Variables

["Guy Tann" <grt@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

To All:

OK, I dragged out the MetaStock manual and have read all about variables.
On the surface, I question whether or not I'll be able to accomplish in
MetaStock what I do in TAS.

Here's what I need to do:

1- I have 4 intermediate indicators which I use to calculate my short term
and long term momentums.  In order to work within MS for DOS, I developed an
approximation for this calculation that works pretty good, however it
doesn't replace the original calculations.  For these original calculations,
I need to use TAS.
2- What I need to do is save the results from the previous day's calculation
for these 4 indicators.  I don't believe that the PREV function will work,
in so far as my calculations would be circular in nature, without these 4
variables.
3- Is there any way in MetaStock to set up a simple set of buckets that I
could use in my calculations?  I need a place to store 4 intermediate totals
and be able to use them the next day.  In TAS, it effectively builds arrays
of each variable and you can reference any one of them, any number of days
back.

An example of what I'm talking about is:

Today's U1 := IF A > B
             then
	     (C * D) + Prev U1
             ELSE
                    (C * D)  + E
             ENDIF

Since U1 Prev is dependent upon the previous day's values of A and B, unless
MS provides a bucket somewhere to hold the value of the previous day's U1,
the system will have to go into a loop in order to calculate today's U1,
thereby recalculating U1 to the nth each day.  I hope this makes sense.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I didn't see mention of independent variables
being available.  All variable references I saw, referred to variables that
were calculated and used on the same day.  Granted, since I don't know how
MS will perform my calculations, I have to assume that this feature isn't
there.

If anybody could point to a place in the MS manual, I'd appreciate it.

Thanks


Guy Tann
grt@xxxxxxxxxxxx