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Having just corrupted some of my indicators yet again I thought I would post
some personal observations and suggested improvements on AB indicator
maintenance. I am posting here rather than direct to the AB suggestions box
to get the POV of other users. Hopefully others may be able to offer some
tips on best practice or point out the error of my ways and also if enough
users chime in we can then compile a list of agreed suggestions for TJ to
consider.
OK here are my observations:-
It is *far* too easy to corrupt indicators without even realising it. I bet
nearly everyone has done this. For those who think you have never done it
try checking thru the code of all your custom and builtin indicators and see
if they contain what you expect ;-)
In the early days of AB when we only had slots for a few custom indicators
(20 was it?) maintenance was not a problem. But with large and increasing
numbers of indicators I find accurate maintenance a real problem. In
addition we have systems, explorations, scans, filters and those which do
combinations. Over time I have tried various methods of file suffixes,
prefixes, directories etc. to try and keep things under control but never
been entirely happy with it. My feeling is there must be a better more
organised solution with maybe separate directories for these specified via
Preferences.
One of the big problems I have is indicators getting out of sync with the
corresponding .afl file on disk. For example it is very easy to make an
amendment to an indicator while testing visually via charts/guru commentary
and forget to save to the correct afl file on disk. Later when I come to
system test and copy/paste the code into test afl from disk I get unexpected
results. BTW I am sure the endless copy/edit/paste operations will eventally
drive me to complete baldness - my background is in commericial IT systems
development so it goes very much against the grain when you cannot define a
formula/module just once and then just refrence it wherever required. TJ
has said he will add this facility but will I have any hair left by then ;^)
Suggested improvements:-
In IB add a Copy button to enable a new version of an indictaor to be
created quickly. Default new name = old name with numeric suffice e.g.
HolyGrail[2]
In indicator browse list add columns for date and time last modified. Allow
sorting on name column or date and time. At present you cannot check dates
or easily determine which indciators you were last working on.
In indicator browse list add columns for In quick list, Uses builtin code,
Use formula only. At present you must laboriously click down thru every list
item to determine these.
Provide some protection or warning to prevent unintentional overwriting when
using Load.
IMO indicators should be directly related by filename to the corresponding
disk file. For example the indicator HolyGrail7 is defined via the disk file
HolyGrail7.afl Ideally AB preferences would specify the directory name(s)
for custom and standard indicators. This would prevent many maintenance
problems that the current architecture invites and would also facilitate
many other maintance operations (see below).
Facility to bulk load indicators from disk files into AB. i.e. browse and
select multiple .afl disk files which are then loaded into corresponding
custom or builtin indicator names.
Facility to bulk copy indicators from AB to disk files i.e. browse and
select multiple AB indictors which are then copied to selected windows
directory.
Allow the default directories for custom and bulitin indicators to be
specified via Preferences. Maybe also systems, explorations, scans....?
All POVs welcome.
John
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