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--- In Metastockusers@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "Jose" <josesilva22@xxxx>
wrote:
>
> There seems to be a lot of recent discontent building up with
regards
> to the lack of MetaStock development from Equis/Reuters. It is
indeed
> true that other charting programs have overtaken MS in a major way.
>
> For example, AmiBroker (AB) can plot a composite system equity curve
> based on hundreds of securities, and allows the changing of
parameters
> with the aid of real-time variable sliders. Watching the AB
composite
> equity plot change in real-time is a marvel.
> Just getting MetaStock to plot the same single composite equity
> (forget real-time manipulation), involves so much processing
overheads
> that it is not practical.
>
> So, AmiBroker is indeed superior to MetaStock in many ways.
> However... I still find myself using MetaStock for 95% of my tasks.
> Why?
>
> 1) Familiarity & ease of use = time-saving - it generally takes me
> five times longer to code in AB;
>
> 2) MetaStock's Graphic User Interface is still superior to AB;
>
> 3) More than 95% of programming tasks are basic building blocks
which
> don't require complex programming;
Basic building blocks don't mean squat if you can't apply them in
innovative ways. You certainly won't get far anymore applying them in
conventional ways, even if at one time you could. MetaStock's shameful
refusal to deal with their fixed parameter problem is a case in point.
AB has allowed variable lookback periods in all their lookback
functions for years now. The LastValue(A+PREV-PREV) fix in MS is a
slow-motion bad joke, and it doesn't even work for a lot for lookback
functions that I need it for. This alone makes MS last millenium's
technology. That, plus all the nightmares I keep hearing about the
system tester make me glad I never upgraded my MS and pushes me more
and more towards AB.
That, plus the fact that some of those basic building blocks in MS are
erroneous. Did Equis ever correct the code for vhf()? Just morbidly
curious.
Does the Buy/Hold Index in the Reports of the latest MS version still
give a garbage result? Again, just morbidly curious. I keep wondering
every time I run a test how valid my results are, given that I KNOW
the BHI is garbage, and I worry what else is garbage output.
>
> 4) Successful mechanical trading strategies are composed of 60~80%
> logical thought, and 20~40% actual programming skills.
If you can't implement those thoughts because of a limited MFL, what
good is it?
Ever want to try fixed-fractional position sizing your trades? Good
luck doing that with MS.
>
>
> It is the last point that needs to be generally acknowledged &
> understood.
>
> It is not the actual charting package that decides how successful
the
> development of one's mechanical or subjective trading system may be,
> but rather, it's the trader's own ideas and ability to put them into
a
> logical & codeable form that makes a good system worth considering.
> More programming complexity is not always better.
Ditto for less programming capability.
>
> If I were to be just interested in the intellectual challenge of
> coding difficult or abstract ideas, I would have probably left this
> group to join the AmiBroker camp a long time ago, just as others
have
> already done.
>
> However, being much more interested in the bigger picture, means
that
> the charting tool is not so important to me. MetaStock is fine for
> just about all system development purposes.
One security at a time. Not real appealing for people who want to
trade a portfolio. Think about it.
>
> If productivity is also important to you, and you already use
> MetaStock, you may find that there is little or no need for better/
> faster tools, or for re-learning a new process.
> If you are not using a charting package yet, consider MetaStock's
easy
> learning curve before choosing a career in rocket science.
>
> Take care not to lose sight of the forest for the trees. :)
>
>
> jose '-)
> http://www.metastocktools.com
Face it, Jose, you have more than an emotional investment, you have a
financial investment in MS as well. For those of us who don't, some of
your points don't make a lot of sense.
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