MetaStock ®

Professional
For Windows 98 and higher

User's Manual
Version 8.0

All Rights Reserved

Copyright  1985-2002

Printed in the USA

Equis International
3950 South 700 East, First Floor
Salt Lake City, UT 84107
http://www.equis.com
Achelis Binary Wave, DataOnDemand, The DownLoader, Expert Advisor, The Explorer, Visual Control,
QuoteCenter, and Smart Charts are trademarks of Equis International. Equis, MetaStock, and OptionScope are
registered trademarks of Equis International. Reuters is a registered trademark of Reuters Limited. eSignal is a
registered trademark of Data Broadcasting Corporation. IBM is a registered trademark of International Business
Machines Corporation. MS-DOS, Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Windows 98, Microsoft Windows NT, Microsoft
IntelliMouse, Microsoft Office, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and Paint are registered trademarks of Microsoft
Corporation. ODDS is a trademark of Fishback Management & Research Co. All other product names or services
mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.
Contents

Getting Started............................................................................................... 1
Welcome ....................................................................................................................................1
What You Need to Run MetaStock Pro .....................................................................................2
Two Quick Steps for Getting Up to Speed Fast.........................................................................2
Installing MetaStock Pro............................................................................................................3
Running MetaStock Pro.............................................................................................................3
Getting Help...............................................................................................................................4

The Workplace ............................................................................................... 7

Microsoft Windows Standard Features......................................................................................7
Using the Menus ......................................................................................................................17
Using Dialogs ..........................................................................................................................18
Using the Toolbars...................................................................................................................19
Using the Status Bar.................................................................................................................27
HELP! Using MetaStock Pro’s Help System..........................................................................29
Changing the Appearance of MetaStock Pro’s Workplace......................................................31

Collecting Your Data ................................................................................... 41

What is Data?...........................................................................................................................41
DataOnDemand™....................................................................................................................42
Collecting Local Real-time Data..............................................................................................43
End-of-day Data Collection with The DownLoader................................................................58

Chart Concepts............................................................................................ 63
Managing Your Charting .........................................................................................................63
Opening, Closing and Saving (General) ..................................................................................64
Special Controls in the New, Open, and Save Dialogs ............................................................70
Searching for Securities with the Find Command ...................................................................74
Deleting Chart and Layout Files ..............................................................................................75

Saving Your Work with Charts ................................................................... 77

What is a Chart?.......................................................................................................................77
Creating a New Chart...............................................................................................................78
Displaying Existing Charts ......................................................................................................79
Saving Charts ...........................................................................................................................81
Closing Charts..........................................................................................................................82

MetaStock Professional Contents • i

 Scanning Charts with the Change Security Commands...........................................................83
Scrolling Charts .......................................................................................................................85
Cloning Charts .........................................................................................................................86
Using the Microsoft IntelliMouse Pointing Device .................................................................87

Combining Multiple Charts with Layouts .................................................. 89

What is a Layout? ....................................................................................................................89
Creating a New Layout ............................................................................................................90
Displaying an Existing Layout.................................................................................................91
Scanning Charts in a Layout ....................................................................................................92
Making Changes to a Layout ...................................................................................................92
Saving a Layout .......................................................................................................................95
Closing a Layout ......................................................................................................................96

Recycling Your Work with Templates........................................................ 97

What is a Template?.................................................................................................................97
Creating a New Template ........................................................................................................97
Applying an Existing Template ...............................................................................................98
Making Changes to a Template .............................................................................................101
Saving a Template..................................................................................................................101
The Default Template ............................................................................................................102

Customizing a Chart's Appearance ......................................................... 103

Chart Window........................................................................................................................103
Inner Windows.......................................................................................................................110
Scales .....................................................................................................................................118

Printing Charts and Data .......................................................................... 133

Introduction............................................................................................................................133
Selecting and Configuring Your Printer ................................................................................133
Customizing the Printout with Page Setup.............................................................................134
Previewing Charts Before Printing ........................................................................................137
Printing Charts and Data........................................................................................................138

Working with Price Plots .......................................................................... 143

Introduction............................................................................................................................143
Base Security Concept ...........................................................................................................143
Types of Price Plots ...............................................................................................................144
Modifying a Price Plot ...........................................................................................................146
Updating and Editing a Price Plot's Data ...............................................................................152
Copying, Deleting, and Moving Price Plots ..........................................................................153
Inserting Price Plots ...............................................................................................................158
Viewing Values on the Chart.................................................................................................158

Working with Indicators............................................................................ 163

ii • Contents MetaStock Professional

 What is an Indicator? .............................................................................................................163
Plotting an Indicator...............................................................................................................163
Modifying an Indicator ..........................................................................................................167
Copying, Deleting, and Moving Indicators............................................................................172
Viewing Indicator Values with the Data Window .................................................................174
Online Indicator Interpretation ..............................................................................................174
Indicator Parameters ..............................................................................................................174

Working with Line Studies........................................................................ 205

What is a Line Study? ............................................................................................................205
Drawing a Line Study ............................................................................................................205
Modifying a Line Study .........................................................................................................208
Adjusting, Copying, Deleting, and Moving Line Studies......................................................211
Line Study Parameters ...........................................................................................................215

Working with the Internet ......................................................................... 227

Internet Integration.................................................................................................................227
Collecting Data through the Internet......................................................................................228
Updating MetaStock Pro........................................................................................................228
E-mailing Charts with the Send Command............................................................................228
Saving Charts as HTML ........................................................................................................228
Internet Shortcut Menus.........................................................................................................229
Equis on the Web...................................................................................................................234

The MetaStock Formula Language .......................................................... 235

What is the MetaStock Formula Language? ..........................................................................235
Price Array Identifiers............................................................................................................235
Mathematical Operators.........................................................................................................236
Operator Precedence ..............................................................................................................236
Formula Functions .................................................................................................................237
Function Parameters...............................................................................................................238
Locating Errors in Formulas ..................................................................................................238
Inserting Functions ................................................................................................................239
Writing Comments.................................................................................................................240
Nesting Functions ..................................................................................................................240
The if() function.....................................................................................................................241
Using "And" and "Or" Operators...........................................................................................241
Referencing Existing Custom Indicators ...............................................................................242
Referencing Securities with the Security Data Function .......................................................243
Using Variables to Enhance and Simplify .............................................................................244
Self Referencing Formulas Using PREV...............................................................................246
The “P” Data Array Identifier................................................................................................247
Formula Tips..........................................................................................................................248
Using the Formula Organizer to Import and Export ..............................................................249
Glossary .................................................................................................................................249
Error Messages ......................................................................................................................251
Functions................................................................................................................................252

MetaStock Professional Contents • iii

Creating Your Own Indicators .................................................................. 299
What is the Indicator Builder? ...............................................................................................299
Indicator Builder Tutorial ......................................................................................................300
Indicator Builder Dialog ........................................................................................................302
Indicator Editor Dialog ..........................................................................................................303
Copying and Deleting Custom Indicators ..............................................................................304
Printing Custom Indicators ....................................................................................................304
Pasting Functions Into Formulas............................................................................................305
Creating Custom Indicators with Multiple Plots....................................................................306
Creating Custom Indicators that Prompt for Input.................................................................306
Sample Custom Indicators .....................................................................................................308
Achelis Binary Waves............................................................................................................312
Errors .....................................................................................................................................316

Testing Your Trading Ideas ...................................................................... 319

What is a System Test? ..........................................................................................................319
Enhanced System Tester Tutorial ..........................................................................................320
The Enhanced System Tester.................................................................................................327
Creating a System Test ..........................................................................................................331
The System Editor..................................................................................................................331
Copying and Deleting System Tests ......................................................................................337
Testing Systems .....................................................................................................................338
The Test View Screen............................................................................................................343
The Results Detail View Dialog ............................................................................................345
Optimization ..........................................................................................................................356
System Development Tips .....................................................................................................359
Technical Reference...............................................................................................................362
Trading Rule Syntax ..............................................................................................................365

Ranking and Screening Securities........................................................... 369

What is The Explorer? ...........................................................................................................369
The Explorer Tutorial ............................................................................................................370
The Explorer Dialog ..............................................................................................................377
Creating an Exploration .........................................................................................................379
Copying and Deleting Explorations.......................................................................................384
Printing Explorations .............................................................................................................384
Running the Exploration ........................................................................................................385
Viewing the Reports ..............................................................................................................388
Sample Explorations ..............................................................................................................393
Exploration Tips ....................................................................................................................395

Getting Expert Advice on Your Securities .............................................. 397

What is the Expert Advisor? ..................................................................................................397
Using Pre-packaged Experts ..................................................................................................398
Expert Advisor Dialog ...........................................................................................................399
Creating an Expert .................................................................................................................400

iv • Contents MetaStock Professional

 Components of an Expert.......................................................................................................402
Defining Bullish and Bearish Trends.....................................................................................403
Writing Commentaries to Summarize and Instruct................................................................406
Using Highlights to Emphasize Specified Conditions ...........................................................421
Using Symbols to Identify Key Points on Charts ..................................................................425
Using Alerts to Grab Your Attention.....................................................................................430
Attaching an Expert to a Chart...............................................................................................435
Copying and Deleting Experts ...............................................................................................436
Printing Experts .....................................................................................................................436
Pre-packaged Experts.............................................................................................................437
Input() Function, Variables, and Multi-plot Indicators..........................................................437
Expert Advisor Tips...............................................................................................................438
Execution Errors in an Expert................................................................................................439

Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies ......................................... 441

Indicator Guide ......................................................................................................................441
Accumulation/Distribution.....................................................................................................446
Accumulation Swing Index....................................................................................................446
Andrews' Pitchfork ................................................................................................................447
Aroon .....................................................................................................................................447
Average True Range ..............................................................................................................448
Bollinger Bands .....................................................................................................................449
Candlesticks, Japanese ...........................................................................................................450
Candlevolume ........................................................................................................................451
Chaikin A/D Oscillator ..........................................................................................................451
Chaikin Money Flow .............................................................................................................453
Chande Momentum Oscillator ...............................................................................................454
Commodity Channel Index ....................................................................................................456
Commodity Selection Index...................................................................................................456
Correlation .............................................................................................................................457
Cycle Lines ............................................................................................................................458
DEMA....................................................................................................................................459
Demand Index........................................................................................................................459
Detrended Price Oscillator .....................................................................................................460
Directional Movement ...........................................................................................................461
Dynamic Momentum Index ...................................................................................................462
Ease of Movement .................................................................................................................463
Envelope ................................................................................................................................464
Equivolume ............................................................................................................................464
Fibonacci Studies ...................................................................................................................465
Forecast Oscillator .................................................................................................................467
Fourier Transform..................................................................................................................467
Gann Studies ..........................................................................................................................468
Herrick Payoff Index .............................................................................................................470
High/Low/Close Bar ..............................................................................................................470
Inertia .....................................................................................................................................471
Intraday Momentum Index.....................................................................................................472
Kagi........................................................................................................................................472

MetaStock Professional Contents • v

 Klinger Oscillator...................................................................................................................473
Line Chart ..............................................................................................................................475
Linear Regression Indicator ...................................................................................................475
Linear Regression Slope ........................................................................................................476
Linear Regression Trendline..................................................................................................477
MACD ...................................................................................................................................478
Market Facilitation Index.......................................................................................................479
Mass Index.............................................................................................................................480
Median Price ..........................................................................................................................481
MESA Sine Wave ..................................................................................................................482
Momentum.............................................................................................................................482
Money Flow Index.................................................................................................................483
Moving Averages...................................................................................................................484
Negative Volume Index .........................................................................................................489
ODDS Probability Cones.......................................................................................................490
On Balance Volume ...............................................................................................................492
Open Interest..........................................................................................................................494
Option Indicators ...................................................................................................................494
Parabolic SAR........................................................................................................................496
Performance ...........................................................................................................................497
Point & Figure .......................................................................................................................497
Polarized Fractal Efficiency...................................................................................................498
Positive Volume Index...........................................................................................................499
Price Channel .........................................................................................................................500
Price Oscillator.......................................................................................................................501
Price Rate-Of-Change............................................................................................................501
Price Volume Trend...............................................................................................................502
Projection Bands ....................................................................................................................503
Projection Oscillator ..............................................................................................................504
Qstick Indicator......................................................................................................................505
Quadrant Lines.......................................................................................................................506
r-squared ................................................................................................................................506
Raff Regression Channel .......................................................................................................508
Random Walk Index ..............................................................................................................508
Range Indicator......................................................................................................................509
Relative Momentum Index.....................................................................................................510
Relative Strength Comparative ..............................................................................................511
Relative Strength Index..........................................................................................................512
Relative Volatility Index........................................................................................................513
Renko .....................................................................................................................................514
Speed Resistance Lines..........................................................................................................515
Spread ....................................................................................................................................515
Standard Deviation.................................................................................................................516
Standard Deviation Channel ..................................................................................................517
Standard Error........................................................................................................................518
Standard Error Bands.............................................................................................................518
Standard Error Channel..........................................................................................................519
Stochastic Momentum Index .................................................................................................520
Stochastic Oscillator ..............................................................................................................521

vi • Contents MetaStock Professional

 Support and Resistance Levels ..............................................................................................523
Swing Index ...........................................................................................................................524
TEMA ....................................................................................................................................525
Three Line Break ...................................................................................................................526
Time Series Forecast..............................................................................................................527
Tirone Levels .........................................................................................................................528
Trade Volume Index ..............................................................................................................528
Trendlines ..............................................................................................................................529
TRIX ......................................................................................................................................531
Typical Price ..........................................................................................................................532
Ultimate Oscillator.................................................................................................................532
Vertical Horizontal Filter .......................................................................................................533
Volatility, Chaikin's ...............................................................................................................533
Volume...................................................................................................................................534
Volume Oscillator ..................................................................................................................535
Volume Rate-Of-Change .......................................................................................................536
Weighted Close......................................................................................................................537
Wilder's Smoothing................................................................................................................537
Williams' %R .........................................................................................................................538
Williams' Accumulation/Distribution ....................................................................................539
Zig Zag...................................................................................................................................539

Appendices ................................................................................................ 541

Information About Your Computer System...........................................................................541
Installing and Using MetaStock Pro on a Network................................................................541
Converting Custom Formulas, System Tests, Explorations, and Experts..............................542
Program Performance ............................................................................................................543
Using OptionScope ................................................................................................................543
Suggested Reading.................................................................................................................544

Index ........................................................................................................... 547

MetaStock Professional Contents • vii

Getting Started

Welcome
When you need to make an investment decision, the last thing you want
is to have your computer get in the way. Technology should help you
reach a decision, not hinder you.
Which is why MetaStock Professional is based on visual investing.
Visual investing lets your eyes operate the software, freeing your mind to
concentrate on more important matters--like your trades.
Visual investing is made possible through object orientation. Simply put,
“object orientation” means that the commands for objects are contained
within the objects themselves. Rather than having to search a maze of
menus and toolbars, you access commands directly from the objects.
To use MetaStock Professional, you only need to know two commands:
• Right-click on everything. The object will display a menu of its
commands.
• Drag and drop everything. The on-screen animation of line studies
and the fluid manner in which you can move indicators, prices, and
inner windows greatly simplify the interface while helping you see
investment opportunities.
By mastering these two commands, you will be positioned to make better
trades using MetaStock Professional’s extensive collection of analysis
tools.
Thank you for using MetaStock Professional.

MetaStock Professional Getting Started • 1

What You Need to Run MetaStock Pro

Minimum Configuration
• Microsoft Windows 98 (or higher)
• Pentium 166 MHz
• 32 megabytes of RAM
• 50 megabytes of free hard disk space

Minimum Configuration for Real-time Data

Collection
• Microsoft Windows 98 (or higher)
• Pentium 233 MHz
• 64 megabytes of RAM
• 50 megabytes of free hard disk space for installation. An additional
100 megabytes for real-time data.
• A real-time data feed compatible with MetaStock Pro (e.g., DBC
Signal, etc.)

Recommended Configuration
• Microsoft Windows 98 (or higher)
• Pentium 233 MHz (or faster)
• 128 megabytes of RAM
• 50 megabytes of free hard disk space for installation. An additional
200 megabytes (or more) for real-time data.
• A real-time data feed compatible with MetaStock Pro (e.g., DBC
Signal, etc.)
Detailed information about your computer system is available from the
About MetaStock command in the Help menu (see page 541).

Two Quick Steps for Getting Up to Speed Fast

The following steps will help you get up to speed as fast as possible.

Ten Steps to Productivity

The Ten Steps to Productivity, found in your Getting Started manual, are
a quick and easy way to immediately begin using MetaStock Pro. They
provide clear, illustrated, step-by-step instructions for getting around
MetaStock Pro's visually oriented interface. It only takes 30 to 45
minutes to go through these steps.

2 • Getting Started MetaStock Professional

 The Quickstart Tutorials
The Quickstart Tutorials are on-screen tutorials of MetaStock Pro.
Choose Quickstart Tutorials from the Help menu, or the Quickstart
Quickstart button button wherever it appears in Help.

Installing MetaStock Pro

To install MetaStock Pro from a CD
1. Insert the Program CD into your drive. The setup program should
start automatically.

If the auto-run feature of Windows isn't enabled on your system, click

the Start button and choose the Run command. Type
"D:\SETUP.EXE" in the Open box and click the OK button. (Note
that "D" represents the letter assigned to your CD-ROM drive. If
your drive is assigned a different letter, use it instead of "D".)
2. Follow the on-screen instructions. You will be prompted to enter a
Setup Key. Your Setup Key is found on the back of the CD case.
To remove (uninstall) MetaStock Pro from your hard
disk
1. Choose Settings from the Windows Start menu.
2. Choose Control Panel.
3. Choose Add/Remove Programs.
4. Choose MetaStock Professional and click the Add/Remove button.

Running MetaStock Pro

Important: Before your charts can receive real-time updates, you must
be certain that the software supplied by your real-time data vendor is
installed and operating correctly. For more information, see your Getting
Started manual.
To run MetaStock Pro
1. Choose Programs from the Start menu.
2. Choose the Equis International folder.
MetaStock icon 3. Choose MetaStock Professional.

Tip of the Day

Every time you run MetaStock Pro you can see a MetaStock Pro tip to
help you use MetaStock Pro more productively. You can display the Tip
of the Day dialog at any time by choosing Tip of the Day from the Help
menu. You can control the complexity of tips with the Options button.

MetaStock Professional Getting Started • 3

Getting Help
Equis International stands ready to help you with problems you may
encounter or questions you may have with the operation of MetaStock
Pro. However, before picking up the phone, please consider using some
of Equis' other support alternatives.

Windows Related Problems

If the problem is related to the Windows operating environment, please
contact Microsoft via the Internet at
http://www.microsoft.com/support.

User's Manual
The first place to check when you have a question about the operation of
MetaStock Pro is in the user's manual (or help system). The manual can
be a great help if you run into a snag. We have tried to provide every
answer you will need to operate your software in the pages of your
manual. For immediate answers to most of your questions, please consult
the manual.

Context Sensitive Help

Every dialog in MetaStock Pro contains a Help button. Click the mouse
on a Help button and MetaStock Pro will display a detailed help screen
Help button
about the dialog or feature. In fact, almost all the information contained in
the manual is just a mouse click away. Many of the help screens provide
step-by-step examples of how to accomplish a task.
MetaStock Pro's help system can also be accessed by simply pressing the
F1 key.

Quickstart Tutorials
Some help topics have a Quickstart Tutorial associated with them. Click
the Quickstart button to start the tutorial for that help topic.
Quickstart Button

Equis Web Site

You may also want to check out our web site on the Internet at
http://www.equis.com. Not only do we offer information about our
products, we also offer valuable free services and information.

Equis User Groups

Equis has users all over the world. In many of these areas, user groups
have formed. Contact Equis to find out if there is an Equis user group in
your area. Not only is this a great way to meet people with similar

4 • Getting Started MetaStock Professional

 interests, these clubs also offer a wealth of information and help not
available elsewhere.

Contact Technical Support

If the problem or question relates to data or your data vendor, please
contact your data vendor's technical support.
If you've checked the manual and still cannot find the answer to your
problem or question, Equis has a full staff of technical support
representatives ready to help you.
Please try to call us by phone only if the situation is urgent and you need
an immediate answer. This will ensure that lines are free when you and
others have an urgent matter.
There are several ways to reach our support staff:
By E-mail
[email protected]
By Fax
801-265-2114
By Mail
Equis International
Technical Support Dept.
3950 South 700 East, Suite 100
Salt Lake City, UT 84107
By Phone
801-265-9998 (8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Mountain Standard Time except
Wednesdays, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM)
When calling technical support the first time, you will be provided with a
customer number. Please write it here for future reference.
Customer # ________________________
When you call technical support, it is helpful if you can provide your
version number and build date. This information is displayed by
choosing About MetaStock from the Help menu.
Due to the inherent complexity in the design and creation of custom
indicators, explorations, system tests, and experts, Equis cannot
provide free support for these tools. However, support is available for a
reasonable fee. Call Equis at 801-265-9998 for details or fill-out the
FORMULA HELP.DOC file found in the MetaStock folder. This file is
viewable with Wordpad.

MetaStock Professional Getting Started • 5

The Workplace

Microsoft Windows Standard Features

This section explains the commands in MetaStock Pro that are standard
to Microsoft Windows.

Recent File List

The four most recently opened or closed charts, Smart Charts, or layouts
are displayed at the bottom of the File menu.

To open one, you can either click it with the mouse, highlight it and press
ENTER, or choose the number (with the File menu displayed) that
corresponds to the one you want to open.
An expanded list of your most recently opened items is available in the
Open dialog by choosing the History shortcut (see page 67).
You can also create a list of favorite charts, Smart Charts, layouts, and
folders which is accessed in the Open dialog by choosing the Favorites
shortcut (see page 67).

MetaStock Professional The Workplace • 7

 Exiting MetaStock Pro
Choose Exit from the File menu to exit MetaStock Pro. If any of your
open charts or layouts have been changed, you will be asked if you want
to save them prior to exiting. Smart Charts will be saved automatically.
You can also exit MetaStock Pro by clicking the close button in the
Close button upper-right corner of the screen.

To exit MetaStock Pro

1. Choose Exit from the File menu.
2. Save any open charts or layouts when prompted.

Undo, Redo
Choose Undo and Redo from the Edit menu or toolbar. Use the Undo
command to cancel the most recent command or action completed. The
Undo button
Undo command is useful if you've deleted something by accident or if you
don't like the results of your last action. Choose the Undo command to
return to the condition prior to your last action.
If nothing is available to "undo," the command is disabled.
Use the Redo command to cancel the results of the most recent Undo
command. The Redo command restores the command or action you
undid.
If nothing is available to "redo," the command is disabled.

Cut, Copy, Paste

Choose the Cut, Copy, and Paste commands from the Edit menu. Use the
Cut command to move the selected object's data (i.e., price values,
Cut button
indicator values, or moving average values) to the Windows clipboard.
You can then transfer the clipboard information to another Windows
application (such as a word processor or spreadsheet) using the Paste
command. For information on creating OLE links using these commands
see page 9.

8 • The Workplace MetaStock Professional

 The Copy command is used to copy the selected chart or the selected
object's data (e.g., price values, indicator values, etc.) to the Windows
Copy button
clipboard. You can then transfer the clipboard information to another
Windows application (such as a word processor or spreadsheet) using the
Paste command.
You can also press CTRL+SHIFT+Print Scrn to copy a chart to the clipboard.
The Paste command is used to transfer the information in the Windows
clipboard to the insertion point of the current window.
Paste button
See your Windows User's Manual for additional information concerning
the Cut, Copy, and Paste commands.
To copy indicator or price values to a Windows
spreadsheet
1. Display the desired indicator or security plot.
2. Select the plot by clicking the left mouse button anywhere on the
indicator or price plot. Small black handles will appear on the plot to
show that it is selected.
3. Choose Copy from the Edit menu.
4. Open (or switch to) your spreadsheet.
5. Click on the cell you wish to copy the plot's data to.
6. Choose Paste from the spreadsheet's Edit menu.
To copy a chart to a Windows word processor document
1. Display the desired chart in MetaStock Pro.
2. Select the chart by clicking anywhere on the chart's background.
Make sure you have not selected an individual object within the
chart. You should also make sure that the chart is not maximized;
otherwise the toolbar will be included.
3. Choose Copy from the Edit menu.
4. Open (or switch to) your word processor document.
5. Position the cursor at the desired location within the document.
6. Choose Paste from the word processor's Edit menu.

Creating OLE links

One of the great features found in many programs designed for Windows
98 or NT 4.0 is the ability to create links between programs using OLE
(object linking and embedding). For example, you could create an OLE
link between MetaStock Pro and Excel. Data that exists in the Excel
spreadsheet could be plotted in MetaStock Pro. If the data changes in
Excel, the changes will also be made in MetaStock Pro because of the
OLE link. (Note that Excel 7.0 can only handle a Paste Link of about
1,000 records. Excel 97 doesn't have this limitation).

MetaStock Professional The Workplace • 9

 OLE links are created by copying data from one OLE compatible
Windows application and then pasting it (using the Paste Special
command in the Edit menu) to the other application. The following
illustration shows the Paste Special dialog found in Microsoft Excel
(typical of others).

When using the Paste Special dialog, be sure to look at the helpful
messages at the bottom of the dialog. These instructions will guide you
through the process of creating the link.
If you right click on an indicator in MetaStock Pro that has been paste
linked from another application (i.e., Excel, Lotus 123, etc.), two options
appear in the shortcut menu—Update Link and Open Link.

10 • The Workplace MetaStock Professional

 Use the Update Link command to refresh the indicator in MetaStock Pro
with the data from the server application (i.e., Excel, Lotus 123, etc.).
Choose Open Link to open the server application so that you can edit the
data in the server application.
Note that links to a real-time chart in MetaStock Pro can adversely affect
MetaStock Pro's performance, especially if intense calculations are
involved. A warning message appears if you attempt to create an OLE
link to a real-time chart.
To create an OLE link between an indicator in a
MetaStock Pro chart and an Excel spreadsheet
1. Display the desired chart and indicator in MetaStock Pro.
2. Right-click on the indicator plot and choose Copy from the shortcut
menu. Note that you could also copy the security's prices instead of
the indicator (if desired).
3. Open (or switch to) your spreadsheet.
4. Position the cursor at the desired location within the spreadsheet.
5. Right-click on the cell and choose Paste Special from the shortcut
menu.
6. Choose the Paste Link radio button and choose Csv from the list.
Click OK. Csv stands for "comma separated values."

(Note that Excel 7.0 and earlier can only handle a Paste Link of about
1,000 records. Excel 97 doesn't have this limitation).
The link has now been created. If changes are made to the indicator in
MetaStock Pro (e.g., different number of time periods, etc.) the changes

MetaStock Professional The Workplace • 11

 will automatically be reflected in the spreadsheet—even if the
spreadsheet is not open.
To link data in an Excel spreadsheet to MetaStock Pro
At this point you can perform further calculations on the indicator values
in Excel if desired. Once these new values are calculated, they can be
linked back to MetaStock Pro and plotted in a new inner window by
doing the following:
1. Select the entire column of newly calculated values in the spreadsheet
by clicking on the column heading.
2. Right-click on the selected column and choose Copy from the
shortcut menu. In the illustration below, columns A and B are the
values linked from MetaStock Pro. Column D is the newly
calculated values that will be linked back to MetaStock Pro.

3. Switch back to MetaStock Pro.

4. Choose New Inner Window from the Window menu to open a new
inner window in the chart.
5. Right-click on the new inner window and choose Paste Special from
the shortcut menu.
6. Choose the Paste Link radio button and choose Csv from the list.
Click OK.
To link a chart in MetaStock Pro to a Word document
Now to really exploit the power of OLE, you could create a third link
between the MetaStock Pro chart and your Word document.

12 • The Workplace MetaStock Professional

 1. Right-click on the chart and choose Copy from the shortcut menu.

2. Open (or switch to) your Word document.

3. Position the cursor at the desired location within the document.
4. Choose Paste Special from Word’s Edit menu.
5. Choose the Paste Link radio button and choose MetaStock Pro
Chart Object from the list. Click OK.
6. Switch back to MetaStock Pro and draw a trendline on the chart.
Watch the chart in Word as the trendline magically appears through
the power of OLE.
Now whenever you change the parameters (e.g., the number of periods in
a moving average) in the original indicator within MetaStock Pro, the
spreadsheet will automatically reflect the changes. The spreadsheet will
then perform the additional calculations and plot the results in the new
inner window back in MetaStock Pro. The chart in the Word document
will also be updated. And what’s more, MetaStock Pro’s Smart Chart
feature keeps the OLE links. So the next time you load the chart, all of
the above steps and calculations will be performed seamlessly.
OLE Tips
• To insure proper date alignment when creating a link from an Excel
spreadsheet to a MetaStock Pro chart, you can copy the Date column
along with the data values.

MetaStock Professional The Workplace • 13

 • You can drag and drop an indicator or price plot from MetaStock Pro
to a spreadsheet. Before dropping the plot into the spreadsheet,
"Not" sign however, make sure that the "not" sign next to the mouse pointer has
disappeared (This may take a moment, depending on the speed of
your computer and the amount of data).
• The faster your computer and the more memory it has, the better
OLE links will perform.
• When creating a link from a spreadsheet to MetaStock Pro, the text
in the top cell of the column is automatically displayed in the inner
window title bar.
• When using the Paste Special dialog, look at the information at the
bottom of the dialog if you need help.
• You don't have to have all the applications open in order for the OLE
links to remain up-to-date. Once an OLE link is established the
exchanging of information occurs seamlessly in the background.

Delete
Choose the Delete command from the Edit menu to delete the selected
object. For example, if you want to delete a moving average, select the
moving average, and choose Delete. The Delete command is also
available from an object's shortcut menu.
If you have the "Confirm Deletion of Objects" option enabled in the
Applications Properties dialog (see page 32), a dialog will appear after
you choose Delete prompting you to confirm the deletion.
See page 157 for more information on deleting price plots. See page 173
for more information on deleting indicators. See page 214 for more
information on deleting line studies.
To delete an object from a chart
1. Right-click on the desired object (i.e., line study, indicator, or price
plot).
2. Choose Delete from the object's shortcut menu.

System Menus
The upper-left corner of every window contains a square box called the
system box. The application window, the chart windows, and even the
charts' inner windows have a system box. Click the system box to display
System box the window's system menu.

14 • The Workplace MetaStock Professional

 The System menu contains commands to move, resize, and close the
window. The Next command in a chart window's system menu is used to
switch to the next open chart.

Windowing Commands
The Tile, Cascade, and Arrange Icons commands in the Windows menu
are common to most Windows applications. The Stack and Column
commands are unique to MetaStock Pro.
The Cascade command arranges the open chart windows alphabetically in
Cascade button an overlapping formation so that only the title bars of all but the front chart
are visible.
The Column command arranges the open chart windows alphabetically
Column button from left to right in vertical columns alphabetically so that all are
completely visible on the screen.
The Stack command arranges the open chart windows alphabetically so
Stack button that the charts are stacked on top of each other and are fully visible.
Arranging them in a stacked formation allows you to easily compare charts
across their date axes.
The Tile command arranges the open chart windows alphabetically from
Tile button left to right and top to bottom so that all are completely visible on the
screen.
The Arrange Icons command arranges all chart icons at the bottom of
MetaStock Pro's workspace.

MetaStock Professional The Workplace • 15

 All windows, including the MetaStock Pro application window, can be
Restore / Minimize minimized by clicking on the minimize button, or maximized by clicking
Maximize / Close buttons on the maximize button, in the top right corner of the chart.
To restore a minimized or maximized window to it's previous position,
click on the Restore button.
An inner window is a window within a chart window that can be
controlled within the confines of the chart window. A chart can contain
up to 10 inner windows. The most common reason for opening an inner
window is to plot an indicator. However, price plots are also contained
within an inner window.
The Arrange Inner Windows command is available from the Chart
shortcut menu by right-clicking on an inner window. You can also
choose Arrange Inner Windows from the Window menu. The Arrange
Inner Windows command resizes the inner windows within a chart so
they are equally sized.
Any window can be closed by clicking on the Close button.

Open Windows List

The bottom section of the Window menu lists the names of each of the
open charts (or layouts) in the order in which they were opened. A check
mark designates the currently selected chart.

To switch between charts using the Window menu, click on the desired
name. You can also switch by simply clicking directly on the desired
chart in the MetaStock Pro workspace. The selected chart has a unique
heading background color.
For more information see page 103.

16 • The Workplace MetaStock Professional

 Accessibility Options
MetaStock supports all of the Accessibility Options found in your
Windows Control Panel. These options allow you to customize windows
to suit varying eyesight, hearing, and motor skills without requiring any
additional expenditure on software or hardware. Refer to your Windows
Help system for more information on using these options.
To adjust the Accessibility Options on your computer
system
1. Click the Windows Start button.
2. Choose Control Panel from the Settings menu.
3. Double-click the Accessibility Options icon.
If the Accessibility Options icon is not displayed in your Control Panel,
you will need to install it using Windows Setup. Choose Add/Remove
Programs from the Control Panel to access Windows Setup.

Help
The Help menu provides three different ways to access MetaStock Pro’s
help system. For more information on using the help system, see page 29.

For information on contacting Equis technical support, see page 5.

Using the Menus

MetaStock Pro's menu organization, and many other program features,
are similar to Microsoft Office applications. Notice the similarities
between MetaStock Pro's and Word's menu bars.

MetaStock Professional The Workplace • 17

 Many of the menu commands can be accessed with special keystroke
combinations called "accelerator keys." For example, instead of
choosing System Tester from the Tools menu, you could press the
accelerator key CTRL+T. If a command has an accelerator key, it is shown
in the menu next to the command. Many menu items also have a picture
displayed next to them. Choose this same icon from a toolbar to access
the command without using the menus.

To select a command using the menus

1. Click the left mouse button once directly on the menu item (i.e., File,
Edit, View, etc.).
2. When the menu drops down, click once on the desired command.

Using Dialogs
After you choose a command, a dialog often appears. A dialog is used to
select options pertaining to the command or feature. If an option in a
dialog is dimmed, this means the option is not available.
Some dialogs provide various sets of options. These sets of options are
divided into tabbed pages. For example, the System Testing Options
dialog has two tabs: Testing and Reporting. Click on the tab to display
the page's options.
The System Testing Options dialog is a good example of the various
controls within a dialog.

18 • The Workplace MetaStock Professional

 Restoring Factory Defaults
The Defaults button in a dialog sets the options in the dialog to the
original default settings as they were shipped. Every Properties dialog in
MetaStock Pro contains a Defaults button. When the Defaults button is
clicked, the Defaults dialog appears.

Using the Toolbars

The tools on the toolbars give you quick access to many of the commonly
used commands and features in MetaStock Pro.
To find out the name of a tool, hold the mouse pointer motionless over
the tool for about a second and a ScreenTip will appear showing the
name of the tool.

MetaStock Professional The Workplace • 19

 The status bar also provides a brief description of the tool on which the
mouse is positioned (see page 27).
To select a command using the toolbar
1. Position the mouse over the desired button.
2. Click the left mouse button once.

Displaying/Removing Toolbars
You can control which toolbars appear by choosing Toolbars from the
View menu.

You can control the color, size, and ScreenTip display with the
checkboxes at the bottom of the Toolbars dialog.
You can also right-click on any toolbar and check/uncheck the desired
toolbars from the shortcut menu.

Note that you can choose to have separately displayed toolbars for each
of the groups of line studies (i.e., Trendline, Gann, and Text). Or you
can just choose the Line Studies toolbar. The Line Studies toolbar
contains rotator arrows that allow you to rotate between the three groups
of line studies.
Some people like to remove the toolbars to provide more space for charts.

20 • The Workplace MetaStock Professional

 Custom Toolbar
The custom toolbar provides shortcut buttons to your favorite charts,
layouts, templates, and even other documents and programs.
To display the custom toolbar, choose Toolbars from the View menu,
then choose Custom.

You can also right click on any toolbar and choose Custom from the
shortcut menu to display the Custom toolbar.

MetaStock Professional The Workplace • 21

 To edit the items shown on the custom toolbar, choose Toolbars from the
View menu, then choose Custom Toolbar Properties, or right click on the
custom toolbar and choose Custom Toolbar Properties from the shortcut
menu. The Customize dialog will appear from which you can edit,
delete, and create new custom shortcut buttons.

To change the path, icon, or screen tip for an existing shortcut, select the
item, then choose Edit.
To change the order in which the icons are displayed, use the arrows
displayed to the right of the shortcut list.

22 • The Workplace MetaStock Professional

 To add a new item to the toolbar, choose New. The Create Button dialog
will appear.

Click the Browse button to navigate to the item you are adding. This can
be a chart, layout, template, document, application, URL, etc. If you
choose a document, the application used to edit that type of document will
start when you click on that shortcut. If you know the path to the item you
are adding, you may simply type the path in the box (ie. c:\program
files\equis\metastock\charts\colorful.mwt). After you have selected the
item or typed the path, click Next. The Select An Icon dialog will appear.

Select an icon for this button. Choose an icon to represent this item
on the toolbar. The first selection is the icon windows uses for this file.
Enter the screen tip for this button. Type a label for this button
that will appear when you hold the mouse pointer over it.

MetaStock Professional The Workplace • 23

 Enter the status bar prompt for this button. Type a label for this
button that will appear in the status bar when you hold the mouse pointer
over it.

To add an item to the custom toolbar:

1. Choose Toolbars from the View menu, then choose Custom
Toolbar Properties, or right click on the Custom toolbar and choose
Custom Toolbar Properties from the shortcut menu.
2. Click the New button.
3. Click the Browse button and navigate to the item you are adding, or
type the path in the box, then click Next.
4. Choose an icon to represent this item on the toolbar.
5. Type the name of this icon as you want it to appear in the screentip.
Click Next.
6. Type the name of this icon as you want it to appear in the status bar,
then click Finish.

Chart Toolbar
The chart toolbar appears at the bottom right corner of a chart. You can
turn all chart toolbars on and off from the Application Properties dialog
(see page 31). You can remove an individual chart's chart toolbar by
right-clicking on the chart toolbar and choosing Remove Toolbar from
the shortcut menu.

24 • The Workplace MetaStock Professional

 The chart toolbar can be displayed or removed using any of the following
methods:
• Use the Show All Chart Toolbars option in the Application
Properties dialog. The Application Properties dialog is displayed by
right-clicking on the Application's menu bar or by choosing Options
from the Tools menu.

Note that the Show All Chart Toolbars box in the Application

Properties dialog has a gray square in it if you have removed a data

toolbar from a currently displayed individual chart. This is just a
visual reminder that checking the box will turn on an individual
chart's chart toolbar that you have previously turned off.
• Right-click directly on the chart toolbar and choose Remove
Toolbar. Note that this only removes the toolbar for the selected
chart.
• Use the Show Chart Toolbar option in the Chart Window Properties
dialog (see page 104). Note that this only removes the toolbar for
the selected chart.
For more information on the options in the Applications Properties
dialog, see page 31.

Color and Line Style Toolbars

The Color and Style toolbars allow you to quickly change the color, line
style, and weight of the selected plot (i.e., indicator, price, or line study).

MetaStock Professional The Workplace • 25

 To change the color or line style of a plot
1. Select the plot (i.e., indicator, price, or line study) by clicking
directly on the plot. Small black boxes appear on the plot showing
that it is selected.
2. Choose the desired color or line style from the toolbar. To see more
colors or to create custom colors, click the small triangle on the right
side of the color toolbar and click More Colors.

Note: If you select a heavier line weight, the Style will always appear
as a solid line.

To create custom colors

1. Click the small triangle on the right side of the color toolbar.
The color toolbar expands, and the More Colors buttons
appears.
2. Click the More Colors button. The Color dialog appears.
3. In the Color dialog, click anywhere in the color swatch to set the
hue and saturation.
4. Use the slider on the right side of the dialog to adjust the
luminosity (brightness).
5. Click the Add to Custom Colors button. The new color appears
in one of the Custom Colors boxes in the lower left corner of the
dialog.

Floating and Docking Toolbars

All toolbars (except for chart toolbars) can be moved anywhere on the
screen you desire. Perhaps you are doing a lot of work with trendline
studies. To decrease the distance the mouse must travel when using the
trendline toolbar, you may want to move the toolbar closer to the area of
the chart in which you are working.
If the Standard toolbar is docked on either the left or right side of the
screen (so it appears vertically), the Indicator QuickList changes to a
QuickList button
button that displays the Indicators dialog.

26 • The Workplace MetaStock Professional

 To float and dock a toolbar
1. Double-click on the toolbar. Note that you must double-click on an
area between or below the toolbar buttons. The tools will now
appear in a floatable window.

2. Click and drag the toolbar to the desired location. If you want the
toolbar docked on the screen’s edge, drag the toolbar until the mouse
appears over the edge. The drag box will change shape to indicate
that it can be docked.
3. To return a floating toolbar to its docked location, simply double-
click on the title bar of the floating toolbar’s window.

Using the Status Bar

The status bar appears at the bottom of the screen. It provides you with
feedback on the location of the mouse pointer (i.e., menu commands,
tools, line studies on a chart, and x-/y-axis coordinates). It also displays
the current time.

As you move through menu commands, the status bar gives you a more
detailed explanation of the highlighted command. When the mouse is
positioned over a tool on the toolbar, a brief explanation of the tool is
provided.
MetaStock Professional The Workplace • 27
 The status bar is also very helpful when selecting and modifying objects
on a chart, such as indicators, price plots, and line studies. If you have
numerous objects on a chart, the status bar is helpful in telling you which
one the mouse is currently positioned over. This can be very helpful,
especially when the objects are grouped close together.
As you move the mouse around on a chart, the x-axis (i.e., date/time) and
y-axis values at the mouse location are continuously updated. This can be
useful for such tasks as drawing support/resistance lines (see page 444) to
help you locate an exact price level, drawing trendlines (see page 529) to
help locate more precise date and price coordinates, etc.
You can use the Data Window for more detailed information on price
values at the mouse pointer location (see page 160).

Displaying/Removing the Status Bar

The status bar can be displayed or removed using the Application
Properties dialog. To display this dialog choose Options from the Tools
menu or right-click on the application menu bar and choose Application
Properties.

To display/remove the status bar

1. Choose Options from the Tools menu.
2. From the General page, (un)check the Display Status Bar box.
3. Click the OK button.
For more information on the options in the Applications Properties
dialog, see page 31.

28 • The Workplace MetaStock Professional

HELP! Using MetaStock Pro’s Help System
The quickest way to find out how a specific feature in MetaStock Pro
operates is to use the online help system. MetaStock Pro's help system
can be accessed from every dialog within MetaStock Pro by simply
Help button clicking the Help button or pressing the F1 key.
The MetaStock Pro's User's Manual and the help system are based on the
same material. The help system is like having a User's Manual that
automatically turns its pages based on what you are doing.
If you find that you need more help than what the manuals or help system
provide, you can contact Equis' technical support (see page 5).

Getting Around with the Help System

There are three primary ways of using the system. The method you
choose depends on how you prefer to obtain information. When you are
looking in a book for information on a specific topic, do you usually use
the Table of Contents or do you use the Index?
If you use the Table of Contents, then you'll probably feel more
comfortable using the Contents page in the Help dialog. If you prefer the
Index, you'll want to use the Index or Find pages in the Help dialog.
Contents
The Contents page is used to access MetaStock Pro's Help Contents page.
The Contents page is the main jumping off point for the on-line help
system. It is organized very similarly to a Table of Contents in a book.
But instead of turning the pages to reach the desired subject, you simply
double-click on the topics.

MetaStock Professional The Workplace • 29

 Index
The Index page is used to search for help on a specific topic. Begin by
typing the first few letters of the topic you are looking for. For example,
suppose you want to find out how to print a chart. If you type the word
"print" in the edit box, the index entry list will quickly display those
keywords beginning with "Print." Double-click "Print - charts" to display
the corresponding help page.

Find
The Find page is used to search for every occurrence of a word or phrase
within MetaStock Pro's help topics. This search is more extensive yet less
selective than using the Index page. For example, suppose you want to
find every occurrence of the word "resistance" within the help topics. If
you type the word "resistance" in the edit box, every help topic containing
the word "resistance" will appear in the list. Double-click the desired help
topic to view.

30 • The Workplace MetaStock Professional

 Context Sensitive Help
The Context Sensitive command displays a "question mark" next to the
mouse pointer indicating that you are in help mode. You can click the
Context Sensitive Help
special help mode pointer on any of the menu commands, toolbar, or
button
chart objects to display the corresponding help page. For example,
clicking the help mode pointer on a chart's x-axis will display a help
screen on the x-axis scales. Likewise, clicking on the Print button will
display a help screen on printing.
You can also press the F1 key when a menu command is highlighted to
display help for that command.

Quickstart Tutorials
The Quickstart Tutorials are a quick and easy way to get up to speed with
MetaStock Pro. These interactive videos are fun and informative for both
Quickstart button the beginner and the experienced MetaStock user. To run the Quickstart
Tutorials, choose Quickstart Tutorials from the Help menu, or watch for
the Quickstart button when viewing MetaStock help topics.

Changing the Appearance of MetaStock Pro’s Workplace

Changing the Application Properties

Use the Application Properties dialog to choose from various options
pertaining to the overall MetaStock Pro application. You use this dialog
to control the appearance of the general workspace, the location of files,
your network user name, etc.

MetaStock Professional The Workplace • 31

 Access the Application Properties dialog by choosing Options from the
Tools menu or right-click on the application's menu bar.
General Page

Restore workspace on startup. Check this box if you want

MetaStock Pro’s workspace to appear exactly as it did when you last
exited the program. This includes all charts that were open.
Display status bar. Check this box if you want the status bar
displayed (see page 27).
Enable integrated browser Check this box if you want to view web
pages requested by MetaStock in MetaStock's built-in web browser. If
you do not check this box, your default web browser will be launched
when you access a web page from within MetaStock.
Confirm deletion of objects. Check this box if you want MetaStock
Pro to prompt you to select "yes" or "no" each time you delete an object
(e.g., trendline, indicator, etc.) from a chart (see page 214).
Return to Select mode after drawing. Check this box if you want
MetaStock Pro to return to select mode (see page 207) after drawing a
line study.
Allow mixed case ticker symbols. Check this box if you want
MetaStock Pro to allow upper and lower case characters when creating
new securities or adding new symbols to the Symbol Database. Mixed
case symbols are required by some data vendors.

32 • The Workplace MetaStock Professional

 File Locations Page

The DownLoader. Type the path to The DownLoader folder. This is

usually C:\Program Files\Equis\The DownLoader (see page 58 for more
information on using The DownLoader).
OptionScope. Type the path to the OptionScope folder. This is
usually C:\Program Files\Equis\OptionScope.

Chart Options Page

MetaStock Professional The Workplace • 33

 Show All chart title bars. Check this box if you want the title bars
displayed for all charts. To control this option for individual charts, see
page 104.
Show All chart toolbars. Check this box if you want the data
toolbars displayed on all charts. To control this option for individual
charts, see page 105. Note that this box has a gray square in it if you
have removed a data toolbar from a single chart that is currently
displayed. This is just a visual reminder that checking the box will turn
on a chart's data toolbar that you have previously turned off.
Show ChartTips. Check this box if you want ChartTips to display
next to the mouse pointer. ChartTips allow you to quickly display the
values for a particular plot without invoking any special command. By
simply positioning the mouse over a plot (e.g., price bar, indicator,
moving average, etc.) and holding the mouse pointer motionless for a
second or so, a ChartTip displays, giving you information about the plot.
P&F boxes stay square. Check this box if you want P&F boxes to
stay square when plotting a point & figure chart (see page 497). Purists
to point & figure charting prefer to have exactly square X and O boxes.
However, the advantage of leaving the box unchecked is that the point &
figure charts will utilize chart space much more efficiently.
Note that if you manually scale the y-axis, this option is ignored because
it becomes impossible to keep the boxes square.
Scroll rescales y-axis. Check this box if you want the y-axis to
automatically rescale when moving through the data using a chart's scroll
bar. Checking this box will slow down the scrolling somewhat.
However, you can leave this box unchecked and manually rescale the y-
axis using the Rescale Y-Axis button on the chart toolbar (see page 86).
Ignore weekend data. Check this box if you do not want weekend
data to be displayed in your charts.
Use Smart Charts. Choose this option if you want each chart to load
its individual Smart Chart (see page 77) rather than retaining the previous
chart's information when using the Change Security commands (see page
83). You can also select this option in the Options tab of the Choose a
Security dialog (see page 84).
Use chart as template. Choose this option if you want each chart to
use the same set of indicators and styles rather than using each individual
Smart Chart when using the Change Security commands (see page 83).
You can also select this option in the Options tab of the Choose a
Security dialog (see page 84).
Keep line studies. Check this box if you want line studies to be
transferred from one chart to the next when using the Change Security
commands (see page 83).
For most circumstances, you will probably want to leave this box
unchecked, because a line study drawn on one security is rarely useful on
another security's chart (without some adjustments).

34 • The Workplace MetaStock Professional

 Note that this option is disabled if you choose the Use Smart Charts
option.
You can also select this option in the Options tab of the Choose a
Security dialog (see page 84).
Change All charts in layout. Check this box if you want to use a
layout as a multi-chart template when using the Change Security
commands (see page 83). When selected, this option causes all charts in
the layout to change to the new security when using the Next Security
command (or button on the Chart Toolbar), the Previous Security
command (or button on the Chart Toolbar), or the Choose a Security
command (or button on the Chart Toolbar). If this option is not selected,
only the active chart will be changed. You can also select this option in
the Options tab of the Choose a Security dialog (see page 84).
Show empty holidays. Check this box if you want a blank space
displayed in place of market holidays. On line plots (see page 151) this
will cause a break to appear in the line. This option is primarily used by
cycle analysts interested in maintaining equal time/space relationships on
their charts.
Show empty weekends. Check this box if you want a blank space
displayed on the chart in place of weekends. On line plots (see page 151)
this will cause a break to appear in the line. This option is primarily used
by cycle analysts interested in maintaining equal time/space relationships
on their charts.

