Trial Feature

In this chapter we describe the trial feature, which lets you try out your historical data files without buying a license.

Trial Feature

What Is It?

As already enunciated in previous sections of the manual, if you want to use your historical data, you must purchase a license. In order to check whether Trading Conceiver works correctly with them, before buying a license, we offer a trial feature. With the trial feature you can run simulations with your historical data files. The only limitation is that the trading algorithms used to compose the trading system and the indicators shown will be automatically selected; you can not select or change them. This way you can test whether Trading Conceiver works properly with your own historical data files.

Parse the Historical File First

Before activating the trial feature, you have to load and parse correctly the historical file as explained in the previous chapters. You can use any method, the auto-detect, the wizard or the manual one. If there are no severe errors, the Trial button is enabled.

Activate the Trial Feature

To activate the trial feature, press the button

  Trial

A simulation is run with your historical data. The only limitation is that you can't select the used algorithms, but everything else works with no limitations.

Test Thoroughly

Test different historical files, not just one. In particular run checks on all the formats you think you will be using. Peruse the output — graph, table and statistics. Verify the results are correct.

Report a Bug

If Trading Conceiver doesn't work with your data, we are eager to hearing from you and fix the problem. Please post your data on the Forum, so that we can see why those data are problematic.

Consider Buying a License

If you are satisfied with the results, you could consider buying a license. This way you will be able to use your historical data to the fullest.

Currently Automatically Selected Algorithms

Real Purpose of the Trial Feature

The real purpose of the trial feature is to test your historical data. So we try to select meaningful algorithms solely for that purpose. The algorithms are not intended to build a meaningful, let alone profitable, trading system. Whatever algorithms configuration we select for the trial feature, it is just a practical one; not to be confused with a good trading system.

Description and Justification of Currently Selected Algorithms

Keeping in mind what stated in the previous paragraph, we tried anyway to build also a reasonably meaningful system. Currently, the selected algorithms are the following and, in order to work properly, they need open, high, low, close and volume information in your historical data.

Long Tab

The Long Tab is depicted in the picture. A classic of literature is that a positive MACD denotes an uptrend, so we used the algorithm

  MA of MACD positive

Moreover, you want to go long only when the underlying trend is long. We detect the trend through a classic EMA, considering a trend to be long when the EMA is increasing. For this we use the algorithm

  Slope of MA of EMA positive

With this and other algorithms, you can check that indicators derived from standard ones, like the Slope, are computed correctly with your historical data. The two previous algorithms come from the branch

  Technical indicators based

of the Composer. As an extra precaution, we use another strong signal, given by the algorithm

  White candle

This last signal comes from the branch

  Candlesticks

so you can check that your historical data work with candlestick patterns, too. Note that candlestick patterns make use of open, high, low and close values; so if your historical data lack this information, this algorithm cannot be computed. All these conditions are to be met simultaneously, so they are ANDed together.

Short

The Short Tab is the dual of the Long one.

Liquidate

We want to trade only when the volatility is low. So we select the algorithm

  Standard deviation percentage
    greater than threshold

which liquidates the position when volatility is high. Moreover, we want to trade only out of congestion, so we select the algorithm

  MA of Stochastic between thresholds

which liquidates the position when in congestion, i.e. when the stochastic is around 50. It is enough that just one of these two algorithms is verified in order to liquidate the position, so they are ORed together. Given the nature of the selected liquidating algorithms, we don't distinguish between long and short trades, so we use only one Liquidate Tab.

Stop Loss

For the stop loss we select the

  ATR based stop loss

so you can check that your historical data work with stop loss algorithms, too. We want to confirm the stop loss signal with another signal for stronger reliability. To keep things simple, we don't distinguish between long and short trades. Consequently, we choose an algorithm suitable for both:

  PVO less than threshold

which, with a negative threshold, highlights the fact that the trend is not confirmed. This algorithm is Extended to work intradaily, so that the whole stop loss Tab can work intradaily, and you can check that Trading Conceiver works properly with your historical data intradaily, too. This algorithm involves the volume, so you can check that your historical data work with volume algorithms, too. Note that if your historical data lack volume information, this algorithm cannot be computed.

Take Profit

For the take profit we select an algorithm based on the Bollinger Band:

  Bollinger Band width based take profit

so you can check that your historical data work with take profit algorithms, too. To keep things simple, we don't add any other condition here. Take profit works intradaily by definition; so, again, you can check that Trading Conceiver works properly with your historical data intradaily, too.

Indicators

The overlays and indicators automatically selected reflect the trading algorithms. Many indicators the trading systems are based on are selected, all calculated with matching input parameters. From these indicators, you can check the correctness of the algorithms.

The algorithm

  MA of MACD positive

is true when the correspondent indicator

  MA of MACD

is above the 0 line.

The algorithm

  Slope of MA of EMA positive

is true when the the correspondent overlay

  MA of EMA

is increasing.

The algorithm

  Standard deviation percentage
    greater than threshold

is true when the correspondent indicator

  Standard deviation percentage

is greater than 5.

The algorithm

  MA of Stochastic between thresholds

is true when the correspondent indicator

  MA of Stochastic

lies between 45 and 55.

The levels of stop loss and take profit are apparent in the chart and in the table.

The algorithm

  PVO less than threshold

is true when the correspondent indicator

PVO

is less than -2.

The take profit algorithm

  Bollinger Band width based take profit

is based on the correspondent indicator

  MA of Bollinger Band

Finally, the indicator

  Incremental profit (%)

is also shown, so you can check that Trading Conceiver works properly with algorithms from the

  Profit & loss

branch of the Indicators Tab, too.

Options

Currently, you can not change any options, neither the algorithms input parameters nor the various radio buttons and checkboxes of the Indicators and Composer Tabs.