC50.46) * (ABS(C47 <= AVGC50.47) * C46 + ABS(C47 > AVGC50.47) * (ABS(C48 <= AVGC50.48) * C47 + ABS(C48 > AVGC50.48) * (ABS(C49 <= AVGC50.49) * C48 + ABS(C49 > AVGC50.49) * (ABS(C50 <= AVGC50.50) * C49 + ABS(C50 > AVGC50.50) * (ABS(C51 <= AVGC50.51) * C50 + ABS(C51 > AVGC50.51))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))) - 1), -1)

Bruce,

Long formulas are not managable and are often messy. I spent the entire weeklend last week changing my formulas from V16 to V17 shorter versions.

The ability to allow C(x) or Cx to use the value returned from a function would be great.

It'd be great if it can be implemented, it would help me and many others.

Having said that, thanks for help. 

You're welcome.