User Info Page

MetaStock Professional The Workplace • 35

 Name. Type your name. Your name is used for multi-user network
control of shared data files (see page 541). If you change your User
Name, it does not take effect until the next time you run MetaStock Pro.
Real-time Page

Enable Real-time. Check this box if you want intraday data to flow
into MetaStock Pro from your real-time data vendor. Note that real-time
data will only flow into MetaStock Pro if your vendor's software is
properly installed and running (see your Getting Started manual for real-
time vendor information).
Enable Live Bars. Check this box if you want the current bar to reflect
the incoming real-time tick prices. If this is left unchecked, a bar will not
appear until the end of the specified intraday interval (i.e., 1-minute, 5-
minute, etc).
Recalculate Expert Live. Check this box if you would like the
experts that are attached to your intraday charts to recalculate and update
with each new tick. If left unchecked, experts will only recalculate at the
completion of each bar. A mathematically complex expert can be
demanding on your system's resources, particularly with actively traded
securities. If your system is struggling to keep up, you may want to leave
this box unchecked.
Update Commentary on. Choose when to update the expert
commentary attached to a chart—with each tick, at the completion of
each bar, or with the Refresh button only.
Maximum number of records in intraday charts. Enter the
number of bars (or ticks) that a chart can display (between 200 and
65,500). If the number of bars exceeds this number, the oldest bars will

36 • The Workplace MetaStock Professional

 automatically be removed from the chart. Note however, that no data is
actually lost, since MetaStock Pro stores all data to the security's files.
Configure Server. The Real-time Configuration dialog is used to
configure various functions of the data, files, data vendor, and servers.
For more information on this dialog see page 51.
Alerts Page

Allow e-mail alerts. Check this box to enable e-mail notifications for
Expert Advisor alerts (see page 430). This feature requires a MAPI
compatible e-mail program, such as Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft
Outlook, Eudora, etc. If you do not have a MAPI compatible e-mail
program installed on your computer, this box will be disabled.
To. Enter the e-mail address to notify when an Expert Advisor alert is
triggered (see page 430). To notify multiple e-mail addresses, create a
Address Book button mailing list in your e-mail program, then enter the mailing list in this box.
The address book from your MAPI compatible e-mail program will be
displayed when you click the Address Book button.
Allow pager alerts. Check this box to enable pager notification when
an Expert Advisor alert is triggered. You may only use a pager that can
receive data transfers. If you do not have a modem installed in your
computer, this box will be disabled.
Country code. If a country code is required to make a call from your
computer to your pager, enter the country code in this box.
Area code. Enter the area code for your pager.
Phone number. Enter the phone number for your pager.
Connect using. Select a modem from the list. Click the Configure
button to re-configure the selected modem.
Pager ID. Enter your pager ID in this box. Your pager ID is assigned to
you by your pager service provider.

MetaStock Professional The Workplace • 37

 Your location. Select the current location of your computer. Click the
Dialing Properties button to re-configure the selected location.
Online Data Vendor Page
The controls on the Online Data Vendor page of Application Properties
are explained in detail in the vendor features chapter of your Getting
Started manual. This page is available only if you chose an online
vendor during installation.

Enlarging the Space Allotted for Charts

If you want more screen space allotted for your charts, you may want to
try the Full Screen command in the View menu. Enabling Full Screen
mode increases the space allotted for charts by about 10%. It does this
by removing the application's title bar, the menu bar, and the status bar.
You can even expand the screen further by removing the toolbars with
the Toolbars command in the View menu.
The following illustration shows a maximized chart in Full Screen mode.
Notice the Close Full Screen button in the bottom right corner of the
screen.

38 • The Workplace MetaStock Professional

 Even though the menu bar is not visible in Full Screen mode, you can
still access it with the accelerator keys (ALT+F, ALT+E, ALT+V, ALT+I,
ALT+O, ALT+T, ALT+W, and ALT+H). For example, to access the Tools
menu you can press ALT+T.
Restoring the Screen to Normal View
To return the screen to normal view while in Full Screen mode, click the
Close Full Screen button that appears on the screen.

Or right-click on the empty workspace and uncheck the Full Screen

option from the Application shortcut menu.
You can also press ALT+V and uncheck Full Screen from the View menu
to return to normal view.
Using Dual Monitors with MetaStock Pro
MetaStock Pro supports dual monitor capacity. To maximize MetaStock
Pro on both monitors, choose Full Desktop from the View menu.

MetaStock Professional The Workplace • 39

Collecting Your Data

What is Data?
Before you can look at a chart, you must have data. A chart is simply a
graphical representation of price data. Price data can include Open,
High, Low, Close, Volume, and Open Interest information for a specific
time period. MetaStock Pro can use price data that is stored on your local
hard drive, or stored remotely on a computer at your data vendor.
Data that is stored remotely at your data vendor is called online data.
Online data is accessed through MetaStock Pro's DataOnDemand™
technology. You simply choose a symbol from the online data vendor
shortcut, or if you already have a chart open, just type the symbol. The
data flows instantly to your chart from your data vendor, usually through
the Internet.
Data that is stored on your hard drive is called local data. To view local
data, you must first create a security file, then collect the data through
real-time collection with MetaStock Professional or end-of-day collection
with The DownLoader.

MetaStock Professional Collecting Your Data • 41

Intraday data is based DataOnDemand allows you to display a chart of intraday or end-of-day
on trades as they occur data that is stored in a database on a remote computer. This information
throughout the day. can be temporarily stored on your hard drive, but the main storage location
End-of-day data is based is the remote computer at your data vendor.
on the high, low, open, Real-time data collection with MetaStock Professional allows you to view
close, and volume for an intraday data that is collected and stored locally on your hard drive as the
entire trading day. trades occur.
End-of-day data collection with The DownLoader allows you to display a
chart of end-of day data that is downloaded and stored locally on your
hard drive.
The goal of each of these processes is the same  to retrieve data that
can be displayed as a chart in MetaStock Pro. For more information on
collecting data from your data vendor, see your Getting Started manual.

DataOnDemand™
Online data is end-of-day or intraday data that is stored on a remote
computer. You access online data through MetaStock Pro's
DataOnDemand technology by simply choosing the symbol from the
Open dialog, or by typing the symbol if you already have a chart
displayed. MetaStock Pro then requests data for that security from your
data vendor. The data is temporarily held in your computer's memory
while you have the chart displayed. Online data can be stored in an
online cache folder, much like a web browser saves web pages, for quick
retrieval. See your Getting Started manual for online cache information
specific to your data vendor.

Managing Online Securities

Because your data is stored remotely on a computer at your data vendor,
you will not need to create securities or perform any file or data
maintenance. If you choose to store the data temporarily on your hard
drive in the online cache, you may use that data with The Explorer or
view the data in a datasheet in The DownLoader. If there is an error in
the data, or a split occurs after you have stored the data in your online
cache, you can re-collect the data from your vendor by choosing Refresh
Data from the View menu while you have the chart displayed.

The DataOnDemand Collection Process

DataOnDemand occurs entirely behind the scenes. You just tell
MetaStock Pro what chart you want to display. MetaStock Pro will get
the data from your online vendor and display the chart on your screen.
Your chart will then be updated as the trades occur.
If you have previously opened a chart for a security, MetaStock Pro will
first check for data stored in your online cache folder for that security,

42 • Collecting Your Data MetaStock Professional

 then retrieve any additional data to fill in to the current period from your
data vendor. The data is then displayed in your chart.

Important Facts About DataOnDemand

• With DataOnDemand, you have the entire database of securities
supported by the vendor available to you instantly. You simply type
a symbol and the data appears.
• DataOnDemand is the quickest way to view a chart!
• DataOnDemand is only available while you are connected to your
data vendor. If your connection is interrupted, or not available, you
will not be able to display up-to-date charts.
• Running explorations on online data is extremely slow. If you plan
to run explorations regularly, you should consider using local data
instead.
• Each time you open a new online security after your cache has
reached its limit, the oldest security will be removed from the cache,
and the newly requested security will be added.
• Data in the online cache can be merged with local data files to create
permanent securities on your hard drive. See the DownLoader
User's Manual for information on the Merge function.
• Because the data is primarily stored on a remote computer at your
data vendor, you do not need a large amount of hard drive space for
storing data.
• If any changes are made to the data by the vendor, a split occurs for
example, you can quickly update the data in your online cache by
choosing Refresh from the View menu or clicking the Refresh button
Refresh button on the Chart Toolbar while you have the chart displayed. You will
not need to edit the data in the datasheet or use any of the other file
and data maintenance features in The DownLoader.

Collecting Local Real-time Data

Local real-time data is intraday data that is collected and stored on your
computer as the trades occur. Before you can store local data, you must
create security files for the data to be stored in. You are limited to
viewing the charts for the securities you have created. If you enter a
symbol in the Choose a Security dialog that does not have a security file
created, you will be prompted to create a security file for it. The chart
will then be displayed and the data will be stored.

Creating Real-time Securities

Real-time securities are stored locally on your hard drive. Once the
securities have been created, they remain on your hard drive until you
delete them. You are limited only by the size of your hard drive. Each

MetaStock Professional Collecting Your Data • 43

 local data folder can contain up to 6,000 securities, and you can have an
unlimited number of folders. The MetaStock File Server updates the data
in your real-time security files. As long as the File Server is running,
your charts will be updated, even if MetaStock Pro has been shut down.
See page 51 for more information on the real-time collection process.
To create securities for real-time data collection, choose New, then
Security from the File menu in MetaStock Pro. You may also do this in
The DownLoader.

The New Security dialog also appears if you begin typing the name or
ticker symbol of a security that does not already exist. As you type, the
Choose a Security dialog appears (see page 84). If the active chart
contains local data, and the security or ticker symbol is not found within
the Choose a Security dialog, the New Security dialog will appear,
allowing you to create a new security. After specifying the parameters in
the New Security dialog, click the OK button. If the periodicity is set for
intraday and MetaStock Pro is in real-time mode, the chart for the new
security will open and begin to collect data.
Folder. Type (or use the Browse button to select) the folder that will
contain the new security file. See page 50 for information on creating
new folders.
Name. Type the name of the security. If you use the Symbol Database
(see page 46), the name and symbol will automatically be filled in.
Symbol. Type the ticker symbol for the security. Click the Look-up
button for help with ticker symbols.
First Date. This field is disabled when you choose Intraday as the
Periodicity.
Periodicity. Choose Intraday to maintain intraday price data (e.g., tick,
5-minute, hourly, etc.).
Units. Choose the unit format in which you would like the price data to
be displayed. For example, if you choose "1/8," the portion of the price
to the right of the decimal will be displayed in eighths. Only the
numerator is shown; the denominator is dropped (e.g., 25 3/8 is displayed
as 25 ^3). If you choose "decimal" (the default), the portion of the price

44 • Collecting Your Data MetaStock Professional

 to the right of the decimal will be displayed in decimal format (e.g.,
25.375, 45.25, etc.).
Opening Prices/Open Interest. To track the Opening Prices or
Open Interest, select these boxes.
Open interest is available with most futures and options contracts.
Interval. Choose the interval from the drop-list. The interval specifies
how often to update real-time charts. For example, choosing "5" causes
MetaStock Professional to update the security with 5-minute bars. Once
the interval has been chosen for a security, it cannot be changed.
A 5-minute bar labeled on a chart at 11:15 includes the first tick of
11:10:00 through the last tick of 11:14:59. Similarly, a 1-minute bar
includes all ticks from 11:14:00 to 11:14:59.
This option is only available when Intraday has been chosen as the
Periodicity.
Start/End Times. Specify the time to begin and end collecting intraday
data. Start and End times are required so that MetaStock Pro knows
when to store data. They are normally set to correspond with the times
the market opens and closes. Enter the Start and End times from your
local time zone. If you want after-market ticks to be included in the last
bar, see page 52 for the "Last bar lag time" option.
Browse. Click the Browse button to select the data folder where the
new security will be created. The folder you select appears in the Folder
edit box.
Look-up. Use the Look-up button to display the Symbol Database,
which is used to quickly fill in the Name and Symbol fields with the
desired security. See page 46 for more information on using the Symbol
Database.
Create. Choose the Create button to repeatedly create multiple
securities without leaving the dialog. When you’re done creating
Create Button securities, click the Cancel button.
To create new local intraday securities
1. Choose New from the File menu. Choose Security.
2. Complete the security attribute information in the New Security
dialog. If you do not know the ticker symbol, click the Look-up
button. See page 46 for more information on using the Symbol
Database.
If the security you are creating is intraday and you are running in real-
time mode, the chart will immediately appear once you click the New
Security dialog's OK button. The new security will be created in the
specified data folder.

MetaStock Professional Collecting Your Data • 45

 Using the Symbol Database to Create Securities
The Symbol Database provides you with instant access to ticker symbol
information on over 15,000 stocks and about 7,200 mutual funds, for all
major US exchanges. In addition, futures, indices (both U.S. and
international), market indicators, and Canadian stocks that are symbol-
compatible with Reuters DataLink data service are available. The
Database is used to place the name and ticker symbol of the selected
security in the New Security dialog.
It can also be used to quickly create multiple security files at once. The
number of securities selected (i.e., highlighted) in the Symbol Database is
displayed on the status bar at the bottom of the application window.

Type. Use the Type drop list to choose the type of security to list (i.e.,
stocks, futures, etc.).
Group. Use the Group drop-list to control which securities are listed in
the dialog. The contents of the drop-list are dependent on your selection
in the Type box.
If you are searching for a specific security and you're not sure which
exchange grouping the security belongs to, you should select the "All"
group to list all securities.
You can also choose from several specialized groups (i.e., S&P 100
stocks, NYSE stocks, etc.). The group called "optionable stocks" lists all
stocks on which options are traded.
Search. Use this box to search the list for the specified name or symbol.
Select All. Click this button to quickly select all securities listed.
Deselect All. Click this button to quickly deselect all securities.
New Symbol. Click this button to add a new symbol to the database.

46 • Collecting Your Data MetaStock Professional

 Delete Symbol. Click this button to delete the selected symbol from
the database.
Edit Symbol. Click this button to edit the properties of the selected
symbol.
Creating Multiple Securities with the Symbol Database
Instead of you having to create each security file individually, the
Symbol Database dialog allows you to search for and select multiple files
to create at once. The number of securities selected (i.e., highlighted) in
the Symbol Database is displayed on the status bar at the bottom of the
application window.
You can even create special groupings of stocks, such as the Dow 30
stocks, S&P 100 stocks, all optionable stocks, etc.
To create multiple securities using the Symbol Database
1. Choose New from the File menu. Choose Security.
2. Click the Look-up button. The Symbol Database dialog will appear.
3. Choose the Type and Group to specify the securities listed.

Note that you can restrict the list and select individual securities by
typing specific names or symbols in the Search box. Simply
separate them with a semi-colon (e.g. MSFT;IBM;AAPL;NSCP).

You can also separate the names or symbols with a comma to find
everything beginning with a certain letter (e.g. A,B,C will show
every security beginning with an A, a B, and a C).
4. Click the Select All button to quickly select all securities generated
by the search. To select a continuous group of securities, click on
the first item, then hold down the SHIFT key as you click on the last
item. All items between the first and last items will be selected. To
select multiple individual securities, hold down the CTRL key as
you click on each one.
5. Click the OK button. The New Security dialog will appear with the
text "(MULTIPLE)" in the Name, Symbol, and Units fields. The
Start and End times will be blank.

6. Verify that the remaining attributes in the New Security dialog are
set correctly.

MetaStock Professional Collecting Your Data • 47

 7. Click the OK button in the New Security dialog to create the
selected securities.
Creating Futures Contracts with the Symbol Database
If you use the Reuters DataLink or DBC Signal data services to collect
your end-of-day data, you can use the Symbol Database dialog to create
indices and futures (in addition to stocks and mutual funds).
If you select a Futures symbol from the Symbol Database dialog, the
Futures Contracts dialog is displayed. You use this dialog to specify
which contracts to create.
Use the Contracts page to control the type and date range for the
contracts.

Specific contracts. Choose this box to create all contracts for the
selected futures between the specified start month and end month. If you
only need to create the contracts for one month, then specify the same
month for the start and end months.
Continuous contracts (Reuters DataLink only). Choose this box
to create a continuous contract for all the selected futures contracts. A
continuous contract is a special contract that automatically rolls to the
next contract when the current contract expires, thereby making it
"continuous."
Type. Choose the type of continuous contract. Note that the "time-
weighted average" returns an average of the nearby contract and the
contract with a delivery month closest to 90 days into the future.
Cash prices (DBC only). Choose this box to create cash/spot symbols
for all the selected futures.
Use the Other page to control the future contract volume option.

48 • Collecting Your Data MetaStock Professional

 Use volume from all contracts (Reuters DataLink only). Choose
this box if you want the volume for all contracts to be stored. Even if
you choose a specific contract month, checking this box will cause the
volume to reflect the total volume for all contract months.

Updating the Symbol Database

The list of symbols is updated monthly on the Equis International web
site at www.equis.com in the Files section of the Customer Support area.
You may update this list automatically by choosing Update Symbol
Database from the Tools menu in either MetaStock Pro or The
DownLoader.
Modifying the Symbol Database
The symbols and information included in the Symbol Database can be
adjusted. To edit information for a specific symbol, select the symbol,
then choose Edit Symbol from the Symbol Database dialog. To delete a
symbol, select the symbol, then choose Delete Symbol from the Symbol
Database dialog. To add a symbol, choose New Symbol from the
Symbol Database dialog, or choose New symbol from the Tools menu in
the Open dialog.
Creating Custom Symbol Lists for the Symbol Database
The Symbol Database includes nearly all U.S. and Canadian stocks and
mutual funds. However, if you follow securities that do not have a
universally accepted symbol format, like futures, indices, or international
securities, the symbols you need may not be included in the Symbol
Database. To accommodate these types of symbols, you can create your
own groups of symbols for use inside the Symbol Database dialog by
creating an ASCII file with a “SYM” extension. For detailed instructions
on creating these groups, refer to The DownLoader User’s Manual or
Help file.

MetaStock Professional Collecting Your Data • 49

 Creating Data Folders for Your Security Files
MetaStock security files are stored in folders on your hard disk. You can
store up to 6,000 securities in a folder, and can create an unlimited
number of folders.
To create folders for your security files
1. Choose New from the File menu. Choose Security.
2. Type the name of the new folder to create in the Folder box (e.g.,
c:\MetaStockData\stocks).
3. Fill out the remaining information in the New Security dialog. Note
that you must also add a security at this time so that the folder will
have a reason for being created. Choose OK.
4. Choose Yes when asked if you want to create the folder.

Maintaining Local Securities

All file and data maintenance functions for local data are found in The
DownLoader. The DownLoader is a separate program provided with
MetaStock Pro.
You can run The DownLoader using the Windows Start command by
going to the Equis International folder and choosing The DownLoader.
The DownLoader icon You also can run The DownLoader directly from within MetaStock Pro by
choosing The DownLoader from the Tools menu.
There are many unique functions that The DownLoader can perform:
• You can create and edit local MetaStock security files using The
DownLoader's datasheets.
• You can convert security files from one format to another.
• You can test the integrity of your security files.
• You can sort securities or the securities' data.
• You can merge securities.
• You can delete securities or a range of data within the files.
• You can copy and move your securities from one folder to another.
The folder where The DownLoader program is located is specified in the
Application Properties dialog (see page 33). This specified folder must
be correct in order for The DownLoader to run successfully from within
MetaStock Pro.
You can quickly access the data for an open chart by right-clicking on the
price plot and choosing Edit Data from the shortcut menu. The security's
datasheet will open in The DownLoader where you can make the desired
changes.

50 • Collecting Your Data MetaStock Professional

 To edit local securities
1. Right click on the price bar that needs to be edited.
2. Choose Edit Data from the shortcut menu.
3. Enter the desired changes.
4. Choose Save from the File menu.
If a chart for a security is open, any change made in The DownLoader to
that security's attributes (e.g., name, ticker, units, etc.) will not be
immediately reflected in the open chart. The chart must be closed and
then reopened to reflect the changes. However, changes made to the
pricing data itself (i.e., date, open, high, low, close, etc.) will be
immediately reflected in the open chart.

The Real-time Collection Process

Real-time data collection is handled by the MetaStock File Server and the
Equis Data Server. The MetaStock File Server controls the data being
stored into your local security files, while the Equis Data Server actually
collects the data from your data vendor.
When a new local intraday security is created and the chart opened, a
request for data is sent to the Equis Data Server. As the data is received
by the Equis Data Server, it is passed to the MetaStock File Server to be
stored, and to MetaStock Pro to be displayed (if the chart is open).
When a chart of an existing local security is opened, the File Server
retrieves the data already stored in the security file, then the Data Server
requests new data from the data vendor.

Real-time Configuration
The Real-time Configuration dialog is used to configure various
functions of the data, files, data vendor, and servers. Note that many of

MetaStock Professional Collecting Your Data • 51

 the configuration settings will not take effect until the Data Server and
the File Server are restarted.

The Real-time Configuration dialog is accessed by clicking the Configure

Equis Real-time
Server button on the Real-time page in the Application Properties dialog
Configuration button
(see page 36), or by choosing the Equis Real-time Configuration
application from the Equis International folder in the Windows Start menu.

Data Options
The Data Options page is used to adjust settings for data retrieved from
the Equis Data Server.

Last bar lag time (minutes). This adjusts the lag time for the last bar
of the day for all intraday securities. Normally, the last bar for the day
terminates exactly at the specified end trade time (see page 43). If a lag
time is in effect, the last bar will include any “late trades” beyond the
ending trade time. For example, if a 5-minute security has an ending
trade time at 16:00, the last bar will normally end at 16:00. If a 3-minute
lag time is in effect, the last bar will still be time stamped with 16:00, but
it will also contain any ticks that arrived through 16:03.
If the lag time goes beyond the start time for the next trading session, the
last bar will be terminated at the start time of the next session.
Any change to this setting takes effect immediately and does not require
restarting the Equis Data Server.
Generate bars for intervals with no trades. If this box is checked,
"flat" bars will be displayed for time intervals during which there are no
trades. The last closing price will be used to generate these bars.

52 • Collecting Your Data MetaStock Professional

 Replace vendor trade volume with calculated change in total
volume. Check this box to display volume as the change in volume
since the previously reported trade. If unchecked, the volume displayed
is the volume as reported by the data vendor for the current trade.
Warn if unusual time change. If this box is checked, the Data
Server will display a warning message on the screen if a large time
change is detected in the data stream from the data vendor.
This warning does not necessarily indicate a problem. It may appear
when the system automatically adjusts the system time according to
Daylight Savings Time.
If the data vendor does not supply its own time (i.e., the computer system
time is used), or if the "Replace vendor supplied time with computer
system time" checkbox is checked, this warning may occur if you
manually change the system time while the server is running.
A time change in the data stream should not cause any significant
problems with the Data Server, but the time stamps of the records
produced may be unusual.
Replace vendor supplied time with computer system time. If
this box is checked, the Data Server will stamp all records with the
computer system time rather than using the time provided by the vendor.
Note that if the vendor does not supply time, the computer system time is
automatically used and this box will have no effect.
Adjust data record time (hours). This control allows you to adjust
all time stamps on all records by a specified number of hours. This
adjustment is applied to all records regardless of whether the times are
supplied by the data vendor or the computer system time is used. Note
that this does not affect historical records stored in your data files.
File Updates
The File Updates page controls the folders where the MetaStock File
Server is maintaining local real-time data.

MetaStock Professional Collecting Your Data • 53

 Folders with MetaStock intraday data. This list box shows all
folders that the MetaStock File Server is currently maintaining. All
intraday data files in these folders will be updated with data while the
File Server application is running.
The Add button allows you to add a new folder to the list. If the File
Server is running, it will automatically start updating the intraday files
contained in the new folder. If the File Server is not currently running, it
will begin updating the files in the folder when the application is started.
The Remove button allows you to remove a folder from the list. If the
File Server is running, it will automatically stop updating all intraday
securities contained in the removed folder.
While it is possible to add and remove these folders when the File Server
is running, it is not suggested that this be done on a regular basis. The
CPU time required by the File Server to add and remove a folder “on the
fly” is significant.
Do not attempt to access a real-time data folder that is in use by another
MetaStock Pro user (i.e., a shared folder on a network). If you do, the
other user will lose "write" privileges to the folder.
Max # of records to store in intraday files. The maximum number
of records that MetaStock Pro can write to an intraday file is 65,500. The
minimum value for this option is 5,000. If you need to conserve hard
disk space or if the performance of your datasheets is poor, then you may
want to lower this value. If during normal operation, this maximum
value is reached, MetaStock Pro removes 10% of the oldest records to
make space for the new records.
Data Vendor
This page allows you to change settings for the real-time data vendor.

54 • Collecting Your Data MetaStock Professional

 The name of your data vendor appears at the top of the dialog.
Vendor DLL Folder. All communications with a data vendor take
place through the use of a special file called a DLL. Each vendor has a
unique DLL to implement the data collection.
This control specifies where the vendor DLL is located. Normally, this
setting is initialized during program installation and should not be
changed.
Configure Vendor. If the data vendor allows access to their
configuration, this button will be enabled. If you click on this button, a
dialog will appear that allows you to configure specific settings within
the data vendor's application itself. If the vendor does not allow access to
their applications directly, this button will be disabled.
Server Options
This page allows you to change options for the Equis Data Server and
MetaStock File Server applications.

MetaStock Professional Collecting Your Data • 55

 The following are the Equis Data Server controls:
Minimize main window. If this box is checked, the Equis Data Server
application will run in a minimized state (i.e., the main window of the
application will not appear on the desktop).
Terminate if no clients attached. If this box is checked, the Equis
Data Server application will automatically shut itself down when it
detects that there are no client applications (i.e., MetaStock Pro, File
Server, etc.) currently attached. This frees system resources for other
applications.
Normal Priority / High Priority. The Equis Data Server application is
a multi-threaded application that runs in the background. These radio
buttons allow you to change the priority of this background operation.
Normally, the Data Server should run at a high priority. This ensures that
the application has as much CPU time as possible to keep up with the
real-time data flow from the vendor.
This setting may be changed to "normal" if other applications seem to be
unresponsive and if there is not a high volume of real-time data being
processed. However, a "normal" priority setting can hinder the ability of
the Data Server to keep up with the real-time data flow.
The following are the MetaStock File Server controls:
Minimize main window. If this box is checked, the MetaStock File
Server application will run in a minimized state (i.e., the main window of
the application will not appear on the desktop).
Normal Priority / High Priority. The MetaStock File Server
application is a multi-threaded application that runs in the background.
These radio buttons allow you to change the priority of this background
operation. Normally, the File Server should run at a high priority. This

56 • Collecting Your Data MetaStock Professional

 ensures that the application has as much CPU time as possible to keep up
with the real-time data flow and to maintain the local intraday data files.
This setting may be changed to "normal" if other applications seem to be
unresponsive and if there is not a high volume of real-time data being
processed. A "normal" priority setting can hinder the ability of the File
Server to keep up with the real-time data flow.
Things to Know about the Equis Servers
You should not be concerned with the operation of the Equis Data Server
and File Server applications. In fact, you may never even need to see
them. These programs do the "behind the scenes" work.
MetaStock File If you prefer that the taskbar not show the buttons for the Data Server and
Server File Server, right-click on the buttons and choose Minimize. Once
minimized, you can click on their icons on the right side of the taskbar to
Equis Data Server switch back.
The majority of the options in the menus of the Equis Data Server and
File Server are standard controls and need no explanation. However, the
following provides a brief explanation of a few options in the View
menu that do require additional explanation.
If you exit MetaStock Pro while the File Server is collecting data, a
message box appears asking if you want to shut down the File Server. To
continue to collect real-time data after shutting down MetaStock Pro,
click No. Once the File Server has been closed, the Data Server will shut
down also.
Performance Statistics
The Statistics dialogs of the Data Server and File Server are accessed by
Performance choosing Performance Statistics from the View menu or clicking the
Statistics button Performance Statistics button on the toolbar.
The Performance pages of the File Server's and Data Server's Statistics
dialog provide feedback on the efficiency of the flow of real-time data.
The Efficiency area at the bottom of the Statistics page is worth noting.
It shows the current and minimum amount of idle time. If these values
get too low, warnings may start popping up on your screen complaining
about MetaStock Pro's inability to keep up. To remedy this, you may
need to reduce the number of real-time securities you follow, or upgrade
your computer's resources (i.e., RAM, CPU, hard disk).
Cache
The Cache page of the File Server Statistics dialog shows the total real-
time securities being processed, the current cache size (in RAM), and the
amount of this cache being used.
The cache temporarily holds the real-time data as it waits to be sent to the
appropriate data files. The cache size will automatically
increase/decrease (up to 2 meg) as needed to accommodate the flow of
real-time data.

MetaStock Professional Collecting Your Data • 57

 Controlling the Message Levels
As the Data Server and File Server process the incoming real-time data, a
running log of informative messages is maintained in the window. To
control the amount of detail to display, choose from one of three options
in the View menu: Critical Messages Only, Standard and Critical
Messages (default), Diagnostic, Standard, and Critical Messages.

Important Facts About Real-time Data

• Real-time data collection provides data as the trades occur. You do
not need to wait until the end of the day to get your data. For active
day-traders, this is a necessity.
• Intraday data collected through real-time data collection is stored
locally on your hard drive. The data can require a significant amount
of hard drive space, depending on how many securities you are
following and what periodicity you prefer. You will need more
room on your hard drive for data if you prefer tick data over hourly
data, for example.
• Because local intraday data is stored on your computer, it can be
used for your analysis anytime you need it. For example, you can
collect prices all day, take your laptop with you when you leave the
office, and do your analysis after market hours.
• You can also use local intraday data in other software that is OLE
compatible (see page 9).
• MetaStock Pro cannot collect history for local intraday securities.
Your history begins when you first create the security file. To view
historical intraday data, use DataOnDemand (see page 42).

End-of-day Data Collection with The DownLoader

Downloaded data is stored locally on your hard drive. You must create
security files and download data before opening a chart. Once the data
has been collected, it can be used with any of MetaStock Pro's advanced
analysis tools. The DownLoader is used to collect data from one of
several end-of-day data vendors, and for more comprehensive data
maintenance such as editing, merging, deleting, and sorting security files.

Creating Local End-of-day Securities

Security files are created using the New Security dialog. You can do this
in either MetaStock Pro or The DownLoader. The New Security dialog
is accessed by choosing New from the File menu, then Security.

58 • Collecting Your Data MetaStock Professional

 The New Security dialog also appears if you begin typing the name or
ticker symbol of a security that does not already exist. As you type, the
Choose a Security dialog appears (see page 84). If the active chart
contains local data, and the security or ticker symbol is not found within
the Choose a Security dialog, the New Security dialog will appear,
allowing you to create a new security. After specifying the parameters in
the New Security dialog, click the OK button. You will then need to
download the data for that security using The DownLoader.
Folder. Type (or use the Browse button to select) the folder that will
contain the new security file. See page 49 for information on creating
new folders.
Name. Type the name of the security. If you use the Symbol Database
(see page 46), the name and symbol will automatically be filled in.
Symbol. Type the ticker symbol for the security. Click the Look-up
button for help with ticker symbols.
First Date. Enter the first date for which you want to collect data. Note
that you can enter the year using two or four digits (i.e., 98 or 1998).
You will specify the Last Date to collect at the time of data collection.
Units. Choose the unit format in which you would like the price data to
be displayed. For example, if you choose "1/8," the portion of the price
to the right of the decimal will be displayed in eighths. Only the
numerator is shown; the denominator is dropped (e.g., 25 3/8 is displayed
as 25 ^3). If you choose "decimal" (the default), the portion of the price
to the right of the decimal will be displayed in decimal format (e.g.,
25.375, 45.25, etc.).
Opening Prices/Open Interest. To track the Opening Prices or
Open Interest, select these boxes.
Open interest is available with most futures and option contracts.
Browse. Click the Browse button to select the data folder where the
new security will be created. The folder you select appears in the Folder
edit box.
Look-up. Use the Look-up button to display the Symbol Database
which is used to quickly fill in the Name and Symbol fields with the

MetaStock Professional Collecting Your Data • 59

 desired security. See page 46 for more information on using the Symbol
Database.
Periodicity. Choose the desired periodicity for the security. Choose
Daily if you want to maintain price data for each day that the security
trades. Choose Weekly if you want to maintain price data for the security
on a weekly basis (Friday to Friday). Choose Monthly if you want to
maintain price data for the security on a monthly basis (month-end to
month-end). (See page 43 for information on adding intraday securities.)
Create. Choose the Create button to repeatedly create multiple securities
without leaving the dialog. When you’re finished creating securities, click
Create Button
the Cancel button.
To create new local end-of-day securities
1. Choose New from the File menu. Choose Security.
2. Complete the security attribute information in the New Security
dialog. If you do not know the ticker symbol, click the Look-up
button. See page 46 for more information on using the Symbol
Database.
3. Collect data for this security by choosing Download Prices from the
Tools menu in The DownLoader.

Maintaining Local Securities with The DownLoader

All file and data maintenance functions are found in The DownLoader.
The DownLoader is a separate program provided with MetaStock Pro.
You can run The DownLoader using the Windows Start command by
going to the Equis International folder and choosing The DownLoader.
The DownLoader icon You also can run The DownLoader directly from within MetaStock Pro by
choosing The DownLoader from the Tools menu.
There are many unique functions that The DownLoader can perform:
• You can create and edit MetaStock security files using The
DownLoader's datasheets.
• You can update your local end-of-day security files from an end-of-
day data vendor (e.g., CompuServe, Dial/Data, Reuters DataLink,
Telescan, etc.).
• You can convert security files from one format to another.
• You can test the integrity of your security files.
• You can sort securities or the securities' data.
• You can merge securities.
• You can delete securities or a range of data within the files.
• You can copy and move your securities from one folder to another.
The folder where The DownLoader program is located is specified in the
Application Properties dialog (see page 33). This specified folder must

60 • Collecting Your Data MetaStock Professional

 be correct in order for The DownLoader to run successfully from within
MetaStock Pro.
You can quickly access the data for an open chart by right-clicking on the
price plot and choosing Edit Data from the shortcut menu. The security's
datasheet will open in The DownLoader where you can make the desired
changes.

To edit end-of-day securities

1. Right click on the price bar that needs to be edited.
2. Choose Edit Data from the shortcut menu.
3. Enter the desired changes.
4. Choose Save from the File menu.
If a chart for a security is open, any change made in The DownLoader to
that security's attributes (e.g., name, ticker, units, etc.) will not be
immediately reflected in the open chart. The chart must be closed and
then reopened to reflect the changes. However, changes made to the
pricing data itself (i.e., date, open, high, low, close, etc.) will be
immediately reflected in the open chart.

The DownLoader's Collection Process

You use The DownLoader to collect data for end-of-day local securities.
To connect to your end-of-day data vendor, choose Download Prices from
the Tools menu in The DownLoader. See The DownLoader User's
Manual or Help file for more information.

Important Facts About Downloading

• The DownLoader can collect only end-of-day data. End-of-day data
includes Daily, Weekly, and Monthly prices.

MetaStock Professional Collecting Your Data • 61

 • The data for the current trading day is not available until after the
market closes.
• All of the data is stored on your local hard drive, which takes up a
significant amount of space.
• You only have to be connected to your vendor for downloading for a
short amount of time.

62 • Collecting Your Data MetaStock Professional

Chart Concepts

Managing Your Charting

MetaStock Pro provides three ways to manage your charting using
charts, Smart Charts™, and layouts. All three file types are managed
from one central location, the File menu.

Charts
A "chart" is a graphical representation of a security in a single window.
A chart can contain price plots, indicators, line studies, text, etc. in one or
multiple inner windows. You can create a chart by choosing New Chart
from the File menu. To save a chart, choose Save As from the File menu,
then provide a unique file name using the *.mwc extension.
For more information on charts, see page 77.

Smart Charts
A “Smart Chart” is a chart that is saved with the security name. You do
not need to provide a file name. The changes are saved automatically
when you close the Smart Chart. To open a Smart Chart, choose Open
from the File menu. The first time you open a Smart Chart, a special
template is used, called DEFAULT.MWT (see page 102), to display the
price information.

Layouts
A "layout" is a graphical representation of one or multiple securities in
one or multiple windows. A layout can contain price plots, line studies,
text, etc.
With a layout, you can group charts of the same or different securities
into one manageable unit. For example, perhaps you'd like to see charts
of all of your computer stocks on the screen  not just today, but every
day. You could load them all, display them as you'd like, and then save
them in a layout for later use using an *.mwl extension. Or maybe you
always like to display Corn and Wheat charts with a 14-day Stochastic,
9-day RSI, and 10-day moving average. Again, use a layout.
For more information on layouts, see page 89.

MetaStock Professional Chart Concepts • 63

Opening, Closing and Saving (General)
This section explains the controls in the common Windows dialogs used
to open, close, and save files. These commands are found in the File
menu.

New Chart
The New dialog is used to create a new chart. Choose New from the File
menu, then choose Chart.

64 • Chart Concepts MetaStock Professional

 History. Choose the History shortcut from the Shortcut Bar to create a
new chart for a security you have recently accessed. You can adjust the
size of the history by choosing Limit History Items from the Open
dialog's Tools menu.
Local Data. Choose the Local Data shortcut from the Shortcut Bar to
create a new chart for a security located on a local disk drive. The local
data folder from which you last viewed a security is displayed.
Favorites. Choose the Favorites shortcut from the Shortcut Bar to
create a new chart for one of your pre-defined favorite securities. To add
an item to Favorites, choose Add to Favorites from the Open dialog's
Tools menu.
<Online Data Vendor>. If you are using an online data vendor, you
may select from a list of securities available from your vendor by
choosing this shortcut from the Shortcut Bar.
Look in. Use this drop-list to select the folder that contains the security
for which you want to create a chart. Traverse the folders until the
desired folder is listed.
Security / Symbol. The security you select from the list appears in this
box. This is the security for which a new chart will be created. You can
select multiple securities by holding down the SHIFT or CTRL key as you
make your selections. A new chart will be created for each selected
security. See page 68 for information on filtering securities in the New
dialog.
Files of type. This is disabled since charts are always saved with a
*.mwc extension.
Periodicity. Choose the desired periodicity from the drop list. (Only
available when creating a chart for an online security.)

MetaStock Professional Chart Concepts • 65

 File Description. Enter a description of the new chart.
For more information on creating charts, see page 78. For more
information on the Shortcut Bar and menus found in the New dialog, see
page 70.

66 • Chart Concepts MetaStock Professional

 Open Dialog
The Open dialog is used to open Smart Charts, existing charts, and
layouts. Choose Open from the File menu.

History. Choose the History shortcut from the Shortcut Bar to select
from the list of securities you have most recently accessed. You can
adjust the size of the history by choosing Limit History Items from the
Tools menu.
Local Data. Choose the Local Data shortcut from the Shortcut Bar to
open an existing Smart Chart located on a local disk drive. The local data
folder from which you last viewed a security is displayed.
Favorites. Choose the Favorites shortcut from the Shortcut Bar to
choose from your list of pre-defined favorite securities, charts, and
layouts. To add an item to Favorites, choose Add to Favorites from the
Tools menu.
<Online Data Vendor>. If you are using an online data vendor, you
may select from a list of securities available from your vendor by
choosing this shortcut from the Shortcut Bar.
Look in. Use the drop-list to select the folder that contains the desired
Smart Chart, chart, or layout. Traverse the folders until the desired folder
is listed.
Security / Symbol / File Name. The chart or layout you select from
the underlying list appears in this box. This is the chart or layout that
will be opened. You can select multiple charts or layouts to open by
holding down the SHIFT or CTRL key as you make your selections. See
page 68 for information on filtering securities in the Open dialog.
Files of type. Choose the type of files (i.e., Smart Charts, charts, or
layouts) you want to display in the list. The last folder you opened that
type of file from will be displayed.

MetaStock Professional Chart Concepts • 67

 Periodicity. Choose the desired periodicity from the drop list. This
option is available only when opening an online security.

File Description. Enter a description of the chart or layout.

For more information on displaying existing charts, see page 79. For
more information on displaying existing layouts, see page 91. For more
information on the Shortcut Bar and menus found in the Open dialog, see
page 70.
Filtering Securities in the Open and New Dialogs
To filter online securities displayed in the Open and New dialogs, begin
typing the name or symbol in the Security name / Symbol box. As you
type, the list is filtered.
To filter local securities displayed in the Open and New dialogs type the
security name or part of a security name in the Security box and press the
ENTER key. The wildcard characters * and ? can be used as shown below.
B* Securities that begin with the letter "B" are displayed.
*B Securities that end with the letter "B" are displayed.
B? Securities that begin with the letter "B" and are followed by only one
other character are displayed.
To reset the list to display all securities, delete all characters in the
Security box and press the ENTER key.

Close and Close All Commands

Choose the Close command from the File menu to close the selected
chart or layout. Choose the Close All command from the File menu to
close all open charts and layouts. If any changes were made to the chart
or layout, you will be asked if you want to save the changes.
You can also close a chart by double-clicking the system box at the top
left corner of the chart.

68 • Chart Concepts MetaStock Professional

 For information on saving charts, see page 81. For information on saving
layouts, see page 95.

Save Command
The Save command is used to save charts and layouts. When you open a
chart or layout, MetaStock Pro copies it from your disk to the screen.
Changes made to charts are temporarily stored in memory until you save
them to the disk.
Choose Save from the File menu. If the selected chart or layout is
unnamed, the Save As dialog will appear, prompting you to provide a
name. We recommend that you use the Save command when you are in
the middle of making extensive changes so that you avoid losing your
work due to power outages or other unplanned events.
For more information on saving charts, see page 81. For more
information on saving layouts, see page 95.

Save Dialog
The Save dialog is used to save a chart, layout, or template to a file name
that you provide. Choose Save As from the File menu. If you attempt to
close a chart or layout that you have made changes to, MetaStock Pro
will automatically ask you if you want to save the chart.
For information on saving a chart as an Internet HTML file, see page 228.

MetaStock Professional Chart Concepts • 69

 Save in. Use the drop-list to select the folder where the file should be
saved. If you have selected Smart Chart from the Save As Type list, the
tree is disabled and the chart is automatically saved with the security data
file.
File Name. Type the name you want to assign to the file. The name of
the selected chart, layout, or template is displayed in the File Name box.
You can save it to its existing path and name or you can specify a new
one. Charts are given a *.mwc file extension, layouts *.mwl, and
templates *.mwt. If you have selected Smart Chart from the Save As
Type list, the File Name box is disabled since Smart Charts are
automatically assigned a name.
File Description. Enter a description of the file.
Save As Type. Choose the type of file you want to save. Choose Chart
if you want to save the selected chart to a file name. Choose Template if
you want to save a template based on the selected chart's contents.
Choose Smart Chart if you want to save the selected chart as this
security’s Smart Chart.
To save charts as a layout, first use the New Layout command in the File
menu (see page 90). To save a chart as an Internet HTML file, see page
228.
See page 78 for information on creating a new chart. See page 101 for
more information on saving templates. For more information on the
Shortcut Bar and menus found in the Save dialog, see page 70.

Save All Command

You use the Save All command to save all open charts and layouts to
their existing file names. If a chart or layout is unnamed, the Save As
dialog will appear prompting you to provide a name.
For more information on saving charts, see page 81. For more
information on saving layouts, see page 95.

Special Controls in the New, Open, and Save Dialogs

The New, Open, and Save dialogs are very versatile. From these dialogs
you can control the information listed with the securities, rename
securities, sort the list of securities, and delete folders, charts, layouts and
templates.

70 • Chart Concepts MetaStock Professional

 The items on the Shortcut Bar give you quick access to your charts. The
controls in the Tools and Options menu are dependent on the item you
choose from the Shortcut Bar.

Shortcut Bar
History. The History shortcut provides quick access to the items you
have recently opened. You can limit the number of items in your history
list by choosing Limit History Items from the Tools menu after choosing
History from the Shortcut Bar. To delete all items from your History,
choose Clear History Items from the Tools menu after choosing History
from the Shortcut Bar.
Local Data. Choose Local Data from the Shortcut Bar to display the
last folder you opened a local chart from.
Favorites. Choose Favorites from the Shortcut Bar to display your list
of favorite items. To add an item to your favorites, choose Add to
Favorites from the Tools menu or right-click on the item and choose Add
to Favorites from the shortcut menu. To organize your favorite items into
folders, choose the Create in button from the Add Favorites dialog when
adding an item to favorites, or choose Create new folder from the
shortcut menu when right-clicking on an item in your favorites folder.
<Online Data Vendor>. The current online data vendor is listed on
the Shortcut Bar for quick access to online data. Click this shortcut, then
choose from the list of folders and securities. The list of securities that is
displayed when you first select the online vendor shortcut includes all
securities available from that vendor. Choose a folder to filter this list.
When using the Change Security commands, the folder you opened the
original security from will be used to scan the securities. For example, if
you open IBM from the S&P 100 folder, using the Next Security button
on the Chart Toolbar will scan through the securities in the S&P 100

MetaStock Professional Chart Concepts • 71

 folder only. If you open IBM from the main list of securities, it will scan
through the entire list.

Tools Menu
Select All. Choose this option to select all securities currently displayed
in the dialog.
Add to Favorites. Choose this option to add the selected item(s) to
your Favorites folder.
Symbol Database. Choose this option to display the Symbol Database
for the current online vendor. From this dialog, you can edit or delete
existing symbols, or add new symbols.
New Symbol. Choose this option to add a symbol to the Symbol
Database.
New Local Security. Choose this option to display the New Security
dialog from which you can create a new local security file.
Find Local Security. Choose this option to display the Find dialog.
This dialog is used to search your disk for specified securities. See page
74 for more information on using the Find command.
Clear History. Choose this option to remove all items from your
History. This option is available only when you choose History from the
Shortcut Bar.
Limit History Items. Choose this option to change the number of
items listed in your history. This option is available only when you
choose History from the Shortcut Bar.
Clear Favorites. Choose this option to remove all items from your
favorites. This option is available only when you choose Favorites from
the Shortcut Bar.
Properties. Choose this to display detailed information about the
selected item. If an online security is selected, the Edit Symbol dialog
appears, allowing you to change the properties of the selected security in
the Symbol Database. Some of the information in the Properties dialog
can be viewed by choosing the Details view from the Views drop-list at
the top of the dialog.

Options Menu
View By Symbol. Choose to view the securities by ticker symbol.
View By Name. Choose to view the securities by name.
Load Options. Choose this option to specify the amount of data to
load and display when a chart is created (see page 80).
Open with template. Choose this option to select a template to apply
to the security. For more information on applying templates, see page 98.

72 • Chart Concepts MetaStock Professional

 Remove Existing Charts. Choose this option if you want all open
charts to be closed before displaying the new chart.

Using the Open Dialog Toolbar

Choose List from the Views drop-list to display just the securities’ names
or ticker symbols. Choose Details to display name, periodicity, date
ranges, etc.
If the dialog is in Detail mode, you can sort the list by clicking on the
column headings. Click on the column heading you want the list sorted
by. Click on the heading a second time to reverse the sort order.
You can also resize the width of the columns by dragging the column
heading separators.
The Recent button takes you back to the folder you were viewing prior to
the current folder. The Up One Level button allows you to move to the
folder that is up one level from the current folder. The Create New
Folder button allows you to create a new folder in the current folder.
Charts, layouts, templates and folders can be deleted by selecting the
item, then clicking the Delete button. You may also delete these items by
right-clicking on the item and choosing Delete from the shortcut menu.

Using the Right-click Shortcut Menu

You can right-click directly on an item in the list to display commands
specific to that item.

Rename. Choose the Rename command to rename the item. This

command is available only for items saved on a local drive (i.e. local
securities, folders, layouts, charts, templates, etc).
Delete item. Choose Delete item to delete the selected item.
Add to Favorites. Choose this to add the selected item(s) to your
Favorites.
Properties. Choose this to display detailed information about the
selected item. If an online security is selected, the Edit Symbol dialog
appears, allowing you to change the properties of the selected security in

MetaStock Professional Chart Concepts • 73

 the Symbol Database. The Properties dialog is also accessed by choosing
Properties from the Tools menu. Some of the information in the
Properties dialog can be viewed by choosing the Details view from the
Views drop-list at the top of the dialog.

Searching for Securities with the Find Command

The Find command lets you search your disk for securities by name
and/or symbol. The results of the search are displayed at the bottom of
the dialog. This command is available from the Open and New dialogs
by choosing Find Local Security from the Tools menu.

Name. Enter the name of the security to find. Use the drop-list to select
from previously entered names. Use the wildcard character *, to find any
character. For example, M* will find all securities beginning with the
letter "M" and ME* will find all securities beginning with the letters
"ME". Leave the box blank to find all securities in the specified drive
and folder.
Symbol. Enter the symbol of the security to find. Use the drop-list to
select from previously entered symbols. See the information about using
wildcard characters in the Name section above.
Look in. Enter (or use the Browse button to select) the folder to search.
Include subfolders. Check this box if you want the search to include
subfolders for the folder specified in the Look in box.
Find Now. Click this button to start the search.
Stop. Click this button to stop a search in progress. If you stop before
the search is complete, no securities will be listed.
New Search. Click this button to clear the current search and specify a
new one.
Open. Click this button to open a chart of the selected security.
Options. Choose this button to display the Load Options dialog, where
you can control the amount of data to display in the chart (see page 80).

74 • Chart Concepts MetaStock Professional

 If the specified securities are found, the dialog will expand and list the
securities. You can display a chart of a security by selecting the security
and choosing the Open button, or by double-clicking on the security’s
name.
Note that you can right-click on the listed securities to change the way
the files are displayed (i.e., by name, by symbol, small icons, large icons,
detail or list). You can sort the listed securities by clicking on the column
headings.

Deleting Chart and Layout Files

Each chart and layout is saved with a unique file name. Charts are saved
with a *.mwc extension; layouts with *.mwl.
Charts and layouts can be deleted from the Open dialog by choosing
Delete from their right-click shortcut menu, or by clicking the Delete
button. Securities can only be deleted using The DownLoader (see page
60 in this manual). Templates can be deleted from the Open Template
dialog (see page 100) by choosing Delete from their right-click shortcut
menu, or by clicking the Delete button.
To delete charts or layouts
1. Choose Open from the File menu.
2. Choose Layout or Charts from the List Files of Type drop-list.
3. Right-click directly on the layout or chart to delete.
4. Choose Delete from the shortcut menu.

MetaStock Professional Chart Concepts • 75

Saving Your Work with Charts

What is a Chart?
A chart is the focal point of much of what you do in MetaStock Pro. A
chart is a graphical representation of security prices along with any
accompanying indicators and line studies. In MetaStock Pro, a chart is
contained within a single window. The window is divided into one or
more inner windows where the prices and indicators are plotted.

A chart helps you perform a visual interpretation of a security. Indicators

can be plotted on a chart to help you see what prices have done in the
past, what they are currently doing, and what they may do in the future
(see page 163). Line studies can be drawn on a chart to see how prices
(and indicators) react at certain price levels or time intervals (see page
205).

The Convenience of Smart Charts

To help with the management of your charts, MetaStock Pro
automatically creates for every security a special type of chart called a
Smart Chart. A Smart Chart is simply a chart that is automatically saved
under the security's name each time you are done working with it. The

MetaStock Professional Saving Your Work with Charts • 77

 next time you load a security's Smart Chart, it appears exactly as it did
when you last saw it. This frees you from having to worry about saving
your charts using the more involved (yet more flexible) Save As
command (see page 69).
Smart Charts appear in the Open dialog. Choose Smart Charts from the
Files of Type drop-list to display the Smart Charts. MetaStock Pro
maintains one Smart Chart per security. If you have not yet opened the
Smart Chart for a security, a special template called DEFAULT.MWT
(see page 102) is used to determine how your Smart Chart will look
initially. You may then make the necessary changes which will be saved
automatically.
You may find that you only need to see one chart of a security. If this is
the case, then Smart Charts will be a great convenience for you.
However, if you'd like the flexibility of having multiple charts per
security, then use the Save As command (see page 69) to assign a name
to each chart.
If you want to save a Smart Chart under a unique filename, choose Save
As from the File menu. Specify the file type as "Chart."
Accessing Smart Charts from Read-only Media
In order for a Smart Chart and its information (e.g., trendlines, indicators,
moving averages, etc.) to be saved, you must be able to write to the disk
on which the data is located. If you are accessing data from a read-only
disk (e.g., CD-ROM, network drive, etc.), changes to Smart Charts
cannot be saved. If you need to save the changes, you can save the chart
as a Chart file using the Save As command (see page 81).

