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I'm just a newbie, and I'm not a programmer, so
forgive me if I mislead you, but here's my answer.
You have to get used to the idea of a 'function.' In
mathematics, y=sin(x) is a function. If you give a
value of x, the function gives you back, or returns
the value sin(x). Its difficult to use the expression
'sin' because the immediate question is "sin of what?"
In AFL, if you give a function something, the
function will give something back to you. To put it
another way: a function is defined to be a thingamabob
that, if you give it something, it gives you back
something else. What you give the function is called
the 'arguments,' and the arguments are presented in
the parentheses. For example, "var1 = MA(C,10)" means
"I am creating a variable called var1, and it is equal
to the 10-day moving average of the close." Note
that C, i.e. "Close," and the number 10 are being
'plugged in' to the concept 'moving average.' I can't
ask for the numbert MA without specifying, for
example, close and 10, so these two things are
considered my 'arguments.'
Now, sometimes the arguments are understood. For
example, with the MACD, the arguments are fast and
slow, usually two different numbers of days, but if
you write MACD(), the program assumes you mean, I
believe it is, 12 and 26. You still have to write the
parentheses, however, because otherwise the program
thinks you have just made up some variable of your
own, tried to name it "MACD" and it is waiting for you
to assign some number to it (actually the program
would probably not let you do that anyway because MACD
is a set of letters that is already reserved.)
I think that DateTime() is an example where the
argument is only going to be expressed as an
'understood' variable: it is the date and time at
which the hypthetical buy or sell occurred. But the
program wants me to put the parentheses, perhaps just
to remind me that "DateTime" is the function that
takes a moment in the past and gives you back, or
returns, the actual date and time, e.g. 1:35 PM May
11, 2005.
Jim B
--- John <jea55129@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Group,
> Can someone please describe in laymans terms what
> "()" means.
>
> func() /* function call no arguments */
>
> Thanks,
>
> John
>
>
>
>
>
>
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