Creating a New Chart

A new chart is created by using the New command in the File menu.
When a new chart is created and displayed on the screen, a special
New button
default template called DEFAULT.MWT is automatically used to
determine how the initial chart will appear. For more information on the
default template, see page 102.
You can apply a custom template to a new chart at the time you are
creating the chart by choosing the Template button in the New dialog.
See page 97 for more information on Templates.
The name of a chart appears in the chart's title bar. Newly created charts
are assigned a default name of "CHARTx.MWC" where "x" is a number
corresponding to the number of unnamed charts opened.
If you attempt to close or save a chart that has a default "CHARTx"
name, the Save As dialog will appear prompting you to provide the chart
a customized name (if desired).
To create a chart
1. Choose New from the File menu. Choose Chart.

78 • Saving Your Work with Charts MetaStock Professional

 2. From the Look in box, select the folder where the security you want
to chart is located.
3. Double-click the name of the security you want to chart.

Displaying Existing Charts

After a chart is saved (either manually by you or automatically as a Smart
Chart), it can be redisplayed by using the Open command in the File
Open button
menu.

Use the Files of Type drop-list to choose Charts or Smart Charts to

display in the list. If the chart or Smart Chart you want to open is not
listed, make sure the correct folder is chosen in the Look in box.
To select multiple charts, If you want to open multiple charts at once, you can select multiple charts
hold the SHFT or CTRL from the list in the Open dialog and click the OK button. Each chart you
keys down as you click. select will be opened.
If you click on a chart's name, a description of the chart (if one was
entered) is displayed in the Description box.
You can also filter the securities displayed in the Open dialog. See page
68 for more information.
If displaying the securities in the Open dialog is too slow, you may want
to reduce the number of securities in the folder. Although a folder can
hold up to 6,000 securities, anything over 1,000 may cause the Open
dialog to display very slowly on some computers.
You can apply a custom template to a Smart Chart by choosing Open
with Template from the Options menu. See page 97 for more
information on Templates.
If you attempt to open a chart or Smart Chart that is already open, the
open chart or Smart Chart is selected. If you need to make a "clone" of

MetaStock Professional Saving Your Work with Charts • 79

 an open chart, use the New Window command in the Window menu (see
page 86).
To open an existing chart
1. Choose Open from the File menu.
2. From the Files of Type drop-list, select either Charts or Smart
Charts, depending on the type of chart you want to open.
3. If you chose Smart Charts, you can also apply a template (if desired)
by choosing Open with Template from the Options menu.
4. From the Look in box or Shortcut Bar, select the folder where the
chart you want to display is located.
5. Double-click the name of the chart you want to display.
To quickly open multiple charts
1. Choose Open from the File menu.
2. From the Files of Type drop-list, select either Charts or Smart
Charts, depending on the type of chart you want to open.

If you chose Smart Charts, you can also apply a template to each of
the charts (if desired) by choosing Open with Template from the
Options menu.
3. From the Look in box or Shortcut Bar, select the folder where the
charts you want to display are located.
4. Select multiple charts by holding down the CTRL key as you click the
mouse.
5. Click the Open button.

Controlling the Number of Periods Loaded

You can control how many periods of data are loaded and displayed by
choosing Load Options from the Options menu in the New or Open
dialogs. Up to 65,500 periods (i.e., days, weeks, months, etc.) of data can
be loaded and displayed in a chart.

Load [ ] periods display [ ] periods. Enter the number of periods to

load and display.
Prompt for dates when chart is opened. Select this button if you
want to specify the amount of data loaded each time a chart is opened.

80 • Saving Your Work with Charts MetaStock Professional

 Specifying the Date Range When Loading
If you choose the "Prompt for dates when chart is opened" button in the
Load Options dialog, MetaStock Pro will prompt you for the amount of
data to load each time a chart is created or opened. This is useful to view
different ranges of data for different charts.

The periods displayed in the "Last __ time periods" box defaults to the
last number entered. Also note that the dates displayed in the First Date
and Last Date boxes correspond to first and last dates available in the
data file.
To specify the date range when loading
1. Choose New (or Open) from the File menu.
2. Choose Load Options from the Options menu.
3. Select the Prompt for dates when chart is opened button.
4. Click the OK button.
5. Select the security (or chart) you want to load. The Date Range
dialog will appear prompting you for the range of data to load.

Identifying Composite Securities

A composite is a special security type that links two securities together
with a mathematical operator. Composite securities are created with The
DownLoader.
Composite securities are easily identified from the Open and New dialogs
Composite security by a special icon to the left of the security's name.

Saving Charts
When you open a chart, MetaStock Pro copies it from your disk to the
screen. Changes made to charts are temporarily stored in memory until
you save them to the disk.
Charts are saved with the Save and Save As commands in the File menu.
MetaStock Pro also has an automatic saving feature called Smart Charts.
Save button
If you open a Smart Chart, the changes you make are automatically
saved when the chart is closed (see page 77).

MetaStock Professional Saving Your Work with Charts • 81

 If you use the Save command to save a chart and the selected chart is
unnamed, the Save dialog will appear prompting you to provide a name.
If you attempt to close a chart to which you have made changes, you will
be asked if you want to save the chart.
We recommend that you save your charts often when making extensive
changes so that you avoid losing your work due to power outages or
other unplanned events.
Although a Smart Chart is automatically maintained for every security,
there may be times when you want a specific "chart" to replace the
security's automatically-created Smart Chart. Choose Smart Charts as the
Save as type if you want the selected "chart" to replace the underlying
security's Smart Chart.
To save a chart
1. Select the chart you want to save by clicking directly on the chart.
2. Choose Save from the File menu. If the chart is new and unnamed,
you will be prompted to supply a name in the Save dialog (see page
69).

Closing Charts
After you finish working on a chart, you should close it to free memory.
If you attempt to close a chart to which you have made changes,
MetaStock Pro will ask you if you want to save the chart first. If you
attempt to close a chart that has never been saved before (e.g., a newly
created chart), MetaStock Pro displays the Save dialog which prompts
you to provide the chart a name.

82 • Saving Your Work with Charts MetaStock Professional

 To close a chart
1. Select the chart you want to close and do one of the following:
• Choose Close from the File menu.
• Click the Close button in the upper-right corner of the chart.
• Double-click the chart's system box in the upper-left corner of
the chart.
2. If the chart has been changed, you are asked if you want to save it.
If the chart is unnamed, you are prompted to provide a name.
To close all open charts
1. Choose Close All from the File menu.
2. If any chart has been changed, you are asked if you want to save it.
If any chart is unnamed, you are prompted to provide a name.

Scanning Charts with the Change Security Commands

A quick way to scan all the securities in a folder is with the Change
Security commands. The Change Security commands replace the base
security of the selected chart or layout with the next (or previous)
security in the folder. All indicators are recalculated (using the same
parameters) on the new base security. Everything else about the chart or
layout remains intact.
There are four ways to access the Change Security commands.
• You can choose them with the Change Security command in the File
menu.
• You can use the Microsoft IntelliMouse™ pointing device. While
holding the ALT key down, rotate the wheel forward to move to the
next security or rotate back to move to the previous security. See
page 87 for more information on the IntelliMouse pointing device.
• You can type ALT+RIGHT ARROW to move to the next security or
ALT+LEFT ARROW to move to the previous security.

• You can click the Next Security or Previous Security buttons on the
Chart toolbar (see page 24).

This feature can be a great time saver, particularly for those who like to
look at all their securities with the same set of indicators.

MetaStock Professional Saving Your Work with Charts • 83

 If you are in the middle of scanning through securities, any changes made
to a chart are reflected in all charts that you subsequently scan to.
Smart Charts are unaffected unless you make changes to a chart. If
changes are made to the displayed security, the security's Smart Chart
will be overwritten.
To scan through charts
1. Display a chart that you'd like to use as the base chart when scanning.
2. Do one of the following:
• Choose Change Security from the File menu. Choose Next.
• Type ALT+RIGHT ARROW.
• Click the Next Security or Previous Security button on the
Chart toolbar.

Choose a Security
If you like the idea of scanning charts, but don't want to sequentially
advance through every security in the folder, you can use the Choose a
Security dialog. This dialog allows you to select a security from a list.
The simplest way to access this dialog is to simply type the name or ticker
symbol while a chart is displayed. If you type the name, make sure the
"By Name" radio button is selected (or the "By Symbol" button if typing a
ticker symbol). As you type, the Choose a Security dialog automatically
appears and advances to the security's name or ticker symbol. Press the
ENTER key or click the OK button to display the chart.

If you type a name or symbol that does not exist in your security files, the
Choose a Security dialog will appear with no match. Press the ENTER
key or click the OK button and the New Security dialog automatically
appears and allows you to create a new security. See page 60 for more
information on adding new securities.
There are three ways to access the Choose a Security dialog.
• Choose the Change Security command in the File menu.
• Click the Choose Security button on the Chart toolbar (see page 24).
• With a chart displayed, begin typing a security’s name. As you type,
the Choose a Security dialog will automatically appear.

Options for Scanning Charts

The Change Security options can be accessed by choosing the Options
tab in the Choose Security dialog.

84 • Saving Your Work with Charts MetaStock Professional

 Use Smart Charts. Choose this option to display a security's own
Smart Chart when scanning (see page 34).
Use Chart as Template. Choose this option to scan charts with the
same information (i.e., indicators, periodicity, etc.).
Keep Line Studies. Check this box to transfer line studies from one
chart to the next when scanning (see page 34).
Change All Charts in a Layout. Check this box to scan your charts
using a multi-chart template or layout (see page 33).

Scrolling Charts
A horizontal scroll bar is located at the bottom of every chart. This scroll
bar lets you move forward and backward through the loaded data. Click
the left scroll button to scroll backward through the data, and click the
right scroll button to scroll forward through the data. You can also click
and drag the scroller to move in either direction.

To scroll your data, you must have more data loaded than displayed. You
can use the Load Options dialog (see page 80), the X-Axis properties
dialog (see page 118), or the Zoom-In command (see page 128) to reduce
the amount of data displayed versus the amount loaded.

MetaStock Professional Saving Your Work with Charts • 85

 You can also scroll through the data in a chart using the Microsoft
IntelliMouse pointing device. Simply rotate the wheel forward to scroll
forward and rotate back to scroll backward. See page 87 for more
information on the IntelliMouse pointing device.

Learn as You Plot

You can scroll a chart by only a single time period (i.e., day, week, or
month) by holding down the SHIFT key when clicking on a chart's
horizontal scroll buttons.
This can be useful if you want to do what we call "learn as you plot." By
analyzing a chart and then scrolling a chart forward one period at a time,
thereby simulating the passing of time, you can quickly improve your
technical analysis skills.
It is helpful to use the histogram or dot as your indicator style when using
learn as you plot. If you use a standard line style, you will be able to see
the direction the indicator is moving before you scroll to the next period.

To automatically scroll through a chart, you can also use the Microsoft
IntelliMouse pointing device. See page 87 for more information on the
autoscroll feature of the IntelliMouse pointing device.

Rescale Y-Axis
The Rescale Y-Axis button is used to manually force the y-axis to rescale.
This tool is primarily used when you are using the chart's scroll bar to
scroll through the data. Choose this command from the View menu or
from the Chart toolbar.
When scrolling forward or backward through a chart, the y-axis scale
remains fixed (unless the Scroll Rescales Y-Axis checkbox in the
Application Properties dialog is checked, see page 34). However, the data
being scrolled may oscillate up and down. Very often, the data moves
Rescale Y-axis button outside the fixed range of the y-axis scale. When this occurs, use the
Rescale Y-axis command to rescale the chart so that the data comes into
complete view.

Cloning Charts
The New Window command in the Window menu is used to create a copy
(i.e., clone) of the selected chart. For example, if you have a chart named
"IBM" selected, and you choose the New Window command, another
chart will open containing the same data and plots. The new chart will be
unnamed with the title "Chart1-IBM."

86 • Saving Your Work with Charts MetaStock Professional

 This command is useful for quickly designing a layout or template that
requires multiple charts of the same security.
To clone a chart
1. Select the desired chart by clicking anywhere on it.
2. Choose New Window from the Window menu.

Using the Microsoft IntelliMouse Pointing Device

The Microsoft IntelliMouse pointing device is similar to a typical
mouse in much of its functionality with one unique difference. It contains
a wheel that gives you quick and convenient access to several commonly
used features in MetaStock Pro.

IntelliMouse Action Result

Rotate wheel Scrolls chart
ALT + rotate wheel Scan through charts
CTRL + rotate wheel Zoom-in/out
SHIFT + rotate wheel Change periodicity
Press wheel button and move Autoscroll chart

Scrolling Charts. When you have more data loaded than displayed,
you are able to scroll through the data. To scroll forward using the
IntelliMouse pointing device, simply rotate the wheel forward (i.e.,
toward the monitor). To scroll back using the IntelliMouse pointing
device, simply rotate the wheel back (i.e., away from the monitor). See
page 85 for more information on scrolling through charts.
Scanning Charts. To scan from one chart to the next in your folder,
hold the ALT key down and rotate the wheel forward (i.e., toward the
monitor) to advance to the next security or rotate back to move to the
previous security. See page 83 for more information on scanning charts.
Zoom Scaling Charts. To zoom-in/out on a chart, hold the CTRL key
down and rotate the wheel forward (i.e., toward the monitor) to zoom-in
or back (i.e., away from the monitor) to zoom-out. See page 128 for
more information on zoom scaling.
Change Periodicity of a Chart. To change the periodicity in a chart,
hold the SHIFT key down and rotate the wheel forward (i.e., toward the

MetaStock Professional Saving Your Work with Charts • 87

 monitor) to move to a shorter periodicity (e.g., weekly to daily) or back
(i.e., away from the monitor) to move to a longer periodicity (e.g., weekly
to monthly). See page 120 for more information on periodicity.
Autoscrolling Charts. To scroll through a chart automatically, press
the wheel button on the IntelliMouse pointing device. The pointer will
change to a double arrow. Move the arrow left or right depending on
which direction you wish to autoscroll. The further you move the arrow
away from its origin the faster the autoscroll.
Note that you must have the wheel button assignment set to "Default"
in the Windows Mouse Properties dialog in Control Panel. Otherwise,
the autoscroll feature will not operate. See page 85 for more
information on scrolling through charts.

88 • Saving Your Work with Charts MetaStock Professional

Combining Multiple Charts with
Layouts

What is a Layout?
Layouts provide a convenient way to manage groups of charts. Maybe
you'd like to combine your favorite computer stocks into one easily
managed group. Or maybe you'd like to see IBM along with the Dow and
four of your favorite indicators. The best way to manage such groups of
charts is with a layout.
A layout itself is a single file that, when opened, brings up all the charts
that were saved in the layout. When displayed on your screen, each
member chart can be identified by the layout's name, which appears in
each chart's heading. A layout can even include minimized charts.

When a layout is opened, each member chart is opened and positioned on

the screen exactly as it appeared when the layout was saved, including the

MetaStock Professional Combining Multiple Charts with Layouts • 89

 scaling. Even charts that were not visible (or were minimized) when the
layout was saved will be opened.

Creating a New Layout

Layouts can be created after you have opened and arranged the desired
charts. You'll notice that the Layout command (choose File|New) is
disabled until a chart (or charts) is opened.
Once you have opened and arranged the desired charts to your liking, use
the New command in the File menu to create the layout. The Layout
New button
dialog is used to choose which charts to include in the layout.
Until you save a newly created layout, a default name of "Layoutx"
(where "x" is a number) is automatically assigned. This name appears in
the title bar of each chart included in the layout (along with the security
name). See page 95 for information on saving the layout with a new
name.

To select multiple charts, Add. This button moves the selected chart(s) from the Available Charts
hold the SHFT or CTRL list to the Included Charts list. You can also double-click a chart to add it
key down as you click the to the Included list.
mouse. Add All. This button moves all charts in the Available Charts list to the
Included Charts list.
Remove. This button moves the selected chart(s) from the Included
Charts list to the Available Charts list. This removes the selected chart(s)
from the layout. You can also double-click a chart to remove it from the
Included list.
Remove All. This button moves all charts from the Included list to the
Available list. This removes all charts from the layout.
To create a layout
1. Display the charts to include in the layout by using the Open (or
New) command in the File menu (see page 78).
2. Modify the charts as desired (e.g., add indicators, add moving
averages, resize, etc.).
90 • Combining Multiple Charts with Layouts MetaStock Professional
 3. Choose New from the File menu. Choose Layout.
4. Click the Add All button to add all the open charts to the Included
list. These are the charts that will appear in the layout.
5. To save the layout, choose Save As from the File menu, and give the
layout a unique file name.
Each chart will now have the name "Layoutx" (where "x" is a number) in
the title bar to show that the chart is a member of the layout. For more
information on saving layouts, see page 95.

Displaying an Existing Layout

After a layout has been saved, it can be re-opened using the Open
command in the File menu. If Layouts is selected in the Files of Type
Open button
drop-list in the Open dialog, all layouts in the selected folder are
displayed. Layouts have a *.mwl file extension.

To select multiple If you want to open multiple layouts at once, you can select multiple
layouts, hold the SHFT or layouts from the list in the Open dialog and click the OK button. Each
CTRL keys down as you layout you select will be opened.
click.
If you click on a layout's name in the Open dialog, a description of the
layout (if one was entered) is displayed in the Description box.
The Options button (see page 80) in the Open dialog is disabled if the File
Type is "Layouts." This button is disabled because layouts always load
the amount of data that was saved with the layout.
When a layout is loaded, each chart included in the layout will have the
layout name in its title bar.
To display an existing layout
1. Choose Open from the File menu.

MetaStock Professional Combining Multiple Charts with Layouts • 91

 2. From the Files of Type drop-list, select Layouts.
3. From the Look in box, select the folder where the layout you want to
display is located.
4. Double-click the name of the layout you want to display.

Scanning Charts in a Layout

You can use the Change Security commands to scan the securities in a
folder using a layout as the template. This can be useful if you’d like to
see more than one periodicity at a time, more than one Expert Advisor at
a time, or like to see several different indicators plotted separately but
still plotted with the price plot.
To scan your securities using a multi-chart template or layout, choose the
Change All Charts in a Layout option in the Change Security options (see
page 33). Once this option is selected, simply click the Next or Previous
Security button on the Chart Toolbar to scan your securities in a layout.
If this option is not selected, only the active chart will change to the new
security.
To scan charts in a layout
1. Open a layout.
2. Click the Choose a Security button on the chart toolbar.
3. Click the Options tab.
4. Select Use Chart As Template and Change All Charts in a
Layout. Click OK.
5. Click the Next, Previous, or Choose a Security buttons from the
Chart Toolbar to scan the securities in the folder containing the
active chart's security.

Making Changes to a Layout

After a layout has been created, you can easily add and delete charts from
the layout using the Edit Layout command in the File menu. A layout
must be open before the Edit Layout command is available. If you choose
the Edit Layout command when there is more than one layout open, the
Select Layout dialog appears (see page 94).

92 • Combining Multiple Charts with Layouts MetaStock Professional

 For information on the controls in the Edit Layout dialog, see page 90.
Whenever you make changes to individual charts within a layout, be sure
to save the layout (see page 95) if you want the changes permanently
reflected in the layout.
The scaling of individual charts within a layout are set at the time the
layout is saved. Therefore, if you need to change the scaling of a chart
within a layout, you must remove the chart from the layout, change the
scaling, then re-add the chart to the layout.
Special windowing commands implemented exclusively for layouts allow
you to cascade, stack, and tile only those charts included in a layout. By
holding the SHIFT key down as you choose the cascade, tile, or stack
options in the Window menu, you can arrange only those charts in the
layout. This feature is handy to view charts in a specific layout on your
screen when you have multiple charts and layouts open simultaneously.
See page 15 for more information on these windowing commands.
If you want to save a chart that is already in a layout as a separate chart
file, you should use the New Window command in the Window menu to
create a duplicate of the chart (see page 86) and then use the Save As
command in the File menu (see page 69).
If you remove a chart from a layout using the Edit Layout dialog, the
chart remains on your screen and becomes an unnamed chart (e.g.,
Chart1, Chart2, etc.).
To edit charts within a layout
1. Choose Open from the File menu. Select Layout from the Files of
Type drop-list.
2. Select the desired layout and click Open.
3. Make the desired changes to the chart(s) within the layout.
4. Choose Save from the File menu.
To add charts to a layout
1. Choose Open from the File menu. Choose Layout from the Files of
Type drop-list.

MetaStock Professional Combining Multiple Charts with Layouts • 93

 2. Select the desired layout and click Open.
3. Choose Open from the File menu. Select Smart Charts from the
Files of Type drop-list.
4. Select the charts you want to add to the layout and click Open.
5. Choose Edit Layout from the File menu.
6. Select the charts you want to add to the layout from the Available
Charts list and click the Add button to add them to Included Charts
list. You can also double-click a chart to add it to the Included
Charts list.
7. Click the OK button.
To delete charts from a layout
1. Choose Open from the File menu. Select Layout from the Files of
Type drop-list.
2. Select the desired layout and click Open.
3. Choose Edit Layout from the File menu.
4. Select the charts you want to delete from the Included Charts list and
click the Remove button. You can also double-click a chart to
remove it from the Included Charts list.
5. Click the OK button.
The charts will remain on your screen until you have saved, closed, and
re-opened the layout.
You can also remove a chart from a layout by double-clicking the chart's
System box system box in the upper left corner of the chart. The Close Layout dialog
will appear. Select "Close the chart and remove it from the layout."
To tile/stack/cascade charts in a layout
1. Select a chart in the layout you want to arrange by clicking anywhere
on the chart.
2. Hold the SHIFT key down to arrange only the charts in the layout,
then click the tile, stack, or cascade button on the toolbar.

Select Layout Dialog

If you choose the Edit Layout command when you have more than one
layout open, you are prompted to select the layout to edit from the Select
Layout dialog.

94 • Combining Multiple Charts with Layouts MetaStock Professional

 To select the layout to edit, you can either double-click the layout or click
the layout and choose the OK button.

Saving a Layout
When you make changes to a layout, you should save the layout using the
Save or Save As commands in the File menu. The Save command saves
Save button
the layout to its existing name. The Save As command lets you specify a
new name (and location) for the layout.

If you use the Save command to save a layout and the layout is unnamed
(i.e., a newly created layout), the Save dialog will appear prompting you
to provide a name. If you attempt to close a layout to which you have
made changes, you will be asked if you want to save the layout first.
We recommend that you save your layouts often when making extensive
changes so that you avoid losing your work due to power outages or other
unplanned events.
To save a layout
1. Select the layout you want to save by clicking directly on any chart
in the layout.
2. Choose Save from the File menu. If the layout is new and unnamed,
you will be prompted to supply a name in the Save dialog (see page
69).

MetaStock Professional Combining Multiple Charts with Layouts • 95

Closing a Layout
Since a layout is a set of charts, whenever you attempt to close a chart
within a layout, the Close Layout dialog appears prompting you to close
just the chart or to close the entire layout.

If you attempt to close a layout to which you have made changes,

MetaStock Pro will ask you if you want to save the layout. If you attempt
to close a layout that has never been saved before (e.g., a newly created
layout), MetaStock Pro displays the Save As dialog in which you can
provide the layout a name.
To close a layout
1. Select a chart in the layout you want to close and do one of the
following:
• Choose Close from the File menu.
• Click the Close box in the upper-right corner of any chart in the
layout.
• Choose Close Layout from the chart's control menu. The
control menu is displayed by clicking on the system box in the
upper left corner of the chart.
• Double-click the chart's system box in the upper-left corner of
System box the chart.
2. The Close Layout dialog appears. Choose Close the entire layout.

96 • Combining Multiple Charts with Layouts MetaStock Professional

Recycling Your Work with
Templates

What is a Template?
A template contains all the information in a chart or layout excluding the
base security. A template is applied to a security (either to an existing
open chart or when loading a chart) at which time a new chart or layout is
created based on the template's information. Each template is saved as a
file with a *.mwt extension.
If the information from a template came from a single chart, then a chart
is created when the template is applied. If the information came from a
layout, then a multi-chart layout is created.
For example, suppose you like to analyze your securities with an RSI,
MACD, and a 50-day moving average. You could save this information
in a template and apply it to any security in one quick step.
You can also create a default template that is always used when a new
chart is created (see page 102).
Once a template is created, it can be used over and over.

Creating a New Template

A template is created from the information in either a chart or a layout.
Once the chart or layout appears as you'd like, use the Save As command
in the File menu to save the template.
If you create a template when a multi-chart layout is selected, a multi-
chart template is created. If you create a template when a single chart is
selected, a single-chart template is created.

MetaStock Professional Recycling Your Work with Templates • 97

 To create a template
1. Choose Open from the File menu.
2. Choose Smart Chart, Chart or Layout from the File of Type drop-
list. Choose Smart Chart or Chart to create a single chart template.
Choose Layout to create a multi-chart template.
3. Select the desired chart or layout and click the Open button.
4. Make the desired changes to the chart (i.e., add indicators or moving
averages, change the scaling, etc.).
5. Choose Save As from the File menu.
6. Choose Template from the Save as type drop-list.
7. Type a name in the File Name box.
8. Click the Save button.

Applying an Existing Template

Templates can be applied to a chart on the screen, when you open a
Smart Chart from the Open dialog, or when you create a new chart.
When a template is applied to a chart, the template uses the chart's base
security for all charts in the template.
If the template was created from a single chart, then a chart is created
when it is applied. The name in the affected chart's title bar will appear as
"Chartx-Security Name" (where "x" is a number).

98 • Recycling Your Work with Templates MetaStock Professional

 If the template was created from a multi-chart layout, then a layout is
created when the template is applied. The name in each of the chart's title
bars will appear as "Layoutx-Security Name:x" (where "x" in Layout
refers to the layout number and "x" next to the Security Name is the
chart's differentiating number).

As previously mentioned, when a template is applied to a chart, a new

chart is created. However, the chart to which the template was applied
remains on the screen. If you do not want the original chart to remain on
the screen, check the Close all open charts box in the Apply Templates
dialog.
A template can be applied to an open chart by right-clicking on the chart
and selecting Apply Template from the shortcut menu.

MetaStock Professional Recycling Your Work with Templates • 99

 You can also apply a template when creating a new chart or when opening
Smart Charts by choosing Open with Template from the Options menu in
the New or Open dialogs. Note that this option is disabled in the Open
dialog if you don't have Smart Charts selected in the Files of Type drop-
list.
If you find templates useful for your analysis, you may also want to try the
Change Security commands (see page 83).
To apply a template to an open chart
1. Right-click on the chart.
2. Choose Apply Template from the shortcut menu.
3. Choose the desired template from the Apply Template dialog.
To apply a template when loading a security
1. Choose Open or New from the File menu.
2. If you are opening an existing security with the Open dialog, select
Smart Charts from the Files of Type drop-list.
3. Choose Open with Template from the Options menu.
4. Choose the desired template from the Open Template dialog. Click
Open.
5. Choose the desired security. Click Open.
Open Template Dialog
You can apply a template to a security when loading by choosing Open
with Template from the Options menu in the New or Open dialog. If you
are in the Open dialog, this option is disabled if you don't have Smart
Charts selected in the Files of Type drop-list.

100 • Recycling Your Work with Templates MetaStock Professional

 Look in. Use the drop-list to select the drive for the folder of files you
want to display in the list. Traverse the folders until the folder containing
the templates is listed.
File Name. The template you select from the list appears in this box.
This is the template that will be opened and applied to the selected
security.
For information on creating templates, see page 97. For information on
creating layouts, see page 90.

Making Changes to a Template

Changes are made to a template by opening (applying) the desired
template, making the changes, and resaving the template to the same file
name.
To make changes to an existing template
1. Apply the template you want to change to a security or chart (see
page 98).
2. Make the desired changes.
3. Choose Save As from the File menu.
4. Choose Template from the Save as Type drop-list.
5. Double-click the name of the template file you are currently editing.
6. Choose Yes when asked if you want to "replace the existing file."

Saving a Template
Templates are saved using the Save As command in the File menu. If you
want the changes you have made to a template to be retained, you must
save the template using the Save As command.
You can also save a template as the default template. The default
template is automatically applied to all newly created charts. See page
102 for more information on the default template.
To save a template
1. Choose Save As from the File menu.
2. Choose Template from the Save as Type drop-list.
3. If you are editing a template and want to save the changes to the same
template name, double-click the name of the template file.
4. If you are saving a new template, type a name in the File Name box
and click Save.

MetaStock Professional Recycling Your Work with Templates • 101

The Default Template
You can control how a newly created chart appears using the default
template. The default template is a special template that is exactly like a
regular template except that MetaStock Pro automatically applies it to
newly created charts. The default template that is shipped with
MetaStock Pro is just a single chart with high-low-close price bars and
volume.
The default template is named DEFAULT.MWT and it is stored beneath
the MetaStock Pro program folder (i.e., c:\Program
Files\equis\metastock\charts) along with your other templates. This
means that the default template can be applied at any time just like a
regular template.
For example, you could change the default template so that candlesticks
and a moving average are always plotted when a new chart is created.
To quickly make the information in the currently selected chart the default
template, right-click on the chart and choose Save as Default Template.

To edit the default template

1. Choose New from the File menu. Choose Chart.
2. Double-click any security or chart listed in the dialog.
3. Make the desired changes to the chart.
4. Right-click on the chart and choose Save as Default Template from
the shortcut menu.
102 • Recycling Your Work with Templates MetaStock Professional
Customizing a Chart's Appearance

Chart Window

Selecting a Chart
Before any changes can be made to a chart, the chart must be selected.
You can select a chart from the Window menu (a checkmark designates
the selected chart), or by clicking anywhere on the chart. The selected
chart is distinguished by its unique title bar color. The name of the
selected chart is also shown in the Application's title bar.

The chart of Intel above has a different title bar color than the others.
This lets you know that it is the selected chart.

MetaStock Professional Customizing a Chart's Appearance • 103

 To select a chart
Do one of the following:
• Click the mouse anywhere on the desired chart.
• Choose the desired chart at the bottom of the Window menu.

Modifying a Chart
The properties of a chart are modified with the Chart Window Properties
dialog. This dialog is accessed by right clicking on a chart and selecting
Chart Window Properties from the shortcut menu. You can also choose
Chart Window from the Format menu.
Modifications made to a chart's window are retained automatically by
MetaStock Pro's Smart Chart feature if you are working with a Smart
Chart. If you are working with a chart or layout, you should save the
chart or layout to retain the changes.
To modify a chart
1. Right-click on the desired chart.
2. Choose Chart Window Properties from the shortcut menu.
3. Make the desired changes in the Chart Window Properties dialog.
4. Click the OK button.
For information on modifying an inner window's properties, see page 111.
Chart Options
The Chart Options page is located in the Chart Window Properties dialog.
Choose Chart Window from the Format menu, or right-click on a chart
and choose Chart Window Properties from the shortcut menu.

Show Chart Title Bar. Check this box if you want the title bar of the
selected chart displayed. The chart title bar displays the name of the chart
(or layout) and the information specified in the "Title" page of this dialog
(see page 107).

104 • Customizing a Chart's Appearance MetaStock Professional

 To control the display of the chart title bar for all charts, use the
Application Properties dialog (see page 33).

Show Chart Toolbar. Check this box if you want the toolbar of the
selected chart displayed (see page 24 for more information on the chart
toolbar).
To control the display of the chart toolbar for all charts, use the
Application Property dialog (see page 34).
Show Inner Window Title Bars. Check this box if you want the inner
window title bars in the selected chart displayed. The inner window title
bars display the names of the plots (e.g., security name, indicator name,
etc.) in the inner window. If you choose the accompanying "Show Values
in Title Bars" box, the last period's value for the plot in each inner
window will display.
If this checkbox is grayed, it means that the display of at least one of the
inner window title bars is being controlled by the inner window's
properties page (see page 112).

MetaStock Professional Customizing a Chart's Appearance • 105

 Show Inner Window Splitter Bars. Check this box if you want
splitter bars between the inner windows. The splitter bar allows you to
resize inner windows with the mouse (see page 113).

Scale Locations
The Scale Locations page is located in the Chart Window Properties
dialog. Choose Chart Window from the Format menu (or right-click on a
chart and choose Chart Window Properties from the shortcut menu).

106 • Customizing a Chart's Appearance MetaStock Professional

 Left (Y-Axis). Check this box if you want a y-axis scale displayed on
the left side of all inner windows in the chart. Use the Y-Axis Properties
dialog to control properties of the scale itself (see page 123).
Right (Y-Axis). Check this box if you want a y-axis scale displayed on
the right side of all inner windows in the chart. Some people like to have
just the right y-axis displayed since it is closest to the most recent data.
Use the Y-Axis Properties dialog to control properties of the scale itself
(see page 123).
Date (X-Axis). Check this box if you want an x-axis scale displayed at
the bottom of the chart window. The same x-axis scale is used for all
inner windows displayed in a chart. Use the X-Axis Properties dialog to
control properties of the scale itself (see page 118).
Title
The Title page is located in the Chart Window Properties dialog. Choose
Chart Window from the Format menu, or right-click on a chart and
choose Chart Window Properties from the shortcut menu.
While you can control what is displayed in the center and right side of the
title bar, the name of the chart is always displayed on the left side.
If you display the "Last Price" in an intraday chart, the change in price
from the previous day's close is also included in parenthesis.

MetaStock Professional Customizing a Chart's Appearance • 107

 Center. Choose the information to display in the center of the title bar.
Right. Choose the information to display on the right side of the title bar.
Description. These boxes are used to enter or edit a description about
the selected chart and/or layout. This description appears in the Open
dialog (see page 68). Charts that are members of a layout share the same
layout description.

Repositioning Charts
Since a chart is contained within a window, repositioning a chart is just a
matter of using basic click and drag techniques common to all Windows
programs.

108 • Customizing a Chart's Appearance MetaStock Professional

 If the title bar of a chart is not displayed, you can still move a chart by
typing ALT+ "-" to access the chart's system box, choosing Move, and then
using the arrow keys.
To reposition a chart
1. Position the mouse pointer over the chart's title bar.
2. Click and drag the mouse until the chart is in the desired location.
You can quickly arrange the charts on your screen by using the
windowing commands (tile, cascade, etc.) in the Window menu (see page
15).

Resizing Charts
Since a chart is contained within a window, resizing a chart is just a
matter of using basic click and drag techniques common to all Windows
programs.
For information on resizing inner windows within a chart, see page 113.
To resize a chart
1. Position the mouse pointer over the chart's border until a double-
sided resizing arrow appears.
2. Click and drag the mouse until the chart is the desired size.
You can quickly enlarge a chart to full-screen with the maximize button,
Minimize/Maximize or you can minimize a chart with the minimize button. The
buttons minimize/maximize buttons are found in the upper-right corner of a chart.
You can restore a minimized chart to its original size by double-clicking
directly on the minimized chart's title bar.
The application itself (i.e., the MetaStock Pro program) is also contained
within a window. It can be resized using the same methods described
above.

Clearing a Chart
The Delete All command in the Edit menu provides a quick and
convenient way to remove indicators, line studies, symbols, text, and
non-base securities from your chart. Simply click on the items you want
removed from the selected chart and click the OK button. The chart will
redisplay with the selected items removed.

MetaStock Professional Customizing a Chart's Appearance • 109

 Click the "Close Empty Inner Windows" box if you want MetaStock Pro
to close any leftover inner windows.

Inner Windows

Opening Inner Windows

An inner window is a window within a chart window that can be
controlled within the confines of the chart window. A chart can contain
up to 10 inner windows. The most common reason for opening an inner
window is to plot an indicator. However, price plots are also contained
within an inner window.
There are four ways to open an inner window.
1. You can use the Indicators command (see page 164) from the Insert
menu to plot an indicator in a new inner window.

2. You can drag and drop an indicator from the Indicator QuickList (see
page 165).

110 • Customizing a Chart's Appearance MetaStock Professional

 3. You can choose New Inner Window from the Window menu.

4. You can choose Inner Window, New from the chart shortcut menu.
Right-click anywhere on a chart to access the chart shortcut menu.

If you don't want to plot an indicator in an inner window (i.e., maybe

you'd like to copy another security's prices into it), you should use
methods three or four to create an empty inner window.

Modifying Inner Windows

The properties of an inner window are modified with the Inner Window
Properties dialog. This dialog is accessed by right-clicking on an inner

MetaStock Professional Customizing a Chart's Appearance • 111

 window and selecting Inner Window, then Properties from the shortcut
menu.
You can also choose Inner Window from the Format menu. This
command acts on the inner window most recently modified or clicked in.
If you are working with a Smart Chart, modifications made to an inner
window are retained automatically. If you are working with a chart or
layout, you should save the chart or layout to retain the changes.

Background Color. Choose the desired background color for the inner
window. You should choose a color that is different from any other items
plotted in the window (e.g., a blue indicator on a blue background will
disappear).
Show Title Bar. Check this box if you want to display the inner
window's title bar. The title bar displays the contents of the inner window
(e.g., indicator, security name, etc.) and provides a system box and
maximize/restore buttons.
Show Value In Title Bar. Check this box if you want the inner
window to display the value of the last period's plot(s).
Use Color of Plot. Check this box if you want the plot values in the
inner window title bar to match the color of the plot(s).
Apply to All Inner Windows. Check this box if you want the settings
in this dialog to apply to all inner windows within the chart. Leave it
unchecked if you only want the settings to apply to the selected inner
window.
If an indicator is calculated on a security other than the chart's base
security, the name of the security is shown in parenthesis after the
indicator's name in the inner window’s title bar.
To modify an inner window
1. Right-click within the desired inner window.
2. Choose Inner Window from the shortcut menu. Then choose
Properties.
3. Make the desired changes to the Inner Window Properties dialog.
4. Click the OK button.

112 • Customizing a Chart's Appearance MetaStock Professional

 For information on modifying a chart's properties, see page 104.

Resizing Inner Windows

The height of an inner window can be adjusted several ways including
using the splitter bar, maximize/restore buttons, and the Arrange Inner
Window command.
Adjusting the height of an inner window is useful if you want to provide
more space for a certain price plot or indicator. Maybe you'd like to
temporarily see the indicator enlarged to fit the entire chart window. Or
maybe you always like to have the base security plot occupy three-fourths
of the chart.
The Arrange Inner Windows command is available from the Chart
shortcut menu by right-clicking on an inner window. You can also choose
Arrange Inner Windows from the Window menu. The Arrange Inner
Windows command resizes the inner windows within a chart so they are
equally sized.
Click on an inner window's maximize button to enlarge the inner window
to occupy the entire chart. To restore the chart to its pre-maximized state,
click the restore button.
Before maximizing the MACD's inner window...

MetaStock Professional Customizing a Chart's Appearance • 113

 After maximizing the MACD's inner window...

For information on resizing charts, see page 109.

Resizing With The Splitter Bar
An inner window can be resized with the splitter bar by positioning the
mouse pointer over the border above an inner window, clicking the
mouse, and dragging the border up/down until the inner window reaches
the desired size.

Moving Inner Windows

One of the great advantages of having charts divided into inner windows
is that the inner windows can be easily resized and even moved. For
example, if you have a chart with the indicator displayed above the price
and you'd like the indicator below the price, you can simply drag and drop
the inner window so that it appears where you'd like. You can even drag
an inner window from one chart to another.

114 • Customizing a Chart's Appearance MetaStock Professional

MetaStock Professional Customizing a Chart's Appearance • 115
 For information on moving charts, see page 108.
To move an inner window
1. Position the mouse on the inner window's title bar. Notice that the
mouse displays a special move pointer. This tells you that the inner
Move pointer window can be moved.
2. Click and hold the left mouse button on the inner window's title bar
and drag the inner window until it is located where you'd like. Note
that you can even drag an inner window to another chart.
3. Release the mouse button to drop the inner window.

Closing Inner Windows

Inner windows are closed much like a normal window. You can click the
inner window's close box in the top-right corner or you can double-click
the system box in the top-left corner.

116 • Customizing a Chart's Appearance MetaStock Professional

 Note that you cannot close the last inner window. A chart must contain at
least one inner window.
If an inner window does not have a title bar displayed (which means there
is no close box or system box to click), you can still close the inner
window. Right-click on the inner window and choose Inner Window then
Close Inner Window from the chart shortcut menu.

To close an inner window

Do one of the following:
• Double-click the inner window's system box.

MetaStock Professional Customizing a Chart's Appearance • 117

 • Click the inner window's system box and choose Close Inner
Window.
• Click the Close button on the right side of the inner window title bar.
• If the inner window's title bar is not displayed, right-click on the inner
window and choose Inner Window, then Close Inner Window.

Scales
MetaStock Pro handles the scaling of charts automatically based on the
data plotted. However, you can override the automatic scaling by
changing the properties of the scales or by using the Zoom Scaling tools
(see page 128).

X-Axis Properties
The x-axis (or date scale) is located along the bottom of a chart. One x-
axis is shared by all inner windows in the chart.
You can change the properties of the x-axis by right-clicking directly on
the chart's x-axis or by choosing X-Axis from the Format menu.

Scale
The Scale page is located in the X-Axis Properties dialog. Choose X-
Axis from the Format menu (or right-click on a chart's x-axis and choose
X-Axis Properties from the shortcut menu).

118 • Customizing a Chart's Appearance MetaStock Professional

 Displayed. The First Date and Last Date boxes control the range of data
displayed on the chart. This range cannot be outside of the range of data
loaded. Click the "D" button to enter dates. Click the "T" button to enter
times.
Loaded. The First Date and Last Date boxes control the range of data
loaded from the data file. Click the "D" button to enter dates. Click the
"T" button to enter times.
Retain Scale. Check this box if you want the x- and y-axis to be scaled
as currently specified when the chart is opened using the Open command
in the File menu. Checking this box instructs MetaStock Pro to override
the settings in the Load Options dialog (see page 80). Note that if the
active chart is part of a layout, the Retain Scale option is disabled since
layouts remember the exact scaling for each individual chart in the layout
at the time the layout was saved.
Font. Choose this button to display the standard Windows Font dialog.
Use this dialog to specify the font for the x-axis labels. See page 171 for
more information on fonts.
To load more data into the chart using the Scale page
1. Right-click on the chart's x-axis.
2. Choose X-Axis Properties.
3. From the Scale page, type an earlier date into the Loaded First Date
box. Note this assumes that you have earlier data in the file to load.
4. Click the OK button.
To display a specific range of data using the Scale page
1. Right-click on the chart's x-axis.
2. Choose X-Axis Properties.
3. From the Scale page, type the range of dates to display in the
Displayed First Date and Last Date boxes.

MetaStock Professional Customizing a Chart's Appearance • 119

 4. Click the OK button.
The x-axis of a real-time chart displays three time frames: days of month,
hours, and minutes. For example, "18" means the 18th day of the month;
"10h" means the 10th hour of the day; and ":48" means the 48th minute of
the hour.

A 5-minute bar labeled on the x-axis of a chart at 11:15 includes the first
tick of 11:10:00 through the last tick of 11:14:xxx. Similarly, a 1-minute
bar includes all ticks from 11:14:00 to 11:14:xxx.
Periodicity
The Periodicity page is located in the X-Axis Properties dialog. Choose
X-Axis from the Format menu, or right-click on a chart's x-axis and
choose X-Axis Properties from the shortcut menu.

Use the periodicity page to specify the periodicity of the data. For
example, if your chart contains daily data, you could change the data into
weekly bars. Or if your chart contains tick data, you could change it to
hourly bars. Even though the periodicity has been changed, the same
date range is maintained. So if a daily chart ranging from 06/01/96 to
12/31/96 is changed to weekly, the chart will display weekly bars for the
same date range, 06/01/96 to 12/31/96.
Volume and open interest are summed over the new period. For
example, monthly periodicity displays the sum of the entire month's
volume.

120 • Customizing a Chart's Appearance MetaStock Professional

 If the last day loaded is not the end of the selected periodicity, MetaStock
Pro displays a bar of the shortened period. For example, if today is
Wednesday and daily data is loaded, the last price bar of a weekly chart
represents the shortened week of Monday through Wednesday.
The Other periodicity option allows you to control the number of periods
over which to compress the data. This allows you to view the data using
non-standard periods. For example, a periodicity of eight periods with
daily data loaded would display a price bar every eight trading days.
You can also change the periodicity by right-clicking on the x-axis and
choosing Periodicity from the shortcut menu.

You can also click the Periodicity button on the chart toolbar to change
the periodicity.

You can also change the periodicity with your Microsoft IntelliMouse
pointing device. Hold the SHIFT key down and rotate the wheel forward
to lengthen the periodicity or back to shorten the periodicity. See page 87
for more information on the Microsoft IntelliMouse pointing device.
Margins
The Margins page is located in the X-Axis Properties dialog. Choose X-
Axis from the Format menu, or right-click on a chart's x-axis and choose
X-Axis Properties from the shortcut menu.

MetaStock Professional Customizing a Chart's Appearance • 121

 Right Margin. This box specifies how much blank space (by number of
time periods) there is between the last data point and the right border of
the chart. This is useful to project trendlines or other line studies into the
future.
Real-time Margin. This box specifies how much blank space (by
number of time periods) to display between the last data point and the
right margin. This is the area of the chart where real-time bars are drawn.
When the bars reach the right margin, the chart is redrawn. The larger
the number, the less redrawing required. A small value like five will
cause the chart to redraw every fifth bar.
The following chart illustrates the location of the real-time margin and the
right margin.

Grid (X-axis)
The Grid page is located in the X-Axis Properties dialog. Choose X-Axis
from the Format menu (or right-click on a chart's x-axis and choose X-
Axis Properties from the shortcut menu).

122 • Customizing a Chart's Appearance MetaStock Professional

 Show Grid. Check this box if you want vertical grid lines to be
displayed in every inner window at each of the x-axis labels.
Color. Choose the color of the grid lines from the drop-list.
Style. Choose the line style (dotted, dashed, etc.) of the grid lines from
the drop-list.
Weight. Choose the weight (thick, thin, etc.) of the grid lines from the
drop-list. If you select a heavier weight, the Style will always appear as a
solid line.

Y-Axis Properties
The y-axis of a chart is located along the side of an inner window.
If you want to quickly reset the y-axis to accommodate new data that you
have scrolled to with the chart's scroll bar, use the Rescale Y-Axis button
on the chart toolbar (see page 86). The Scroll Rescales Y-axis option in
Rescale Y-Axis button
the Application options dialog also lets you control the effect of scrolling
on the y-axis (see page 33).
You can also change the scaling of the y-axis by using drag and drop
techniques directly on the y-axis scale of the chart. See page 126 for more
information.
You can change the properties of the y-axis by right-clicking directly on
the chart's y-axis or by choosing Left Y-Axis or Right Y-Axis from the
Format menu.

MetaStock Professional Customizing a Chart's Appearance • 123

 Scale
The Scale page is located in the Y-Axis Properties dialog. Choose Left
Y-Axis or Right Y-Axis from the Format menu (or right-click on an inner
window's y-axis and choose Y-Axis Properties from the shortcut menu).

Check the box under the Auto heading if you want the corresponding
scaling control to be automatically determined by MetaStock Pro. If the
Auto box is unchecked, you can manually enter a value.
Minimum. Type the minimum value to display on the y-axis.
Maximum. Type the maximum value to display on the y-axis.
Major Unit. Type the major unit to increment the y-axis labels. For
example, if you want y-axis labels to display every five units, then type
"5". Grid lines (if enabled) are displayed at the major units.
The y-axis is displayed in decimal or fractions (e.g., eighths, 32nds, etc.)
depending on the "Units" setting in the security's data file. Use The
DownLoader to change the Units setting (see page 58 in this manual).
Minor Unit. Type the minor unit to increment the y-axis labels. Hash
marks are displayed at each minor unit along the y-axis scale. For
example, if you want scaling hash marks displayed every 2.5 units, then
enter "2.5". If you want y-axis labels to increment by five units, then
type "5". Note that labels are not displayed on the minor units hash
marks.

124 • Customizing a Chart's Appearance MetaStock Professional

 Invert Scale. Check this box if you want the y-axis scale inverted.
Inverting the scale of indicators that are negatively correlated with the
price (e.g., Williams' %R or interest rates) is a popular use of this feature.
Semi-log Scale. Check this box if you want the y-axis scaled in semi-
log. In a semi-log scaled chart, the distance between each point is
exponential. For example, the distance between 30 and 60 (a 30 point,
100% increase) is the same as the distance between 60 and 120 (a 60
point, but still 100% increase). Semi-log scaling is used to compare
relative price changes rather than physical point changes.

Font. Choose this button to display the standard Windows Font dialog.
Use this dialog to specify the font for the y-axis labels. If you choose a
font that is too large to display without overlapping, MetaStock Pro will
not place a label at every major unit. See page 171 for more information
on fonts.

MetaStock Professional Customizing a Chart's Appearance • 125

 To change the y-axis scale
1. Right-click on the chart's y-axis scale.
2. Choose Y-Axis Properties.
3. From the Scale page, uncheck the Auto box for the Minimum and
Maximum controls and type the desired values for the range of the y-
axis.
4. If you want to manually specify the step size of the y-axis, uncheck
the Auto box for the Major and Minor units and enter the desired
values. If you want semi-log or inverted scaling, check the boxes.
5. Click the OK button.
Grid (Y-axis)
The Grid page is located in the Y-Axis Properties dialog. Choose Y-Axis
from the Format menu, or right-click on an inner window's y-axis and
choose Y-Axis Properties from the shortcut menu.

Show Grid. Check this box if you want grid lines to be displayed in the
selected inner window at each of the y-axis major unit labels.
Color. Choose the color of the grid lines from the drop-list.
Style. Choose the line style (dotted, dashed, etc.) of the grid lines from
the drop-list.
Weight. Choose the weight (thick, thin, etc.) of the grid lines from the
drop-list. If you select a heavier weight, the Style will always appear as a
solid line.

Using Drag and Drop to Change the Scaling

Both the x- and y-axis can be adjusted using your mouse and basic drag
and drop techniques. By clicking directly on a chart's x- or y-axis and
dragging either up/down (for y-axis) or left/right (for x-axis), the range of
the scale will be adjusted.
For example, if a chart's y-axis scale ranges between 50 and 70, you can
adjust the scale to go from 40 to 70 by clicking directly on the y-axis at

126 • Customizing a Chart's Appearance MetaStock Professional

 the "50" label, and dragging the mouse upwards. The same type of
adjustment can be done with the x-axis using the same technique.

Scale Locations
Some people like to display the y-axis scale on the right side of the chart
since it is closer to the more recent data.
To display/remove the x- or y-axis
1. Right-click on the chart's inner window.

MetaStock Professional Customizing a Chart's Appearance • 127

 2. Choose Chart Window Properties from the shortcut menu.
3. Click on the Scale Locations tab.
4. Check the Left, Right, or Date boxes to display the corresponding
scales. Uncheck the boxes to remove the scales.
5. Click the OK button.

Zoom Scaling
The Zoom-In, Zoom-Out, and Zoom Reset commands are selected from
the View menu or from the Chart toolbar. The Zoom Box command is
selected from the View menu or from the standard toolbar.
The Zoom In command progressively zooms in on the most recent data
Zoom In button displayed in the chart. Each time the command is used, the more detailed
the view of the most recent data.
The Zoom Out command changes the scaling to the previously zoomed
Zoom Out button state. For example, if you have used the Zoom In command to zoom in on
the chart four times, the Zoom Out command will take you back to the
third zoomed view. Using it again will take you back to the second
zoomed view, etc.
The Zoom Box command allows you to define a section of the chart to
enlarge.
Zoom Box button
The Zoom Reset command undoes the scaling effects of any zooming by
Zoom Reset button resetting the chart's scales so that all the loaded data is displayed. The
zooming can be the result of using the Zoom In and Zoom Box commands
or the automatic zooming that occurs as a result of the settings in the Load
Options dialog (see page 80).
You can also use the Microsoft IntelliMouse pointing device to zoom-
in/out on your chart. Hold the CTRL key down and rotate the wheel
forward to zoom-in or rotate back to zoom-out. See page 87 for more
information on the Microsoft IntelliMouse pointing device.
The following illustrations show a chart before and after using the Zoom
In command:

128 • Customizing a Chart's Appearance MetaStock Professional

 Before using the Zoom In command...

After clicking twice on the Zoom In button...

The following illustrations show a chart before and after zooming using
the Zoom box command.

MetaStock Professional Customizing a Chart's Appearance • 129

 Before using the Zoom Box...

After using the Zoom Box...

130 • Customizing a Chart's Appearance MetaStock Professional

 To zoom in on the most recent data
Do one of the following:
• Choose Zoom then Zoom In from the View menu repeatedly until
the view you want is displayed.
• Click the Zoom In button on the Chart toolbar repeatedly until the
Zoom In button view you want is displayed.
• Press CTRL+ "+" repeatedly until the view you want is displayed.
CTRL+ "-" zooms out.

• Using the Microsoft IntelliMouse pointing device, hold the CTRL key
down and rotate the wheel forward to zoom-in or rotate back to
zoom-out.
To zoom in on a specified area
1. Choose Zoom then Zoom Box from the View menu or toolbar. A
Zoom Box mouse small box appears next to the mouse pointer indicating that you
pointer should select an area to zoom.
2. Position the mouse pointer at one corner of the desired zoom area.
3. Click and drag the mouse pointer to the opposite corner of the
desired zoom area and release your mouse button.
To reset a zoomed chart
Do one of the following:
• Choose Zoom then Zoom Reset from the View menu.
• Click the Zoom Reset button on the Chart toolbar.
Zoom Reset button

MetaStock Professional Customizing a Chart's Appearance • 131

Printing Charts and Data

Introduction
MetaStock Pro's Print command lets you print charts and the pricing data
in charts. Before you can print, you must first select and configure your
printer using the Print Setup dialog.

Selecting and Configuring Your Printer

MetaStock Pro uses the default Windows printer selected from the
Windows Printers folder. Direct access to your printer’s properties dialog
is available from within MetaStock Pro via the Print menu. To display
the Properties dialog, open a chart, select Print from the File menu, and
click the Properties button.

See your Windows manual for additional information on the controls in

the Print Setup dialog.

MetaStock Professional Printing Charts and Data • 133

 To select and configure your printer
1. Choose Print from the File menu.
2. Choose the desired printer from the Name drop-list.
3. Click the Properties button if you need to change the printer’s
configuration settings.
4. Click the OK button.

Customizing the Printout with Page Setup

To control such things as paper size, margins, headers/footers, orientation,
etc., use the Page Setup command in the File menu. Maybe you'd like
your company name to appear at the top of every page and the date and
time at the bottom. Or maybe you'd like a larger margin. All this and
more can be controlled within the Page Setup dialog.

Layout
The Layout page is located in the Page Setup dialog. Choose Page Setup
from the File menu or from the Print dialog.

Print Layout. Choose the Charts per Page button to specify the number
of charts you want to appear on a page. For example, if you have eight
charts open and you want the charts printed on two pages then type "4" in
the Charts per Page box.
Choose Print to Fit to print all open charts on one page.
Choose Print Where Displayed to print the charts in the same size and
location as they appear on the screen.
Page Border. Choose the type of border to surround the page. The
Page Border is printed at the specified margin settings.
Chart Border. Choose the type of border to surround each chart.

134 • Printing Charts and Data MetaStock Professional

 Chart Title. Check this box if you want the information appearing in the
chart title bar (see page 107) to print. Click the Font button to choose the
desired font for the chart title.
Automatically Reduce Fonts. Choose this box if you want the x- and
y-axis fonts to be reduced in relation to the size of the chart. The smaller
the chart, the smaller the font used. Leave the box unchecked if you want
the fonts to remain at the specified sizes.

Margins
The Margins page is located in the Page Setup dialog. Choose Page
Setup from the File menu or from the Print dialog.

Page Margins. Specify the distance the chart should be printed from
the top, bottom, left, and right sides of the page. Note that the Page
Border is printed directly against the margins.
Chart Spacing. Specify the distance between charts on the printout.
Units. Choose inches or centimeters to use for the margin and chart
spacing measurements.

Header/Footer
The Header/Footer page is located in the Page Setup dialog. Choose
Page Setup from the File menu or from the Print dialog.

MetaStock Professional Printing Charts and Data • 135

 Fields. Click on the time, date, or page number buttons to automatically
insert the corresponding field into your header or footer.

Alignment. Click on the button that corresponds with the way you want
both your header and footer aligned.

Header. Type the desired header to be printed at the top of the page.
Footer. Type the desired footer to be printed at the bottom of the page.
Fonts. Click this button to select the font for the header and footer. The
Font dialog is used to select the font and the font's style, size, effect, and
color. See page 171 for more information on fonts.

Paper
The Paper page is located in the Page Setup dialog. Choose Page Setup
from the File menu or from the Print dialog.

136 • Printing Charts and Data MetaStock Professional

 Use the Default Printer Settings. Use the default settings already
specified in the Windows Printer Properties for the selected printer.
Use the Following Printer Settings. Use the settings specified in
this dialog.
Paper Size. Choose the size of paper (i.e., letter or legal) loaded in the
printer's paper tray.
Orientation. Choose the orientation for your printout. Landscape
prints horizontally on the page; portrait prints vertically on the page.
Black-on-White Printing. Check this box to print charts with a white
background and black foreground. All background colors are printed as
white; all foreground colors are printed as black.
Invert Black and White. Check this box if you want all black colors
to print white and all white colors to print black.
Thicken Lines by. Check this box if you want all lines within a chart
to print thicker by the specified percentage. This includes price plots,
indicators, and line studies (excluding text). This setting also affects
charts shared with other programs using the Copy and Paste commands
(see page 8).

Previewing Charts Before Printing

To see how a chart will appear when printed, use the Print Preview
command in the File menu or click the Print Preview button on the toolbar.
Print Preview will show you an exact replica of the printed chart on your
Print Preview button
computer screen. The Print Preview command is also available directly
from the Print dialog.

MetaStock Professional Printing Charts and Data • 137

 The buttons along the top of the Print Preview screen allow you to print
and change the view of the chart.
To preview a chart before printing
1. Select the chart you want to preview by clicking anywhere on the
chart.
2. Make any desired changes at the Page Setup dialog.
3. Choose Print Preview from the Print dialog or the File menu.

Printing Charts and Data

Before you can print, be sure that you have selected the correct printer
(see page 133).
You print charts or data by using the Print command located in the File
Print button menu, by clicking the Print button on the toolbar, or by right-clicking on
a chart and choosing Print Chart from the shortcut menu.

138 • Printing Charts and Data MetaStock Professional

 Name. Choose the desired printer from the drop-list. Only those printers
that you have installed from within Windows will appear.
All open charts are listed Print What. Choose what you want to print from this drop-list. Choose
at the bottom of the Active Chart to print the currently selected chart. Choose All Open
Window menu. Charts to print all charts currently open.
From the As box, choose whether you'd like the chart(s) printed in
graphics or text. If you choose text, the Print Range options are made
available.
Copies. Type the number of copies to print.
Print Range. If you have chosen to print Text, you can choose to print
all or a specific range (by data points or dates). The values default to the
amount of data loaded.

MetaStock Professional Printing Charts and Data • 139

 Page Setup. Choose this button to access the Page Setup dialog where
you can specify the layout, margins, header/footer, and paper size. See
page 134 for more information.
Print Preview. Choose this button to access the Print Preview screen.
This lets you see exactly how the printout will appear on your screen. See
page 137 for more information.
Properties. Choose this button to access the printer’s Properties dialog
where you can configure your printer. See page 133for more information.
To print a chart
1. Select the chart you want to print by clicking anywhere on the chart.
2. Do one of the following:
• Choose Print from the File menu.
• Right-click on the chart and choose Print Chart from the Chart
shortcut menu.
• Click the Print button on the toolbar.
3. Click the Print What drop-list and select Active Chart. Click the
As box and select Graphics.
4. Click the OK button.
To print a chart's pricing data
1. Select the chart whose data you want to print by clicking on the
chart.
2. Do one of the following:
• Choose Print from the File menu.
• Right-click on the chart and choose Print Chart from the Chart
shortcut menu.
• Click the Print button on the toolbar.
3. Click the Print What drop-list and select Active Chart. Click the
As drop-list and select Text.
4. Choose the desired Print Range.
5. Click the OK button.
To print multiple charts
1. Open the charts you want to print.
2. Do one of the following:
• Choose Print from the File menu.
• Right-click on the chart and choose Print Chart from the Chart
shortcut menu.
• Click the Print button on the toolbar.

140 • Printing Charts and Data MetaStock Professional

 3. Click the Print What drop-list and select All Open Charts. Click
the As drop-list and select Graphics.
4. Click the OK button.

MetaStock Professional Printing Charts and Data • 141

Working with Price Plots

Introduction
The primary focus of a chart is its price plot. Every chart consists of a
base security. A base security is simply a security's pricing data.
There are nine different styles of displaying pricing data. Each of these
styles uses one or more of the four basic pieces of pricing data--open,
high, low, or close. Each of the nine styles has unique differences that
can be interpreted in various ways.

Base Security Concept

Every chart has a base security. The base security is the security that was
selected when the chart was originally created. All indicators plotted in a
new inner window calculate on the chart's base security. The base
security's name is displayed in the chart's title bar.

The base security of a chart can be changed by using the Change Security
command in the File menu (see page 83).
You can close the base security's inner window, but closing the inner
window does not break the link to the base security.

MetaStock Professional Working with Price Plots • 143

 If you close the inner window of the base security or delete the base
security and want to redisplay it, right-click on the chart and choose
Display Base Security from the Chart shortcut menu. A new inner
window will be created in which the base security will be plotted.
Although a chart has only one base security, pricing data for other
securities can be displayed in inner windows within the same chart (see
page 154).

Types of Price Plots

MetaStock Pro provides nine ways to view the pricing information:
candlesticks, candlevolume, equivolume, kagi, high/low/close bars, line,
point & figure, renko, and three line break. The most common style of
price plot is the high/low/close bar.
The following illustration shows the same security's data plotted in each
of the nine styles.

Candlestick Chart Candlevolume Chart

Equivolume Chart High/Low/Close Bar Chart

144 • Working with Price Plots MetaStock Professional

 Kagi Chart Line Chart

Point & Figure Chart Renko Chart

Three Line Break Chart

Line charts require only closing prices to plot, whereas Candlesticks
require all four pieces of pricing information--open, high, low, and close.
And as their names imply, Equivolume and Candlevolume incorporate
volume into the price plot.
Certain line studies (i.e., cycle lines, Gann grids, and Fibonacci Time
Zones) plot unevenly on equivolume and candlevolume charts. This is

MetaStock Professional Working with Price Plots • 145

 because the distance between time periods on these charts varies. The
same line studies, when plotted on kagi, point & figure, renko, and three
line break charts, also produce results inconsistent with normal
interpretation.
Indicators calculated on kagi, point & figure, renko, and three line break
charts use all the data in each column and then display the average value
of the indicator for that column.

Modifying a Price Plot

Price plots have several properties including style and color. The
properties of a price plot are changed from the Price Plot's Properties
dialog.

Right-click directly on the price plot and choose the Properties command
to display the Properties dialog. You can also double-click on the price
plot to bypass the shortcut menu and go directly to the Properties dialog.
The Properties dialog can also be displayed by choosing Prices from the
Format menu.
If you just want to change the line style of the price plot, the fastest way is
to click directly on the plot to select it, and then choose the desired style
from the Price Style QuickList on the Style toolbar.

146 • Working with Price Plots MetaStock Professional

 Ambiguity Menu
You can also use the TAB When you click on a plot (i.e., price, indicator, or line study), an
key to cycle through "ambiguity" menu may appear if the plot you are clicking on is close to
selectable objects on your other plots. When plots are very close together, it is impossible for
chart. MetaStock Pro to know which plot was clicked on. The illustration
below shows the ambiguity menu that appeared because MetaStock Pro
didn’t know whether the price plot or moving average was clicked.

When the ambiguity menu appears, simply choose the desired plot from
the menu.

Parameters Page
The following sections explain the parameters for each of the price styles
that require parameters (i.e., kagi, point & figure, renko, and three line
break).
To change a price plot's parameters
1. Do one of the following:
• Right-click on the price plot and choose Properties.
• Double-click on the price plot.
2. From the Parameters page of the Properties dialog, make the desired
changes to the parameters.

MetaStock Professional Working with Price Plots • 147

 3. Click the OK button.
Kagi

Reversal Amount. Enter the Reversal Amount to control when the

direction of the kagi chart changes. For example, if you enter a reversal
amount of 2.00 points, the kagi chart will change from up to down if there
is a two point downward change in the closing prices. Likewise, it will
change from down to up if there is a two point upward change in the
closing prices. The length of time required to make the reversal does not
matter.
Calculation Method. Choose one of the two calculation methods.
Choose Percent if you want the reversal amount determined on a
percentage basis (e.g., a Reversal Amount of 2.00 requires a two percent
change in the close to cause a reversal). Choose Points if you want the
reversal amount determined on a points basis (e.g., a Reversal Amount of
3.00 requires a three point change in the close to cause a reversal).
Display Midpoint. Choose Display Midpoint if you want a "tick" mark
displayed at the midpoint of each of the up and down lines.

Indicators calculated on kagi charts use all the data in each column and
then display the average value of the indicator for that column.
Also note that certain line studies, (i.e., Gann, Fibonacci time zones,
cycle lines, etc.) when plotted on kagi charts, produce results inconsistent
with normal interpretation.
See page 472 for interpretation information on kagi charts.

148 • Working with Price Plots MetaStock Professional

 Point & Figure

Box Size. Enter the Box Size (the size may contain a decimal portion,
e.g., 1.33). The default box size is determined automatically depending
on the price of the security being charted. Note that the smaller the box
is, the more boxes will be displayed.
Reversal Amount. Enter the Reversal Amount. The Reversal Amount
controls how many boxes the price must change to cause a reversal and
move to the next column. For example, specifying 3 boxes per reversal
when the box size is set to 2 will require that prices change 6 points (3
boxes times a box size of 2) before changing columns. Because the
reversal is in boxes, the number may not contain a decimal portion.
Larger reversal amounts cause fewer, taller columns.
Price Field. Choose the price field to use when plotting the point &
figure chart. The default "High/Low Range" is recommended. When
calculated on the High/Low Range, MetaStock Pro takes into account the
intraday extreme moves when drawing the boxes.

A checkbox in the Chart Options page of the Application Options dialog

(see page 34) lets you specify if you want point & figure boxes to stay
square when plotting a point & figure chart. Purists to point & figure
charting prefer to have exactly square X and O. However, the advantage
of leaving the box unchecked is that the point & figure charts will utilize
chart space much more efficiently.
The inner window title bar of a point & figure chart displays information
about the chart. The first number is the Box Size and the second number
is the Box Size multiplied by the Reversal Amount. The Price Field that a
point & figure chart is based on is also identified in the title bar of the
chart.
Indicators calculated on point & figure charts use all the data in each
column and then display the average value of the indicator in that column.
Also note that certain line studies, (i.e., Gann, Fibonacci time zones, cycle
lines, etc.) when plotted on point & figure charts, produce results
inconsistent with normal interpretation.

MetaStock Professional Working with Price Plots • 149

 See page 498 for interpretation information on point & figure charts.
Renko

Box Size. Enter the Box Size (the size may contain a decimal portion,
e.g., 1.33). The default box size is determined automatically depending
on the price of the security being charted. Note that the smaller the box,
the more boxes displayed.

Indicators calculated on renko charts use all the data in each column and
then display the average value of the indicator in that column.
Also note that certain line studies, (i.e., gann, Fibonacci time zones, cycle
lines, etc.) when plotted on renko charts, produce results inconsistent
with normal interpretation.
See page 515 for interpretation information on renko charts.
Three Line Break

Lines. Enter the lines per break. The default is three. Note that the
smaller the lines per break, the more blocks displayed.

Indicators calculated on three line break charts use all the data in each
column and then display the average value of the indicator in that column.

150 • Working with Price Plots MetaStock Professional

 Also note that certain line studies, (i.e., Gann, Fibonacci time zones, cycle
lines, etc.) when plotted on three line break charts, produce results
inconsistent with normal interpretation.
See page 526 for interpretation information on three line break charts.

Color/Style Page
The color/style page allows you to change the color, line style, and weight
of the selected price plot. You can also make these changes by using the
color and line style toolbars (see page 25).

Price Styles. Click on the Price Style drop-list to display the nine price
styles: Bars, Candlesticks, Candlevolume, Equivolume, Line, Kagi, Point
& Figure, Renko, and Three Line Break.
Up. Use this drop-list to select the color when the closing price moves
upward (as compared to the previous period's price). Note that this color
only affects the currently selected Price Style. If an expert containing a
Highlight is attached to the chart (and its condition is true), the Highlight's
color will override this setting.
Down. Use this drop-list to select the color when the closing price
moves downward (as compared to the previous period's price). Note that
this color only affects the currently selected Price Style. If an expert
containing a Highlight is attached to the chart (and its condition is true),
the Highlight's color will override this setting.
Weight. Use this drop-list to select the weight (i.e., thickness) of the
price plot.
Apply To All Price Styles. Check this box if you want the Up and
Down colors selected for the current price style to apply to all Price
Styles (rather than just the currently selected Price Style).
To change the style of the price plot
1. Double-click on the price plot in the chart.
2. From the Color/Style page, click the Price Styles drop-list.

MetaStock Professional Working with Price Plots • 151

 3. Choose the desired price style and click the OK button.

Or
1. Select the price plot in the chart.
2. Choose the desired price style from the Price Style QuickList located
on the style toolbar.
To change the color of a price plot
1. Double-click on the price plot in the chart.
2. From the Color/Style page, click the Up drop-list.
3. Choose the desired color for upward price changes.
4. Click the Down drop-list.
5. Choose the desired color for downward price changes.
6. Click the OK button.

Or
1. Select the price plot in the chart.
2. Choose the desired color from the color palette located on the style
toolbar.

Updating and Editing a Price Plot's Data

The method you use to update and edit data depends on the type of data
you are using – online data, real-time local data, or end-of-day local data
(see page 41).
To update online data, choose Refresh from the View menu. The data
will be re-collected from your online vendor, including any splits or
adjustments that have occurred since you opened the chart. Note that
weekly and monthly charts do not update in real time.
Real-time data is updated automatically as the trades occur. All you need
to do is start MetaStock Pro, which will then start the File and Data
Servers. If your charts stop updating, there may be a problem with one of
the servers (see page 51).
To update your end-of-day downloaded data, use the Download Prices
command in The DownLoader. The DownLoader is a separate program
provided with MetaStock Pro. However, MetaStock Pro provides
seamless integration with The DownLoader, making data changes quick
and easy.

152 • Working with Price Plots MetaStock Professional

 You can run The DownLoader using the Windows Start command by
going to the Equis International folder and choosing The DownLoader. Or
The DownLoader icon you can run The DownLoader directly from within MetaStock Pro by
choosing The DownLoader from the Tools menu.
You can quickly access the data for an open chart by right-clicking on the
price plot and choosing Edit Data from the shortcut menu. The security's
datasheet will open in The DownLoader where you can make the desired
changes. This makes it easy for you to quickly edit an erroneous price
on a chart.

If a chart for a security is open, changes made in The DownLoader to that

security's attributes (i.e., name, ticker, units, etc.) will not be immediately
reflected in the open chart. The chart must be closed and then reopened
to reflect the changes. However, changes made to the pricing data itself
(i.e., date, open, high, low, close, etc.) will be immediately reflected in
the open chart.

Copying, Deleting, and Moving Price Plots

Copying, moving, and overlaying price plots involves basic drag and
drop techniques. Perhaps you want to see three computer stocks in the
same chart. Or maybe you want to overlay several stocks in the same
inner window.
"Moving" a price plot means to actually remove the selected price plot
from its original location and move it to a new location. "Copying"
means to make a copy of the selected price plot and place the copy in
another location. "Deleting" a price plot means to remove the selected
price plot from the chart, but this does not delete the data permanently
from the security file.

MetaStock Professional Working with Price Plots • 153

 Copying and Moving a Price Plot
You can copy any price plot from one inner window to another by
selecting and dragging the price plot with the CTRL key depressed, and
then dropping it in a new location.
A price plot is moved from one inner window to another using the same
procedure described in the previous paragraph, except that you don't need
to hold the CTRL key down. The only exception to this is if you attempt
to move a base security price plot (see page 143) from one chart to
another. In this case the base security price plot is always copied. This
prevents the accidental removal of a base security from its chart.
When you click on a price plot, an "ambiguity" menu may appear if the
plot you are clicking on is close to other plots (e.g., moving averages,
trendlines, etc.). See page 147 for more information.
A "not" sign appears next to the mouse pointer when dragging a price
plot over an area where it cannot be dropped.
“Not” sign
The following illustrations show how to copy a price plot from one chart
to another. If the price plot is not the base security (see page 143), you
can move the price plot by following the same procedure, except don't
hold the CTRL key.

154 • Working with Price Plots MetaStock Professional

MetaStock Professional Working with Price Plots • 155
 To copy or move a price plot to a new inner window in
the same or different chart
1. Open two charts.
2. Position the mouse over the price plot you want to copy or move.
3. Hold the CTRL key down. Then click and hold the left mouse button
and drag the price plot to the destination chart's title bar.
4. With the mouse still positioned over the destination chart's title bar,
release the mouse button.
To overlay a price plot on an existing plot
1. Position the mouse over the price plot you want to copy or move.
2. Hold the CTRL key down (for copying only). Then click and hold the
left mouse button and drag the price plot to the inner window
containing the price plot or indicator you want to overlay on. The
inner window can be in the same chart or a different chart.
3. Release the mouse button.
4. Choose the desired option from the Scaling Options dialog (see page
156) and click OK.
Scaling Options Dialog
When you copy or move a plot (i.e., price plot or indicator) to another
inner window, it is likely that the other inner window's y-axis scale will
not be compatible. If this is the case, MetaStock Pro displays the Scaling
Options dialog so that you can choose how to handle the scaling when the
plot is overlayed.

Display New Scale on Left. Use a new scale on the left side of the
chart that is compatible with the new plot. The existing plot will
continue to display, but the left y-axis scale represents the new plot.
Display New Scale on Right. Use a new scale on the right side of the
chart that is compatible with the new plot. The existing plot will
continue to display, but the right y-axis scale represents the new plot.
Merge with Scale on Left. Adjust the existing left y-axis scale so that
the new price plot can be represented.
Merge with Scale on Right. Adjust the existing right y-axis scale so
that the new price plot can be represented.

156 • Working with Price Plots MetaStock Professional

 Overlay without Scale. Overlay the plot without displaying a scale.
You may want to do this if you are only concerned about comparing
relative movements between the plots.

Deleting a Price Plot

Deleting a price plot from an inner window will remove the price plot
and leave the inner window intact. See page 116 for information on
closing inner windows.
You can delete the selected price plot by pressing the DEL key or by right-
clicking on the price plot and choosing Delete from the shortcut menu.
You are asked to confirm the deletion. An option in the Application
Properties dialog controls whether the Confirm Deletions dialog appears
(see page 32).
You can also delete price plots by using the Cut command from the Edit
menu or the price plot's shortcut menu. However, the Cut command also
copies the price plot to the Windows clipboard. See page 8 for more
information.
If the price plot you delete is the chart's base security (see page 143), you
can redisplay the base security by right-clicking on any inner window and
choosing Display Base Security from the chart's shortcut menu. A new
inner window will be opened at the top of the chart where the base
security will be replotted.

To delete a price plot

1. Do one of the following:
• Right-click on the price plot and choose Delete.
• Click the left mouse button on the price plot and press the DEL
key.

MetaStock Professional Working with Price Plots • 157

 • Select the price plot and choose Delete from the Edit menu.
2. Choose Yes when asked to confirm the deletion.
Confirm Deletions
When you delete price plots, indicators, or line studies from a chart, the
Confirm Deletions dialog will appear (if you haven't disabled it).

Choose Yes if you want the selected object deleted. Choose No to cancel
the deletion.
You can prevent this message from appearing by checking the "Don't
display this message anymore" box in this dialog or by unchecking the
"Confirm Deletion of Objects" box in the Application Properties dialog
(see page 32).

Inserting Price Plots

Any security can be added to the current chart using the Insert Security
command. This method is quicker than opening the chart and using drag
and drop to copy the price plot.
To insert the price plot of a security that is not open, choose Security
from the Insert menu.

If the periodicities are not the same, the data will be displayed in the best
way possible.

Viewing Values on the Chart

There are two ways to view a plot's value in a chart. For a detailed, color-
coded view of the data, use the Data Window. For a quick inspection of
the data for a particular bar, use ChartTips.
The Data Window displays the values at the location of the mouse
pointer. You can display the base security's date, time, open, high, low,

158 • Working with Price Plots MetaStock Professional

 close, volume, open interest, price change from previous period, and
indicator values. The Data Window displays the values for the chart that
the mouse pointer is in. If the Data Window is docked, it will also
display the ticker symbol.
The Data Window is displayed by choosing Data Window from the View
Data Window button menu, or by clicking the Data Window button on the toolbar.

The format of the price values displayed in the Data Window are either in
decimal or fractions depending on the "Units" setting for the security. A
security's Units setting is controlled with The DownLoader (see page 60
in this manual).
The color of the values displayed in the Data Window correspond to the
color of the price plots represented. You can turn this "coloring" of text
off from the Data Window Properties dialog (see page 161).

If you have multiple charts displayed on your screen, you can simply
move the mouse from chart to chart and the Data Window will display the
appropriate data.
When attempting to display the data for a specific bar, you may want to
use your mouse to quickly move to the general area of the chart, and then
switch to the keyboard's arrow keys to zero in on the specific bar.
The Data Window can be moved just like any window by clicking on the
title bar and dragging. You can also resize the Data Window vertically by
clicking on the bottom border and dragging.
The active chart's ticker You can dock the Data Window on the left or right side of the screen by
symbol appears in a clicking and dragging the Data Window to the desired side of the screen.
docked Data Window. Double-clicking anywhere on the Data Window will also dock it. After it
is docked, double-clicking returns it to a floating window, or you can
click and drag it to the desired location. Note that when the Data
Window is docked, the ticker symbol of the security in the active chart is
displayed.

MetaStock Professional Working with Price Plots • 159

 ChartTips allow you to quickly display the values for a particular bar
without invoking any special command. By simply positioning the mouse
over a plot (e.g., price bar, indicator, moving average, etc.) and holding
the mouse pointer motionless for a second or so, a ChartTip displays,
giving you information about the plot. The first line of a ChartTip
provides the name of the plot plus any parameters associated with that
plot. The remaining lines provide other useful information about the plot.

To display the Data Window

Do one of the following:
• Choose Data Window from the View menu.
• Click the Data Window button on the toolbar.
To remove the Data Window
Do one of the following:
• Choose Data Window from the View menu.
• Click the Data Window button on the toolbar.
• Double-click the control menu box on the Data Window.
• Right-click on the Data Window and choose Remove Data
Window.
To dock the Data Window
1. Display the Data Window.
2. Double-click anywhere on the Data Window. Or you can drag the
Data Window until the mouse appears near the left or right edge of
the screen. Release the mouse button to dock it.
To undock the Data Window
Double-click anywhere on the Data Window. It will return to a floating
window.

160 • Working with Price Plots MetaStock Professional

 Changing the Properties of the Data Window
To specify the properties of the Data Window, use the Data Window
Properties dialog. This dialog is accessed by right-clicking on the Data
Window or by choosing Data Window from the Format menu.

Check the box next to the values you want displayed in the Data
Window.
Click on the General tab to access the "Update Only On Drag" and the
"Display Data Window Text In Color" options. Check "Update Only On
Drag" box if you would like the Data Window to update only when you
are dragging the mouse (i.e., clicking and holding the left mouse button
down). Check the "Display Data Window Text In Color" box if you
would like the color of the values in the Data Window to correspond to
the color of the represented plot.
To specify the contents of the Data Window
1. Choose Data Window from the Format menu.
2. Check the desired values to display in the Data Window Properties
dialog.
3. Click the OK button.

Visual Inspection Using the Crosshairs

The crosshairs are helpful when inspecting the relative moves of indicator
and price plots. They are also good for spotting support/resistance levels
Crosshairs button
(see page 523). The crosshairs are turned on by choosing Crosshairs
from the View menu or clicking the Crosshairs button on the trendline
toolbar. You can turn off Crosshairs by pressing the ESC key, clicking
the Crosshairs button on the toolbar, or choosing Crosshairs from the
View menu.
You may find the crosshairs helpful when you have the Data Window
displayed so that you can see the exact location of all values shown in the
Data Window. The mouse pointer disappears when crosshairs are
displayed to allow better visibility of the underlying plot(s) at the
intersection point.

MetaStock Professional Working with Price Plots • 161

 Even when crosshairs are turned on, you still can use all the menus and
toolbars. In fact, you may find it helpful to have the crosshairs displayed
when drawing line studies (see page 205).
To turn on the crosshairs
Choose Crosshairs from the View menu. A checkmark will appear next
to the menu item indicating they are turned on.
Or
Click the crosshairs button from the toolbar.

162 • Working with Price Plots MetaStock Professional

Working with Indicators

What is an Indicator?
An indicator is a mathematical calculation that can be applied to a
security's price, volume or even to another indicator. The result is a value
that is used to anticipate future changes in prices. Indicators are plotted
either in a separate inner window or overlayed in the base security's inner
window (e.g., a moving average).
There are three types of indicators in MetaStock Pro (explained below).
The small icon displayed next to indicators in the Indicator QuickList
(see page 165) shows you the indicator's type. These small icons are also
described below.
Price Indicators . Price indicators are always calculated using
security pricing data.
Custom Indicators . Custom indicators are calculated using a formula
you created with the Indicator Builder (see page 299).
Plot-based Indicators . Plot-based indicators can be plotted directly
on an existing plot (i.e., a price plot or another indicator plot). For
example, a moving average is a plot-based indicator since it is always
calculated on an existing price or indicator. If a plot-based indicator is
not dropped directly on a plot (i.e., you plot it in a new inner window) it
is calculated using the base security.
All indicators (price, custom, and plot) appear together in the Indicator
QuickList (see page 165) and the Indicators dialog (see page 164).

Plotting an Indicator
There are two ways of plotting an indicator in MetaStock Pro. You can
drag and drop an indicator from the Indicator QuickList or you can
choose Indicators from the Insert menu to display the Indicators dialog.
When an indicator is plotted, it is usually calculated on the chart's base
security (see page 143). However, some indicators (i.e., "plot-based"
indicators) can be calculated on other indicators. For example, a moving
average can be calculated on any plot. You could calculate a moving
average using an indicator, another moving average, or a price plot.

MetaStock Professional Working with Indicators • 163

 If an indicator is calculated on a security other than the base security of
the chart, the name of the security is shown in parenthesis after the
indicator's name.
Indicators calculated on kagi, point & figure, renko, and three line break
charts use all the data in each column and then display the average value
of the indicator for that column.

Using the Indicators Dialog

The Indicators dialog is accessed by choosing Indicators from the Insert
menu. The Indicator dialog lets you choose the indicator(s) and the inner
window in which it should be plotted.

You can select multiple You can select one (or multiple) indicators from the Indicators list on the
indicators by holding left side of the dialog. Pick an inner window in which to plot the
down the CTRL or indicator(s) from the Inner Windows list on the right side of the dialog.
SHIFT key as you make If the selected indicator is a "plot-based" indicator, then the Inner
your selections. Windows list displays the plots within each of the inner windows. This
allows you to choose a specific plot on which to calculate the indicator.
The inner windows listed on the right side of the dialog are labeled Inner
Window #1, Inner Window #2, etc. corresponding with the location (top
to bottom) in the chart.
If you choose New Inner Window, the indicator is plotted in a new inner
window at the top of the chart.
To plot an indicator using the Indicators dialog
1. Select the chart in which you want to plot an indicator.
2. Choose Indicators from the Insert menu.
3. Click the indicator(s) you want to plot in the Indicators list on the
left side of the dialog.
4. From the Inner Windows list on the right side of the dialog, choose
the inner window in which to plot the indicator.
5. Click the OK button.

164 • Working with Indicators MetaStock Professional

 Using the Indicator QuickList
The Indicator QuickList (located on the standard toolbar) provides quick
access to all the indicators in MetaStock Pro.

You can drag indicators from the list and drop them on your charts. If
you drop an indicator on a chart's title bar, a new inner window is
automatically created for the indicator at the top of the chart. If you drop
the indicator on an inner window title bar, the indicator will plot in a new
inner window above the title bar. If you drop the indicator on the x-axis,
the new inner window will plot at the bottom of the chart.

You can also drop an indicator on an existing plot. Moving averages,

Envelopes, and Bollinger Bands are almost always dropped on an existing
plot, since you usually want them overlayed on a plot. When you drop an
indicator on an existing inner window, the Scaling Options dialog may

MetaStock Professional Working with Indicators • 165

 appear prompting you to choose how you want to handle the scaling (see
page 156).
When dragging an indicator from the QuickList, the status bar (see page
27) provides useful feedback on the location of the mouse. As a visual
cue, the plot that will be used for the calculation changes to a unique
color as the indicator is being dragged.
A quick way to get to the desired indicator in the QuickList is to display
the QuickList and then type the first letter of the indicator's name. The
list will quickly advance down the list to indicators beginning with that
letter.
If the Standard toolbar (where the QuickList is found) is docked on either
Indicators button the left or right side of the screen (so it appears vertically), the Indicator
QuickList changes to a button that displays the Indicators dialog when
clicked.
To plot an indicator in a new inner window using the
QuickList
1. Click the Indicator QuickList on the toolbar and scroll the list until
the desired indicator appears.
2. Position your mouse pointer over the small icon to the left of the
desired indicator. Note how the mouse pointer changes to a hand.
3. Click and hold the left mouse button and drag the indicator until you
have it positioned on any inner window title bar within the chart.
Notice how the mouse cursor changes appearance when it's
positioned over the title bar. You can even drop the indicator on the
x-axis if you want it plotted at the very bottom of the chart.
4. Drop the indicator by releasing the mouse button.
To plot an indicator on an existing plot
1. Click the Indicator QuickList on the toolbar and scroll the list until
the desired "plot-based" indicator appears. A plot based indicator
has a icon next to it. See page 163 for more information on plot-
based indicators.
2. Position your mouse pointer over the small icon to the left of the
desired indicator. Note how the mouse pointer changes to a hand.
3. Click and hold the left mouse button and drag the indicator until you
have it positioned over the plot to calculate on. The color of the plot
will change to inform you that it will be used for the indicator's
calculation.
4. Drop the indicator by releasing the mouse button.
Controlling which Indicators are in the QuickList
By default, all available indicators (including custom indicators) are
displayed in the QuickList. However, you may want to shorten the list by

166 • Working with Indicators MetaStock Professional

 excluding those you seldom use. This can be done with the QuickList
Properties dialog.
The QuickList Properties dialog is displayed by choosing Indicator
QuickList from the Format menu, or by right-clicking directly on the
QuickList and choosing QuickList Properties.

Check the indicators you want displayed in the QuickList. Remove the
check if you prefer not to have the indicator displayed. You can check
and uncheck all indicators by using the Check All and Uncheck All
buttons.

Modifying an Indicator
After an indicator is plotted, you can modify any of its properties (e.g.,
color, number of periods, etc.) with the indicator's Properties dialog.
Indicators can also be copied or moved to a new inner window within the
same chart or a different chart.
An indicator's Properties dialog can be accessed three ways:
• You can right-click directly on the plotted indicator and choose
Properties from the shortcut menu.
• You can double-click directly on the plotted indicator.
• You can select the indicator and choose Selected Object from the
Format menu.
You can press the TAB When you are clicking on an indicator and the indicator is closely
key to cycle through all surrounded by other plots (e.g., prices, moving averages, etc.) a menu
selectable objects on will pop up prompting you to choose the desired plot.
your chart.

MetaStock Professional Working with Indicators • 167

 The following Properties dialog for the Relative Strength Index is typical
of most indicator Property dialogs. Indicators that do not require
parameters (e.g., Median Price, Typical Price, etc.) do not have a
Parameters page in the Properties dialog.

To modify the properties of an indicator

1. Position the mouse on the plotted indicator and double-click.
2. Make the desired changes from the indicator's Properties dialog.
3. Click the OK button.

Properties Common to All Indicators

Every Indicator Properties dialog contains two common pages--the
Color/Style page and the Horizontal Line page. You can modify the
color/style and horizontal line placement of every indicator in MetaStock
Pro.
Every indicator Properties dialog also contains an Apply button. If you
click this button, the changes made in the Properties dialog are
immediately applied. The Properties dialog remains on the screen. This
is helpful if you need to make quick visual adjustments to an indicator.
You display an indicator's Properties dialog by right-clicking on the
indicator and choosing Properties from the shortcut menu.

168 • Working with Indicators MetaStock Professional

 Color/Style Page
The Color/Style page is used to modify the selected indicator only. The
Color/Style page is located in the indicator's Properties dialog. This
dialog is displayed by right-clicking on the indicator and choosing
Properties from the shortcut menu.
You can also change the color and line style of the indicator by using the
color and line style toolbars (see page 25).
If you want to change the default color/style for all new indicators, choose
Default Colors & Styles from the Tools menu.

Color. Choose the indicator color for the selected indicator from the
drop-list. MetaStock Pro can automatically rotate through different colors
when plotting indicators. See page 171 for more information.
Style. Choose the line style for the selected indicator from the drop-list.
The Invisible style is useful when overlaying one indicator on another
(i.e., a moving average overlayed on an RSI). When plotting a moving
average on an existing indicator, there may be times that you want to hide
the indicator and just show the moving average. If you delete the
indicator, the moving average will also disappear since it is dependent on
the indicator for the calculation. However, you can hide the indicator, by
choosing the Invisible Style from the Color/Style page in the indicator's
Properties dialog. To redisplay a hidden indicator, use the TAB key to
select it and then choose Selected Object from the Format menu.
Weight. Choose the thickness of the selected indicator from the drop-
list. If you select a heavier weight, the Style will always appear as a solid
line.
Horizontal Lines Page
Many indicators require specific values for their interpretation. For
example, a Stochastic is generally considered to be at an overbought level
above 80 and oversold below 20. Horizontal lines are usually placed at
these levels to help in the interpretation.

MetaStock Professional Working with Indicators • 169

 The Horizontal Lines page allows you to control the placement of these
lines for each indicator. Every time the indicator is plotted, the specified
horizontal lines are automatically drawn.
The Horizontal Lines page is located in the indicator's Properties dialog.
This dialog is displayed by right-clicking on the indicator and choosing
Properties from the shortcut menu.

You can also control the color, line style, and weight of the horizontal
lines. The color, style, and weight you choose is used for all horizontal
lines drawn with the indicator.

Default Colors and Styles Dialog

The Default Colors and Style command in the Tools menu is used to
change the default colors and styles used for new plots (i.e., indicators,
line studies, and text/symbols). Note that the default colors and styles do
not affect existing charts. They only affect new items.
For example, if you always want new indicators plotted as dotted blue
instead of solid red, you could use the Default Colors and Styles dialog to
make this change.

The Indicators and Line Studies pages contain the usual color, style, and
weight drop-lists for modifying indicators and line studies. Note that if
you select a heavier weight, the Style will always appear as a solid line,
regardless of the line style.

170 • Working with Indicators MetaStock Professional

 When the Auto Rotate checkbox on the Indicators page is checked,
MetaStock Pro automatically chooses different colors for indicators
plotted successively in the same inner window. This is particularly useful
if you frequently plot multiple indicators (e.g., moving averages) in the
same inner window. The background color of the indicator's inner
window is automatically skipped.
You can also change the font used for text (see page 223) and the size of
symbols (see page 222) with the Text/Symbols page.

Changing Fonts
Click the Font button on the Text/Symbols page of the Default Colors
and Styles dialog to change the fonts for text and symbols that appears on
charts. Note that this font does not change the fonts associated with the
x- and y-axis, or headers/footers. You can change the font for text, the x-
and y-axis, symbol labels, and headers/footers on charts using the
standard Windows Font dialog.

Font. Choose the font. The number and type of fonts appearing in this
list depends on your printer selection.

MetaStock Professional Working with Indicators • 171

 Font Style. Choose the style for the font.
Font Size. Choose the point size for the font.
Effects. Check the box for the desired effects.
Color. Choose the desired color for the font.
Sample. This box shows how your selected font will appear.
Script. Choose the desired script style for the font.

Copying, Deleting, and Moving Indicators

Just as price plots and line studies can be moved using drag and drop
techniques, so can indicators. Perhaps you want to see three of your
favorite indicators overlayed on each other in the same inner window. Or
maybe you want to copy an RSI of the Dow into your IBM chart. Or
maybe you want to delete the moving average plotted on your Corn chart.
Sometimes when you are trying to click on an indicator that is crowded
among other plots, a pop-up "ambiguity" menu appears from which you
can select the desired plot. See page 147 for more information.
You can select multiple indicators for copying, moving, or deleting by
holding down the SHIFT key as you click your mouse.

Copying and Moving Indicators

Copying and moving an indicator plot involves basic drag and drop
techniques. The only difference between copying and moving is that you
Move cursor hold the CTRL key down when copying. When the mouse pointer is
positioned over an indicator, the mouse pointer displays a four-sided
arrow (i.e., the move cursor) indicating that the indicator can be moved or
copied.
When an indicator (or any object, for that matter) is being copied, a small
plus sign appears next to the mouse pointer while dragging.
When you drag an indicator and drop it into an existing inner window,
the Scaling Options dialog may appear prompting you to decide how to
handle the scaling (see page 156).
You can copy (or move) an indicator to a new inner window by dragging
and dropping the indicator on a chart title bar or inner window title bar.
To move (or copy) an indicator to an existing inner
window
1. Position the mouse over the indicator you want to move or copy.
2. If copying, hold the CTRL key down. Click and hold the left mouse
button and drag the indicator to another inner window. The inner
window can be in the same chart or a different chart.
3. Release the mouse button.

172 • Working with Indicators MetaStock Professional

 4. Choose the desired option from the Scaling Options dialog (see page
156) and click OK.
To move (or copy) an indicator to a new inner window
1. Position the mouse over the indicator you want to move or copy.
2. If copying, hold the CTRL key down. Click and hold the left mouse
button and drag the indicator so that it is positioned over the desired
chart title bar, or inner window title bar. The chart can be the same
chart or a different chart.
3. Release the mouse button.

Deleting Indicators
You can delete an indicator by right-clicking on the indicator plot and
choosing Delete from the shortcut menu. You can also delete an indicator
by selecting the indicator and pressing the DEL key. An option in the
Application Properties dialog (see page 32) controls whether or not you
are asked to confirm the deletion of the object.

To delete an indicator
1. Position the mouse on the desired indicator plot.
2. Click the right mouse button.
3. Choose Delete from the shortcut menu or press the DEL key..

MetaStock Professional Working with Indicators • 173

Viewing Indicator Values with the Data Window
To see the numerical values of a chart at the mouse pointer's location, use
Data Window button the Data Window. The Data Window is displayed by choosing Data
Window from the View menu. You can also display the Data Window
by clicking the Data Window button on the toolbar. The Data Window
continually updates to reflect the numerical values at the mouse pointer's
location.
The name of the security being displayed is shown in the title bar of the
Data Window. If the Data Window is docked the name appears inside
the Data Window itself. Therefore, if you have multiple charts displayed
on your screen, you can simply move the mouse from chart to chart and
the Data Window will display the appropriate data.
See page 158 for more information on using the Data Window.

Online Indicator Interpretation

If you need help interpreting an indicator, MetaStock Pro's help system
contains information on every indicator. Right-click on the plotted
indicator and choose Help from the shortcut menu to get a help screen
explaining the indicator and how to interpret it.

See page 441 for more information on interpreting indicators.

Indicator Parameters
The parameters for every indicator are listed on the following pages. The
parameter pages for color/style and horizontal lines are identical for
every indicator. See page 169 for information on the Color/Style page

174 • Working with Indicators MetaStock Professional

 within the indicator's Properties dialog. See page 169 for information on
the Horizontal Lines page within the indicator's Properties dialog.
The parameters for an indicator are specified at the time the indicator is
plotted. You can edit the parameters of a plotted indicator by
double-clicking on the indicator (see page 167).

Accumulation Swing Index

The parameters for the Accumulation Swing index are shown below.
These parameters are specified at the time the indicator is plotted. You
can edit the parameters of an existing plot by right-clicking on the
indicator and choosing Properties from the shortcut menu. Note that the
Accumulation Swing Index requires open prices to calculate.
Limit Move. The following table lists the limit moves for several
commodities traded on the Chicago Board of Trade:
Commodity Limit Move
Corn $0.10
Heating Oil $0.04
Soybeans $0.30
T-bonds $3.00

You may need to adjust the limit moves shown in the above table based
on the position of the decimal in your data files. For example, if the price
of corn is quoted as $2.45, the limit move would be $0.10. However, if
the price of corn is quoted as $245.00, the limit move would be $10.00.
If the security does not have a limit move (e.g., a stock or some futures),
we suggest you enter the maximum value allowed (i.e., $30,000).
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 446 for interpretation information on the Accumulation
Swing Index.

Accumulation/Distribution
There are no parameters for the Accumulation/Distribution indicator.
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 446 for interpretation information on the
Accumulation/Distribution indicator.

Aroon
The parameters for the Aroon indicator are shown below. These
parameters are specified at the time the indicator is plotted. You can edit
the parameters of an existing plot by right-clicking on the indicator and
choosing Properties from the shortcut menu.

MetaStock Professional Working with Indicators • 175

 Time Periods. Enter the number of time periods to use when
calculating Aroon. The term "time periods" refers to days if the chart
contains daily data, weeks for weekly data, hours for hourly data, etc.

See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 448 for interpretation information on Aroon indicator.

Average True Range

The parameters for the Average True Range are shown below. These
parameters are specified at the time the indicator is plotted. You can edit
the parameters of an existing plot by right-clicking on the indicator and
choosing Properties from the shortcut menu.
Time Periods. Enter the number of time periods to use when
calculating Average True Range. The term "time periods" refers to days
if the chart contains daily data, weeks for weekly data, hours for hourly
data, etc.
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 449 for interpretation information on the Average True
Range indicator.

Bollinger Bands
The parameters for the Bollinger Bands are shown below. These
parameters are specified at the time the indicator is plotted. You can edit
the parameters of an existing plot by right-clicking on the indicator and
choosing Properties from the shortcut menu.
Time Periods. Enter the number of time periods to use when
calculating. The term "time periods" refers to days if the chart contains
daily data, weeks for weekly data, hours for hourly data, etc.
Deviations. Enter the number of standard deviations by which to shift
the upper and lower bands.
Horizontal Shift. Enter the number of periods to shift the Bollinger
Bands. For example, enter "5" to shift them five periods to the right;
enter "-5" to shift them five periods to the left; etc.
Method. Choose the moving average calculation method (i.e., simple,
exponential, weighted, time series, triangular, variable, or volume
adjusted).
Price Field. Choose the price field (i.e., open, high, low, or close) to
use when calculating Bollinger Bands.
If you edit the parameters of the middle band, all three bands are affected.
If you edit the parameters of the upper or lower bands individually, only
that band is affected. Therefore, if you want symmetrical bands, edit the
parameters of the middle band only.

176 • Working with Indicators MetaStock Professional

 See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 449 for interpretation information on the Bollinger
Bands.

Chaikin A/D Oscillator

There are no parameters for the Chaikin A/D Oscillator.
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 451 for interpretation information on the Chaikin
Oscillator.

Chaikin Money Flow

The parameters for the Chaikin Money Flow indicator are shown below.
These parameters are specified at the time the indicator is plotted. You
can edit the parameters of an existing plot by right-clicking on the
indicator and choosing Properties from the shortcut menu.
Time Periods. Enter the number of time periods to use when
calculating the indicator. The term "time periods" refers to days if the
chart contains daily data, weeks for weekly data, hours for hourly data,
etc.
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 454 for interpretation information on the Chaikin
Money Flow indicator.

Chande Momentum Oscillator

The parameters for the Chande Momentum Oscillator are shown below.
These parameters are specified at the time the indicator is plotted. You
can edit the parameters of an existing plot by right-clicking on the
indicator and choosing Properties from the shortcut menu.
Time Periods. Enter the number of time periods to use when
calculating the indicator. The term "time periods" refers to days if the
chart contains daily data, weeks for weekly data, hours for hourly data,
etc.
Price Field. Choose the price field (i.e., open, high, low, or close) to
use when calculating the indicator.
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 455 for interpretation information on the Chande
Momentum Oscillator.

Commodity Channel Index (CCI)

The parameters for the CCI are shown below. These parameters are
specified at the time the indicator is plotted. You can edit the parameters
of an existing plot by right-clicking on the indicator and choosing
Properties from the shortcut menu.

MetaStock Professional Working with Indicators • 177

 Time Periods. Enter the number of time periods to use when
calculating the Commodity Channel Index. The term "time periods"
refers to days if the chart contains daily data, weeks for weekly data,
hours for hourly data, etc.
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 456 for interpretation information on the Commodity
Channel Index.

Commodity Selection Index

The parameters for the Commodity Selection Index are shown below.
These parameters are specified at the time the indicator is plotted. You
can edit the parameters of an existing plot by right-clicking on the
indicator and choosing Properties from the shortcut menu.
Time Periods. Enter the number of time periods to use when
calculating the Commodity Selection Index. The term "time periods"
refers to days if the chart contains daily data, weeks for weekly data,
hours for hourly data, etc.
Value a $.01 Move. In Wilder's book (see page 544), he uses $50 for
Soybeans, $400 for Pork Bellies, and $375 for Coffee.
Margin Requirement. Enter the margin requirement for the contract
in dollars.
Commission Amount. Enter the commission cost in dollars.
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 457 for interpretation information on the Commodity
Selection Index.

Correlation
Before attempting to plot the Correlation indicator, you must first select
two plots. This could be two price plots, an indicator and a price plot, or
two indicators. The first plot selected will be the independent variable
and the second, the dependent variable.
The parameters for the Correlation indicator are shown below. These
parameters are specified at the time the indicator is plotted. You can edit
the parameters of an existing plot by right-clicking on the indicator and
choosing Properties from the shortcut menu.
Time Periods. This parameter specifies the number of time periods
that are used to "smooth" the dependent and independent variables when
determining their correlation.
Forward Shift. This parameter specifies the number of time periods to
shift the independent variable's data forward. This can be used to
determine whether a change in an indicator (the independent variable)
"leads" a change in prices (the dependent variable). For example, if you
find that an indicator has a high positive correlation to the security's price
when shifted forward three periods, you may assume that a change in the

178 • Working with Indicators MetaStock Professional

 indicator today will predict a change in the security's price three periods
from now.
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 457 for interpretation information on Correlation
Analysis.
To plot the Correlation indicator
1. Select the two plots that you want to correlate (i.e., two indicators, a
price plot and an indicator, or two price plots). Select the first plot
(the independent variable) by simply clicking on it. Select the
second plot (the dependent variable) by holding down the SHIFT key
and clicking on it. Small square handles will appear on the plots
indicating that they are selected.
2. Drag the Correlation indicator from the Indicator QuickList and drop
it on the chart.

Dema
The parameters for the Dema indicator are shown below. These
parameters are specified at the time the indicator is plotted. You can edit
the parameters of an existing plot by right-clicking on the indicator and
choosing Properties from the shortcut menu.
Time Periods. Enter the number of time periods to use when
calculating the indicator. The term "time periods" refers to days if the
chart contains daily data, weeks for weekly data, hours for hourly data,
etc.
Price Field. Choose the price field (i.e., open, high, low, or close) to use
when calculating DEMA.
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 459 for interpretation information on the Dema
indicator.

Demand Index
There are no parameters for the Demand Index.
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 460 for interpretation information on the Demand Index.

Detrended Price Oscillator

The parameters for the Detrended Price Oscillator are shown below.
These parameters are specified at the time the indicator is plotted. You
can edit the parameters of an existing plot by right-clicking on the
indicator and choosing Properties from the shortcut menu.
Time Periods. Enter the number of time periods to use when
calculating the Detrended Price Oscillator. The term "time periods"

MetaStock Professional Working with Indicators • 179

 refers to days if the chart contains daily data, weeks for weekly data,
hours for hourly data, etc.
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 461 for interpretation information on the Detrended
Price Oscillator.

Directional Movement
There are five indicators comprising the Directional Movement system:
+DI, -DI, ADX, ADXR, and DX.
The parameters for the Directional Movement indicators are shown
below. These parameters are specified at the time the indicator is plotted.
You can edit the parameters of an existing plot by right-clicking on the
indicator and choosing Properties from the shortcut menu.
Time Periods. Enter the number of time periods to use when
calculating Directional Movement. The term "time periods" refers to
days if the chart contains daily data, weeks for weekly data, hours for
hourly data, etc.
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 461 for interpretation information on the Directional
Movement indicator.

Dynamic Momentum Index

The parameters for the Dynamic Momentum Index are shown below.
These parameters are specified at the time the indicator is plotted. You
can edit the parameters of an existing plot by right-clicking on the
indicator and choosing Properties from the shortcut menu.
Price Field. Choose the price field (i.e., open, high, low, or close) to use
when calculating the Dynamic Momentum Index.
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 462 for interpretation information on the Dynamic
Momentum Index.

Ease of Movement
The parameters for the Ease of Movement are shown below. These
parameters are specified at the time the indicator is plotted. You can edit
the parameters of an existing plot by right-clicking on the indicator and
choosing Properties from the shortcut menu.
Time Periods. Enter the number of time periods to use when
calculating Ease of Movement. The term "time periods" refers to days if
the chart contains daily data, weeks for weekly data, hours for hourly
data, etc.

180 • Working with Indicators MetaStock Professional

 Method. Choose the moving average calculation method (i.e., simple,
exponential, weighted, time series, triangular, variable, or volume
adjusted).
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 463 for interpretation information on the Ease of
Movement indicator.

Envelope
The parameters for Envelopes are shown below. These parameters are
specified at the time the indicator is plotted. You can edit the parameters
of an existing plot by right-clicking on the indicator and choosing
Properties from the shortcut menu.
Time Periods. Enter the number of time periods to use when
calculating the envelopes. The term "time periods" refers to days if the
chart contains daily data, weeks for weekly data, hours for hourly data,
etc.
Vertical Shift %. Enter the percentage to shift the upper and lower
envelopes from the base moving average. For example, enter "10" to
shift the envelopes 10 percent above and below the base moving average.
Horizontal Shift. Enter the number of periods to shift the envelopes.
For example, enter "5" to shift the envelopes five periods to the right;
enter "-5" to shift the envelopes five periods to the left; etc.
Method. Choose the moving average calculation method (i.e., simple,
exponential, weighted, time series, triangular, variable, or volume
adjusted).
Price Field. Choose the price field (i.e., open, high, low, or close) to
use when calculating the envelopes.
When you initially plot envelopes, the above options affect the upper and
lower envelopes equally. However, after the envelopes are plotted, you
can edit the parameters of each band separately.
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 464 for interpretation information on Envelopes.

Forecast Oscillator
The parameters for the Forecast Oscillator are shown below. These
parameters are specified at the time the indicator is plotted. You can edit
the parameters of an existing plot by right-clicking on the indicator and
choosing Properties from the shortcut menu.
Time Periods. Enter the number of time periods to use when
calculating the indicator. The term "time periods" refers to days if the
chart contains daily data, weeks for weekly data, hours for hourly data,
etc.

MetaStock Professional Working with Indicators • 181

 Price Field. Choose the price field (i.e., open, high, low, or close) to
use when calculating the indicator.
Signal Moving Average Time Periods. Enter the number of time
periods to use when calculating the Forecast Oscillator's signal line. The
term "time periods" refers to days if the chart contains daily data, weeks
for weekly data, hours for hourly data, etc.
Style. Choose the line style for the signal line. Note that the style for the
Forecast Oscillator line itself is changed from the Color/Style page in the
MACD Properties dialog.
Color. Choose the color for the signal line. Note that the color for the
Forecast Oscillator line itself is changed from the Color/Style page of the
MACD Properties dialog.
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 467 for interpretation information on the Forecast
Oscillator.

Fourier Transform
The parameters for the Fourier Transform are shown below. These
parameters are specified at the time the indicator is plotted. You can edit
the parameters of an existing plot by right-clicking on the indicator and
choosing Properties from the shortcut menu.
Interpreted. Choose this option if you want MetaStock Pro to interpret
the Fourier data and display the information in an easily understood
format.
Raw. Choose this option if you want MetaStock Pro to display the raw
(i.e., more detailed and complex) Fourier data.
If you select Raw, you will be prompted for the following additional
parameters:
Time Periods. Enter the number of time periods to analyze.
Sample Length. The Fourier Transform can group a number of data
values together and analyze them as a "set of sets." For example,
selecting 5 will group the data into sets of 5 periods. The maximum
value for the sample length is 1/4 the number of time periods loaded, but
the maximum useful sample length is around 5.
Price Field. Choose the price field (i.e., open, high, low, or close) to
use when calculating the Fourier Transform.
Method. Choose the type of analysis, either Amplitude (strength) or
Spectrum.
Smoothing. Choose the smoothing method to remove trends from the
data (normalization method). The choices are Detrend (linear regression)
and Mean (averaging) .
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 468 for interpretation information on Fourier Transform.

182 • Working with Indicators MetaStock Professional

 Herrick Payoff Index
The parameters for the Herrick Payoff Index are shown below. These
parameters are specified at the time the indicator is plotted. You can edit
the parameters of an existing plot by right-clicking on the indicator and
choosing Properties from the shortcut menu. Note that the Herrick Payoff
Index requires open interest to calculate.
One Cent Move. According to Herrick, the recommended input for
"the value of a one cent move" is "100" for most commodities. The only
exception is for Silver, which should be "50."
Multiplying Factor. The multiplying factor is part of a complex
smoothing mechanism. However, the results are similar to the smoothing
obtained by a moving average. For example, a multiplying factor of ten
produces results similar to a 10-period moving average.
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 470 for interpretation information on the Herrick Payoff
Index.

Inertia
The parameters for the Inertia indicator are shown below. These
parameters are specified at the time the indicator is plotted. You can edit
the parameters of an existing plot by right-clicking on the indicator and
choosing Properties from the shortcut menu.
Time Periods. Enter the number of time periods to use when
calculating the indicator. The term "time periods" refers to days if the
chart contains daily data, weeks for weekly data, hours for hourly data,
etc.
RVI Periods. Enter the number of periods to use for the Relative
Volatility Index (RVI) which the Inertia indicator is based on.
Price Field. Choose the price field (i.e., open, high, low, or close) to use
when calculating the indicator.
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 471 for interpretation information on the Inertia
indicator.

Intraday Momentum Index

The parameters for the Intraday Momentum Index are shown below.
These parameters are specified at the time the indicator is plotted. You
can edit the parameters of an existing plot by right-clicking on the
indicator and choosing Properties from the shortcut menu. Note that the
Intraday Momentum Index requires open prices to calculate.

MetaStock Professional Working with Indicators • 183

 Time Periods. Enter the number of time periods to use when
calculating the indicator. The term "time periods" refers to days if the
chart contains daily data, weeks for weekly data, hours for hourly data,
etc.
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 472 for interpretation information on the Intraday
Momentum Index.

Klinger Oscillator
The parameters for the Klinger Oscillator are shown below. You can edit
the parameters of an existing plot by right-clicking on the indicator and
choosing Properties from the shortcut menu.
Time Periods. Enter the number of time periods to use when calculating
the oscillator's signal line. The term "time periods" refers to days if the
chart contains daily data, weeks for weekly data, hours for hourly data,
etc.
Style. Choose the line style for the signal line. Note that the style for the
oscillator itself is changed from the Color/Style page of the Klinger
Oscillator Properties dialog.
Color. Choose the color for the signal line. Note that the color for the
oscillator itself is changed from the Color/Style page in the Klinger
Oscillator Properties dialog.
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 474 for interpretation information on the Klinger
Oscillator.

Linear Regression Indicator

The parameters for the Linear Regression indicator are shown below.
These parameters are specified at the time the indicator is plotted. You
can edit the parameters of an existing plot by right-clicking on the
indicator and choosing Properties from the shortcut menu.
Time Periods. Enter the number of time periods to use when
calculating the indicator. The term "time periods" refers to days if the
chart contains daily data, weeks for weekly data, hours for hourly data,
etc.
Price Field. Choose the price field (i.e., open, high, low, or close) to use
when calculating the indicator.
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 476 for interpretation information on the Linear
Regression indicator.

184 • Working with Indicators MetaStock Professional

 Linear Regression Slope
The parameters for the Linear Regression Slope are shown below. These
parameters are specified at the time the indicator is plotted. You can edit
the parameters of an existing plot by right-clicking on the indicator and
choosing Properties from the shortcut menu.
Time Periods. Enter the number of time periods to use when
calculating the indicator. The term "time periods" refers to days if the
chart contains daily data, weeks for weekly data, hours for hourly data,
etc.
Price Field. Choose the price field (i.e., open, high, low, or close) to use
when calculating the indicator.
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 476 for interpretation information on the Linear
Regression Slope.

MACD
The parameters for the MACD are shown below. You can edit the
parameters of an existing plot by right-clicking on the indicator and
choosing Properties from the shortcut menu.
In order to maintain the mathematical integrity of the MACD as
prescribed by Gerald Appel, MetaStock Pro does not allow the time
periods in the MACD to be changed. The MACD is actually the
difference between 0.075 and 0.15 exponential moving averages. No
exact time periods (using whole numbers) correspond with these
percentages. If you want to plot an MACD-like indicator using moving
averages other than the ones recommended by Gerald Appel, use the
Price Oscillator (see page 191).
Signal Time Periods. Enter the number of time periods to use when
calculating the MACD's signal line. The term "time periods" refers to
days if the chart contains daily data, weeks for weekly data, hours for
hourly data, etc.
Style. Choose the line style for the signal line. Note that the style for
the MACD line itself is changed from the Color/Style page in the MACD
Properties dialog.
Color. Choose the color for the signal line. Note that the color for the
MACD line itself is changed from the Color/Style page of the MACD
Properties dialog.
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 478 for interpretation information on the MACD.

Market Facilitation Index

There are no parameters for the Market Facilitation Index.

MetaStock Professional Working with Indicators • 185

 See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 479 for interpretation information on the Market
Facilitation Index.

Mass Index
The parameters for the Mass Index are shown below. These parameters
are specified at the time the indicator is plotted. You can edit the
parameters of an existing plot by right-clicking on the indicator and
choosing Properties from the shortcut menu.
Time Periods. Enter the number of time periods to use when
calculating the Mass Index. The term "time periods" refers to days if the
chart contains daily data, weeks for weekly data, hours for hourly data,
etc.
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 481 for interpretation information on the Mass Index.

Median Price
There are no parameters for the Median Price.
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 481 for interpretation information on the Median Price
indicator.

MESA Sine Wave Indicator

The parameters for the MESA Sine Wave indicator are shown below.
These parameters are specified at the time the indicator is plotted. You
can edit the parameters of an existing plot by right-clicking on the
indicator and choosing Properties from the shortcut menu.
Time Periods. Enter the number of time periods to use when
calculating the MESA Sine Wave indicator. The term "time periods"
refers to days if the chart contains daily data, weeks for weekly data,
hours for hourly data, etc.
Mesa Lead Sine. Choose the style and color for the lead sine plot.
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 482 for interpretation information on the MESA Sine
Wave indicator.

Momentum
The parameters for the Momentum indicator are shown below. These
parameters are specified at the time the indicator is plotted. You can edit
the parameters of an existing plot by right-clicking on the indicator and
choosing Properties from the shortcut menu.
Time Periods. Enter the number of time periods to use when
calculating Momentum. The term "time periods" refers to days if the

186 • Working with Indicators MetaStock Professional

 chart contains daily data, weeks for weekly data, hours for hourly data,
etc.
Price Field. Choose the price field (i.e., open, high, low, or close) to
use when calculating Momentum.
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 483 for interpretation information on the Momentum
indicator.

Money Flow Index

The parameters for the Money Flow Index are shown below. These
parameters are specified at the time the indicator is plotted. You can edit
the parameters of an existing plot by right-clicking on the indicator and
choosing Properties from the shortcut menu.
Time Periods. Enter the number of time periods to use when
calculating the Money Flow Index. The term "time periods" refers to
days if the chart contains daily data, weeks for weekly data, hours for
hourly data, etc.
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 483 for interpretation information on the Money Flow
Index.

Moving Average
The parameters for a moving average are shown below. These
parameters are specified at the time the moving average is plotted. You
can edit the parameters of an existing moving average by right-clicking
on the moving average and choosing Properties from the shortcut menu.
Time Periods. Enter the number of time periods to use when
calculating the moving average. The term "time periods" refers to days if
the chart contains daily data, weeks for weekly data, hours for hourly
data, etc.
Vertical Shift %. Enter the percentage to shift the moving average up
or down. For example, enter "10" to shift the moving average upward
by 10 percent; enter "-5" to shift the moving average downward by 5
percent.
Horizontal Shift. Enter the number of periods to shift the moving
average. For example, enter "5" to shift the moving average five periods
to the right; enter "-5" to shift the moving average five periods to the left;
etc.
Method. Choose the moving average calculation method (i.e., simple,
exponential, weighted, time series, triangular, variable, and volume
adjusted.
Price Field. Choose the price field (i.e., open, high, low, close, median
price, or typical price) to use when calculating the moving average. The

MetaStock Professional Working with Indicators • 187

 median price (see page 481) is defined as the "(high + low) / 2" and the
typical price (see page 532) is defined as the "(high + low + close) / 3."

When plotting a moving average on an existing indicator, there may be

times that you want to hide the indicator and just show the moving
average. If you delete the indicator, the moving average will also
disappear since it is dependent on the indicator for the calculation.
However, you can hide the indicator, by choosing the Invisible Style
from the indicator's Properties dialog.
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 488 for interpretation information on moving averages.

Negative Volume Index

The parameters for the Negative Volume Index are shown below. These
parameters are specified at the time the indicator is plotted. You can edit
the parameters of an existing plot by right-clicking on the indicator and
choosing Properties from the shortcut menu.
Price Field. Choose the price field (i.e., open, high, low, or close) to
use when calculating the moving average.
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 490 for interpretation information on the Negative
Volume Index.

On Balance Volume
The parameters for the On Balance Volume are shown below. These
parameters are specified at the time the indicator is plotted. You can edit
the parameters of an existing plot by right-clicking on the indicator and
choosing Properties from the shortcut menu.
Price Field. Choose the price field (i.e., open, high, low, or close) to
use when calculating the moving average.
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 493 for interpretation information on On Balance
Volume.

Open Interest
There are no parameters for Open Interest. Note that your security files
must contain open interest in order to plot open interest.
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 494 for interpretation information on the Open Interest.

Option Expiration
There are no parameters for the Option Expiration indicator.

188 • Working with Indicators MetaStock Professional

 See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 495 for interpretation information on the Option
Expiration indicator.

Option Delta, Gamma, Price, Theta, Vega

The parameters for the Option indicators are shown below. These
parameters are specified at the time the indicator is plotted. You can edit
the parameters of an existing plot by right-clicking on the indicator and
choosing Properties from the shortcut menu.
Put or Call. Choose the type of option.
Equity or Future. Choose the underlying security type. The Black-
Scholes model must be adjusted for options on futures, because no initial
investment (other than a margin deposit) is required to open a future
position. You should choose Equity if you are analyzing an index option.
Expiration Date. Enter the date the option contract expires. In the
USA, this is usually the third Friday of the expiration month.
Strike Price. Enter the option's strike price.
Interest Rate. Enter the short-term "risk free" interest rate (e.g., 13-
week T-bills). The interest rate should be entered as a percentage (e.g.,
4.75).
Annual Dividend. Enter the total of the most recent four quarters of
dividend payments per share (e.g., 3.00). If no dividends were paid,
enter 0.
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 494 for interpretation information on Option indicators.

Option Life
The parameters for the Option Life are shown below. These parameters
are specified at the time the indicator is plotted. You can edit the
parameters of an existing plot by right-clicking on the indicator and
choosing Properties from the shortcut menu.
Expiration Date. Enter the date the option contract expires. In the
USA this is usually the third Friday of the expiration month.
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 495 for interpretation information on Option Life.

Option Volatility
There are no parameters for Option Volatility.
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 496 for interpretation information on Option Volatility.

MetaStock Professional Working with Indicators • 189

 Parabolic SAR
The parameters for the Parabolic SAR are shown below. These
parameters are specified at the time the indicator is plotted. You can edit
the parameters of an existing plot by right-clicking on the indicator and
choosing Properties from the shortcut menu.
Step. As a trade makes new highs/lows, the Parabolic SAR will rise/fall
according to the SAR step size. For example, if the trade makes new
highs for three consecutive days, then the SAR step increases by 0.02
each day (i.e., 0.02 to 0.04 to 0.06, etc.). The author (Welles Wilder)
recommends a step size of 0.02 for most securities.
Maximum. Enter the maximum value the SAR Step can obtain. The
author recommends an SAR Maximum of 0.20 for most securities.
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 496 for interpretation information on the Parabolic SAR.

Performance
The parameters for the Performance are shown below. These parameters
are specified at the time the indicator is plotted. You can edit the
parameters of an existing plot by right-clicking on the indicator and
choosing Properties from the shortcut menu.
Price Field. Choose the price field (i.e., open, high, low, or close) to
use when calculating the Performance indicator.
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 497 for interpretation information on the Performance
indicator.

Polarized Fractal Efficiency

The parameters for the Polarized Fractal Efficiency indicator (PFE) are
shown below. These parameters are specified at the time the indicator is
plotted. You can edit the parameters of an existing plot by right-clicking
on the indicator and choosing Properties from the shortcut menu.
Time Periods. Enter the number of time periods to use when
calculating the indicator. The term "time periods" refers to days if the
chart contains daily data, weeks for weekly data, hours for hourly data,
etc.
Smoothing Periods. Enter the number of periods to use when
smoothing the PFE.
Price Field. Choose the price field (i.e., open, high, low, or close) to
use when calculating the PFE.
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 498 for interpretation information on the Polarized
Fractal Efficiency indicator.

190 • Working with Indicators MetaStock Professional

 Positive Volume Index
The parameters for the Positive Volume Index are shown below. These
parameters are specified at the time the indicator is plotted. You can edit
the parameters of an existing plot by right-clicking on the indicator and
choosing Properties from the shortcut menu.
Price Field. Choose the price field (i.e., open, high, low, or close) to
use when calculating the Positive Volume Index.
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 499 for interpretation information on the Positive
Volume Index.

Price Channel
The parameters for the Price Channel are shown below. These
parameters are specified at the time the indicator is plotted. You can edit
the parameters of an existing plot by right-clicking on the indicator and
choosing Properties from the shortcut menu.
Time Periods. Enter the number of time periods to use when
calculating the indicator. The term "time periods" refers to days if the
chart contains daily data, weeks for weekly data, hours for hourly data,
etc.
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 500 for interpretation information on the Price Channel.

Price Oscillator
The parameters for the Price Oscillator are shown below. These
parameters are specified at the time the indicator is plotted. You can edit
the parameters of an existing plot by right-clicking on the indicator and
choosing Properties from the shortcut menu.
Short-term. Enter the number of time periods in the short-term moving
average.
Long-term. Enter the number of time periods in the long-term moving
average.
Method. Choose the moving average calculation method (i.e., simple,
exponential, weighted, time series, triangular, or variable).
Percent or Points. Choose the method to use when displaying the
relationship between the two moving averages. Choose Percent to see
the ratio (in percent) between the short- and long-term moving averages.
Choose Points to see the point difference.
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 501 for interpretation information on the Price
Oscillator.

MetaStock Professional Working with Indicators • 191

 Price Rate-Of-Change
The parameters for the Price Rate-Of-Change are shown below. These
parameters are specified at the time the indicator is plotted. You can edit
the parameters of an existing plot by right-clicking on the indicator and
choosing Properties from the shortcut menu.
Time Periods. Enter the number of time periods to use when
calculating Price Rate-Of-Change. The term "time periods" refers to
days if the chart contains daily data, weeks for weekly data, hours for
hourly data, etc.
Percent or Points. Choose the method to use when displaying the
change in the prices. Choose Percent to see the ratio (in percent) between
the prices. Choose Points to see the point difference.
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 501 for interpretation information on the Price Rate-Of-
Change.

Price Volume Trend

The parameters for the Price Volume Trend are shown below. These
parameters are specified at the time the indicator is plotted. You can edit
the parameters of an existing plot by right-clicking on the indicator and
choosing Properties from the shortcut menu.
Price Field. Choose the price field (i.e., open, high, low or close) to use
when calculating the Price Volume Trend.
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 503 for interpretation information on the Price Volume
Trend.

Projection Bands
The parameters for the Projection Bands are shown below. These
parameters are specified at the time the indicator is plotted. You can edit
the parameters of an existing plot by right-clicking on the indicator and
choosing Properties from the shortcut menu.
Time Periods. Enter the number of time periods to use when
calculating the indicator. The term "time periods" refers to days if the
chart contains daily data, weeks for weekly data, hours for hourly data,
etc.
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 504 for interpretation information on Projection Bands.

Projection Oscillator
The parameters for the Projection Oscillator are shown below. These
parameters are specified at the time the indicator is plotted. You can edit

192 • Working with Indicators MetaStock Professional

 the parameters of an existing plot by right-clicking on the indicator and
choosing Properties from the shortcut menu.
Time Periods. Enter the number of time periods to use when
calculating the indicator. The term "time periods" refers to days if the
chart contains daily data, weeks for weekly data, hours for hourly data,
etc.
Slowing Periods. Enter the number of time periods used in the
moving average trigger line.
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 504 for interpretation information on the Projection
Oscillator.

Qstick
The parameters for the Qstick indicator are shown below. These
parameters are specified at the time the indicator is plotted. You can edit
the parameters of an existing plot by right-clicking on the indicator and
choosing Properties from the shortcut menu. Note that the Qstick
requires open prices to calculate.
Time Periods. Enter the number of time periods to use when
calculating the indicator. The term "time periods" refers to days if the
chart contains daily data, weeks for weekly data, hours for hourly data,
etc.
Method. Choose the method used to calculate the moving average of
the difference between opening and closing prices.
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 505 for interpretation information on the Qstick
indicator.

r-squared
The parameters for the r-squared indicator are shown below. These
parameters are specified at the time the indicator is plotted. You can edit
the parameters of an existing plot by right-clicking on the indicator and
choosing Properties from the shortcut menu.
Time Periods. Enter the number of time periods to use when
calculating the indicator. The term "time periods" refers to days if the
chart contains daily data, weeks for weekly data, hours for hourly data,
etc.
Price Field. Choose the price field (i.e., open, high, low, or close) to
use when calculating the indicator.
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 506 for interpretation information on the r-squared
indicator.

MetaStock Professional Working with Indicators • 193

 Random Walk Index
The parameters for the Random Walk Index are shown below. These
parameters are specified at the time the indicator is plotted. You can edit
the parameters of an existing plot by right-clicking on the indicator and
choosing Properties from the shortcut menu.
The Random Walk Index automatically determines the optimum time
periods to use in the calculation. You can control the range of time
periods analyzed by setting the minimum and maximum values. The
author of the indicator recommends values of 8 and 64 (the defaults) for
long-term analysis, and 2 and 7 for short-term.
Minimum Time Periods. Enter the minimum number of time periods
to consider when calculating the indicator. The term "time periods"
refers to 5 minutes if the chart contains 5-minute data, days if the chart
contains daily data, weeks if the chart contains weekly data, etc.
Maximum Time Periods. Enter the number of maximum number of
time periods to consider when calculating the indicator. The term "time
periods" refers to 5 minutes if the chart contains 5-minute data, days if
the chart contains daily data, weeks if the chart contains weekly data, etc.
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 509 for interpretation information on the Random Walk
Index.

Range Indicator
The parameters for the Range Indicator are shown below. These
parameters are specified at the time the indicator is plotted. You can edit
the parameters of an existing plot by right-clicking on the indicator and
choosing Properties from the shortcut menu.
Time Periods. Enter the number of time periods to use when
calculating the indicator. The term "time periods" refers to days if the
chart contains daily data, weeks for weekly data, hours for hourly data,
etc.
Smoothing Periods. Enter the number of periods to use when
smoothing the Range Indicator.
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 509 for interpretation information on the Range
Indicator.

Relative Momentum Index

The parameters for the Relative Momentum Index are shown below.
These parameters are specified at the time the indicator is plotted. You
can edit the parameters of an existing plot by right-clicking on the
indicator and choosing Properties from the shortcut menu.

194 • Working with Indicators MetaStock Professional

 Time Periods. Enter the number of time periods to use when
calculating the indicator. The term "time periods" refers to days if the
chart contains daily data, weeks for weekly data, hours for hourly data,
etc.
Momentum. Enter the number of periods to use when calculating the
momentum component of the Range Indicator.
Price Field. Choose the price field (i.e., open, high, low, or close) to
use when calculating the indicator.
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 510 for interpretation information on the Relative
Momentum Index.

Relative Strength Comparative

The parameters for the Relative Strength Comparative indicator are
shown below. These parameters are specified at the time the indicator is
plotted. You can edit the parameters of an existing plot by right-clicking
on the indicator and choosing Properties from the shortcut menu.
Security and Folder. Click the Browse button to select the security
with which to compare the chart's base security. This is usually a market
index like the S&P 500. The chart's base security is divided by the
selected security.
Normalize To Start At Zero. Check this box if you want the indicator
to be "normalized" to start at zero. This is done by subtracting the
beginning Relative Strength ratio (for the first bar loaded in the chart)
from every subsequent value. This is helpful for comparing one security's
Relative Strength with another's.
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 511 for interpretation information on the Relative
Strength Comparative indicator.

Relative Strength Index (RSI)

The parameters for the RSI are shown below. These parameters are
specified at the time the indicator is plotted. You can edit the parameters
of an existing plot by right-clicking on the indicator and choosing
Properties from the shortcut menu.
Time Periods. Enter the number of time periods to use when
calculating the Relative Strength Index. The term "time periods" refers to
days if the chart contains daily data, weeks for weekly data, hours for
hourly data, etc.
Price Field. Choose the price field (i.e., open, high, low, or close) to use
when calculating the Relative Strength Index.
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 512 for interpretation information on the Relative
Strength Index.

MetaStock Professional Working with Indicators • 195

 Relative Volatility Index
The parameters for the Relative Volatility Index are shown below. These
parameters are specified at the time the indicator is plotted. You can edit
the parameters of an existing plot by right-clicking on the indicator and
choosing Properties from the shortcut menu.
Time Periods. Enter the number of time periods to use when
calculating the indicator. The term "time periods" refers to days if the
chart contains daily data, weeks for weekly data, hours for hourly data,
etc.
Price Field. Choose the price field (i.e., open, high, low, or close) to use
when calculating the indicator.
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 513 for interpretation information on the Relative
Volatility Index.

Spread
The parameters for the Spread indicator are shown below. These
parameters are specified at the time the indicator is plotted. You can edit
the parameters of an existing plot by right-clicking on the indicator and
choosing Properties from the shortcut menu.
Security and Folder. Click the Browse button to select the security
with which to spread against the chart's base security. The selected
security is subtracted from the chart's base security.
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 516 for interpretation information on the Spread
indicator.

Standard Deviation
The parameters for the Standard Deviation indicator are shown below.
These parameters are specified at the time the indicator is plotted. You
can edit the parameters of an existing plot by right-clicking on the
indicator and choosing Properties from the shortcut menu.
Time Periods. Enter the number of time periods to use when
calculating the Standard Deviation. The term "time periods" refers to
days if the chart contains daily data, weeks for weekly data, hours for
hourly data, etc.
Deviations. Enter the number of standard deviations by which to shift
the plot upward.
Price Field. Choose the price field (i.e., open, high, low, or close) to use
when calculating the Standard Deviation.
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 516 for interpretation information on Standard
Deviation.

196 • Working with Indicators MetaStock Professional

 Standard Error
The parameters for the Standard Error indicator are shown below. These
parameters are specified at the time the indicator is plotted. You can edit
the parameters of an existing plot by right-clicking on the indicator and
choosing Properties from the shortcut menu.
Time Periods. Enter the number of time periods to use when
calculating the indicator. The term "time periods" refers to days if the
chart contains daily data, weeks for weekly data, hours for hourly data,
etc.
Price Field. Choose the price field (i.e., open, high, low, or close) to use
when calculating the indicator.
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 518 for interpretation information on Standard Error.

Standard Error Bands

The parameters for the Standard Error Bands are shown below. These
parameters are specified at the time the indicator is plotted. You can edit
the parameters of an existing plot by right-clicking on the indicator and
choosing Properties from the shortcut menu.
Time Periods. Enter the number of time periods to use when
calculating the indicator. The term "time periods" refers to days if the
chart contains daily data, weeks for weekly data, hours for hourly data,
etc.
Standard Error. Enter the number of standard errors by which to shift
the upper and lower bands.
Horizontal Shift. Enter the number of periods to shift the Standard
Error Bands. For example, enter "5" to shift them five periods to the
right; enter "-5" to shift them five periods to the left; etc.
Price Field. Choose the price field (i.e., open, high, low, or close) to use
when calculating the indicator.
Smoothing Periods. Enter the number of periods to use for the
smoothing (i.e., the moving average calculation).
Smoothing Method. Choose the moving average calculation method
(i.e., simple, exponential, weighted, time series, triangular, variable, or
volume adjusted).
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 519 for interpretation information on Standard Error
Bands.

Stochastic Momentum Index

The parameters for the Stochastic Momentum Index are shown below.
These parameters are specified at the time the indicator is plotted. You

MetaStock Professional Working with Indicators • 197

 can edit the parameters of an existing plot by right-clicking on the
indicator and choosing Properties from the shortcut menu.
%K Time Periods. Enter the number of time periods used in the %K
calculation.
%K Smoothing Periods. Enter the number of time periods used in the
internal smoothing of the %K value.
Double Smooth Periods. Enter the number of time periods used in
the double smoothing component of the %K value.
%D Time Periods. Enter the number of time periods used in the
moving average signal line of %K. This is plotted as a dotted line
(default) on top of %K.
Method. Choose the method (i.e., exponential, simple, weighted, time
series, triangular, or variable) used to calculate %D.
Style. Choose the line style (i.e., solid, dashed, etc.) used for the %D.
Color. Choose the color used for the %D.
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 521 for interpretation information on the Stochastic
Momentum Index.

Stochastic Oscillator
The parameters for the Stochastic Oscillator are shown below. These
parameters are specified at the time the indicator is plotted. You can edit
the parameters of an existing plot by right-clicking on the indicator and
choosing Properties from the shortcut menu.
%K Time Periods. Enter the number of time periods used in the
stochastic calculation.
%K Slowing. Enter the number of time periods used in the internal
smoothing of the %K value. A value of 1 is considered a fast stochastic;
the default value of 3 is considered a slow stochastic.
%D Time Periods. Enter the number of time periods used in the
moving average of %K. This is plotted as a dotted line (default) on top
of %K.
%D Method. Choose the method (i.e., exponential, simple, weighted,
time series, triangular, or variable) used to calculate %D.
%D Style. Choose the line style (i.e., solid, dashed, etc.) used for the
%D.
%D Color. Choose the color used for the %D.
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 522 for interpretation information on the Stochastic
Oscillator.

198 • Working with Indicators MetaStock Professional

 Swing Index
The parameters for the Swing Index are shown below. These parameters
are specified at the time the indicator is plotted. You can edit the
parameters of an existing plot by right-clicking on the indicator and
choosing Properties from the shortcut menu. Note that the Qstick requires
open prices to calculate.
Limit Move. The table below lists the limit moves for several
commodities traded on the Chicago Board of Trade:

Commodity Limit Move

Corn $0.10
Heating Oil $0.04
Soybeans $0.30
T-bonds $3.00

You may need to adjust the limit moves shown in the above table based
on the position of the decimal in your data files. For example, if the price
of corn is quoted as $3.45, the limit move would be $0.10. However, if
the price of corn is quoted as $345.00, the limit move would be $10.00.
If the security does not have a limit move (e.g., a stock or some futures),
we suggest you enter the maximum value allowed (i.e., $30,000).
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 525 for interpretation information on the Swing Index.

TEMA
The parameters for the TEMA indicator are shown below. These
parameters are specified at the time the indicator is plotted. You can edit
the parameters of an existing plot by right-clicking on the indicator and
choosing Properties from the shortcut menu.
Time Periods. Enter the number of time periods to use when
calculating the TEMA indicator. The term "time periods" refers to days
if the chart contains daily data, weeks for weekly data, hours for hourly
data, etc.
Price Field. Choose the price field (i.e., open, high, low, or close) to use
when calculating the indicator.
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 525 for interpretation information on the TEMA
indicator.

Time Series Forecast

The parameters for the Time Series Forecast are shown below. These
parameters are specified at the time the indicator is plotted. You can edit

MetaStock Professional Working with Indicators • 199

 the parameters of an existing plot by right-clicking on the indicator and
choosing Properties from the shortcut menu.
Time Periods. Enter the number of time periods to use when
calculating the Time Series Forecast. The term "time periods" refers to
days if the chart contains daily data, weeks for weekly data, hours for
hourly data, etc.
Price Field. Choose the price field (i.e., open, high, low, or close) to
use when calculating the Time Series Forecast.
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 527 for interpretation information on the Time Series
Forecast.

Trade Volume Index

The parameters for the Trade Volume Index are shown below. These
parameters are specified at the time the indicator is plotted. You can edit
the parameters of an existing plot by right-clicking on the indicator and
choosing Properties from the shortcut menu.
Minimum Tick. This controls when volume switches from the buy side
to the sell side. If the absolute value of the uptick or downtick is less
than the Minimum Tick Value, MetaStock Pro will continue to assign the
volume to the current side (i.e., buy or sell side). If the absolute value of
the price change is greater than the Minimum Tick Value and the price
changes direction, MetaStock Pro will switch and begin assigning
volume to the opposite side.
Price Field. Choose the price field (i.e., open, high, low, or close) to
use when calculating the Trade Volume Index.
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 529 for interpretation information on the Trade Volume
Index.

TRIX
The parameters for the TRIX are shown below. These parameters are
specified at the time the indicator is plotted. You can edit the parameters
of an existing plot by right-clicking on the indicator and choosing
Properties from the shortcut menu.
Time Periods. Enter the number of time periods to use when
calculating TRIX. The term "time periods" refers to days if the chart
contains daily data, weeks for weekly data, hours for hourly data, etc.
Price Field. Choose the price field (i.e., open, high, low, or close) to use
when calculating TRIX.
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 532 for interpretation information on the TRIX
indicator.

200 • Working with Indicators MetaStock Professional

 Typical Price
There are no parameters for Typical Price.
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 532 for interpretation information on Typical Price.

Ultimate Oscillator
The parameters for the Ultimate Oscillator are shown below. These
parameters are specified at the time the indicator is plotted. You can edit
the parameters of an existing plot by right-clicking on the indicator and
choosing Properties from the shortcut menu.
First Cycle. Enter the number of time periods in the short-term cycle.
Second Cycle. Enter the number of time periods in the intermediate-
term cycle.
Third Cycle. Enter the number of time periods in the long-term cycle.
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 533 for interpretation information on the Ultimate
Oscillator.

Vertical Horizontal Filter (VHF)

The parameters for the VHF are shown below. These parameters are
specified at the time the indicator is plotted. You can edit the parameters
of an existing plot by right-clicking on the indicator and choosing
Properties from the shortcut menu.
Time Periods. Enter the number of time periods to use when
calculating the Vertical Horizontal Filter. The term "time periods" refers
to days if the chart contains daily data, weeks for weekly data, hours for
hourly data, etc.
Price Field. Choose the price field (i.e., open, high, low, or close) to use
when calculating the Vertical Horizontal Filter.
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 533 for interpretation information on the Vertical
Horizontal Filter.

Volatility (Chaikin's)
The parameters for the Chaikin's Volatility indicator are shown below.
These parameters are specified at the time the indicator is plotted. You
can edit the parameters of an existing plot by right-clicking on the
indicator and choosing Properties from the shortcut menu.
Moving Average. Enter the number of time periods to use when
smoothing the differences between the high and low prices. The author
(Marc Chaikin) recommends a value of 10.

MetaStock Professional Working with Indicators • 201

 Rate-of-Change. Enter the number of time periods to use when
calculating the percent rate-of-change of the moving average. The author
(Marc Chaikin) recommends a value of 10.
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 534 for interpretation information on Chaikin's
Volatility.

Volume
The parameters for the Volume indicator are shown below. You can edit
the parameters of an existing plot by right-clicking on the indicator and
choosing Properties from the shortcut menu. Note that your security files
must contain volume in order to plot volume.
Zero-Based. Check this box if you want the volume bars to be scaled
with a base of zero. If the box is unchecked, the volume is scaled using
the lowest volume bar as a base.
Some real-time data vendors do not provide volume with every tick. If
this is the case, MetaStock Pro will automatically assign a volume value
of "1" for every incoming tick. This allows you to see the number of
"ticks" that have come in during a specified period. For example, if the
volume on a 1-minute bar is 22, 22 trades came in during that minute.
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 535 for interpretation information on Volume.

Volume Oscillator
The parameters for the Volume Oscillator are shown below. These
parameters are specified at the time the indicator is plotted. You can edit
the parameters of an existing plot by right-clicking on the indicator and
choosing Properties from the shortcut menu.
Short-term. Enter the number of time periods in the short-term moving
average.
Long-term. Enter the number of time periods in the long-term moving
average.
Method. Choose the moving average calculation method (i.e., simple,
exponential, weighted, time series, triangular, variable, or volume
adjusted).
Percent or Points. Choose the method to use when displaying the
relationship between the two moving averages. Choose Percent to see the
ratio (in percent) between the short- and long-term moving averages.
Choose Points to see the point difference.
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 535 for interpretation information on the Volume
Oscillator.

202 • Working with Indicators MetaStock Professional

 Volume Rate-Of-Change
The parameters for the Volume Rate-Of-Change are shown below. These
parameters are specified at the time the indicator is plotted. You can edit
the parameters of an existing plot by right-clicking on the indicator and
choosing Properties from the shortcut menu.
Time Periods. Enter the number of time periods to use when
calculating the Volume Rate-Of-Change. The term "time periods" refers
to days if the chart contains daily data, weeks for weekly data, hours for
hourly data, etc.
Percent or Points. Choose the method to use when displaying the
change in the volume. Choose Percent to see the ratio (in percent)
between the volume figures. Choose Points to see the point difference.
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 536 for interpretation information on the Volume Rate-
Of-Change.

Weighted Close
There are no parameters for Weighted Close.
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 537 for interpretation information on the Weighted
Close indicator.

Wilder's Smoothing
The parameters for the Wilder's Smoothing indicator are shown below.
These parameters are specified at the time the indicator is plotted. You
can edit the parameters of an existing plot by right-clicking on the
indicator and choosing Properties from the shortcut menu.
Time Periods. Enter the number of time periods to use when
calculating the Wilder's Smoothing indicator. The term "time periods"
refers to days if the chart contains daily data, weeks for weekly data,
hours for hourly data, etc.
Price Field. Choose the price field (i.e., open, high, low, or close) to use
when calculating the Wilder's Smoothing indicator.
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 537 for interpretation information on the Wilder's
Smoothing indicator.

Williams' %R
The parameters for the Williams' %R are shown below. These parameters
are specified at the time the indicator is plotted. You can edit the
parameters of an existing plot by right-clicking on the indicator and
choosing Properties from the shortcut menu.

MetaStock Professional Working with Indicators • 203

 Time Periods. Enter the number of time periods to use when
calculating the Williams' %R. The term "time periods" refers to days if
the chart contains daily data, weeks for weekly data, hours for hourly
data, etc.
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 538 for interpretation information on Williams' %R.

Williams' Accumulation/Distribution
There are no parameters for Williams' Accumulation/Distribution.
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 539 for interpretation information on Williams'
Accumulation/Distribution.

Zig Zag
The parameters for the Zig Zag are shown below. These parameters are
specified at the time the indicator is plotted. You can edit the parameters
of an existing plot by right-clicking on the indicator and choosing
Properties from the shortcut menu.
Price Field. Choose the price field (i.e., open, high, low, or close) to use
when calculating the Zig Zag.
Reversal Amount. Enter the amount that will cause a reversal. For
example, if you enter "5," a five percent move is required to cause a bend
(i.e., zig or zag) in the Zig Zag indicator.
Percent or Points. Choose the calculation method to use for the
reversal amount. Choose Percent if you want the Reversal Amount
calculated in percent. Choose Points if you want the Reversal amount
calculated in points.
See page 167 for information on the Color/Style and Horizontal Lines
pages. See page 539 for interpretation information on the Zig Zag
indicator.

204 • Working with Indicators MetaStock Professional

Working with Line Studies

What is a Line Study?

Line studies are plots that you draw or place on a chart to help interpret
price or indicator movement. Examples are trendlines, Fibonacci Arcs,
ellipses, Gann Angles, vertical lines, etc. Although not officially
designated as line studies, text and symbols are very similar to line studies
in the way they are placed on a chart. Text and symbols are also covered
in this chapter.
Every line study is an object containing its own set of parameters that can
be accessed by right-clicking directly on the study.
Most line studies are contained within a single inner window. However,
some lines studies (e.g., cycle lines, Fibonacci Time Zones, and vertical
lines) can span vertically across all inner windows within a chart.
There are two types of line studies--those that are line based and those
that aren't. Line studies that are line based require you to click and drag a
line between a starting and ending point to draw the line study. Those
that aren't line based appear as soon as the mouse pointer is inside an
inner window. A mouse click anchors the line study.
Linear Regression Lines, Quadrant Lines, Speed Resistance Lines, Raff
Regression Channels, and Tirone Levels require actual pricing data to
plot. When these line studies are plotted on Kagi, Point & Figure, Three
Line Break, or Renko charts, they use all the data in all the columns.

Drawing a Line Study

Line studies are drawn on a chart by either selecting the desired button on
the appropriate drawing toolbar or by choosing the line study from the
Insert menu.

MetaStock Professional Working with Line Studies • 205

 Line studies are attached to the closest plot to the mouse pointer when
you first click to begin drawing. You can change the plot a line study is
attached to from the Select Plot dialog. Right-click on the line study and
choose Scaling to display the Select Plot dialog.

To draw a line study

1. Choose the desired line study from the appropriate drawing toolbar or
the Insert menu.
2. If the line study is trendline based, position the mouse at the starting
point, click and hold the left mouse button, and drag the line study to
an ending point.
3. If the line study is not trendline based, simply position the mouse at
the location you want to anchor it and click the left mouse button.

206 • Working with Line Studies MetaStock Professional

 The Five Groups of Line Studies
The following illustrations show the five toolbars of line studies
available.

Data Gann Text Channel Trendline

The Studies toolbar combines the Data, Gann, Channel, and Text groups
of tools. Use the rotate buttons to rotate between these five groups of
lines studies. The Trendline toolbar is always displayed.

Select Mode versus Drawing Mode

When you choose a line study, the mouse pointer changes appearance to
indicate that you have switched from "select" mode to "drawing" mode.
When you are in drawing mode, you can draw the chosen line study, but
you cannot select other objects on the chart (e.g., price plots or line
studies).
To return to select mode after drawing a line study, click the Select Mode
button on the trendline toolbar. An Application property (see page 31)
controls whether you return to select mode immediately after drawing a
Select Mode button line study or remain in drawing mode.

Helpful Feedback from the Status Bar

The status bar provides helpful feedback when drawing line studies. It
tells you where the mouse pointer is positioned by showing the date/time

MetaStock Professional Working with Line Studies • 207

 and the y-axis value as you are drawing, which can be very helpful on a
crowded chart.

Modifying a Line Study

After a line study is drawn, you can modify any of its properties (e.g.,
start/end date, color, etc.) with the line study's Properties dialog. Line
studies can also be copied or moved to a new inner window in the same
chart or in a different chart. You can also reposition line studies.
A line study's Properties dialog can be accessed three ways:
• You can right-click directly on the line study and choose Properties
from the shortcut menu.
• You can double-click directly on the line study.
• You can click the line study to select it and then choose Selected
Object from the Format menu.
You can press the TAB When you are clicking (either double-clicking or right-clicking) on a line
key to cycle through all study and the line study is closely surrounded by other plots (i.e., prices,
selectable objects on a moving averages, etc.), an ambiguity menu may pop up prompting you to
chart. choose the desired line study.

208 • Working with Line Studies MetaStock Professional

 The following Properties dialog for a Fibonacci Arc is typical of many
line studies.

To modify the properties of a line study

1. Position the mouse on the plotted line study and right-click.
2. Choose Properties.
3. Make the desired changes from the line study's Properties dialog.
4. Click the OK button.

Properties Common to Many Line Studies

Every line study Properties dialog contains two pages--a Parameters and a
Color/Style page. The Color/Style page for every line study is identical,
although the Parameters page is unique to each line study. Several
controls are common to many line studies as explained below.
Parameters Page
The Parameters page for many line studies includes one (or more) of the
seven controls shown in the Trendline Parameters page below.

MetaStock Professional Working with Line Studies • 209

 Start Date. This is the date/time the line study starts. You can modify
this date/time by typing in a new one or by selecting the line study and
dragging the leftmost handle left or right. Click the "D" button to enter
dates. Click the "T" button to enter times.
Start Value. This is the y-axis value at the starting point of the line
study. You can modify this value by typing in a new one or by selecting
the line study and dragging the leftmost handle up or down.
End Date. This is the date/time the line study ends. You can modify
this date/time by typing in a new one or by selecting the line study and
dragging the rightmost handle left or right. Click the "D" button to enter
dates. Click the "T" button to enter times.
End Value. This is the y-axis value at the ending point of the line study.
You can modify this value by typing in a new one or by selecting the line
study and dragging the rightmost handle up or down.
Left Extension. Check this box if you want the line study extended to
the left before the Start Date. Even though a line study is extended, it
retains its original start and end dates so that the original rendering of the
trendline can be restored (if desired).
Right Extension. Check this box if you want the line study extended
to the right beyond the End Date. Even though a line study is extended,
it retains its original start and end dates.
Snap to Price. Check this box if you want the line study's ending
points to automatically snap to the open, high, low, or close prices when
plotting and dragging. Line studies snap to the high price if the mouse
pointer is above the price bar. The end points snap to the low price when
the mouse pointer is below the price bar. If the mouse pointer is between
the high and low, the line study's end point snaps to either the open or
close price depending on which one it's closest to.
Color/Style Page
The Color/Style page is used to modify the selected line study only. If
you want to change the color/style for all new line studies, use the
Default Colors & Styles command in the Tools menu (see page 170).

210 • Working with Line Studies MetaStock Professional

 You can also change the color and line style of the line study by using the
color and line style toolbars (see page 25).

Color. This drop-list is used to choose the line study's color.

Style. This drop-list is used to choose the line study's line style.
Weight. This drop-list is used to choose the thickness of the line study.
If you select a heavier weight, the Style will always appear as a solid line.

Adjusting, Copying, Deleting, and Moving Line Studies

Just as price plots and indicators can be moved around using drag and
drop techniques, so can line studies. Perhaps you want to copy a
trendline to make parallel channels above and below the price plot. Or
maybe you'd like to adjust the range of the Fibonacci Retracements a bit.
Or maybe you'd like to remove an old trendline from your chart. This
can easily be done using common Windows techniques (i.e., click, drag
and drop).
Sometimes when you are trying to click on a line study that is crowded
among other plots, a pop-up "ambiguity" menu appears from which you
can select the desired line study. See page 147 for more information.
You can select multiple line studies for copying, moving, or deleting by
holding down the SHIFT key as you click your left mouse button.

Copying and Moving Line Studies

Copying and moving a line study involves basic drag and drop
techniques. The only difference between copying and moving is that you
Move cursor hold the CTRL key down when copying. When the mouse pointer is
positioned over a line study, the mouse pointer displays a four-sided
arrow (i.e., the move cursor) indicating that the line study can be moved.
A line study can be dragged to a new location anywhere within the
current chart or a different chart.
When a line study (or any object) is being copied, a small plus sign
appears next to the mouse pointer while dragging.

MetaStock Professional Working with Line Studies • 211

 When you drag a line study and drop it into an existing inner window, the
Scaling Options dialog may appear prompting you to decide how to
handle the scaling (see page 156).
Copying a trendline is an excellent way to create channel lines above and
below a price plot.

You can select multiple A unique characteristic of line studies is that they can be copied along
plots by holding down with an indicator. For example, if you have a trendline drawn on an
the SHIFT key as you indicator, you can select both the indicator and trendline and drag them to
click. a new location.
To move (or copy) a line study
1. Position the mouse over the line study you want to move or copy.
2. Hold the CTRL key down (for copying only). Click and hold the left
mouse button and drag the line study to another location within the
inner window.
3. Release the mouse button.
4. Choose the desired option from the Scaling Options dialog (see page
156) and click OK.

Adjusting Line Studies

Line studies are adjusted directly on the chart by selecting the line study,
positioning the mouse pointer over one of the square handles and
dragging. When the mouse pointer is positioned on a handle, a closed
hand appears next to the mouse indicating that the line study can be
adjusted.
The following illustrations show how a line study is adjusted.

212 • Working with Line Studies MetaStock Professional

 To adjust a line study
1. Position the mouse pointer over the line study you want to adjust and
click the left mouse button.
2. Position the mouse pointer over one of the small square handles on
the line study.
3. Click and hold the left mouse button and drag the handle to another
location.

MetaStock Professional Working with Line Studies • 213

 4. Release the mouse button.

Deleting Line Studies

You can delete a line study by right-clicking on the line study and
choosing Delete from the shortcut menu. You can also delete a line study
by selecting the line study and pressing the DEL key. An option in the
Application Properties dialog (see page 32) controls whether or not you
are asked to confirm the deletion.

If you want to quickly delete all line studies from a chart, choose Delete
All from the Edit menu (see page 109).
To delete a line study
1. Position the mouse on the desired line study.
2. Click the right mouse button.
3. Choose Delete from the shortcut menu.
To delete all line studies from a chart
1. Select the chart from which you want to delete the line studies.
2. Choose Delete All from the Edit menu. Click the Line Studies box
and click OK.

214 • Working with Line Studies MetaStock Professional

Line Study Parameters

Andrews' Pitchfork
The parameters for Andrews' Pitchfork are shown below. You can edit
the parameters of an Andrews' Pitchfork that's already plotted by right-
clicking on it and choosing Andrews' Pitchfork Properties from the
shortcut menu.
First Date. This is the date/time of the first marked point.
First Value. This is the y-axis value of the first marked point.
Second Date. This is the date/time of the second marked point.
Second Value. This is the y-axis value of the second marked point.
Third Date. This is the date/time of the third marked point.
Third Value. This is the y-axis value of the third marked point.
See page 209 for information on the other controls in this page.
For general information on line studies, see page 205. For interpretation
information on Andrews' Pitchfork, see page 447.
Drawing Tips
The Andrews' Pitchfork line study requires that you mark three separate
points on your chart. The first point is usually a major peak or trough on
the left side of the chart. The second and third points are drawn at a
major peak and major trough to the right of the first point.

Cycle Lines
The parameters for Cycle Lines are shown below. You can edit the
parameters of Cycle Lines that are already plotted by right-clicking on
them and choosing Cycle Lines Properties from the shortcut menu.
Date. This is the date/time on which the dotted "reference" line is
drawn. The remaining cycle lines are drawn on either side of the
reference line at the specified spacing interval.
Spacing. This is the number of periods between cycle lines. The initial
spacing is set by positioning the mouse pointer at a starting point and
clicking and dragging the mouse until the lines are the desired distance
apart.
Show Lines in All Windows. Check this box if you want the cycle
lines to extend vertically across all inner windows within the chart.
For general information on line studies, see page 205. For interpretation
information on Cycle Lines, see page 458.
Drawing Tips
When drawing cycle lines, remember to click the mouse (don't release)
and drag to control the spacing of the cycle lines.

MetaStock Professional Working with Line Studies • 215

 Ellipse
The parameters for an Ellipse are shown below. You can edit the
parameters of an Ellipse that's already plotted by right-clicking on it and
choosing Ellipse Properties from the shortcut menu.
Force Circular. Check this box if you want the ellipse to maintain a
circular shape at all times (even when resizing).
See page 209 for information on the other controls in this page.
For general information on line studies, see page 205.

Equidistant Channel Trendlines

The parameters for Equidistant Channel Trendlines are shown below.
You can edit the parameters of Equidistant Channel Trendlines that are
already plotted by right-clicking on them and choosing Equidistant
Channel Trendlines Properties from the shortcut menu.
Distance. This is the distance between the two lines, expressed as a y-
axis value.
Up. When this box is checked, the channel appears above the line you
draw. When the box is unchecked, the channel appears below the line
you draw.
Reflections. This number determines how many channels appear in
addition to the first one you draw.
See page 209 for information on the other controls in this page.
For general information on line studies, see page 205.

Fibonacci Arcs
You can edit the parameters of a Fibonacci Arc that's already plotted by
right-clicking on it and choosing Fibonacci Arcs Properties from the
shortcut menu.
See page 209 for information on the controls in this page. For general
information on line studies, see page 205. For interpretation information
on Fibonacci Arcs, see page 466.
Drawing Tips
Fibonacci Arcs are based on a trendline that you draw between a
significant trough and peak. If the trendline is rising, the arcs will point
upward; if the trendline is falling, the arcs will point downward.
Fibonacci Arcs are drawn to appear circular on the average screen
regardless of the number of periods displayed. This means the locations
at which the arcs cross the data will vary depending on the number of
periods displayed and the shape of the window; it also means that the
arcs may appear oblong on some laptop computers.

216 • Working with Line Studies MetaStock Professional

 Fibonacci Fans
You can edit the parameters of a Fibonacci Fan that's already plotted by
right-clicking on it and choosing Fibonacci Fans Properties from the
shortcut menu.
See page 209 for information on the controls in this page. For general
information on line studies, see page 205. For interpretation information
on Fibonacci Fans, see page 466.
Drawing Tips
Fibonacci Fans are based on a trendline that you draw between a
significant trough and peak. If the trendline is rising, the fan lines point
upward; if the trendline is falling, the fan lines will point downward.

Fibonacci Retracements
You can edit the parameters of a Fibonacci Retracement that is already
plotted by right-clicking on it and choosing Fibonacci Retracements
Properties from the shortcut menu.
See page 209 for information on the controls in this page. For general
information on line studies, see page 205. For interpretation information
on Fibonacci Retracements, see page 466.
Show Retracement Labels. Check this box if you want the percent
labels to be displayed next to the retracement lines.
Drawing Tips
Fibonacci Retracements are based on a trendline that you draw between a
significant trough and peak. If the trendline is rising, the retracement
lines will project downward; if the trendline is falling, the retracement
lines will project upward.
The number of Fibonacci Retracement levels appearing on the chart
depends on the range of the y-axis. If you want to see all nine
retracement levels, you may need to manually adjust the minimum and
maximum values of the y-axis (see page 124).

Fibonacci Time Zones

The parameters for Fibonacci Time Zones are shown below. You can edit
the parameters of Fibonacci Time Zones that are already plotted by right-
clicking on them and choosing Fibonacci Time Zones Properties from the
shortcut menu.
Date. This is the date/time on which the dotted "reference" line is drawn.
The remaining time zone lines are drawn to the right of the reference line
at the predefined Fibonacci intervals.
Show Lines in All Windows. Check this box if you want the time
zones to extend vertically across all inner windows within the chart.

MetaStock Professional Working with Line Studies • 217

 For general information on line studies, see page 205. For interpretation
information on Fibonacci Time Zones, see page 467.

Gann Fans, Grids, and Lines

The parameters for Gann studies are shown below. You can edit the
parameters of a Gann study that is already plotted by right-clicking on it
and choosing Properties from the shortcut menu.
Rise. This is the number of y-axis points to rise for every Run interval.
Run. This is the number of time periods to run (extend) for every Rise
interval. If you want a Gann Line to project to the left, enter a negative
value.
Snap to Integer Ratio. Check this box if you always want the ratio of
the Rise and Run to be an integer value (i.e., 4 x 1, 3 x 1, 1x1, etc.).
Extend. Check this box if you want the Gann Line to extend in both
directions.
For general information on line studies, see page 205. For interpretation
information on Gann Studies, see page 469.
Drawing Tip
Gann studies are anchored on the chart by clicking the left mouse button.
When a Gann study is selected, two handles (i.e., small squares) appear
directly on the study. Click and drag the anchored handle to move the
study; click and drag the other handle to change the angle.

Horizontal Line
The parameters for Horizontal Lines are shown below. You can edit the
parameters of a Horizontal Line that is already plotted by right-clicking
on it and choosing Horizontal Line Properties from the shortcut menu.
Value. This is the location on the y-axis of the horizontal line.
For general information on line studies, see page 205.
Drawing Tip
Look at the y-axis value on the status bar to help you position your
horizontal line at the desired position.

Linear Regression Trendline

The parameters for Linear Regression are shown below. You can edit the
parameters of a Linear Regression line that is already plotted by right-
clicking on it and choosing Linear Regression Properties from the
shortcut menu.
Price Field. This is the price field (i.e., open, high, low, or close) to use
when calculating the Linear Regression trendline.

218 • Working with Line Studies MetaStock Professional

 Linear Regression requires actual pricing data to plot. When it is plotted
on Kagi, point & figure, Three Line Break, or Renko charts, it uses all the
data in all the columns.
You can easily draw a parallel line next to a Linear Regression line by
choosing Parallel Trendline from the Linear Regression shortcut menu.
The shortcut menu is displayed by right-clicking directly on the Linear
Regression line plotted on the chart.
See page 209 for information on the other controls in this page. For
general information on line studies, see page 205. For interpretation
information on Linear Regression, see page 477.

ODDS Probability Cones

The parameters for the ODDS™ Probability Cones are shown below.
You can edit the parameters of the cones that are already plotted by right-
clicking on them and choosing Properties from the shortcut menu.
A warning appears if you attempt to plot ODDS Probability Cones on a
tick chart. This is because tick charts have an undeterminable number of
periods in one year. However, if you compress the tick chart (1-minute,
5-minute, etc.) the cones will plot.
Probability. Enter the probability percentage. The higher the
percentage the wider the cones. The default value is 68.26% is equal to
one standard deviation. Given the volatility, this means there is a
68.26% chance that prices will remain within the cones.
Use Historic Volatility. Choose this button if you want MetaStock Pro
to calculate the volatility over the number of periods specified in the box
to the right. The calculation is based on the Bookstaber method--the same
formula used by the Option Volatility indicator (see page 496). Note that
the width of the cones will fluctuate (due to changing volatility) if you
choose this method and you drag the cones around the chart.
You also can change the number of periods used in the calculation of the
historic volatility directly on the chart by selecting the Probability Cones
and then dragging the handles on the horizontal line protruding from the
left of the cone's apex.
Use Specific Volatility. Choose this button if you want MetaStock Pro
to used a fixed volatility as specified in the box to the right. Note that the
width of the cones will remain constant if you choose this method and you
drag the cones around the chart.
See page 209 for information on the controls in this page. For general
information on line studies, see page 205. For interpretation information
on ODDS Probability Cones, see page 491.

MetaStock Professional Working with Line Studies • 219

 Quadrant Lines
You can edit the parameters of a Quadrant Line that is already plotted by
right-clicking on it and choosing Quadrant Lines Properties.
Quadrant Lines require actual pricing data to plot. When it is plotted on
Kagi, Point & Figure, Three Line Break, or Renko charts, it uses all the
data in all the columns.
See page 209 for information on the controls in this page. See page 205
for information on the Select Plot dialog. For general information on line
studies, see page 205. For interpretation information on Quadrant Lines,
see page 506.

Raff Regression Channels

The parameters for Raff Regression Channels are shown below. You can
edit the parameters of Raff Regression Channels that are already plotted
by right-clicking on them and choosing Properties from the shortcut
menu.
You can easily draw a parallel line next to a Raff Regression Channel by
choosing Parallel Trendline from the Raff Regression Channel shortcut
menu. The shortcut menu is displayed by right-clicking directly on the
Raff Regression Channel plotted on the chart.
Price Field. This is the price field (i.e., open, high, low, or close) to use
when calculating the Raff Regression Channels.
Raff Regression Channels require actual pricing data to plot. When it is
plotted on kagi, point & figure, three line break, or renko charts, it uses
all the data in all the columns.
See page 205 for information on the Select Plot dialog. See page 209 for
information on the other controls in this page. For general information
on line studies, see page 205. For interpretation information on Raff
Regression Channels, see page 508.

Rectangle
You can edit the parameters of a Rectangle that is already plotted by
right-clicking on it and choosing Rectangle Properties from the shortcut
menu.
See page 209 for information on the controls in this page. For general
information on line studies, see page 205.

Speed Resistance Lines

You can edit the parameters of Speed Resistance Lines that are already
plotted by right-clicking on them and choosing Speed Resistance Lines
Properties from the shortcut menu.

220 • Working with Line Studies MetaStock Professional

 See page 209 for information on the controls in this page. For general
information on line studies, see page 205. For interpretation information
on Speed Resistance Lines, see page 515.

Standard Deviation Channel

The parameters for the Standard Deviation Channel are shown below.
You can edit the parameters of Standard Deviation Channels that are
already plotted by right-clicking on them and choosing Properties from
the shortcut menu.
You can easily draw a parallel line next to a Standard Deviation Channel
by choosing Parallel Trendline from the shortcut menu. The shortcut
menu is displayed by right-clicking directly on the Standard Deviation
Channel plotted on the chart.
Price Field. This is the price field (i.e., open, high, low, or close) to use
when calculating the Standard Deviation Channels.
Units. Enter the number of standard deviations to shift the upper and
lower channel lines.
Standard Deviation Channels require actual pricing data to plot. When it
is plotted on kagi, point & figure, three line break, or renko charts, it uses
all the data in all the columns.
See page 205 for information on the Select Plot dialog. See page 209 for
information on the other controls in this page. For general information on
line studies, see page 205. For interpretation information on Standard
Deviation Channels, see page 517.

Standard Error Channel

The parameters for the Standard Error Channel are shown below. You
can edit the parameters of Standard Error Channels that are already
plotted by right-clicking on them and choosing Properties from the
shortcut menu.
You can easily draw a parallel line next to a Standard Error Channel by
choosing Parallel Trendline from the shortcut menu. The shortcut menu
is displayed by right-clicking directly on the Standard Error Channel
plotted on the chart.
Price Field. This is the price field (i.e., open, high, low, or close) to use
when calculating the Standard Error Channels.
Units. Enter the number of standard errors to shift the upper and lower
channel lines.
Standard Error Channels require actual pricing data to plot. When it is
plotted on kagi, point & figure, three line break, or renko charts, it uses all
the data in all the columns.
See page 205 for information on the Select Plot dialog. See page 209 for
information on the other controls in this page. For general information on

MetaStock Professional Working with Line Studies • 221

 line studies, see page 205. For interpretation information on Standard
Error Channels, see page 520.

Symbols
The Symbols Properties dialogs contains two pages--one for controlling
the size and color of the symbol, the other for specifying a label to attach
to the symbol.
For general information on line studies, see page 205.
To stamp a symbol on a chart
1. Choose Symbols from the Insert menu or text toolbar.
2. Click a symbol from the Symbol palette.
3. Position the mouse pointer where you want the symbol to appear on
the chart.
4. Click the mouse to stamp the symbol on the chart.
To remove the symbol palette from the screen
Click the Close button in the upper-right corner of the palette.
Symbol Page
The Symbol page is located in the Symbol Properties dialog. This dialog
is displayed by right-clicking on a symbol and choosing Symbol
Properties from the shortcut menu.
Color. Choose the color for the symbol. You can choose the default
color for all new symbols from the Line Studies page of the Default
Colors and Styles dialog (see page 170).
Size. Choose the size (i.e., small, medium, or large) for the symbol. You
can choose the default size for all new symbols from the Text/Symbols
page of the Default Colors and Styles dialog (see page 170).
Label Page
The Label attached to a Symbol and the Symbol itself make up one
object. So to edit a Symbol's label, you should right click on the Symbol,
choose Symbol Properties from the shortcut menu, and choose the Label
tab.
Label. Type the text to attach to the symbol.
Position. Choose whether you want the label to appear above or below
the symbol.
Font. This button displays the font dialog where you can change the font
style of the label. See page 171 for more information on fonts.
Deleting All Symbols
You can quickly delete all symbols (and arrows) from a chart by choosing
Delete All from the Edit menu. If you have enabled the "Confirm

222 • Working with Line Studies MetaStock Professional

 Deletion of Objects" option in the Application Options dialog (see page
32), you will be asked to confirm the deletion.
Drawing Tip
The default size of new symbols is controlled from the Default Colors and
Styles dialog (see page 170).

Text
The parameters for Text are shown below. You can edit the Text
parameters by right-clicking on the text and choosing Text Properties
from the shortcut menu.
Text. Use this box to edit the text.
Font. This button displays the font dialog where you can change the font
style of the text. See page 171 for more information on fonts.
Anchor to Date. Check this box if you want the text to stay at the
specified x-axis position. If it is unchecked the text remains at the relative
screen position. For example, if the text was positioned at the center of
the chart, it remains at the center of the chart regardless of any scrolling,
resizing, etc.
Choose the Frame/Fill page to control the fill color of the boxed area
around the text or to change the color, style, and weight of the frame
around the text.
For general information on line studies, see page 205.
To write text on a chart
1. Choose Text from the Insert menu or text toolbar.
2. Position the mouse pointer where you want the text to appear on the
chart.
3. Click the mouse to display the text box and cursor. Begin typing.
You can press ENTER to write multiple lines.
4. Click the mouse outside the text box (or press CTRL+ENTER) to end
the writing and anchor the text.
Drawing Tip
The initial default font is controlled from the Default Color and Styles
dialog (see page 170).

Tirone Levels
The parameters for Tirone Levels are shown below. You can edit the
parameters of Tirone Levels that are already plotted by right-clicking on
them and choosing Tirone Levels Properties from the shortcut menu.
Midpoint or Mean. Choose the calculation method for the Tirone
Levels. The Midpoint method displays three lines that divide the highest
high and lowest low of the range into symmetrical segments. The Mean

MetaStock Professional Working with Line Studies • 223

 method displays five lines ranging between the extreme high and lows and
the adjusted mean price.
Tirone Levels require actual pricing data to plot. When it is plotted on
kagi, point & figure, three line break, or renko charts, it uses all the data
in all the columns.
See page 209 for information on the other controls in this page. See page
205 for information on the Select Plot dialog. For general information on
line studies, see page 205. For interpretation information on Tirone
Levels, see page 528.
Drawing Tip
When using the Mean method, it is common for the extreme high and/or
the extreme low to be so extreme that they do not display with the current
scale. Before displaying Mean Tirone Levels, you may want to change
the y-axis scaling (see page 123) so that all of the Tirone Levels are
visible.

Trendline
You can edit the parameters of a Trendline that is already plotted by right-
clicking on it and choosing Trendline Properties from the shortcut menu.
See page 209 for information on the controls in this page.
For general information on line studies, see page 205. For interpretation
information on trendlines, see page 529.

Trendline By Angle
The parameters for Trendline By Angle are shown below. You can edit
the parameters of a Trendline By Angle that is already plotted by right-
clicking on it and choosing Trendline By Angle Properties from the
shortcut menu.
Angle. This is the angle (in degrees) of the trendline.
See page 209 for information on the other controls in this page. For
general information on line studies, see page 205. For interpretation
information on trendlines, see page 529.
Drawing Tip
When using the Trendline by Angle line study, the angle of the trendline
is shown and continually updated on the status bar (see page 27).

Triangle
The parameters for a Triangle are shown below. The Triangle line study
requires that you mark three separate points on your chart. You can edit
the parameters of an Triangle that's already plotted by right-clicking on it
and choosing Triangle Properties from the shortcut menu.
First Date. This is the date/time of the first marked point.

224 • Working with Line Studies MetaStock Professional

 First Value. This is the y-axis value of the first marked point.
Second Date. This is the date/time of the second marked point.
Second Value. This is the y-axis value of the second marked point.
Third Date. This is the date/time of the third marked point.
Third Value. This is the y-axis value of the third marked point.
For general information on line studies, see page 205.

Vertical Line
The parameters for Vertical Lines are shown below. You can edit the
parameters of a Vertical Line that is already plotted by right-clicking on it
and choosing Vertical Line Properties from the shortcut menu.
Date. This is the date/time on which the vertical line is drawn.
Show In All Windows. Check this box if you want the vertical line to
extend across all inner windows in the chart.
For general information on line studies, see page 205.
Drawing Tips
Look at the date on the status bar to help you position your vertical line at
the desired position.
The inner window in which the vertical line is displayed is determined by
where the vertical line was dropped (i.e., the inner window the mouse
pointer was in).

MetaStock Professional Working with Line Studies • 225

Working with the Internet

Internet Integration
The Internet can be a useful source of information, if you know where to
look. MetaStock Pro is seamlessly integrated with the Internet, providing
instant access to many exclusive resources that help you make more
informed trading decisions.
Some of the many things you can do with MetaStock Pro and the Internet
are:
• Collect data from an online data vendor using DataOnDemand™
• Collect local data from an end-of-day vendor
• E-mail a bitmap graphic of a chart directly from MetaStock Pro
• Save the active chart as an HTML document
• Request a current intraday quote for the active chart
• Read current company news for the active chart
• Research fundamental information for the active chart
• Display option chains for the active chart
• Launch the Equis International home page
• Learn about technical analysis with the online version of Technical
Analysis from A to Z
• Find a MetaStock user group in your area
• Get help from Equis technical support
• Update MetaStock Pro automatically.
…and more.
Many of these Internet resources are accessed from your chart's shortcut
menu. To access information relevant to your current chart, right-click
the background of the chart. Sharing your charts with others through e-
mail or HTML is done through the File menu. Other Internet resources
are available by choosing Equis on the Web from the Help menu.

MetaStock Professional Working with the Internet • 227

Collecting Data through the Internet
Collecting price data is quick and easy with the Internet. Some data
vendors compatible with The DownLoader (see page 58) can be accessed
through the Internet which provides a faster download with fewer errors.
Check your DownLoader User's Manual to see if your data vendor
provides Internet collection.
The fastest way to view a chart is with DataOnDemand™. You just type
or select a symbol and the data flows instantly from your data vendor to
your chart. MetaStock Pro typically goes through the Internet to your
online data vendor to get the data. See page 42 for more information on
DataOnDemand™.

Updating MetaStock Pro

Updating MetaStock Pro with the latest patches and Symbol Database
files is easy with the Internet. Simply choose Update Symbol Database
or MetaStock Updates from the Tools menu.
See page 49 for more information on updating the Symbol Database.

E-mailing Charts with the Send Command

You can use the Send command in the File menu to send charts via e-
mail. You must have one of the following e-mail systems to use this
feature:
• MAPI. Microsoft Exchange (or other mail systems compatible with
the Messaging Application Programming Interface).
• VIM. Lotus cc:Mail (or other mail system compatible with Vendor
Independent Messaging).
To send a chart via e-mail
1. Open the chart you want to send. Make sure it is the selected chart.
2. At this point, you may want to add text or analysis.
3. Choose Send from the File menu.
Your MAPI or VIM compatible e-mail software will run. A bitmap file
of the MetaStock Pro chart will automatically be inserted into a new
message.

Saving Charts as HTML

Documents published on the World Wide Web and those on corporate
intranets are usually written in a special scripting language called
Hypertext Markup Language (HTML). MetaStock Pro allows you to
create a simple HTML file containing a chart and data that is readable by
web browser software.

228 • Working with the Internet MetaStock Professional

 When a chart is saved as HTML, two files are created —an HTML file
containing the data, and a graphical image of the chart. The image can be
saved in either JPEG, which is more widely supported, or PNG format,
which is smaller. The data is the same data that would be displayed in
MetaStock Pro's Data Window (see page 158) for the last day (or column)
on the chart.
You can view an HTML file by opening it in a web browser such as
Microsoft Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator.
To save a chart as an HTML file
1. Choose Save As HTML from the File menu.
2. Type a name for the HTML file in the File name box. All HTML
files are automatically assigned an HTM extension. Be sure to save
the file in a folder you will remember.
3. Choose the graphic format that you prefer.
4. Click the Save button.

Internet Shortcut Menus

Equis International has arranged exclusive Internet access to current
quotes, news, options data, financial statements, insider trading, and more
for MetaStock Pro users. This free information is "chart-centric"—
meaning that if you right-click on your chart of "Intel," choose
"Research," and click "Company News" from the shortcut menu, news on
Intel will be retrieved. Of course, to take advantage of this feature, the
computer on which you installed MetaStock Pro must be connected to the
Internet.

MetaStock Professional Working with the Internet • 229

 The Internet functionality built into MetaStock Pro is designed to be
flexible enough that you can easily update MetaStock Pro to add new
Internet-specific features as they become available from Equis.
The choices that appear in the Internet shortcut menus are controlled by a
file named "ms80menu.dta". This file is located in your MetaStock
program folder. The latest version of this file can be downloaded from
the Equis web site at www.equis.com. We encourage you to check the
web site periodically for the availability of a new version of the
"ms80menu.dta" file.
When you choose one of the Internet features from the shortcut menu,
MetaStock Pro automatically launches your default web browser software
(e.g., Netscape Navigator, Microsoft Internet Explorer) and displays the
web page containing the information.

The Quotes Menu

Current quotes and Option Chains are available from the Quotes menu.

230 • Working with the Internet MetaStock Professional

 Current price data for the active chart is displayed by choosing Current
Quote from the Quotes shortcut menu.

The prices shown are based on a 20-minute delayed intraday price quote.
To view company news for this security, you may choose the News link
from this page.

MetaStock Professional Working with the Internet • 231

 A list of the put or call options available for the current chart can be
displayed by choosing Option Chain from the Quotes shortcut menu. This
information is provided by Reuters, and is a MetaStock Pro exclusive.

The Research Menu

News and fundamental data are available from the Research menu.

Current company news for the active chart is displayed by choosing

Company News from the Research menu. Click on a headline to view
the news story.

232 • Working with the Internet MetaStock Professional

 Free Broker Recommendations and Research and a variety of
fundamental data is also available, including Financial Highlights,
Financial Statements, Insider Trading, Institutional Ownership,
Performance/Short Interest, and Ratio Comparison.

MetaStock Professional Working with the Internet • 233

Equis on the Web
The information on the Equis International web site is available with just
a few mouse clicks in MetaStock Pro. Choose Equis on the Web from the
Help menu.

Select Equis Home Page from the Equis on the Web menu to launch the
main Equis International web site.
Choose Technical Analysis from A to Z to read the online version of this
book by the founder of Equis, Steve Achelis.
Choose Free Investment Services to view a list of free resources available
at www.equis.com.
Choose Investment Products from the Equis on the Web menu to learn
more about the family of products available from Equis International.
Choose Equis Customer Resources to find a MetaStock Users Group in
your area, check the Equis Events calendar for investment-related events
in your area, read the quarterly Equis newsletter, find other investment-
related web sites, or locate MetaStock-compatible data vendors.
Choose Latest Files to view a list of the free downloads and patches
available for Equis products.
The Equis Technical Support staff is available through the Internet.
Choose Technical Support from the Equis on the Web menu.
Select Reuters Money Network to launch the Reuters MoneyNet web site
where you can manage your portfolio, read category and market news,
view quotes and charts, and more.

234 • Working with the Internet MetaStock Professional

The MetaStock Formula Language

What is the MetaStock Formula Language?

The MetaStock formula language is a special programming language used
to define and create custom indicators, system tests, explorations, and
experts. It is patterned after popular spreadsheet languages.
In its simplest form, the MetaStock formula language is comprised of
high-level functions (e.g., mov(), rsi(), abs() ), mathematical operators
(e.g., +, -, /, *), and parameters (open, high, low, close, etc.). Each of
these basic components can be combined to create your own indicators
with the Indicator Builder, backtest your trading ideas with the System
Tester, rank and filter your securities with The Explorer, and generate
chart-specific feedback with the Expert Advisor.
In order to effectively use the Indicator Builder, System Tester, Explorer,
or Expert Advisor, you need to be familiar with the MetaStock formula
language. The MetaStock formula language is the foundation and
common link for each of these four tools.

Custom System Explorations Experts

Indicators Tests
MetaStock Formula Language

The Indicator Builder will be used in this chapter to teach the MetaStock
formula language. For specific tutorials on each of the four formula-
based tools, refer to their specific chapters.
For information on the Equis Solution Provider program and the
MetaStock developers Kit, go to www.equis.com.

Price Array Identifiers

One of the most basic building blocks of a formula is called a price array
identifier. A price array identifier "identifies" specific price fields that the
formula should operate on. The valid price array identifiers are open,
high, low, close, volume, open interest, and indicator.

MetaStock Professional The MetaStock Formula Language • 235

 Price array identifiers can be abbreviated as shown in the following table.
Note that these are not case-specific.

Long Name Abbreviation

Open O
High H
Low L
Close C
Volume V
Open Interest OI
Indicator P
Previous Value PREV

Examples of the use of price array identifiers in formulas are shown

below. The actual price array identifier component of the formulas are in
bold for these examples.
mov( close,10, simple )

if (h > ref(h,-1), mov(h,20,s), mov(c,20,s) )

stdev( volume, 20 )

Mathematical Operators
Mathematical operators are the "glue" that binds formulas. Formulas can
contain the following mathematical operators. (They also can contain
advanced operators such as square root, as explained later.)
+ Addition
- Subtraction (or negative)
* Multiplication
/ Division
The following formulas illustrate the use of operators (bolded) in a
formula:
( H + L ) / 2

mov(c,10,s)-mov(c,20,s) / (h + l + c)

close + ((1.02 * high)-high)

Operator Precedence
Parentheses were used in many of the preceding formulas in this chapter to
control the operation precedence (the order in which the operators are

236 • The MetaStock Formula Language MetaStock Professional

 calculated). MetaStock Pro always does operations within the innermost
parentheses first.
When parentheses are not used, the precedence is as follows:
- Negative values
* Multiplication
/ Division
+ Addition
- Subtraction
< Less than
> Greater than
<= Less than or equal to
>= Greater than or equal to
= Equal to
<> Not equal to
And Logical "And"
Or Logical "Or"
:= Variable assignment operator
The expression "H + L / 2" (without parenthesis) would be calculated by
MetaStock Pro as "L / 2" plus "H," since division has a higher
precedence. This would result in a much different value than "(H + L) /
2."
For ease of reading, we recommend that you always use parenthesis to
control precedence.

Formula Functions
In addition to the four mathematical operators, MetaStock Pro contains
over 200 "functions" that perform mathematical operations. See page 252
for a complete listing of all built-in functions.
The following formula consists of a single function that plots the square
roots of the closing prices. The names of the actual functions in the
following examples are in bold.
sqrt( CLOSE )
The following formula consists of a single function that plots a 14-period
RSI indicator.
rsi(14)
The following formula consists of a single function that plots a 10-period
simple moving average.
mov(c,10,s)
The following formula consists of two functions. The result is the
difference between the MACD indicator and a 9-period exponential
moving average of the MACD.
macd()- mov(macd(),9,exponential)

MetaStock Professional The MetaStock Formula Language • 237

 As you've probably noticed, this syntax is very similar to the syntax used
to enter formulas in spreadsheets.
All functions must be followed by a pair of parentheses. If an opening
parenthesis is not the first character after a function name, an error
message will be displayed.

Function Parameters
Parameters provide a function the necessary information required to
calculate. For example, the sqrt() function requires a single "parameter"
within the parentheses. Other functions, such as macd(), do not require
any parameters. Others, like the Volume Oscillator require four
parameters.
The following formula calculates a 14-period Money Flow Index. The
actual parameters are in bold in the following examples.
mfi(14)
Some functions require multiple parameters within the parentheses. For
example, the moving average function (shown below) requires three
parameters.
mov(rsi(14),30,simple)
In the above formula, the parameters instruct MetaStock Pro to calculate
a 30-period simple moving average of a 14-period RSI. Note that
another function (i.e., rsi(14) ) serves as one of the parameters.
If you forget to insert the proper parameter, MetaStock Pro will display a
window reminding you of the expected parameter.

Locating Errors in Formulas

MetaStock Pro does an excellent job of reporting errors in formulas. In
fact, it is impossible to enter an invalid formula. This doesn't mean your
formulas will always work as you expect them to, because MetaStock Pro
does not know what you are trying to create. However, it does mean that
the syntax of the formula (e.g., function names, parameters, operators,
parentheses, etc.) will always be valid.
When you enter a formula, MetaStock Pro tests the formula's syntax. If
an error is found, the formula will be redisplayed, the cursor will be
positioned at the error location, and a message explaining the error will
be displayed.
The effect of this error-reporting technique is that MetaStock Pro helps
you enter valid formulas. This is illustrated in the following example.
Suppose you want to plot a formula containing a 10-period exponential
moving average of the closing price and all you can remember is that the
moving average function is "mov" (see page 305 if you don't remember a
function name).

238 • The MetaStock Formula Language MetaStock Professional

 1. Enter what you do know in the Formula box of the Indicator Editor
dialog:

mov

and click the OK button.

The cursor will be positioned after the "mov" function name and the
message "A '(' must immediately follow a function name" will be
displayed.
2. Now add an opening parenthesis

mov(

and click OK.

This time, the cursor will be positioned after the "(" and the message
"Price array (e.g., HIGH, LOW, CLOSE, etc.) or function expected"
will be displayed.
3. Enter the price array identifier "CLOSE."

mov(CLOSE

and click OK.

If you continue this process (i.e., enter partial formulas and then respond
to the error message), MetaStock Pro will prompt you through the
formula entry process until the formula's syntax is correct (shown below).
mov(CLOSE,10,EXPONENTIAL)
This is a valuable technique! Any time you are not sure of the syntax of a
formula or function, click OK.

Inserting Functions
The preceding section explained how MetaStock Pro helps you correct
syntax errors within formulas. This section explains how MetaStock Pro
can help you remember (and enter) the 200+ functions.
Clicking the Functions button while editing a formula displays the Paste
Functions dialog. This dialog lists the categories of the available
functions on the left-hand side and the function names within the category
on the right-hand side.

MetaStock Professional The MetaStock Formula Language • 239

Exploring the Paste Clicking OK when the Paste Functions dialog is displayed will insert the
Functions dialog is an function that is currently highlighted into your formula (at the location of
excellent way to learn the cursor). The function can be inserted with a description of the
more about formulas. required arguments (if required) by checking the Paste Arguments
checkbox. The list on the right side of the dialog can display the actual
function names or the English names of the functions by
checking/unchecking the Show English Names checkbox.
See page 305 for more information on pasting functions into formulas.

Writing Comments
When writing long, complex formulas, it is helpful to make comments
throughout the formula to describe what is going on. Experienced
programmers will attest to the fact that the prudent use of comments
makes programming code much easier to debug and work with.
Comments can be entered in a formula by surrounding them with "{" and
"}" braces. The following formula contains two comments (shown in
bold).
macd() {the MACD times} * ((H+L+C) / 3) {the
average price}
Note that comments within comments will cause an error message to be
displayed.

Nesting Functions
As has been eluded to in earlier examples, a function can be "nested"
within a function. The nested function can serve as the main function's
data array parameter. The following examples show functions nested
within functions. The nested functions are in bold.
stdev( stoch(5,3), 10 )
mov( rsi(15), 10, SIMPLE)
mov( mov( rsi(15), 20, W), 10, SIMPLE)

240 • The MetaStock Formula Language MetaStock Professional

 The first example calculates a stochastic oscillator and then calculates a
10-period standard deviation of the stochastic oscillator.
The second example calculates a 10-period simple moving average of a
15-period Relative Strength Index (RSI).
The third example calculates a 20-period weighted moving average of a
15-period RSI, and then calculates a 10-period simple moving average of
this moving average.
This technique (placing functions within functions) is referred to as the
"nesting of functions."

The if() function

The if() function is used to create conditional (i.e., "if-then") statements.
It is perhaps the most used function in the MetaStock formula language.
It contains three parameters as shown in the following example.
if( close > mov(c,10,s), rsi(9), rsi(14) )
The above "if" statement reads (in English) as follows: If today's close is
greater than today's 10-day simple moving average of the close, then plot
a 9-day RSI, otherwise, plot a 14-day RSI.
The next formula plots “positive volume” if the close is greater than the
median price. Otherwise, "negative volume" is plotted.
if( CLOSE > (HIGH+LOW)/2, +V, -V )
A good example of the if() function can be found in the On Balance
Volume example (see page 310).
If you simply want an expression to be evaluated as either true or false, it
can be done without the use of the if() function. The following formula
will result in either a 1 (true) or a 0 (false).
rsi(14) > 70

If the 14-period RSI is greater than 70, then this formula will evaluate to
"true" and return the number 1. If it is below 70, the formula will
evaluate to "false" and return the number 0. This is done without the if()
function being used. The formula below uses the if() function and will
return the same results, but it is longer.
if(rsi(14) > 70, 1, 0 )

Using "And" and "Or" Operators

If a formula requires multiple conditions, you can combine the conditions
with "and" and "or" operators. For example, maybe you'd like to plot a
+1 when the MACD is greater than zero and the RSI is greater than 70.
The formula could be written two ways:
macd() > 0 AND rsi(14) > 70
or

MetaStock Professional The MetaStock Formula Language • 241

 if(macd() > 0 and rsi(14) > 70, +1, 0)
You can add as many conditions within a formula as space allows. For
example:
If(macd() > 0 AND rsi(14) > 70 AND CCI(14) > 100 AND
close > mov(close,10,e), +1, 0)
You can even combine AND and OR operators within the same formula
as follows:
If((macd() > 0 OR close > mov(close,10,e)) AND rsi(14)
> 70, +1, 0)
The formula above says to plot a "+1" if either the MACD is greater than
zero or the close is above its moving average, and the RSI is greater than
70.
Note that parentheses were placed around the OR condition because
precedence specifies that the AND condition be evaluated first (see page
236). If the parentheses were not placed around the OR condition, the
moving average and the RSI would have been grouped together with the
AND condition, which is not how we want the formula evaluated.

Referencing Existing Custom Indicators

You can reference other custom indicators using the fml() function. For
example, the function "fml( "My MACD")" is the value of the formula
that contains the text "My MACD" in its name. The entire name is not
required--only enough of the name to make it unique. However,
preference is given to the formula name that exactly matches. So if
another formula named "MyMACD2" existed, "MyMACD" would be
used since it matches exactly.
The following formula plots the value of the formula named "Down Day"
if the close is less-than-or-equal-to a 10-period exponential moving
average of the closing prices. Otherwise, it plots the value of the formula
named "Up Day."
if( close <= mov(close, 10, E), fml("Down Day"),
fml("Up Day") )
This technique (referencing formulas from within formulas) is referred to
as the "nesting of formulas." Using nested formulas is an excellent way
to simplify long and/or complex formulas.
Also note, that nested formulas may reference nested formulas that
reference nested formulas (etc.). However, circular references (e.g.,
formula "My MACD" calls formula "My RSI" that calls formula "My
MACD") will cause an error message to be displayed when the formula is
plotted.
If a multiplot formula is referenced, only the value of last plot in the
multiplot formula is returned.

242 • The MetaStock Formula Language MetaStock Professional

 If you need to reference the value of a specific variable in a custom
indicator rather than the value of the custom indicator itself, use the
fmlvar() function (see page 246).

Referencing Securities with the Security Data Function

The Security Data function allows a formula to access price data for any
online or local security. This function can be used in any of MetaStock
Pro's formula tools.
Online securities are referenced by including "ONLINE:" before the
symbol. Local securities are referenced by including the full path to the
security file. If the security exists in the same folder as the base security,
the path does not need to be included. The symbol, including the path or
online reference, is enclosed in quotation marks.
To reference Microsoft's close as an online security:
Security("ONLINE:MSFT",C)
To reference Microsoft's close as a local security using the full path:
Security("C:\Metastock Data\Sample\MSFT",C)
To reference Microsoft's close as a local security in the same folder as the
base security:
Security("MSFT",C)
The last type of reference is particularly useful if you use local data
exclusively, and store all of your securities in the same local data folder.
For example, the following indicator displays a 30-day moving average
of Microsoft's close on any chart, if your online data vendor is active.
Mov(Security("ONLINE:MSFT",C),30,S)
The same formula could be written as:
Security("ONLINE:MSFT",Mov(C,30,S))

Performance Tips
• Use Tick or 1-minute data for optimum results when plotting an
indicator on a chart which references online intraday securities.
Intervals higher than 1-minute must be compressed before the
indicator can be recalculated, which slows calculation time.
• The Live Bars option found on the Real-time page of Application
Properties (see page 36) causes all indicators on a chart to recalculate
with each incoming tick. The Security Data function is particularly
slow when this option is enabled. Disabling this option will cause all
indicators, including the Security Data function, to recalculate only
when the full bar has been completed.
• Retrieving data from an online source is slower than referencing data
in a local data file. Any formula using the Security Data function to

MetaStock Professional The MetaStock Formula Language • 243

 access online data will take longer to calculate than when accessing
only local data.

Using Variables to Enhance and Simplify

In order to shorten, simplify, enhance, and make the maintenance of
complex formulas easier, you may want to use variables. A variable is an
alphanumeric name (up to 20 characters) that is assigned to an expression
or a single value. Up to 20 variables can be used in a formula. Variables
must be assigned before the variable is used in the formula. A semi-
colon must be used at the end of the variable assignment line. Variables
cannot be assigned within a function.

Naming of Variables
The following rules apply to the naming of variables:
• Variable names cannot contain commas, parenthesis, spaces,
underscores, etc.
• Variable names cannot duplicate names already used by functions
(e.g., mov, rsi, cci, if, etc.).
• A variable cannot be assigned a name that matches the parameters
reserved for use in formulas (e.g., open, high, low, close, simple, o, c,
l, h, s, e, w, etc.).

The following would produce an error, since the letter "s" is reserved
for the moving average function, mov(), to mean "simple."

s:= (h+l+c)/3;
• Variable names must contain at least one alpha letter (e.g., T1234).
• Variable names are not case sensitive (e.g., "PERIODS" is the same
as "periods").

Using Variables to Represent Numbers

Suppose you would like to be able to quickly adjust the time periods
throughout a formula without having to edit each use of the time periods
individually. This could be accomplished by assigning the time periods
to a variable—in this case, a variable named "periods".
periods := 10;
c > mov(c,periods, s) and ref(c,-1) >
ref(mov(c,periods,s),-1) and h > mov(h,periods,s) and
ref(h,-1) > ref(mov(h,periods,s),-1)
In the above formula, the number "10" will be substituted wherever the
variable named "periods" appears in the formula. When you want to
adjust the time periods in this formula, simply edit the number assigned to
the "periods" variable. If you change "10" to "20," the number "20" will
be substituted throughout the formula.

244 • The MetaStock Formula Language MetaStock Professional

 Of course, you could also assign multiple variables to represent multiple
numbers as follows:
periods1 := 10;
periods2 := 20;
c > mov(c,periods1, s) and ref(c,-1) >
ref(mov(c,periods1,s),-1) and h > mov(h,periods2,s)
and ref(h,-1) > ref(mov(h,periods2,s),-1)

In this case, the variables "periods1" and "periods2" represent two

different values that can be used as many times as desired throughout the
formula.

Using Variables to Represent Mathematical

Expressions
Variables can be assigned to represent a mathematical expression (i.e.,
formula). Perhaps this is the most useful benefit of variables. Assigning
variables to represent formulas (especially long, complex ones) makes
formulas easier to read, easier to modify, and faster to calculate.
For example, the following formula (designed to spot securities locked
between support and resistance levels), is quite complex and difficult to
read. It can be simplified by using variables. It was originally written
before variable support was added to MetaStock's formula language.
(If(Abs((Trough(1,L,1)-
Trough(2,L,1))/Trough(2,L,1))<.015 AND
Abs((Trough(2,L,1)-
Trough(3,L,1))/Trough(3,L,1))<.015,{then}
(Trough(1,L,1)+Trough(2,L,1)+Trough(3,L,1))/3,0))<>0
and
(If(Abs((Peak(1,H,1)-Peak(2,H,1))/Peak(2,H,1))<.015
AND Abs((Peak(2,H,1)-
Peak(3,H,1))/Peak(3,H,1))<.015,{then}
(Peak(1,H,1)+Peak(2,H,1)+Peak(3,H,1))/3,0))<>0
and
c>=(If(Abs((Trough(1,L,1)-
Trough(2,L,1))/Trough(2,L,1))<.015 AND
Abs((Trough(2,L,1)-
trough(3,L,1))/Trough(3,L,1))<.015,{then}
(Trough(1,L,1)+Trough(2,L,1)+Trough(3,L,1))/3,0)) and
c<=(If(Abs((Peak(1,H,1)-Peak(2,H,1))/Peak(2,H,1))<.015
AND Abs((Peak(2,H,1)-
Peak(3,H,1))/Peak(3,H,1))<.015,{then}
(Peak(1,H,1)+Peak(2,H,1)+Peak(3,H,1))/3,0)
By defining two variables (in bold) to represent the two expressions that
are used repeatedly, you can simplify the formula substantially. In
addition to being easier to read, the simplified formula also calculates
quicker since the support and resistance expressions now only need to
calculate once.

Support:= (If(Abs((Trough(1,L,1)-
trough(2,L,1))/Trough(2,L,1))<.015 AND
Abs((Trough(2,L,1)-

MetaStock Professional The MetaStock Formula Language • 245

 trough(3,L,1))/Trough(3,L,1))<.015,{then}
(Trough(1,L,1)+Trough(2,L,1)+Trough(3,L,1))/3,0));

Resistance:= (If(Abs((Peak(1,H,1)-
Peak(2,H,1))/Peak(2,H,1))<.015 AND Abs((Peak(2,H,1)-
Peak(3,H,1))/Peak(3,H,1))<.015,
{then}(Peak(1,H,1)+Peak(2,H,1)+Peak(3,H,1))/3,0));
Support <> 0 and Resistance <> 0 and close >= Support
and close <= Resistance

Note that you could also create individual custom indicators named
"support" and "resistance" to do the calculations. (See page 242 for more
information on using the fml() function.) These custom indicators could
then be called using the fml() function as follows:
fml("support") <> 0 and fml("resistance") <> 0 and
close >= fml("support") and close <= fml("resistance")
However, using variables is generally more desirable than using the fml()
function for several reasons—the most important being calculation speed
and self-containment (i.e., the entire function can be read and edited in
one place).

Referencing Variables within Custom Indicators

Since custom indicators can contain variables, you can reference a
specific variable within a custom indicator rather than the entire custom
indicator. The fmlvar() function is used to do this.
For example, if the custom indicator named "MyMACD" contains a
variable named "SignalLine," and you only want to reference the
SignalLine variable, it could be done as follows using the fmlvar()
function:
fmlvar("MyMACD", "SignalLine" )
If the variable does not exist within the custom indicator, you will receive
an error message.
See page 244 for more information on using variables within formulas.
See page 261 for more information on the fmlvar() function.

Self Referencing Formulas Using PREV

The PREV constant allows you to create self-referencing formulas. A
self referencing formula is one that is able to reference the “previous”
period’s value of itself.
For example, the following is an example of a self referencing formula:
((H+L+C)/3) + PREV
This simple formula divides the high, low, and closing prices by 3 and
then adds this value to yesterday’s value of the ((H+L+C)/3).

246 • The MetaStock Formula Language MetaStock Professional

 The calculation of the popular indicator On Balance Volume illustrates
the use of the PREV function.
(if(c>ref(c,-1),1,-1)*volume)+PREV
Although On Balance Volume can be calculated without the use of the
PREV function, an exponential moving average cannot (other than using
the mov() function). The following formula shows how a 18%
exponential moving average (approximately 10-periods) is calculated
using the PREV function.
(close*0.18)+(PREV*0.82)

The “P” Data Array Identifier

A special data array identifier (i.e., "P" variable) is used to reference any
indicator or price plot. With custom indicators, the "P" variable
represents the plot the custom indicator is dropped on.
With system tests and explorations, the "P" variable represents the
selected plot. This may be useful if you want an indicator, exploration,
system test, or expert to calculate on a plot other than the chart's base
security.
If you drop a custom indicator containing the "P" variable on
high/low/close price bars, the close is used for the "P" variable. For
example, the following custom indicator plots an "MACD-type" indicator
(i.e., the difference between 12- and 26-period exponential moving
averages) of the plot it is dropped on.
mov( P, 12, E) - mov( P, 26, E)
If you plot the predefined Accumulation/Distribution indicator and then
drop the above custom indicator on it from the QuickList, the result will
be an MACD of the Accumulation/Distribution indicator.
Of course, you could write the preceding formula without using the "P"
identifier as shown below, but you would have to modify it if you wanted
an MACD of an indicator other than the Accumulation/ Distribution. By
using the "P" identifier, the formula becomes more versatile.
mov( ad(), 12, E) - mov( ad(), 26, E)
In a custom indicator, the values for HIGH, LOW, CLOSE, VOLUME,
OPEN, and OPEN INTEREST always come from the base security. For
example, if you drop the custom indicator "HIGH - LOW / P" on a price
plot that is not the chart's base security, the HIGH and LOW values will
still come from the base security. The "P" value will represent the
CLOSE of the security it was dropped on.
To plot a custom indicator with the "P" variable
1. Write a custom indicator using the "P" variable in place of the data
array identifier (e.g., mov(p,10,e), sum(p,25), stdev(p,12), etc.).
2. Drag the custom indicator from the QuickList and drop it on the plot
you want the "P" variable to calculate on.

MetaStock Professional The MetaStock Formula Language • 247

 To run a system test, exploration, or expert that
contains a "P" variable
1. Write a system test, exploration, or expert using the "P" variable in
place of the data array identifier (e.g., mov(p,10,e), sum(p,25),
stdev(p,12), etc.).
2. Select the plot (i.e., indicator or price plot) to use for the "P" variable
by clicking directly on the plot. The plot is selected when small
square "handles" appear on the plot.
3. Run the system test or exploration.

Formula Tips
General
The two most important "formula tips" have already been mentioned: (1)
use the Paste Formula dialog (see page 239) and (2) click OK when
entering a formula to check its syntax (see page 238).
Multiple Indented Lines
When writing long custom indicators, you should try to use multiple lines
and consistent indentation for ease of reading. You can indent a line of
the formula by typing CTRL+TAB. For example, the formula…
cum(if(close > ref(close,-1),+V, if(close <
ref(close,-1),-V,0)))
is easier to read on multiple indented lines as follows:
cum(
if(close > ref(close,-1),
+v,
if(close < ref(close,-1),
-v,
0))
)
Upper versus Lower-case Characters
The case used when entering formulas does not matter (e.g., "c" and "C"
are treated the same). When MetaStock Pro checks for syntax errors, it
automatically modifies the case to make the formula easier to read. The
case within comments is not altered.
Comments
The prudent use of comments makes formulas easier to read.
(Remember, comments are any text enclosed in braces, i.e., {}.)
You can use comments while developing formulas to "comment out"
sections of the formula. For example, the second half of the following
formula has been commented out so the first half can be tested. After the
first half of the formula has been tested, you can remove the comments
and test the entire formula.
( mov(fml("MA1"),10,S) / fml("MA2") ) { * stoch(5,3) }

248 • The MetaStock Formula Language MetaStock Professional

 Spacing
Blank spaces within formulas are optional. However, the prudent use of
spaces can make formulas easier to read.
Clipboard Commands
You can use the standard clipboard command accelerator keys while
editing custom indicators to transfer formulas from one custom indicator
to another. To copy the highlighted text, press CTRL+C; to cut, press
CTRL+X; to paste, press CTRL+V.
Variables
Use variables to speed up the calculation of formulas. Rather than
repeating an expression or formula over and over, assign it to a variable
and then reference the variable.

Using the Formula Organizer to Import and Export

The Formula Organizer is a wizard that allows you to import and export
any MetaStock formula-based files including custom indicators, system
tests, explorations, and experts. For example, you can use the Formula
Organizer to import a set of add-on custom indicators, experts, etc.
purchased from a third party. You could also create a set of add-on
indicators, explorations, etc. to distribute to your colleagues, and even
protect your formulas with a password.
Starting with your custom indicators, the Formula Organizer wizard will
walk you through the steps necessary to import and/or export your files.
To protect your formulas with a password, choose the export option, then
enter a password when prompted.
To import/export custom indicators, system tests,
explorations, and/or experts
1. Run MetaStock Pro.
2. Choose Indicator Builder from the Tools menu.
3. Click the Organize button to launch the Formula Organizer Wizard.
4. Follow the on-screen instructions.

Glossary
This glossary defines the terms used with the MetaStock formula
language. Understanding (or remembering) these terms is not required,
however, adding these terms to your vocabulary will make discussion
easier with other MetaStock analysts.
COMMENT: Text within a formula that is not part of the formula. A
comment must be surrounded by the characters { and }.

MetaStock Professional The MetaStock Formula Language • 249

 CONSTANT: A specific type of parameter that is required by a function.
Constants can be subdivided into the following groups:
CALCULATION METHOD CONSTANT: Used to define the mode of
calculation. Defined as PERCENT or POINTS. (PERCENT and
POINTS can be abbreviated to % or $.)
COMPARISON CONSTANT: Used in the if() function to define the
comparison operation. Defined by >, >=, <, <=, <>, or =.
FORMULA CONSTANT: Used within the fml() function to reference
another formula. A formula constant is specified as the name of another
formula enclosed in quotation marks (e.g., fml( "My Formula" ) ).
MOVING AVERAGE TYPE CONSTANT: Used to define the moving
average calculation method. Defined as EXPONENTIAL, SIMPLE,
TIME SERIES, TRIANGULAR, VARIABLE, or WEIGHTED. (These
can be abbreviated as E, S, T, TRI, VAR, and W.)
NUMERIC CONSTANT: A single numeric value. A function requiring
a numeric constant cannot accept a data array since a data array may
contain multiple, rather than single, numeric values. An example of a
numeric constant is the "10" in the formula "mov(C,10,E)."
DATA ARRAY: A data array defines a specific set of information (data)
that is used within a formula. Data arrays can be subdivided into more
specific definitions:
FUNCTION RESULT ARRAY: A data array that is created as the result
of the execution of a function.
LITERAL ARRAY: A data array defined using a single numeric
constant.
PRICE ARRAY: An array containing the information stored in the high,
low, close, etc., data arrays.
FORMULA: A combination of comments, constants, functions,
mathematical operators and/or price array identifiers.
FUNCTION: A pre-defined mathematical operation that can be
performed on a set of parameters to produce a desired data array.
OPERATOR, MATHEMATICAL: The +, -, *, and / operators.
OPERATOR, LOGICAL: The <, >, <=, >=, =, <>, AND, and OR
operators.
PARAMETER: An item contained within a function. When a function
has multiple parameters, they are separated by commas.
PRECEDENCE: The order in which a formula is evaluated (see page
236).
PRICE ARRAY IDENTIFIERS: The letters or words used to reference
price arrays (Open, High, Low, Close, Volume, Open Interest, PREV, and
the selected Plot).

250 • The MetaStock Formula Language MetaStock Professional

Error Messages
Most of the error messages that are displayed when you enter and plot
custom indicators are self-explanatory. This section clarifies some of the
more common error messages.
A reference to a formula name is no longer valid.
This error occurs when a formula is plotted containing a reference (i.e.,
"fml()") to a non-existent formula name.
Does not contain an executable formula.
An attempt was made to execute a custom indicator that does not contain
a valid formula.
Formula too complex.
This error is caused by functions (not formulas) being nested too deeply
or by a complex mathematical expression that uses numerous
mathematical operators that are not grouped using parentheses.
Grouping operators with parentheses may fix this problem. However, a
better solution is to split the too-complex formula into smaller formulas
and then nest the smaller formulas using the fml() function (see page
261).
Insufficient memory to continue formula execution.
MetaStock Pro ran out of memory to store temporary values.
This can be alleviated by reducing the number of periods of data currently
loaded or by reducing references to nested formulas.
Overflow in function.
The result of a formula calculation generated a value that was too large to
store.
The formula must be modified to produce results with smaller values
(e.g., divide certain data arrays or function results by 100).
Too many numeric constants defined in formula.
A maximum of 20 different numeric constants (see page 249) may be
used in each formula.
This error can be eliminated by splitting the formula that received the
error into smaller formulas and then nesting the smaller formulas using
the fml() function (see page 261).
Value out of valid range in function.
A parameter in a function is invalid.
Examples:
The formula "mov(C, -5, E)" will always generate this message, because
-5 is not a valid moving average time period.
The formula "mov(C, 200, E)" will generate this message if fewer than
200 time periods of data are loaded.

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 The formula "mov(macd(), 74, E)" will generate this message if fewer
than 100 time periods are loaded. This is because the MACD does not
plot until the 26th day, which leaves fewer than 74 periods to calculate a
74-day moving average.
You should edit the formula and change the invalid parameter, or load
more time periods.

Functions
The following list of functions can be used to create custom indicators
(see page 299), explorations (see page 369), system tests (see page 319),
and experts (see page 397).
Candlestick functions begin on page 288.
Some of the pattern finding functions (i.e., Inside, Outside, Rally, and
Reaction) are based on information provided in the pamphlet Using the
Volume Reversal Survey in Market Analysis by Mark A. Leibovit (520-
282-1275).

Simulation Functions
New as of version 8.0, these functions let you use values that occur in a
system test simulation to determine rules for buying and selling. For
example, if you want the simulation to place a Sell Order when the equity
dips below 5,000, you could write:

if(Simulation.AccountCash < 5000,1,0)

Note that these functions only work in the Buy Order, Sell Order, Sell
Short Order and Buy to Cover Order rules in the Enhanced System Tester
Dialog. Also, the CurrentPosition simulation functions only work in the
Sell Order and Buy to Cover rules.

For explanations of what each simulation represents, check the Show

English Names box at the bottom of the Paste Functions dialog.

Standard Functions
Absolute Value
SYNTAX abs( DATA ARRAY )
FUNCTION Calculates the absolute value of the DATA
ARRAY.
EXAMPLE The formula "abs( -10 )" will return +10; the
formula "abs( 10 )" also returns +10.

Accumulation/Distribution
SYNTAX ad()

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 FUNCTION Calculates the predefined Accumulation/
Distribution indicator.

Accumulation Swing Index

SYNTAX aswing( LIMIT MOVE )
FUNCTION Calculates the predefined Accumulation
Swing Index. The Swing Index requires
opening prices.
EXAMPLE aswing( 3.0 )
SEE ALSO The swing() function (see page 281).

Addition
SYNTAX add( DATA ARRAY, DATA ARRAY )
FUNCTION Adds the two parameters together.
EXAMPLE The formula "add( H, 10.7 )" adds 10.7 to the
high prices (this formula also could be written
as "H + 10.7").
SEE ALSO The sub() function (see page 281).

Alert
SYNTAX alert( EXPRESSION, PERIODS )
FUNCTION Extends a "true" result of EXPRESSION for
the specified number of periods. This true
result is held true over the number of periods
specified even if a "false" result is generated.
EXAMPLE alert( cross(rsi(14),70),5 )
SEE ALSO See page 366 for information on using the
Alert function within a system test.

Arc Tangent
SYNTAX atan( Y DATA ARRAY, X DATA ARRAY )
FUNCTION Returns the arc tangent of Y/X. The value is
returned in degrees from 0 to 359.9. The
degrees are returned as shown below:

EXAMPLE The formula "atan( 10, 0 )" returns 90.

SEE ALSO The cos() function (see page 256) ; the sin()
function (see page 280).

Aroon Down
SYNTAX aroondown( PERIODS )

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 FUNCTION Calculates the Aroon Down component of
the Aroon indicator.
EXAMPLE aroondown( 14 )

Aroon Up
SYNTAX aroonup( PERIODS )
FUNCTION Calculates the Aroon Up component of the
Aroon indicator.
EXAMPLE aroonup( 14 )

Average Directional Movement

SYNTAX adx( PERIODS )
FUNCTION Calculates the predefined Average
Directional Movement indicator.
EXAMPLE adx( 14 )
SEE ALSO The adxr() function (see page 258); the csi()
function (see page 256); the dx() function
(see page 258); the mdi() function (see page
270) ; the pdi() function (see page 274) .

Average True Range

SYNTAX atr( PERIODS )
FUNCTION Calculates the predefined Average True
Range indicator.
EXAMPLE atr( 20 )

Bars Since
SYNTAX barssince( DATA ARRAY )
FUNCTION Calculates the number of bars (time periods)
that have passed since DATA ARRAY was
true.

Important: When using the barssince()

function in an exploration, you must
choose the "Load ___ Records" button in
the Explorer Options dialog (see page
371) and specify a value equal to the
number of bars loaded in your chart;
otherwise, the exploration results may
not be accurate.
EXAMPLE barssince( macd() < 0 )

Bollinger Band Bottom

SYNTAX bbandbot( DATA ARRAY, PERIODS,
METHOD, DEVIATIONS )
FUNCTION Calculates the bottom Bollinger Band of
DATA ARRAY using METHOD calculation
method and shifted downward DEVIATION

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 standard deviations. Valid methods are
SIMPLE, EXPONENTIAL, WEIGHTED,
TIMESERIES, TRIANGULAR, and
VARIABLE (these can be abbreviated as S,
E, W, T, TRI, and VAR).
EXAMPLE bbandbot( close, 10, S, 2 )

Bollinger Band Top

SYNTAX bbandtop( DATA ARRAY, PERIODS,
METHOD, DEVIATIONS )
FUNCTION Calculates the top Bollinger Band of DATA
ARRAY using METHOD calculation method
and shifted upward DEVIATION standard
deviations. Valid methods are SIMPLE,
EXPONENTIAL, WEIGHTED, TIMESERIES,
TRIANGULAR, and VARIABLE (these can
be abbreviated as S, E, W, T, TRI, and
VAR).
EXAMPLE bbandtop( close, 10, S, 2 )

Buying Pressure
SYNTAX buyp()
FUNCTION Calculates the buying pressure component
of the Demand Index (see page 459).
Buying pressure is a measurement of the
amount of volume related to buying.

Ceiling
SYNTAX ceiling( DATA ARRAY )
FUNCTION Calculates the lowest integer that is greater
than DATA ARRAY.
EXAMPLE The formula "ceiling( 7.2 )" returns 8; the
formula "ceiling(-7.2)" returns -7.
SEE ALSO The floor() function (see page 260); the int()
function (see page 265).

Chaikin A/D Oscillator

SYNTAX co()
FUNCTION Calculates the predefined Chaikin Oscillator.

Chaikin's Money Flow

SYNTAX cmf( PERIODS )
FUNCTION Calculates the predefined Chaikin Money
Flow indicator over the last PERIOD number
of periods.
EXAMPLE cmf(14)

Chande Momentum Oscillator

SYNTAX cmo( DATA ARRAY, PERIODS )

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 FUNCTION Calculates the predefined Chande
Momentum Oscillator of DATA ARRAY over
the last PERIOD number of periods.
EXAMPLE cmo( c,14 )

Commodity Channel Index (EQUIS)

SYNTAX ccie( PERIODS )
FUNCTION Calculates the predefined Commodity
Channel Index (EQUIS).
EXAMPLE ccie( 14 )

Commodity Channel Index (Standard)

SYNTAX cci( PERIODS )
FUNCTION Calculates the predefined Commodity
Channel Index (Standard).
EXAMPLE cci( 14 )

Commodity Selection Index

SYNTAX csi( PERIODS, VALUE, MARGIN,
COMMISSION )
FUNCTION Calculates the predefined Commodity
Selection Index.
EXAMPLE csi(14, 50, 2500,25)
SEE ALSO The adx() function (see page 254); the adxr()
function page 258); the dx() function (see
page 258); the mdi() function (see page
270); the pdi() function (see page 274).

Correlation Analysis
SYNTAX correl( INDEPENDENT,
DEPENDENT,PERIODS, SHIFT)
FUNCTION Calculates the predefined Correlation
indicator. Compares the correlation of
DEPENDENT to INDEPENDENT over
PERIODS time periods, after shifting
DEPENDENT to the right SHIFT-periods.
EXAMPLE The formula "correl( macd(), CLOSE, 5, 10 )"
compares the MACD indicator to the closing
price 10-periods in the future, after
statistically averaging each data array over
the preceding 5-periods.
SEE ALSO The tsf() function (see page 282); the stdev()
function (see page 280).

Cosine
SYNTAX cos( DATA ARRAY )

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 FUNCTION Returns the cosine of DATA ARRAY.
Assumes that the DATA ARRAY values are
in degrees.
EXAMPLE cos( C )
SEE ALSO The atan() function (see page 253); the sin()
function (see page 280).

Cross
SYNTAX cross( DATA ARRAY 1, DATA ARRAY 2 )
FUNCTION Plots a "+1" on the day that DATA ARRAY 1
crosses above DATA ARRAY 2. Otherwise,
"0" is plotted.

If you want to know when DATA ARRAY 1

crosses below DATA ARRAY 2, use the
formula "cross( DATA ARRAY 2, DATA
ARRAY 1)"
EXAMPLE cross( close, mov(close,9,e) )

Cumulate
SYNTAX cum( DATA ARRAY )
FUNCTION Calculates a cumulative sum of the DATA
ARRAY from the first period in the chart.
EXAMPLE The formula "cum( 1 )" calculates an
indicator that rises one point for each day
since the beginning of the chart; the formula
"cum( C )" calculates the cumulative total of
all closing prices from the beginning of the
chart.
SEE ALSO The sum() function (see page 281).

Day Of Month
SYNTAX dayofmonth()
FUNCTION Plots the day of the month. If today was July
15th, "15" would be plotted.

Day Of Week
SYNTAX dayofweek()
FUNCTION Plots the day of the week. 1=Monday,
2=Tuesday, 3=Wednesday, 4=Thursday,
5=Friday, 6=Saturday, 7=Sunday.

Delta
SYNTAX delta( TYPE, DATE, PRICE, INTEREST,
DIVIDEND )
FUNCTION Calculates the predefined Delta indicator.
See the option() function (page 273) for a
description of the parameters used in the
delta() function.

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 EXAMPLE delta( EC, 961220, 125, 7.50, 4.75 )
SEE ALSO The gamma() function (see page 262); the
life() function (see page 272) ; the option()
function (see page 276); the theta() function
(see page 282); the vega() function (see
page 284); and the volo() function (see page
285).

Dema
SYNTAX dema( DATA ARRAY, PERIODS )
FUNCTION Calculates the predefined DEMA indicator
EXAMPLE dema( c,14 )
SEE ALSO The tema() function (see page 282).

Demand Index
SYNTAX di()
FUNCTION Calculates the predefined Demand Index.

Detrended Price Oscillator

SYNTAX dpo( PERIODS )
FUNCTION Calculates the predefined Detrended Price
Oscillator.
EXAMPLE dpo( 25 )

Directional Movement Index

SYNTAX dx( PERIODS )
FUNCTION Calculates the predefined Directional
Movement Index.
EXAMPLE dx( 14 )
SEE ALSO The adx() function (see page 254); the adxr()
function page 258); the csi() function (see
page 256); the mdi() function (see page
270); the pdi() function (see page 274)

Directional Movement Rating

SYNTAX adxr( PERIODS )
FUNCTION Calculates the predefined Directional
Movement Rating.
EXAMPLE adxr( 14 )
SEE ALSO The adx() function (see page 254); the dx()
function (see page 258); the csi() function
(see page 256); the mdi() function (see page
270); the pdi() function (see page 274)

Divergence
SYNTAX divergence( DATA ARRAY 1, DATA ARRAY
2, % MINIMUM CHANGE )

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 FUNCTION Plots a +1 if DATA ARRAY 1 diverges from
DATA ARRAY 2 (i.e., DATA ARRAY 1 is
increasing and DATA ARRAY 2 is
decreasing). Plots a -1 if DATA ARRAY 1
converges from DATA ARRAY 2 (i.e., DATA
ARRAY 1 is decreasing and DATA ARRAY 2
is increasing). A zero is plotted if they are
moving in the same direction. Movements in
DATA ARRAY 1 less than % MINIMUM
CHANGE are ignored.

The Divergence function is based on the Zig

Zag formula. First, a % MINIMUM CHANGE
Zig Zag is calculated for DATA ARRAY 1.
Next, a Zig Zag is calculated for DATA
ARRAY 2 using the % MINIMUM CHANGE
required to match the number of Zig Zag
segments in DATA ARRAY 1 over the data
range loaded. The two Zig Zags are then
compared for divergence and convergence.
EXAMPLE The formula “divergence( close, rsi(21), 3 )”
looks for divergences between the close and
a 21-period RSI. Movements in the close
less than 3% are ignored.

Division
SYNTAX div( DATA ARRAY, DATA ARRAY )
FUNCTION Divides the first parameter by the second.
Division by zero produces a result of zero.
EXAMPLE The formula "div( 10, 2 )" returns 5 (this
formula also could be written as "10 / 2").
SEE ALSO The mul() function (see page 272).

Dynamic Momentum Index

SYNTAX dmi( DATA ARRAY )
FUNCTION Calculates the predefined Dynamic
Momentum Index.
EXAMPLE dmi( CLOSE )

Ease of Movement
SYNTAX emv(PERIODS, METHOD)
FUNCTION Calculates a PERIODS moving average of
the Ease of Movement value using METHOD
calculation method. Valid methods are
SIMPLE, EXPONENTIAL, WEIGHTED,
TIMESERIES, TRIANGULAR, and
VARIABLE. (These can be abbreviated as
S, E, W, T, TRI, and VAR.)

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 EXAMPLE The formula "emv(14,S)" returns the value of
the Ease of Movement indicator smoothed
with a 14-period simple moving average.

Exponent
SYNTAX exp( DATA ARRAY )
FUNCTION Calculates e raised to the DATA ARRAY
power.
SEE ALSO The log() function (see page 267).

External Formula
SYNTAX ExtFml("DLL NAME.FUNCTION
NAME",argument 1,…,argument n)
FUNCTION Returns the values of the function contained
in an MSX DLL. This is only available if an
MSX DLL is present.
EXAMPLE ExtFml("MyDLL.MyFunction",close) would
reference a function called MyFunction
contained in the MSX DLL called MyDLL,
and use the closing price of the security in its
calculation.

For more information on the Equis Solution

Provider program and the MetaStock
Developers Kit go to www.equis.com

Fast Fourier Transform

SYNTAX fft( DATA ARRAY, PERIODS, LENGTH,
DETREND or MEAN, AMPLITUDE or
POWER )
FUNCTION Calculates the PERIODS time period Fourier
indicator of the DATA ARRAY, given sample
LENGTH using the DETREND or MEAN
method, and displays the AMPLITUDE or
POWER spectrum.
EXAMPLE The formula "fft( CLOSE, 100, 1, DETREND,
POWER )" returns the default Fast Fourier
indicator.

Floor
SYNTAX floor( DATA ARRAY )
FUNCTION Calculates the highest integer that is less
than DATA ARRAY.
EXAMPLE The function "floor( 13.9 )" returns 13. The
formula "floor( -13.9 )" returns -14.
SEE ALSO The ceiling() function (see page 255); the
int() function (see page 265).

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 Forecast Oscillator
SYNTAX forecastosc( DATA ARRAY, PERIODS )
FUNCTION Calculates the predefined Forecast
Oscillator.
EXAMPLE forecastosc( close, 14 )

Formula Call
SYNTAX fml("FORMULA_NAME" )
FUNCTION Calculates the value of another formula. The
formula can be referenced using the
FORMULA_NAME in quotes.

When referencing a formula's name, the

name must be contained in quotation marks
(e.g., fml( "Secret A")).

If you change a formula's name, you must

also change any fml() calls that reference
that formula.
EXAMPLE The formula "fml("Secret A") *
fml("MyMACD")" calculates the value of the
formula named "Secret A" multiplied by
"MyMACD."
SEE ALSO See page 242 for more details on using the
fml() function.

Formula Variable Call

SYNTAX fmlvar( "FORMULA_NAME",
"VARIABLE_NAME")
FUNCTION Calls the custom indicator named
FORMULA_NAME and returns the value
contained in the custom indicator's variable
named VARIABLE_NAME.

Both the formula's name and the variable's

name must be contained in quotation marks
(e.g., fmlvar( "Secret A", "MyVar")).

If you change a formula or variable name,

you must also change any fmvarl() calls that
reference that formula and variable.
EXAMPLE fmlvar("MyIndicator", "MyVariableA" )
SEE ALSO See page 246 for more details on using the
fmlvar() function.

Fraction
SYNTAX frac( DATA ARRAY )
FUNCTION Eliminates the integer portion of DATA
ARRAY and returns the fractional part.

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 EXAMPLE The formula "frac( 10.7 )" returns 0.7; the
formula "frac(-19.8 )" returns -0.8.
SEE ALSO The int() function (see page 265).

Gamma
SYNTAX gamma( TYPE, DATE, PRICE, INTEREST,
DIVIDEND )
FUNCTION Calculates the predefined Gamma indicator.
See the option() function (page 276) for a
description of the parameters used in the
gamma() function.
EXAMPLE gamma( EC, 961220, 125, 7.50, 4.75 )
SEE ALSO The delta() function (see page 257); the life()
function (see page 272) ; the option()
function (see page 276); the theta() function
(see page 282); the vega() function (see
page 284); and the volo() function (see page
285).

Gap Down
SYNTAX gapdown()
FUNCTION Plots a "+1" on the day a security's prices
gap down. Otherwise a "0" is plotted. A gap
down occurs if yesterday's low is greater
than today's high.

Gap Up
SYNTAX gapup()
FUNCTION Plots a "+1" on the day a security's prices
gap up. Otherwise a "0" is plotted. A gap up
occurs if yesterday's high is less than
today's low.

Herrick Payoff Index

SYNTAX hpi( CENTS, MULTIPLYING FACTOR )
FUNCTION Calculates the predefined Herrick Payoff
Index.
EXAMPLE hpi(100, 10)

Highest
SYNTAX highest( DATA ARRAY )
FUNCTION Calculates the highest value in the DATA
ARRAY since the first day loaded in the
chart.
EXAMPLE The formula "highest( rsi(14) )" returns the
highest Relative Strength Index value since
the first day loaded in the chart ; "highest (
close )" returns the highest closing price
since the first day loaded in the chart.

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 SEE ALSO The hhv() function page 263; the llv()
function (see page 268); the lowest()
function (see page 267).

Highest Bars Ago

SYNTAX highestbars( DATA ARRAY )
FUNCTION Calculates the number of periods that have
passed since the DATA ARRAY’s highest
value. This includes all data loaded in the
chart.
EXAMPLE The formula "highestbars( close )" returns
the number of periods that have passed
since the closing price reached its highest
peak.

Highest High Value

SYNTAX hhv( DATA ARRAY, PERIODS )
FUNCTION Calculates the highest value in the DATA
ARRAY over the preceding PERIODS
(PERIODS includes the current day).

EXAMPLE The formula "hhv( CLOSE, 5 )" returns the

highest closing price over the preceding five
periods; "hhv(H,7)" returns the highest high
price over the preceding seven periods.
SEE ALSO The Stochastic Oscillator example (see page
311); the llv() function (see page 268).

Highest High Value Bars Ago

SYNTAX hhvbars( DATA ARRAY, PERIODS )
FUNCTION Calculates the number of periods that have
passed since the DATA ARRAY reached its
PERIODS period peak.
EXAMPLE The formula "hhvbars( close,50 )" returns
the number of periods that have passed
since the closing price reached its 50-period
peak.

Highest Since
SYNTAX highestsince ( Nth, EXPRESSION, DATA
ARRAY )
FUNCTION Returns the highest value of DATA ARRAY
since the Nth most recent occurrence of
EXPRESSION was true. This includes all
data loaded in the chart.
EXAMPLE The formula "highestsince( 2,
cross(c,mov(c,10,s), close )" returns highest
value of the close since the second most

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 recent occurrence of the close crossing
above its 10-day moving average.

Highest Since Bars Ago

SYNTAX highestsincebars( Nth, EXPRESSION, DATA
ARRAY )
FUNCTION Calculates the number of periods that have
passed from the highest value of DATA
ARRAY (after the Nth most recent
occurrence of EXPRESSION was true). This
includes all data loaded in the chart.

Put another way, this function returns the

number of periods that have passed since
the highestsince() function returned its value.
EXAMPLE The formula "highestsincebars( 2,
cross(c,mov(c,10,s), close )" returns the
number of periods that have passed since
the highest value of the close (after the
second most recent occurrence of the close
crossing above its 10-day moving average).

Hour
SYNTAX hour()
FUNCTION On an intraday chart, plots the number of
hours that have passed during the day using
a 24 hour clock. For example, if the current
time is recorded as 13:15:22, the hour()
function will return "13" .

If
SYNTAX if( DATA ARRAY > >= < <= <> = DATA
ARRAY, THEN DATA ARRAY, ELSE DATA
ARRAY )
FUNCTION A conditional function that returns the second
parameter (THEN) if the conditional
expression defined by the first parameter is
true; otherwise, the third parameter is
returned (ELSE).
EXAMPLE The formula "if(1<2,3,4)" will always return
the value three.
SEE ALSO The On Balance Volume example (see page
310); The Indicator Builder Tutorial (see
page 300). For more details on using the if()
function, see page 241.

Inertia
SYNTAX inertia( REGRESSION PERIODS, RVI
PERIODS)

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 FUNCTION Calculates the predefined Inertia indicator.
The RVI PERIODS is the number of periods
used for the Relative Volatility Index
component of the indicator.
EXAMPLE inertia(20,14)

Input
SYNTAX input( "PROMPT TEXT", MINIMUM VALUE,
MAXIMUM VALUE, DEFAULT VALUE)
FUNCTION This function instructs MetaStock Pro to
prompt for input when a custom indicator is
plotted. This function is only supported by
the Custom Indicator Builder.

prompt text. This defines the text displayed

next to the input box. This is used to
describe what should be entered.
minimum value. This argument is the
smallest value that can be entered. If you
attempt to enter a value smaller than this
value, MetaStock Pro displays a message.
maximum value. This argument is the
largest value that can be entered. If you
attempt to enter a value larger than this
value, MetaStock Pro displays a message.
default value. This argument defines the
default value (i.e., the value that will appear
in the box when the dialog is initially
displayed.) . Note that the default value is
used if another formula using the fml()
function calls the custom indicator.
EXAMPLE input("Enter the number of periods",1,50,9)

Inside
SYNTAX inside()
FUNCTION Plots a "+1" when an inside day occurs. An
inside day occurs when today's high is less
than yesterday's high and today's low is
greater than yesterday's low. A range is
determined by the first Inside Day and is only
broken by a Rally, Reaction, or Outside day.

Integer
SYNTAX int( DATA ARRAY )
FUNCTION Removes the fractional portion of DATA
ARRAY and returns the integer part.
EXAMPLE The formula "int( 10.7 )" returns 10; the
formula "int(-19.8 )" returns -19.

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 SEE ALSO The ceiling() function (see page 255); the
floor() function (see page 260); the frac()
function (see page 261).

Intraday Momentum Index

SYNTAX imi( PERIODS )
FUNCTION Calculates the predefined Intraday
Momentum Index.
EXAMPLE imi( 14 )

IsDefined()
SYNTAX isdefined(DATA ARRAY)
FUNCTION Returns 1 if all data necessary to calculate
the formula is available, 0 if not.
EXAMPLE The formula "isdefined(mov(c,20,s))"
will return a 0 if there are less than 20
periods of data loaded in the chart.

IsUndefined()
SYNTAX isundefined(DATA ARRAY)

FUNCTION Returns 0 if all data necessary to calculate

the formula is available, 1 if not.
EXAMPLE The formula "isundefined(mov(c,20,s))"
will return a 1 if there are less than 20
periods of data loaded in the chart.

Klinger Oscillator
SYNTAX kvo()
FUNCTION Calculates the predefined Klinger Oscillator.
EXAMPLE The formula "kvo()" returns the value of the
Klinger Oscillator (i.e., the solid line). The
formula "mov(kvo(),13,E)" returns the value
of the KVO's trigger line (i.e., the dotted line).

Last Value in Data Array

SYNTAX lastvalue(DATA ARRAY)
FUNCTION This function loads an entire data array with
the last calculated value of the specified
DATA ARRAY. The result of this function
can be used in place of a constant in any
function argument.

If DATA ARRAY is undefined (e.g., only 100-

days loaded and you request the last value

266 • The MetaStock Formula Language MetaStock Professional

 of a 200-day moving average) then the
lastvalue function returns zero.

Since this function loads an entire data array

with the last value of another array, it allows
a formula to look into the future. This is
unacceptable for most indicators, but is very
beneficial for things like pattern recognition.
EXAMPLE The formula
"mov(close,lastvalue(fml("Determine
Periods")),s)" calculates a moving average
using the number of periods returned by the
indicator named "Determine Periods".

Linear Regression Indicator

SYNTAX linearreg( DATA ARRAY, PERIODS )
FUNCTION Calculates the predefined Linear Regression
indicator.
EXAMPLE linearreg( c, 50 )

Linear Regression Slope

SYNTAX linregslope( DATA ARRAY, PERIODS )

FUNCTION Calculates the predefined Linear Regression

Slope indicator.
EXAMPLE linregslope(c, 50 )

Logarithm (natural)
SYNTAX log( DATA ARRAY )
FUNCTION Calculates the natural logarithm of DATA
ARRAY.
SEE ALSO The exp() function (see page 260).

Lowest
SYNTAX lowest( DATA ARRAY )
FUNCTION Calculates the lowest value in the DATA
ARRAY since the first day loaded in the
chart.
EXAMPLE The formula "lowest( rsi(14) )" returns the
lowest Relative Strength Index value since
the first day loaded in the chart; "lowest (
close )" returns the lowest closing price since
the first day loaded in the chart.
SEE ALSO The hhv() function (see page 263); the llv()
function (see page 268); the highest()
function (see page 262).

Lowest Bars Ago

SYNTAX lowestbars( DATA ARRAY )

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 FUNCTION Calculates the number of periods that have
passed since the DATA ARRAY’s lowest
value. This includes all data loaded in the
chart.
EXAMPLE The formula "lowestbars( close )" returns the
number of periods that have passed since
the closing price reached its lowest point.

Lowest Low Value

SYNTAX llv( DATA ARRAY, PERIODS )
FUNCTION Calculates the lowest value in the DATA
ARRAY over the preceding PERIODS
(PERIODS includes the current day).
EXAMPLE The formula "llv( CLOSE, 14 )" returns the
lowest closing price over the preceding 14
periods.
SEE ALSO The Stochastic Oscillator example (see page
311); the hhv() function (see page 263).

Lowest Low Value Bars Ago

SYNTAX llvbars( DATA ARRAY, PERIODS )
FUNCTION Calculates the number of periods that have
passed since the DATA ARRAY reached its
PERIODS period trough.
EXAMPLE The formula "llvbars( close,50 )" returns the
number of periods that have passed since
the closing price reached its 50 period
trough.

Lowest Since
SYNTAX lowestsince ( Nth, EXPRESSION, DATA
ARRAY )
FUNCTION Returns the lowest value of DATA ARRAY
since the Nth most recent occurrence of
EXPRESSION was true. This includes all
data loaded in the chart.
EXAMPLE The formula "lowestsince( 2,
cross(c,mov(c,10,s), close )" returns lowest
value of the close since the second most
recent occurrence of the close crossing
above its 10-day moving average.

Lowest Since Bars Ago

SYNTAX lowestsincebars( Nth, EXPRESSION, DATA
ARRAY )
FUNCTION Calculates the number of periods that have
passed from the lowest value of DATA
ARRAY (after the Nth most recent
occurrence of EXPRESSION was true). This
includes all data loaded in the chart.

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 Put another way, this function returns the
number of periods that have passed since
the lowestsince() function returned its value.
EXAMPLE The formula "lowestsincebars( 2,
cross(c,mov(c,10,s), close )" returns the
number of periods that have passed since
the lowest value of the close (after the
second most recent occurrence of the close
crossing above its 10-day moving average).

MACD
SYNTAX macd()
FUNCTION Calculates the predefined MACD indicator.
EXAMPLE The formula "macd()" returns the value of the
MACD indicator (i.e., the solid line). The
formula "mov(macd(),9,E)" returns the value
of the MACD's signal line (i.e., the dotted
line).

Market Facilitation Index

SYNTAX marketfacindex()
FUNCTION Calculates the predefined Market Facilitation
Index.
EXAMPLE marketfacindex()

Mass Index
SYNTAX mass( PERIODS )
FUNCTION Calculates the predefined Mass Index.
EXAMPLE mass( 25 )

Maximum
SYNTAX max( DATA ARRAY, DATA ARRAY )
FUNCTION Returns the largest of the two parameters.
EXAMPLE The formula "max( CLOSE, 10 )" returns
either the closing price or 10, whichever is
greater. The formula "max(-14, 13)" always
returns 13.

Median Price
SYNTAX mp()
FUNCTION Calculates the predefined Median Price
indicator.
SEE ALSO The typ() function (see page 283).

MESA Lead Sine

SYNTAX mesaleadsine( CYCLE LENGTH )

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 FUNCTION Calculates the predefined MESA Lead Sine
indicator that plots along with MESA Sine
Wave indicator (see page 482).
EXAMPLE mesaleadsine( 20 )
SEE ALSO The mesasinewave() function (see page
270).

MESA Sine Wave

SYNTAX mesasinewave( CYCLE LENGTH )
FUNCTION Calculates the predefined MESA Sine Wave
indicator (see page 482).
EXAMPLE mesasinewave( 20 )
SEE ALSO The mesaleadsine() function (see page 269).

Midpoint
SYNTAX mid( DATA ARRAY, PERIODS )
FUNCTION Returns the midpoint of the DATA ARRAY
over the specified time PERIOD. The
midpoint is the value halfway between the
highest and lowest DATA ARRAY values
during the specified PERIOD.

EXAMPLE The formula "mid( CLOSE, 7 )" is equivalent

to "llv(C,7) + ((hhv(C,7) 12/10/2002-
llv(C,7)) / 2)."
SEE ALSO The hhv() function (see page 263); the llv()
function (see page 268).

Minimum
SYNTAX min( DATA ARRAY, DATA ARRAY )
FUNCTION Returns the smallest of the two parameters.
EXAMPLE The formula "min( CLOSE, 10 )" returns the
closing price or 10, whichever is less. The
formula "min(-14, 13)" always returns -14.
SEE ALSO The max() function (see page 269).

Minus Directional Movement

SYNTAX mdi( PERIODS )
FUNCTION Calculates the predefined Minus Directional
Movement indicator.
EXAMPLE mdi( 14 )
SEE ALSO The adx() function on page 254; the adxr()
function on page 258; the csi() function on
page 256; the dx() function on page 258; the
pdi() function on page 274.

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 Minute
SYNTAX minute()
FUNCTION On an intraday chart, plots the number of
minutes that have passed during the current
hour. For example, if the current time is
recorded as 10:15:22, the minute() function
will return "15".

Modulus
SYNTAX mod( DATA ARRAY, DATA ARRAY )
FUNCTION Calculates the remainder (i.e., the fractional
portion) of DATA ARRAY divided by DATA
ARRAY. A division by zero produces a zero
result.
EXAMPLE The formula "mod( 10, 3 )" returns 1.0; the
formula "mod( -10.7, 3 )" returns -1.7. You
could write an equivalent formula as "-10.7 -
(int(-10.7 / 3) * 3)."

Momentum
SYNTAX mo( PERIODS )
FUNCTION Calculates the predefined Momentum
indicator.
EXAMPLE mo( 12 )

Money Flow Index

SYNTAX mfi( PERIODS )
FUNCTION Calculates the predefined Money Flow Index.
EXAMPLE mfi( 14 )
SEE ALSO The rsi() function (see page 279).

Month
SYNTAX month()
FUNCTION Plots the month of the year for the price. If a
bar was plotted on 10/15/96, "10" would be
plotted.

Moving Average
SYNTAX mov( DATA ARRAY, PERIODS, METHOD)
FUNCTION Calculates a PERIODS moving average of
DATA ARRAY using METHOD calculation
method.

Valid methods are EXPONENTIAL,

SIMPLE, TIMESERIES, TRIANGULAR,
WEIGHTED, VARIABLE, AND
VOLUMEADJUSTED (these can be
abbreviated as E, S, T, TRI, W, VAR, and

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 VOL).

EXAMPLE The formula "mov( CLOSE, 25,

EXPONENTIAL )" returns the value of a 25-
period exponential moving average of the
closing prices.

Multiplication
SYNTAX mul( DATA ARRAY, DATA ARRAY )
FUNCTION Calculates DATA ARRAY multiplied by
DATA ARRAY.
EXAMPLE The function "mul( CLOSE, 2)" returns the
closing price multiplied by two. (This function
also could be written as "C * 2.")
SEE ALSO The div() function (see page 259).

Negative
SYNTAX neg( DATA ARRAY )
FUNCTION Calculates the negative of DATA ARRAY.
EXAMPLE The formula "neg( 10 )" returns -10; the
formula "neg( -12 )" returns +12. This
formula also could be written "-(-12)."

Negative Volume Index

SYNTAX nvi()
FUNCTION Calculates the predefined Negative Volume
Index.
SEE ALSO The pvi() function (see page 274).

On Balance Volume
SYNTAX obv()
FUNCTION Calculates the predefined On Balance
Volume indicator.
SEE ALSO The example formula (see page 310).

Option Expiration
SYNTAX optionexp()
FUNCTION Calculates the predefined Next Option
Expiration indicator.
SEE ALSO The Option Life function (see page 272).

Option Life
SYNTAX life( EXPIRATION DATE )
FUNCTION Calculates the predefined Option Life
indicator.

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 EXAMPLE life( 970121 ) displays the number of days
until January 21, 1997.
SEE ALSO The delta() function (see page 257); the
gamma() function (see page 262); the
option() function (see page 276); the theta()
function (see page 282); the vega() function
(see page 284); and the volo() function (see
page 285).

Outside
SYNTAX outside()
FUNCTION Plots a "+1" when an outside day occurs. An
outside day occurs when today's high is
greater than yesterday's high and today's low
is less than yesterday's low. A range is
determined by the first Outside Day and is
only broken by a Rally, Reaction, or Inside
day.

Parabolic SAR
SYNTAX sar( STEP, MAXIMUM )
FUNCTION Calculates the predefined Parabolic SAR
indicator.
EXAMPLE sar( 0.02, 0.20 )

Peak Bars Ago

SYNTAX peakbars( Nth, DATA ARRAY, % MINIMUM
CHANGE)
FUNCTION Plots the number of bars that have passed
from the Nth peak. This uses the Zig Zag
function (see page 287) to determine the
peaks. N=1 would return the number of bars
that have passed since the most recent
peak. N=2 would return the number of bars
that have passed since the 2nd most recent
peak. Etc.
EXAMPLE peakbars(1,close,5)

Peak Value
SYNTAX peak( Nth, DATA ARRAY, % MINIMUM
CHANGE )
FUNCTION Plots the value of DATA ARRAY Nth peak(s)
ago. This uses the Zig Zag function (see
page 539) to determine the peaks. N=1
would return the value of the most recent
peak. N=2 would return the value of the 2nd
most recent peak. Etc.
EXAMPLE peak(1,close,5)

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 Performance
SYNTAX per()
FUNCTION Calculates the predefined Performance
indicator.

Plus Directional Movement

SYNTAX pdi( PERIODS )
FUNCTION Calculates the predefined Plus Directional
Movement indicator.
EXAMPLE pdi( 14 )
SEE ALSO The adx() function on page 254; the adxr()
function on page 258; the csi() function on
page 256; the dx() function on page 258.

Polarized Fractal Efficiency

SYNTAX pfe( DATA ARRAY, PERIODS,
SMOOTHING PERIODS)
FUNCTION Calculates the predefined Polarized Fractal
Efficiency indicator.
EXAMPLE pfe( c,10,5 )

Positive Volume Index

SYNTAX pvi()
FUNCTION Calculates the predefined Positive Volume
Index.
SEE ALSO The nvi() function (see page 272).

Power
SYNTAX power( DATA ARRAY, POWER )
FUNCTION Calculates DATA ARRAY raised to the
POWER power. A negative DATA ARRAY
value raised to a non-integer POWER
causes an error message to be displayed.
EXAMPLE The formula "power( 10, 3 )" returns 1,000.

Precision
SYNTAX prec( DATA ARRAY, PRECISION )
FUNCTION Truncates DATA ARRAY to PRECISION
decimal places.
EXAMPLE The formula "prec( 10.12981, 2 )" returns
10.120. The formula "prec( 10.12981, 4 )"
returns 10.12980. Small binary rounding
errors may cause some minor distortion in
the decimal portion of any number stored in
a computer.

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 Price Channel High
SYNTAX pricechannelhigh( PERIODS )
FUNCTION Calculates the top channel line of the Price
Channel indicator.
EXAMPLE pricechannelhigh( 14 )

Price Channel Low

SYNTAX pricechannellow( PERIODS )
FUNCTION Calculates the bottom channel line of the
Price Channel indicator.
EXAMPLE pricechannellow( 14 )

Price Oscillator
SYNTAX oscp( PERIODS, PERIODS, MA_METHOD,
DIFF_METHOD )
FUNCTION Calculates the PERIODS/PERIODS
predefined Price Oscillator indicator
calculated using the MA_METHOD moving
average method expressed in
DIFF_METHOD.

Valid MA_METHODs are SIMPLE,

EXPONENTIAL, WEIGHTED, TIMESERIES,
TRIANGULAR, and VARIABLE (these can
be abbreviated as S, E, W, T, TRI, VAR).

Valid DIFF_METHODs are PERCENT and

POINTS (these can be abbreviated as % and
$).
EXAMPLE The formula "oscp(1, 25, E, $)" returns a 1-
period/25-period exponential price oscillator
expressed in points.
SEE ALSO The oscv() function (see page 285).

Price Volume Trend

SYNTAX pvt()
FUNCTION Calculates the predefined Price Volume
Trend indicator.

Projection Band Bottom

SYNTAX Projbandbot( PERIODS )
FUNCTION Calculates the bottom Projection Band.
EXAMPLE projbandbot( 21 )

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 Projection Band Top
SYNTAX Projbandtop( PERIODS )
FUNCTION Calculates the top Projection Band.
EXAMPLE projbandbot( 21 )

Projection Oscillator
SYNTAX Projosc( REGRESSION PERIODS,
SLOWING PERIODS )
FUNCTION Calculates the predefined Projection
Oscillator.
EXAMPLE projosc( 21,3 )

Put/Call Price
SYNTAX option( TYPE, DATE, PRICE, INTEREST,
DIVIDEND )
FUNCTION Calculates the predefined Put/Call Price
indicator.
EXAMPLE The formula "option( EC, 961231, 125, 8.5,
6.31 )" calculates the fair market value of an
equity call that matures on December 31,
1996, at a strike price of $125. The current
market interest rates are 8.5% and the
security paid an annual dividend of $6.31.

TYPE specifies whether the security is an

Equity or a Future (i.e., E or F) and if a Put or
Call price (i.e., P or C) should be calculated.
Valid TYPEs are EC, EP, FC, and FP.
(These types also can be spelled out as
CALL, PUT, FUTURECALL, and
FUTUREPUT.)

The DATE is the date that the option expires.

The DATE must be entered as a number in
the YYMMDD format. For example,
December 31, 1996, should be entered as
961231. This date format is used regardless
of the date format specified in the
Configuration section.

The PRICE parameter specifies the option's

strike price.

The INTEREST parameter specifies a "risk

free" market interest rate (e.g., 8.75).

The DIVIDEND parameter specifies the total

dividends received over the last 12 months.
SEE ALSO The delta() function (see page 257); the
gamma() function (see page 262); the life()

276 • The MetaStock Formula Language MetaStock Professional

 function (see page 272); the theta() function
(see page 282); the vega() function (see
page 284); and the volo() function (see page
285).

Qstick
SYNTAX qstick( PERIODS )
FUNCTION Calculates the predefined Qstick indicator.
EXAMPLE qstick( 21 )

r-squared
SYNTAX rsquared( DATA ARRAY, PERIODS )
FUNCTION Calculates the predefined Rsquared
indicator.
EXAMPLE rsquared( c, 21 )

Rally
SYNTAX rally()
FUNCTION Plots a "+1" when a rally day occurs.
Otherwise, a "0" is plotted. A rally day
occurs when today's high is greater than the
previous rally day's high and today's low is
greater than or equal to the previous rally
day's low.

Rally With Volume

SYNTAX rallywithvol()
FUNCTION Plots a "+1" when a rally with volume day
occurs. Otherwise, a "0" is plotted. A rally
with volume occurs when today's high is
greater than the previous rally day's high and
today's low is greater than or equal to the
previous rally day's low. Today's volume
must be greater than the previous rally day's
volume.

Random Walk Index of Highs

SYNTAX rwih( MINIUMUM PERIODS, MAXIMUM
PERIODS )
FUNCTION Calculates the predefined Random Walk
Index of the highs indicator.
EXAMPLE rwih( 6,39 )

Random Walk Index of Lows

SYNTAX rwil(MINIUMUM PERIODS, MAXIMUM
PERIODS )

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 FUNCTION Calculates the predefined Random Walk
Index of the lows indicator.
EXAMPLE rwil( 6,39 )

Range Indicator
SYNTAX rangeindicator( PERIODS, SMOOTHING
PERIODS )
FUNCTION Calculates the predefined Range Indicator.
EXAMPLE rangeindicator( 10,3 )

Rate of Change
SYNTAX roc( DATA ARRAY, PERIODS,
DIFF_METHOD )
FUNCTION Calculates the PERIODS rate-of-change of
DATA ARRAY expressed as
DIFF_METHOD.

Valid DIFF_METHODs are PERCENT and

POINTS (these can be abbreviated as % and
$).
EXAMPLE The formula "roc( CLOSE, 12, PERCENT )"
returns the 12-period percent rate-of-change
of the closing prices.

Reaction
SYNTAX reaction()
FUNCTION Plots a "+1" when a reaction day occurs.
Otherwise, a "0" is plotted. A reaction day
occurs when today's high is less than or
equal to the previous reaction day's high and
today's low is less than the previous reaction
day's low.

Reaction With Volume

SYNTAX reactionwithvol()
FUNCTION Plots a "+1" when a reaction day occurs.
Otherwise, a "0" is plotted. A reaction day
occurs when today's high is less than or
equal to the previous reaction day's high and
today's low is less than the previous reaction
day's low. Today's volume must be greater
than the previous reaction day's volume.

Reference
SYNTAX ref( DATA ARRAY, PERIODS )
FUNCTION References a previous or subsequent
element in a DATA ARRAY. A positive
PERIOD references "n" periods in the future;

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 a negative PERIOD references "n" periods
ago.
EXAMPLE The formula "ref( CLOSE, -12 )" returns the
closing price 12 periods ago. Thus, you
could write the 12-day price rate-of-change
(expressed in points) as "C 12/10/2002- ref(
C, -12 )." The formula "ref( C, +12 )" returns
the closing price 12 periods ahead.

Relative Momentum Index

SYNTAX rmi( DATA ARRAY, PERIODS,
MOMENTUM PARAMETER )
FUNCTION Calculates the predefined Relative
Momentum Index.
EXAMPLE rmi( c,20,20 )

Relative Strength Index (RSI)

SYNTAX rsi( PERIODS )
FUNCTION Calculates the predefined RSI indicator.
EXAMPLE rsi( 14 )

Relative Volatility Index

SYNTAX rvi( PERIODS )
FUNCTION Calculates the predefined Relative Volatility
Index.
EXAMPLE rvi( 21 )

Round
SYNTAX round( DATA ARRAY )
FUNCTION Rounds DATA ARRAY to the nearest
integer.
EXAMPLE The formula "round( +10.5 )" returns +11.
The formula "round( -10.4 )" returns -10.
SEE ALSO The ceiling() function on page 255; the floor()
function on page 260; the int() function on
page 265.

Security Data
SYNTAX security("SYMBOL",DATA ARRAY)
FUNCTION Returns the value of DATA ARRAY for the
specified security. If the security is in the
same folder as the base security, a path is
not required. You may also specify online
data by using ONLINE: as the path.
EXAMPLES security("c:\MetaStock Data\Sample\IBM",C)
security("ONLINE:IBM",C)
security("IBM",C)

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 Selling Pressure
SYNTAX sellp()
FUNCTION Calculates the selling pressure component of
the Demand Index (see page 459). Selling
pressure is a measurement of the amount of
volume related to selling.

Sine
SYNTAX sin( DATA ARRAY )
FUNCTION Returns the sine of DATA ARRAY. This
function assumes that the DATA ARRAY
values are in degrees.
EXAMPLE You can plot a sine wave using the formula
"sin(cum(5))." Increasing the value in this
formula (i.e., "5") will increase the frequency
of the sine wave.
SEE ALSO The atan() function (see page 253); the cos()
function (see page 256).

Square Root
SYNTAX sqrt( DATA ARRAY )
FUNCTION Calculates the square root of DATA ARRAY.
The square root of a negative number always
returns a zero result.
EXAMPLE The formula "sqrt( 16 )" returns 4.
SEE ALSO The Standard Deviation example formula
(31008).

Standard Deviation
SYNTAX stdev( DATA ARRAY, PERIODS )
FUNCTION Calculates the predefined Standard
Deviation indicator.
EXAMPLE stdev( CLOSE, 21 )

Standard Error
SYNTAX ste( DATA ARRAY, PERIODS )
FUNCTION Calculates the predefined Standard Error
indicator.
EXAMPLE ste( CLOSE, 21 )

Standard Error Band Bottom

SYNTAX stebandbot( DATA ARRAY, PERIODS,
ERRORS )
FUNCTION Calculates the bottom Standard Error Band
of DATA ARRAY shifted downward
ERRORS standard errors.
EXAMPLE stebandbot( close, 21, 2 )

280 • The MetaStock Formula Language MetaStock Professional

 Standard Error Band Top
SYNTAX stebandtop( DATA ARRAY, PERIODS,
ERRORS )
FUNCTION Calculates the bottom Standard Error Band
of DATA ARRAY shifted upward ERRORS
standard errors.
EXAMPLE stebandtop( close, 21, 2 )

Stochastic Momentum Index

SYNTAX stochmomentum( PERIODS, SMOOTHING,
DOUBLE SMOOTHING )
FUNCTION Calculates the predefined Stochastic
Momentum Index.
EXAMPLE stochmomentum( 10,40,3 )

Stochastic Oscillator
SYNTAX stoch( %K PERIODS, %K SLOWING )
FUNCTION Calculates the predefined Stochastic
Oscillator.
EXAMPLE The formula "stoch( 5, 3 )" returns the value
of a 5-period %K slowed 3-periods.
SEE ALSO The Stochastic example formula (see page
311).

Subtraction
SYNTAX sub( DATA ARRAY, DATA ARRAY )
FUNCTION Calculates DATA ARRAY minus DATA
ARRAY.
EXAMPLE The formula "sub( 10, 2 )" returns eight.
(This formula also could be written as "10 -
2.")
SEE ALSO The add() function (see page 253).

Summation
SYNTAX sum( DATA ARRAY, PERIODS )
FUNCTION Calculates a cumulative sum of the DATA
ARRAY for the specified number of lookback
PERIODs (including today).
EXAMPLE The formula "sum( CLOSE, 12 )" returns the
sum of the preceding 12 closing prices. A
12-period simple moving average could be
written "sum(C,12) / 12."
SEE ALSO The cum() function (see page 257).

Swing Index
SYNTAX swing( LIMIT MOVE )

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 FUNCTION Calculates the predefined Swing Index
indicator. The Swing Index requires opening
prices.
EXAMPLE swing( 3.0 )
SEE ALSO The aswing() function (see page 253).

Tema
SYNTAX tema( DATA ARRAY, PERIODS )
FUNCTION Calculates the predefined TEMA indicator
EXAMPLE tema( c,14 )
SEE ALSO The dema() function (see page 258).

Theta
SYNTAX theta( TYPE, DATE, PRICE, INTEREST,
DIVIDEND )
FUNCTION Calculates the predefined Theta indicator.
See the option() function (page 276) for a
description of the parameters used in the
theta() function.
EXAMPLE theta( EC, 961220, 125, 7.50, 4.75 )
SEE ALSO The delta() function (see page 257); the
gamma() function (see page 262); the life()
function (see page 272); the option()
function (see page 276); the vega() function
(see page 284); and the volo() function (see
page 285).

Tick
SYNTAX tick()
FUNCTION Plots the number of ticks that have come in
during the current minute. For example, if
the current tick is recorded as 10:15:22, "22"
represents the tick count in the 15th minute
of the 10th hour. At the start of the 16th
minute, the tick count will reset to "0." Note
that this function only works on charts with
an intraday interval set to "0" (i.e., tick
charts).

When plotted on tick charts, the value will

range from 0 to 999—meaning up to 999
ticks can be recorded in one minute. Using
this function on bar charts (e.g., 1-minute, 5-
minute, etc) will result in a value of zero.

Time Series Forecast

SYNTAX tsf( DATA ARRAY, PERIODS )
FUNCTION Calculates the predefined PERIODS Time
Series Forecast indicator of DATA ARRAY.

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 EXAMPLE The formula "tsf( CLOSE, 10 )" returns a 10-
period Time Series Forecast of the closing
prices.
SEE ALSO The correl() function (see page 256).

Trade Volume Index

SYNTAX tvi( MINIMUM TICK )
FUNCTION Calculates the predefined Trade Volume
Index.
EXAMPLE tvi( 0.125 )
SEE ALSO The obv() function (see page 272) .

TRIX
SYNTAX trix( PERIODS )
FUNCTION Calculates the predefined TRIX indicator.
EXAMPLE trix( 12 )

Trough Bars Ago

SYNTAX troughbars( Nth, DATA ARRAY, %
MINIMUM CHANGE)
FUNCTION Plots the number of bars that have passed
from the Nth trough. This uses the Zig Zag
function (see page 287) to determine the
troughs. If Nth is 1, then this will return the
number of bars that have passed since the
most recent trough. If Nth is 2, this will
return the number of bars that have passed
since the 2nd most recent trough. Etc.
EXAMPLE troughbars(1,close,5)

Trough Value
SYNTAX trough( Nth, DATA ARRAY, % MINIMUM
CHANGE )
FUNCTION Plots the value of DATA ARRAY Nth
trough(s) ago. This uses the Zig Zag
function (see page 287) to determine the
troughs. N=1 would return the value of the
most recent trough. N=2 would return the
value of the 2nd most recent trough. Etc.
EXAMPLE trough( 1,close,5 )

Typical Price
SYNTAX typical()
FUNCTION Calculates the predefined Typical Price
indicator.

Ultimate Oscillator
SYNTAX ult( CYCLE1, CYCLE2, CYCLE3 )

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 FUNCTION Calculates the predefined Ultimate Oscillator
indicator using the three cycle lengths
supplied as parameters. Note that each of
the three parameters must be greater than
the preceding parameter or an error
message will be displayed (e.g., "ult( 5, 5, 5)"
is not valid).
EXAMPLE The formula "ult( 7, 14, 21 )" returns the
default Ultimate Oscillator.

Value When
SYNTAX valuewhen ( Nth, EXPRESSION, DATA
ARRAY )
FUNCTION Returns the value of the DATA ARRAY when
the EXPRESSION was true on the Nth most
recent occurrence. This includes all data
loaded in the chart.
EXAMPLE The formula "valuewhen( 2,
cross(c,mov(c,10,s), rsi(20) )" returns the
value of the RSI on the 2nd most recent
occurrence of the closing price crossing
above its 10-day moving average.

Variance
SYNTAX var( DATA ARRAY, PERIODS )
FUNCTION Calculates the statistical variance of DATA
ARRAY over the specified time PERIOD.
EXAMPLE var( CLOSE, 20 )
SEE ALSO The stdev() function (see page 280) ; the
Standard Deviation example (see page 310).

Vega
SYNTAX vega( TYPE, DATE, PRICE, INTEREST,
DIVIDEND )
FUNCTION Calculates the predefined Vega indicator.
See the option() function (page 2763) for a
description of the parameters used in the
vega() function.
EXAMPLE vega( EC, 961220, 125, 7.50, 4.75 )
SEE ALSO The delta() function (see page 257); the
gamma() function (see page 262); the life()
function (see page 272); the option() function
(see page 276); the theta() function (see
page 282); and the volo() function (see page
285).

Vertical Horizontal Filter

SYNTAX vhf( DATA ARRAY, PERIODS )

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 FUNCTION Calculates the predefined Vertical Horizontal
Filter of DATA ARRAY over the specified
time PERIOD.
EXAMPLE vhf( C, 28 )

Volatility, Chaikin's
SYNTAX vol( MA PERIODS, ROC PERIODS )
FUNCTION Calculates the predefined Chaikin's Volatility
indicator.
EXAMPLE vol( 10, 10 )

Volatility, Option
SYNTAX volo()
FUNCTION Calculates the predefined Option Volatility
indicator.
EXAMPLE volo()
SEE ALSO The delta() function (see page 257); the
gamma() function (see page 262); the life()
function (see page 272); the option()
function (see page 276); the theta() function
(see page 282); and the vega() function (see
page 284).

Volume Oscillator
SYNTAX oscv( PERIODS, PERIODS, MA_METHOD,
DIFF_METHOD)
FUNCTION Calculates the PERIODS/PERIODS
predefined Volume Oscillator indicator
calculated using the MA_METHOD moving
average method expressed in
DIFF_METHOD.

Valid MA_METHODs are SIMPLE,

EXPONENTIAL, WEIGHTED, TIMESERIES,
TRIANGULAR, and VARIABLE (these can
be abbreviated as S, E, W, T, TRI, and
VAR).

Valid DIFF_METHODs are PERCENT and

POINTS (these can be abbreviated as % and
$).
EXAMPLE oscv( 1, 25, SIMPLE, $ )
SEE ALSO The oscp() function (see page 275).

Weighted Close
SYNTAX wc()

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 FUNCTION Calculates the predefined Weighted Close
indicator.

Wilder's Smoothing
SYNTAX wilders( DATA ARRAY, PERIODS )
FUNCTION Calculates the predefined Wilder's
Smoothing indicator.
EXAMPLE wilders( CLOSE, 14 )
SEE ALSO The mov() function (see page 271).

Williams' %R
SYNTAX willr( %R PERIODS )
FUNCTION Calculates the predefined Williams' %R
indicator.
EXAMPLE willr( 14 )

Williams' A/D
SYNTAX willa()
FUNCTION Calculates the predefined Williams A/D
indicator.

Writeif
SYNTAX writeif( EXPRESSION, "TRUE TEXT",
"FALSE TEXT" )

FUNCTION This function can only be used within an

expert commentary. If EXPRESSION
evaluates to "true", then the TRUE TEXT
string is displayed within the commentary. If
EXPRESSION evaluates to "false", then the
FALSE TEXT string is displayed.
EXAMPLE writeif( c > mov(c,200,s), "The close is above
the 200-period moving average.","The close
is below the 200-period moving average." )
SEE ALSO For more detailed Information on using the
writeif() function within an expert
commentary, see page 408.

Writeval
SYNTAX writeval( DATA ARRAY )
or
writeval( DATA ARRAY , FORMAT )
FUNCTION This function can only be used within an
expert commentary. It is used to display the
numeric value and decimal format of DATA
ARRAY. The decimal format is X.Y where X
is the total number of digits, and Y is the

286 • The MetaStock Formula Language MetaStock Professional

 number of digits to the right of the decimal
point.
EXAMPLE writeval( stoch(39,3) - stoch(12,3) ,5.2)
SEE ALSO For more detailed Information on using the
writeval() function within an expert
commentary, see page 409.

Year
SYNTAX year()
FUNCTION Plots the year. If a bar was plotted on
10/15/96, the function will return "1996."

Zig Zag
SYNTAX zig( DATA ARRAY, MINIMUM CHANGE,
DIFF_METHOD )
FUNCTION Calculates the MINIMUM CHANGE
predefined Zig Zag indicator of DATA
ARRAY using the DIFF_METHOD method of
calculation.

Valid DIFF_METHODs are PERCENT and

POINTS (these can be abbreviated as % and
$).
EXAMPLE zig( CLOSE, 5, PERCENT )

MetaStock Professional The MetaStock Formula Language • 287

 Candlestick Functions
The Candlestick functions allow you to locate specific Japanese
Candlestick patterns. Each function plots a "+1" when the pattern is
found; otherwise a "0" is plotted.
The brief interpretations provided for the patterns shown on the following
pages were taken from two books written by Steve Nison. For more in-
depth coverage on these and other Japanese Candlestick patterns and
charting techniques, Equis International recommends Mr. Nison's books:
Japanese Candlestick Charting Techniques and Beyond Candlesticks. See
page 544 for more information on these books.
Please note that candlestick pattern recognition is subjective. What one
person calls a "Big Black Candle" may not qualify as such for someone
else. To find these patterns on a chart, MetaStock Pro must rely on
predefined rules. These rules were defined based upon our own
experience and with Steve Nison's assistance.
Important: When using the Candlestick functions in an exploration,
you must choose the "Load __ Records" button in the Explorer Options
dialog (see page 378) and specify at least “10”; otherwise the
exploration results may be inaccurate.
Bearish 3 Method Formation
SYNTAX bear3formation()

PATTERN
A long black body followed by three small,
usually white, bodies and another long black
body. The three white bodies are contained
within the first black body's range.
INTERPRETATION A bearish continuation pattern.

Bearish Harami
SYNTAX bearharami()

PATTERN
A small black body is contained within an
unusually large white body.
INTERPRETATION A bearish pattern when preceded by an
uptrend.

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 Bearish Harami Cross
SYNTAX bearharamicross()

PATTERN
A Doji contained within a large white body.
INTERPRETATION A top reversal signal.

Big Black Candle

SYNTAX bigblack()

PATTERN
An unusually long black body with a wide
range between high and low, and prices
open near the high and close near the low.
INTERPRETATION A bearish pattern.

Big White Candle

SYNTAX bigwhite()

PATTERN
An unusually long white body with a wide
range between high and low, and prices
open near the low and close near the high.
INTERPRETATION A bullish pattern.

Black Body
SYNTAX black()

PATTERN
A candlestick formed when the closing price
is lower than the opening price.
INTERPRETATION A bearish signal. More important when part
of a pattern.

Bullish 3 Method Formation

SYNTAX bull3formation()

MetaStock Professional The MetaStock Formula Language • 289

 PATTERN
A long white body followed by three small,
usually black, bodies and another long white
body. The three black bodies are contained
within the first white body's range.
INTERPRETATION A bullish continuation pattern.

Bullish Harami
SYNTAX bullharami()

PATTERN
A small white body is contained within an
unusually large black body.
INTERPRETATION A bullish pattern when preceded by a
downtrend.

Bullish Harami Cross

SYNTAX bullharamicross()

PATTERN
A Doji contained within a large black body.
INTERPRETATION A bottom reversal signal.

Dark Cloud Cover

SYNTAX darkcloud()

PATTERN
A long white candlestick is followed by a
black candlestick. The black candlestick
opens above the white candlestick's high and
closes well into the white candlestick's body.
INTERPRETATION A bearish reversal signal during an uptrend.

290 • The MetaStock Formula Language MetaStock Professional

 Doji
SYNTAX doji()

PATTERN
The open and close are the same.
INTERPRETATION Doji lines are usually components of many
important candlestick patterns.

Doji Star
SYNTAX dojistar()

PATTERN
A Doji which gaps above or below a white or
black candlestick.
INTERPRETATION A reversal signal with confirmation during the
next trading day.

Engulfing Bearish Line

SYNTAX engulfingbear()

PATTERN
A small white body followed by and
contained within a large black body.
INTERPRETATION A major top reversal signal.

Engulfing Bullish Line

SYNTAX engulfingbull()

PATTERN
A small black body followed by and
contained within a large white body.
INTERPRETATION A major bottom reversal signal.

Evening Doji Star

SYNTAX eveningdojistar()

MetaStock Professional The MetaStock Formula Language • 291

 PATTERN
A large white body followed by a doji that
gaps above the white body. The third
candlestick is a black body that closes well
into the white body.
INTERPRETATION A major top reversal signal, more bearish
than the regular evening star pattern
because of the Doji.

Evening Star
SYNTAX eveningstar()

PATTERN
A large white body followed by a small body
(white or black) that gaps above the white
body. The third candlestick is a black body
that closes well into the white body.
INTERPRETATION A major top reversal signal.

Falling Window
SYNTAX fallingwindow()

PATTERN
A window (i.e., gap) between the low of the
first candlestick and the high of the second
candlestick. This produces the same results
as the Gap Down function (see page 262).
INTERPRETATION A rally to the window is highly probable. The
window should provide resistance.

Gravestone Doji
SYNTAX gravestonedoji()

292 • The MetaStock Formula Language MetaStock Professional

 PATTERN
The open and close are at the low of the
period.
INTERPRETATION A market top reversal signal. The longer the
upper shadow the more bearish the signal.

Hammer
SYNTAX hammer()

PATTERN
A small body (white or black) near the high
with a long lower shadow with little or no
upper shadow.
INTERPRETATION A bullish pattern during a downtrend.

Hanging Man
SYNTAX hangingman()

PATTERN
A small body (white or black) near the high
with a long lower shadow with little or no
upper shadow. The lower shadow should be
two or three times the height of the body.
INTERPRETATION A bearish pattern during an uptrend.

Inverted Black Hammer

SYNTAX invblackhammer()

PATTERN
An upside-down hammer with a black body.
INTERPRETATION A bottom reversal signal with confirmation
the next trading day.

Inverted Hammer
SYNTAX invhammer()

PATTERN
An upside-down hammer (white or black).
INTERPRETATION A bottom reversal signal with confirmation
the next trading day.

Long Legged Doji

SYNTAX longleggeddoji()

MetaStock Professional The MetaStock Formula Language • 293

 PATTERN
A Doji pattern with very long upper and lower
shadows.
INTERPRETATION A market top reversal signal.

Long Lower Shadow

SYNTAX longlowershadow()

PATTERN
A candlestick (black or white) with a lower
shadow that has a length 2/3 or more of the
total range of the candlestick.
INTERPRETATION A bullish signal, particularly when around
price support levels.

Long Upper Shadow

SYNTAX longuppershadow()

PATTERN
A candlestick (black or white) with an upper
shadow that has a length 2/3 or more of the
total range of the candlestick.
INTERPRETATION A bearish signal, particularly around price
resistance levels.

Morning Doji Star

SYNTAX morningdojistar()

PATTERN
A large black body followed by a doji that
gaps below the black body. The third
candlestick is a white body that closes well
into the black body.

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 INTERPRETATION A major bottom reversal signal, more bullish
than the regular morning star pattern
because of the Doji.

Morning Star
SYNTAX morningstar()

PATTERN
A large black body followed by small body
(white or black) that gaps below the black
body. The third candlestick is a white body
that closes well into the black body.
INTERPRETATION A major bottom reversal signal.

On Neck-Line
SYNTAX onneckline()

PATTERN
A black candlestick in a downtrend followed
by a small white candlestick with its close
near the low of the black candlestick.
INTERPRETATION A bearish pattern where the market should
move lower when the white candlestick's low
is penetrated.

Piercing Line
SYNTAX piercingline()

PATTERN
A black candlestick followed by a white
candlestick that opens lower than the black
candlestick's low, but closes more than
halfway into the black body.
INTERPRETATION A bottom reversal signal.

Rising Window
SYNTAX risingwindow()

MetaStock Professional The MetaStock Formula Language • 295

 PATTERN
A window (i.e., gap) between the high of the
first candlestick and the low of the second
candlestick. This produces the same results
as the Gap Up function (see page 262).
INTERPRETATION A selloff to the window is highly probable.
The window should provide support.

Separating Lines
SYNTAX separatinglines()

PATTERN
In an uptrend, a black candlestick is followed
by a white candlestick with the same opening
price.

In a downtrend, a white candlestick is

followed by a black candlestick with the
same opening price.

INTERPRETATION A continuation pattern. The prior trend

should resume.

Shaven Bottom
SYNTAX shavenbottom()

PATTERN
A candlestick (white or black) with no lower
shadow.
INTERPRETATION See Inverted Hammer (see page 293)
interpretation.

Shaven Head
SYNTAX shavenhead()

296 • The MetaStock Formula Language MetaStock Professional

 PATTERN
A candlestick (white or black) with no upper
shadow.
INTERPRETATION See Hammer (see page 293) and Hanging
Man (see page 293) interpretations.

Shooting Star
SYNTAX shootingstar()

PATTERN
A candlestick (white or black) with a small
body, long upper shadow, and little or no
lower shadow.
INTERPRETATION A bearish pattern in an uptrend.

Spinning Top
SYNTAX spinningtop()

PATTERN
A candlestick (white or black) with a small
body. The size of the shadows is not
important.
INTERPRETATION A neutral pattern. Spinning tops are more
important when part of other formations.

Three Black Crows

SYNTAX 3blackcrows()

PATTERN
Three long black candlesticks with
consecutively lower closes that close near or
at their low prices.
INTERPRETATION A top reversal signal.

Three White Soldiers

SYNTAX 3whitesoldiers()

PATTERN
Three white candlesticks with consecutively

MetaStock Professional The MetaStock Formula Language • 297

 higher closes that close near or at their high
prices.
INTERPRETATION A bottom reversal signal.

Tweezer Bottoms
SYNTAX tweezerbottoms()

PATTERN
Two or more candlesticks with matching
bottoms. The size or color of the candlestick
does not matter. The candlesticks do not
have to be consecutive.
INTERPRETATION Minor reversal signal that is more important
when the candlesticks form another pattern.

Tweezer Tops
SYNTAX tweezertops()

PATTERN
Two or more candlesticks with matching
tops.
INTERPRETATION Minor reversal signal that is more important
when the candlesticks form another pattern.
The candlesticks do not have to be
consecutive.

White Body
SYNTAX white()

PATTERN
A candlestick formed when the closing price
is higher than the opening price.
INTERPRETATION A bullish signal. More important when part of
a pattern.

298 • The MetaStock Formula Language MetaStock Professional

Creating Your Own Indicators

What is the Indicator Builder?

With all the built-in indicators that MetaStock Pro offers, you may be
wondering why you'd ever need to create your own indicators. Well,
technical analysis is constantly evolving. The hot new indicator of today
is soon overshadowed by another. For this reason, MetaStock Pro
provides a powerful tool called the Indicator Builder that lets you create
indicators.
Maybe you've read about a new indicator in a trade magazine or a new
book. Chances are, you'll be able to create the indicator with the
Indicator Builder.
The Indicator Builder is considered a "power tool, " that is, it is not
considered a mainstream, basic feature of the program. To effectively
use the Indicator Builder, you'll need to understand basic mathematical
concepts and logical expressions.
Due to the inherent complexity in the design and creation of custom
indicators, trading systems, explorations, and experts, Equis cannot
provide free support for this process. However, support is available for
a reasonable fee. Call Equis at 801-265-9998 for details or fill-out the
FORMULA HELP.DOC file found in the MetaStock Pro folder. This
file is viewable with Wordpad.
For information on the Equis Solution Provider program and the
MetaStock Developer's Kit, go to www.equis.com.
Indicators created with the Indicator Builder are plotted exactly like
built-in indicators. They can be dragged from the Indicator QuickList or
plotted from the Indicators dialog.
If you are familiar with writing formulas in spreadsheet programs (i.e.,
Microsoft Excel, Lotus 1-2-3, etc.), this probably looks familiar to you.
You may be able to start writing your own indicators immediately. If this
looks foreign to you, don't worry--the Indicator Builder Tutorial will help
you get up to speed.

MetaStock Professional Creating Your Own Indicators • 299

Indicator Builder Tutorial

The Basics
In addition to the predefined indicators listed in the Indicator QuickList
(see page 165), MetaStock Pro provides a robust collection of tools that
you can use to create your own indicators. This chapter explains how to
create and plot these "custom indicators."
In order to create a custom indicator, you need to be familiar with the
MetaStock formula language. For more detailed information on the
MetaStock formula language, see page 235.
You can create up to 2,000 different custom indicators. The indicators
are automatically stored by MetaStock Pro so that you do not have to re-
enter them each time you want to plot the formula.
The formulas created at the Indicator Builder menu and the formulas used
to calculate the built-in indicators (i.e., Stochastics, RSI, etc.) are
completely independent of each other. Changes made to the custom
indicators will not affect the predefined indicators.

The Indicator Builder Dialog

With a chart on the screen, choose Indicator Builder from the Tools
menu. The Indicator Builder dialog will appear (the custom indicators
appearing in your list will be different than the ones shown below). The
Indicator Builder dialog is the jumping off point for creating new custom
indicators and/or editing existing custom indicators.

Creating a New Custom Indicator

1. With the Indicator Builder dialog displayed, click the New button.
Type the name of the formula as "Tutorial."

300 • Creating Your Own Indicators MetaStock Professional

 2. Click the Display in QuickList checkbox so that the custom
indicator will appear in the Indicator QuickList on the standard
toolbar.
3. Click in the Formula edit box where you can begin writing the actual
formula.

4. Type the following formula in the Formula edit box.

close - mov(close,20,simple)

This formula simply subtracts a 20-period simple moving average

from the close. For more detailed information on the MetaStock
formula language, see page 235.
5. Click the OK button to save the new "Tutorial" custom indicator.

Plotting a Custom Indicator

1. Click on the Indicator QuickList (see page 165) to display the built-
in and custom indicators.

MetaStock Professional Creating Your Own Indicators • 301

 2. Drag the custom indicator named "Tutorial" from the QuickList and
drop it on a chart's title bar. A new inner window will open and plot
the results of the custom indicator.
You can distinguish a custom indicator from other indicators in the
Custom indicator icon QuickList by the unique icon to the left of the custom indicator's name.

Indicator Builder Dialog

The Indicator Builder dialog is displayed by choosing Indicator Builder
Indicator Builder button from the Tools menu or the Indicator Builder button on the standard
toolbar.

New. This displays the Indicator Editor dialog from which you can
name and define a new custom indicator.

302 • Creating Your Own Indicators MetaStock Professional

 Edit. This displays the Indicator Editor dialog from which you can edit
the selected custom indicator.
Copy. This makes a copy of the selected custom indicator in the
Indicator Editor dialog. After making any changes, press the OK button
to save a copy of the custom indicator. See page 304 for more
information on copying custom indicators.
You can select multiple Delete. This deletes the selected custom indicators. See page 304 for
custom indicators by more information on deleting custom indicators.
holding down the SHIFT
or CTRL key as you click Print. This prints the selected custom indicators. See page 304 for more
the mouse. information on printing custom indicators.
Organize. Use this to display the Formula Organizer Wizard from which
you can import and export explorations, system tests, custom indicators,
and experts. This is normally used if you have purchased add-on products
from Equis or a third party. See page 249 for more information on the
Formula Organizer Wizard.

Indicator Editor Dialog

The Indicator Editor dialog is used to create new custom indicators and to
edit existing custom indicators.

Name. You can enter a name with up to 50 characters. The name you
enter will appear in the inner window title bar when plotted. The list of
custom indicators in the Indicator Builder dialog is sorted by name.
Display in QuickList. Check this box if you want the name of the
custom indicator to appear in the QuickList. Once in the QuickList, it
can be dragged and dropped just like any other indicator (see page 165).
Formula. Enter the formula for the custom indicator here. A formula
can contain up to 2,500 characters on multiple lines. Press ENTER to
place a line break. See page 248 for tips on using multiple lines. See
page 235 for more information on the MetaStock formula language.

MetaStock Professional Creating Your Own Indicators • 303

 Functions. This displays the Paste Functions dialog where you can
choose from a list of available functions and have the function pasted in
the formula. This button is disabled unless your cursor is in the Formula
edit box. See page 305 for more information.
You can use the standard clipboard commands (accelerator keys only)
while editing a formula (see page 249).

Copying and Deleting Custom Indicators

You can make a copy of the selected custom indicator in the Indicator
Builder dialog using the Copy button. This is useful when you want to
design a new custom indicator that is very similar to another.
For example, if Custom Indicator A was very similar to a new indicator
you want to create, you could save time by using the Copy command in
the Indicator Builder dialog to make a copy rather than rewriting it. You
could then make the minor modifications necessary and give it a new
name.
You delete the selected custom indicators from the Indicator Builder
dialog using the Delete button. The Delete button displays the Delete
Custom Indicator dialog.

Printing Custom Indicators

You can print the names and/or formulas of the selected custom
indicators to the default printer using the Print dialog. The Print dialog is
accessed by choosing Print from the Indicator Builder dialog.

Print What. Choose whether you want to print the Names Only or the
Names and Formulas for the selected custom indicators.
Copies. Choose the number of copies to print.
Print Range. Choose whether you want to print the Selected Custom
Indicator(s) or All Custom Indicators.
Printer. This displays a dialog from which you can select the desired
printer, orientation, and paper size.

304 • Creating Your Own Indicators MetaStock Professional

Pasting Functions Into Formulas
Use the Functions button at the bottom of the Indicator Editor dialog to
paste functions directly into the formula you are editing. Not only does
this feature save time, but it also relieves you from having to memorize
the functions (or refer to the manual) and their parameters. (See page 252
for information on the specific functions available.)

The Paste Functions dialog breaks the functions down into 12 categories.
The categories are listed in the Function Category list on the left side of
the dialog. The functions for the selected category are listed to the right
either by their English name or their function name, depending on
whether the Show English Names checkbox is checked. MSX DLL's will
also be listed as categories, with their included functions. For more
information on creating MSX DLL's using the MetaStock Developer's
Kit, go to www.equis.com.
As you scroll the Paste Function list, the syntax of the highlighted
function is displayed near the bottom of the dialog. If you want the
arguments of the function pasted, check the Paste Arguments checkbox.
Clicking the OK button (or double-clicking the function name) pastes the
selected function into the formula at the cursor location.
To paste a function in a formula
1. While editing a formula in the Indicator Editor dialog, click the
Functions button.
2. Click on a category from the Functions Category list.
3. Double-click the name of the function to paste.

MetaStock Professional Creating Your Own Indicators • 305

Creating Custom Indicators with Multiple Plots
Many indicators require two or more plots for their correct interpretation.
One such indicator is the MACD. The MACD uses a moving average
(called the signal line) to generate crossover signals.
Every unassigned expression (i.e., those expressions not assigned to a
variable) in a custom indicator will result in a separate plot on the chart.
For example, the following formula entered as a custom indicator will
result in two plots:
DiffOfAvg:= mov(c,39,s)-mov(c,200,s);
DiffOfAvg;
mov(DiffOfAvg, 9,s);
The first statement assigns the expression "mov(c,39,s)-mov(c,200,s)" to
a variable named "DiffOfAvg." The second statement results in a plot of
DiffOfAvg. The third statement results in a plot of a 9-period moving
average of DiffOfAvg. Notice that each expression must end with a
semi-colon.
If you use the fml() function (see page 242) to call a custom indicator
containing multiple plots, only the last plot in the custom indicator will
be returned by the fml() function.
For example, if a formula using the fml() function called the following
custom indicator, only the 10-period moving average would be returned,
since it is the last plot.
mov(close,30,s);
mov(close,20,s);
mov(close,10,s);
To change the color of the individual plots of a multiple plot indicator,
plot the indicator, then change the properties of each plot.
To change the colors of a multiple plot indicator
1. Plot the indicator from the QuickList or the Indicators dialog.
2. Right click the plot that you would like to change.
3. Choose Properties from the shortcut menu.
4. Change the color, then click OK.

Creating Custom Indicators that Prompt for Input

Most of the pre-defined indicators in MetaStock Pro prompt you for input
to use during the calculation (e.g., time periods, percent, points, etc.).
You can also instruct custom indicators to prompt for input by using a
special function called input().
The input() function uses the following syntax:
input("prompt text",minimum value, maximum value,
default value);

306 • Creating Your Own Indicators MetaStock Professional

 Prompt text. This defines the text that is displayed next to the input box.
This is used to describe what should be entered.
Minimum value. This is the smallest value that can be entered. If you
attempt to enter a value smaller than this value, MetaStock Pro displays a
message.
Maximum value. This is the largest value that can be entered. If you
attempt to enter a value larger than this value, MetaStock Pro displays a
message.
Default value. This is the default value (i.e., the value that will appear in
the box when the dialog is initially displayed). Note that the default
value is always used when another formula calls the custom indicator
using the fml() function.
A maximum of six input() functions can be used within a custom
indicator. MetaStock Pro prompts for all inputs before the custom
indicator is calculated, regardless of where the input() functions appears
in the custom indicator. You can only use the input() function in custom
indicators. System tests, explorations, and experts will not accept the
input() function.
If you use the fml() function (see page 261) to call a custom indicator that
uses the input() function, you will not be prompted for the inputs in the
referenced custom indicator. All inputs in a referenced custom indicator
automatically use their default values.
The following custom indicator will prompt you for the number of time
periods to use for the moving average (i.e., smoothing periods) of the RSI
indicator:
SmoothingPeriods:= input("Enter the number of RSI
smoothing periods",1,9,3);
mov(rsi(14), SmoothingPeriods,s);
When the custom indicator is plotted, the following input dialog appears
prompting you to "Enter the number of RSI smoothing periods". Note
that if your custom indicator required multiple inputs, all of the inputs
would appear in this dialog.

MetaStock Professional Creating Your Own Indicators • 307

 In almost all cases you will want to assign the input() function to a
variable (as shown in the previous example); otherwise it has very limited
use. The input() function cannot be embedded within other functions.
For example, the following use of the input() function is not valid:

mov(close, input("Enter periods",1,39,10), simple);

However, this can be rewritten using a variable as follows:

maperiods:= input("Enter periods",1,39,10);

mov(close,maperiods,simple);

The only potential use of the input() function as a stand-alone expression

is to plot a horizontal line at a specified value:
Input("Plot a horizontal line at ",1,10000,5);
This custom indicator will plot a horizontal line at the input value. This
may prove useful for those that desire more precision (than the horizontal
line study) when drawing support/resistance lines.

Sample Custom Indicators

This section provides samples of several popular indicators written with
the MetaStock formula language. These are simply provided as
examples; all of these indicators are standard predefined indicators in
MetaStock Pro (i.e., you don't need to create these to plot them).
However, these do provide good examples of the MetaStock formula
language.
For information on interpreting these indicators, see page 441.

Accumulation/Distribution
This Accumulation/Distribution formula uses the cum() function (see
page 257 ) to keep a running total of the daily values.

cum( (((C-L) - (H-C)) / (H-L)) * V)

Bollinger Bands
Bollinger Bands use the stdev() function (see page 280) to calculate the
upper and lower bands. The middle band is a 20-period simple moving
average.

Periods:=input("Enter the number of periods:

",5,50,20);
mov(C, Periods, S);
mov( C, Periods, S ) + ( 2 * stdev( C, Periods ));
mov( C, Periods, S ) - ( 2 * stdev( C, Periods ))

308 • Creating Your Own Indicators MetaStock Professional

 Chaikin A/D Oscillator
The Chaikin Oscillator can reference the predefined Accumulation/
Distribution indicator using the ad() function as shown below.
ShortMA:= input("Enter shorter moving average
periods",3,10,3);
LongMA:= input("Enter longer moving average
periods",10,30,10);
mov( ad(), ShortMA, E) - mov( ad(), LongMA, E);
Or, it can include the actual Accumulation/Distribution formula as shown
below.
mov(cum((((C-L)-(H-C))/(H-L))*V),3,E)-mov(cum((((C-L)-
(H-C))/(H-L))*V),10,E)

Median Price
(high + low) / 2

Momentum
The Momentum formula uses the ref() function (see page 278) to
reference the closing price 12 periods ago.
(close / ref( close, -12 )) * 100

Moving Average MACD

Most analysts (including Equis International's) say that the MACD
indicator is "the difference between 12-day and 26-day exponential
moving averages." However, the indicator is really the difference
between 0.15 and 0.075 exponential moving averages (whereas, when
expressed in decimal form, the 12- and 26-day exponential moving
averages are actually 0.153846 and 0.076923 exponential moving
averages). See page 484 for more information on exponential moving
average calculation methods.
Due to these minor differences in the exponential values, the following
formula is slightly different than the predefined MACD indicator.
Remember that you can plot the true MACD indicator using the macd()
function (see page 269).
mov( close, 12, E) - mov( close, 26, E)
The MACD's trigger (which is a 9-day exponential moving average of
the MACD indicator) can be calculated as shown below:
mov( macd(), 9, E)

Negative Volume Index

You must use the nvi() function to calculate the predefined Negative
Volume Index. However, a similar indicator can be calculated using the
following formula:
cum( if( V < ref(V,-1), roc(C,1,%), 0 ))

MetaStock Professional Creating Your Own Indicators • 309

 On Balance Volume
The following formula calculates the On Balance Volume indicator:
( If( C > Ref( C, -1), 1, If( C < Ref( C, -1 ), -1, 0
) ) * VOLUME ) PREV
Note that the PREV constant (see page 246) represents the value of the
indicator on the previous day.

Positive Volume Index

You must use the pvi() function to calculate the predefined Positive
Volume Index. However, a similar indicator can be calculated using the
following formula:
cum( if( V > ref(V,-1), roc(C,1,%), 0))

Price Oscillator
The following formula calculates a 10-period/20-period exponential Price
Oscillator expressed in points:
mov( close, 10, E) - mov( close, 20, E)
The following formula calculates a 10-period/20-period exponential Price
Oscillator expressed in percent:
(( mov(C,10,E) - mov(C,20,E) )/mov(C,20,E)) * 100

Price Rate-Of-Change
The following formula calculates the 12-period Price Rate-Of-Change:
(( C - ref(C,-12)) / ref(C,-12)) * 100
The 12-period rate-of-change can also be written using the roc() function
shown below:
roc( close, 12, % )
The 12-period rate-of-change can be expressed in "points" using the
following formula:
close - ref(close, -12)

Price Volume Trend

The following formula uses the cum() function (see page 257) to
calculate the Price Volume Trend:
cum( ((C - ref(C,-1)) / ref(C,-1)) * V)
This formula also can be written using the roc() function (see page 278)
as shown below:
cum( roc(close, 1, %) * volume )
Standard Deviation
A 4-period Standard Deviation indicator can be written as follows. The
first statement assigns a 4-period simple moving average to the variable
named "4PeriodMA". The second statement sums the squares of the

310 • Creating Your Own Indicators MetaStock Professional

 differences between the moving average and the closing prices on each of
the preceding four periods. It then calculates the square root of this total.
4PeriodMA:= Mov( CLOSE, 4, S );
Sqrt(( Power(4PeriodMA - C, 2) +
Power((4PeriodMA)- Ref(C,-1), 2) +
Power((4PeriodMA)- Ref(C,-2), 2) +
Power((4PeriodMA)- Ref(C,-3), 2) ) / 4 )
An easier method is to take the square root of the variance function as
shown below:
sqrt( var( close, 4 ) )
Of course, the easiest way is to write the Standard Deviation formula
using the predefined stdev() function (see page 280).

Stochastic Momentum Index

The following formula calculates a 13,25,2 Stochastic Momentum Index.
100 * ( Mov( Mov(C - (0.5 * ( HHV(H,13) +
LLV(L,13))),25,E),2,E) / (0.5*Mov( Mov( HHV(H,13) -
LLV(L,13),25,E),2,E)))

Stochastic Oscillator
The following formula calculates a 5-period %K Stochastic Oscillator
with 3-period slowing:
(sum( C - llv(L,5), 3 ) / sum(hhv(H,5) - llv(L,5), 3)
) * 100
This next formula calculates a 3-period %D of the %K in the preceding
formula.
mov( stoch(5,3), 3, S )

Volatility, Chaikin
The Volatility formula shown below uses 10-periods in the moving
average and 12-periods in the rate-of-change:
roc( mov( high-low, 10, E), 12, %)

Volume Oscillator
The following formula calculates a 10-period/20-period exponential
Volume Oscillator expressed in points.
mov( volume, 10, E) - mov( volume, 20, E)
This next formula calculates a 10-period/20-period exponential Volume
Oscillator expressed in percent.
(( mov(V,10,E) - mov(V,20,E))/mov(V,20,E)) * 100

Volume Rate-Of-Change
The following formula a 12-period Volume Rate-Of-Change indicator.
(( V - ref(V,-12)) / ref(V,-12)) * 100

MetaStock Professional Creating Your Own Indicators • 311

 This also can be written using the roc() function as shown below:
roc( volume, 12, % )

Weighted Close
The Weighted Close formula multiplies the closing price by two, adds the
value of the high and low, and then divides by four.
((close * 2) + high + low ) / 4

Williams' Accumulation/Distribution
To simplify the explanation of this formula, we will enter it as three
formulas. The first statement assigns the "true range" of the high to a
variable. Similarly, the second formula assigns the "true range" of the
low to a variable. The third statement calculates Williams' A/D indicator.
TrueRangeHigh:=max( ref(close,-1), high );
TrueRangeLow:=min( ref(close,-1), low );
cum(if(C > ref(C,-1),C-TrueRangeLow, if(C < ref(C,-
1),C-TrueRangeHigh,0)))

Williams' %R
This formula calculates the Williams %R indicator. Notice that the
formula is inverted by multiplying it by -100.
NumPeriods:= Input("Enter the number of
periods:",3,50,14);
((HHV(H,NumPeriods) - C)/(HHV(H,NumPeriods) -
LLV(L,NumPeriods))) * -100;

Achelis Binary Waves

This section explains how custom indicators can be used to create
"Binary Wave" indicators that display your rating of a security's technical
position. Steven Achelis, President of Equis International, developed this
Binary Wave concept.
The Binary Wave concept is somewhat complicated. You should be very
familiar with custom indicators before reading this section.

The Binary Wave

A Binary Wave plots +1 or -1, depending on whether the indicator it
interprets is bullish or bearish. (The term "Binary Wave" is based on this
±1 concept.) The real power of Binary Waves occurs when multiple
Waves are combined into composite Binary Waves.

312 • Creating Your Own Indicators MetaStock Professional

 Binary Waves are the opposite of black box trading systems (although
both are considered "expert systems"). You don't know the rules or
indicators that are used to analyze securities in a black box. Conversely,
you specify the rules and indicators in a Binary Wave.

Example Binary Waves

The following table shows the rules used in four Binary Wave indicators.
(In an effort to keep these examples understandable, we only use four
Waves and fairly simple criteria. However, you could, and probably
should modify the criteria based on your own expertise.)
Indicator Bullish Bearish
MACD > signal line <= signal line
Moving Average close > Moving Avg. Close <= Moving Avg.
Rate-Of-Change Rate-Of-Change > 0 Rate-Of-Change <= 0
Stochastic > 50 <= 50

As shown in this table, we consider the MACD bullish when it is above

its signal line and bearish when it is equal to, or falls below, its signal
line. Thus, the MACD Binary Wave will plot ±1 depending on whether
the MACD is above or below its signal line. This same concept is used
to develop three additional Binary Waves that plot ±1 based on the action
of the other indicators.
We will then combine the four Binary Waves into a composite Binary
Wave. When all four Binary Waves are bullish, the value of this
composite Binary Wave will be +4; when all four Binary Waves are

MetaStock Professional Creating Your Own Indicators • 313

 bearish, its value will be -4; when two are bullish and two are bearish, its
value will be zero.

Entering the Example

The individual Binary Waves should be assigned to variables in one
custom indicator (named "Total Wave") and then summed together as
shown below.
MACDWave:=if(macd() > mov(macd(),9,E), +1, -1);
MovWave:=if(C > mov(C,20,E), +1, -1);
ROCWave:=if(roc(C,12,%) > 0, +1, -1);
StochWave:=if(stoch(5,3) > 50, +1, -1);
MACDWave + MovWave + ROCWave + StochWave
The first statement assigns the value "+1" if the MACD indicator is above
its 9-period signal line. Otherwise, it assigns "-1". The second statement
assigns "+1" if the close is above its 20-period exponential moving
average. Otherwise, it assigns "-1". The third statement assigns "+1" if
the 12-period percent rate-of-change of the closing prices is greater than
0. Otherwise, it assigns "-1". The fourth statement assigns "+1" if the
Stochastic Oscillator is above 50. Otherwise, it assigns "-1". The fifth
statement combines the preceding four Binary Wave variables into a
composite Binary Wave.
The following chart shows the resulting plot:

Note that a good composite Binary Wave will yield results that are
superior to the results generated by the individual Binary Waves it
incorporates.

314 • Creating Your Own Indicators MetaStock Professional

 Interpreting a Binary Wave
The interpretation of a Binary Wave is fairly obvious: high values are
bullish and low values are bearish. (Remember that individual Binary
Waves plot as either +1 or -1; the range of composite Binary Waves
depends on the number of individual Waves it combines.)
The "Total Wave" system test (shown below) enters long when the
indicator rises above zero and sells short when it falls below zero. See
page 320 for more information on creating system tests.
Name : Total Wave
Enter Long : fml("Total Wave") < 0
Close Long : fml("Total Wave") > 0
Enter Short : fml("Total Wave") > 0
Close Short : fml("Total Wave") < 0
You also could create an "MACD-type" formula by plotting the
difference between two moving averages of a composite Binary Wave.
Such a formula could be written as follows (name the formula "Smooth
Total Wave"):
mov(fml("Total Wave"), 12, E) - mov(fml("Total Wave"),
26, E)
To give you an idea of what a system test for this formula could look
like, the Enter Long rule is shown below:
Enter Long : fml("Smooth Total Wave") > 0

Enhancements
Many enhancements can be made to Binary Wave formulas. Several of
these are discussed below.
• The example composite Binary Wave presented on the preceding
pages combines four individual Waves. However, you may choose
to include many more individual Waves to create your own expert
system.
• Rather than plotting ±1, you could weight the Binary Waves
according to their forecasting ability. For example, one component
in a composite Binary Wave could plot ±5 while another component
could plot ±0.75.
• You can include a long-term component within a composite Binary
Wave. For example, you could add the following Binary Wave to
the composite "Total Wave" previously presented:

if(CLOSE > mov(CLOSE, 200, EXPONENTIAL),+10, -

10)
The above formula would add ±10, depending on whether the closing
price was above its 200-day moving average. Thus the composite Binary
Wave would range between +6 and +14 when this long-term component
was bullish, and would range between -6 and -14 when it was bearish.

MetaStock Professional Creating Your Own Indicators • 315

 You could then buy long when the composite Binary Wave rose above
+10, close your long positions when the composite fell below +10, sell
short when the composite fell below -10, and cover your short positions
when the composite rose above -10.
• You may choose to have composite Binary Wave formulas return
multiple values, rather than just ±1. The following formula returns -2
when the Stochastic Oscillator is less than 20, -1 when it is between
20 and 40, 0 when it is between 40 and 60, +1 when it is between 60
and 80, and +2 when it is above 80.
if( stoch(5,3) < 20, {then} -2,
{else} if( stoch(5,3) < 40, {then} -1,
{else} if( stoch(5,3) < 60, {then} 0,
{else} if( stoch(5,3) < 80, {then} +1,
{else} +2))))

• You may want to smooth a binary wave using a formula similar to the
"Smooth Total Wave" and then plot a moving average signal line of
the result. A system test could be written to test for crossovers
between the indicator and the moving average signal line.
• Composite Binary Waves provide a method of rating a security's
technical health based on your criteria. For example, you might
consider a composite Wave moderately bullish when it is between 0
and +2.
• You can plot the rate-of-change of a composite Binary Wave using
the formula shown below:

roc( fml("Total Wave"), 1, $)

Each time this indicator spikes above zero, it signifies that at least one of
the individual Binary Waves has turned bullish. Similarly, spikes below
zero show that an indicator has turned bearish.

Summary
Binary Waves display your evaluation of an indicator (e.g., "it is bullish
when the MACD is above its 9-period moving average") as a ±1
indicator. Composite Binary Waves combine multiple Binary Wave
indicators to illustrate your analysis of a security based on the actions of
numerous indicators.

Errors

Math Errors
If you attempt to plot (or execute) a formula that contains math errors, the
following dialog will appear prior to plotting the indicator. The dialog
shows the number of occurrences for each error.

316 • Creating Your Own Indicators MetaStock Professional

 Division by zero. A formula is dividing a value by zero. For example,
the formula "(ref(close,-1)-open)/(high-low)" will produce a division by
zero error if the high and low are equal.
Invalid exponentiation. A formula produced a math error from the
improper use of exponents.
Invalid log. A formula attempted to calculate the log of zero or the log
of a negative number. For example, the formula "log(high-low)" will
produce the error if the high and low are equal.
Invalid power. A formula is attempting to calculate a negative number
raised to a power less than one.
Modulus by zero. The second data array of the mod() function results
in zero. For example, the formula "mod(close, high-low)" will produce
the error if the high and low are equal.
Negative square root. Your formula is attempting to calculate the
square root of a negative number. For example, the formula "sqrt(open-
close)" will produce an error if the close is higher than the open.

Custom Indicator Error

The Custom Indicator Error dialog will appear if a run-time error occurs
while calculating a custom indicator. Any error that is not a "math" error
qualifies as a run-time error.

MetaStock Professional Creating Your Own Indicators • 317

 Remove this indicator from the chart. The indicator is removed
from the chart so that it will not calculate again.
Keep this indicator in the chart. The indicator will calculate again
with the next data update of the chart and any errors that occur will be
reported.
Don't show future errors for this indicator in this chart. The
indicator will calculate again with the next data update of the chart. Any
errors that occur will not be reported. Note that the errors will be
suppressed only for the indicator in the current chart.

Note that this dialog may also appear if you have changed the folder
listed in the File Locations page in the Application Options dialog (see
page 33).

318 • Creating Your Own Indicators MetaStock Professional

Testing Your Trading Ideas

What is a System Test?

System testing involves the development and testing of trading systems to
determine the systems' historical profitability. System testing helps
answer the question, "If I had traded this security using these trading
rules, how much money would I have made or lost?"
You can use MetaStock Pro to:
• Write trading systems using your own trading rules.
• Test your trading systems.
• Examine the test results by plotting buy/sell arrows and equity lines,
and by examining tabular reports.
• Automatically optimize parameters within your trading rules to
improve the results.
• Compare trading systems to find out which trading system works
best on a particular security.
It is very important that you read the System Tutorial that begins on the
following page before developing your own trading systems.
Due to the inherent complexity in the design and creation of custom
indicators, trading systems, explorations, and experts, Equis cannot
provide free support for this process. However, support is available for
a reasonable fee. Call Equis at 801-265-9998 for details or fill-out the
FORMULA HELP.DOC file found in the MetaStock Pro folder. This
file is viewable with Wordpad.
System trading rules use the same syntax as custom indicators. If you are
unfamiliar with the MetaStock formula language, see page 235.
When developing trading systems, please keep in mind that technical
analysis is a dynamic tool (possibly an art) and as such, no mechanical
system is flawless. Don't let yourself get caught in the trap of
"overfitting" your system to a specific set of data. For tips on system
development, see page 359.

MetaStock Professional Testing Your Trading Ideas • 319

Enhanced System Tester Tutorial

This short tutorial introduces several terms and concepts relating to

system testing. It is important that you read this tutorial before you create
your own trading systems. You should also be familiar with the
MetaStock formula language (see page 235) and custom indicators (see
page 300).

Step 1 - Open The Enhanced System Tester

Choose Enhanced System Tester from the Tools menu or click the
Enhanced System Tester button on the standard toolbar.
Enhanced System Tester
button

The Enhanced System Tester lets you create, test, compare, print, and
report your system tests.

Step 2 - Create Two New Systems

1. With the Enhanced System Tester displayed, click the New System
button in the upper left corner. The System Editor dialog appears.

320 • Testing Your Trading Ideas MetaStock Professional

 The General page of the System Editor dialog has text entry boxes
for the system's name and notes, and three options. Don’t worry
about the three options for now; they’re explained in detail later in
this chapter (page 331).
2. In the Name field, type the system name, "My First System" (do not
enter the quotation marks in this or the remaining examples).
3. Click the Buy Order tab and enter the following trading rule for
entering a long position(buy order) in the Formula text box:

cross(close, mov(close,25,simple))

The preceding rule, as with most trading rules in MetaStock Pro, can
be read in English. It says, "Buy the security" when the close
crosses above a 25-period simple moving average of the close." (As
with custom indicators, you can abbreviate "close" to "c" and
"simple" to "s".)
Trading rules (see page 365) are very similar to custom indicators
(see page 299).
Just ignore the other options on the Buy Order page; they’ll be
explained later in this chapter.
4. Enter the following information for the next three trading rules.
Remember to click on the corresponding tabs (i.e., Sell Order, Sell
Short Order, and Buy to Cover Order) to enter each of the rules.

Sell Order: cross(mov(close,25,simple),close)

Sell Short Order: cross(mov(close,25,simple),close)
Buy to Cover Order: cross(close,mov(close,25,simple))

MetaStock Professional Testing Your Trading Ideas • 321

 If a syntax error exists in your trading rules, a message explaining
the error will appear. Click the OK button to acknowledge the error.
The System Editor will reappear with the cursor placed at the
position where the error exists. You should then correct the error
and reselect OK.
5. When the four trading rules have been entered correctly, click the
OK button.
6. With My First System highlighted, click the Copy button at the top
of the screen. A Copy of My First System appears at the top of the
system list.
7. Click the Copy of My First System to highlight it, then click the Edit
button.
8. In the General page, change the name to "My Second System".
9. In the trading rules (Buy Order, Sell Order, Sell Short Order, Buy to
Cover Order), change the 25's to 50's.
10. Click OK.

Step 3 - Test the Systems

1. When the Enhanced System Tester reappears (and "My First System"
is highlighted), click the New Simulation button. The Perform
Trading Simulation wizard appears.
2. The first dialog in the wizard is the Select Systems dialog. Find “My
First System” in the list and highlight it.
3. Hold the Ctrl key and click "My Second System" to select it also.
4. Click Next. The Select Securities dialog appears.
5. Click the Add Securities button. The Add Securities dialog appears,
where you can select any number of local or online securities.
6. Select ten securities (using the Ctrl key), then click Open. You
return to the Select Securities dialog.
7. Click Next. The System Testing Options dialog appears. We're not
changing any options for this tutorial, but this dialog is described on
page 341.
8. In the System Testing Options dialog, click Next. The Begin Trading
Simulation dialog appears.
9. Type "My First Simulation" in the field under the words "The
System Tester will now perform the simulation".
10. Click Start. The Perform System Test wizard closes, and a small
window appears, showing you details about the simulation's
progress. A blue bar next to a dollar sign in the lower right corner of
the MetaStock workspace also indicates the test’s progress.
11. When the test is complete, click View Results.

322 • Testing Your Trading Ideas MetaStock Professional

 Step 4 - View the Results
1. When you click the View Results button, the Enhanced System
Tester's Test View appears.

Since we tested more than one system, this screen compares the
systems' performance. The graph at the top shows each system's
average net profit. You can also sort the systems in the list below the
graph by clicking the Avg. Net Profit column (or any other column
in the list).
2. In this example, "My Second System" had the highest average net
profit. In the lower pane, double-click on "My Second System."
Another version of the Test View appears.

This screen is also divided into two main sections. The graph in the
top section shows what each security's equity would have been if the

MetaStock Professional Testing Your Trading Ideas • 323

 system had been followed. The bottom section shows a list of all the
securities the system tested, with more detailed information about
their data and their performance in the simulation. You can sort the
securities in the list by clicking any of the column headings (like Net
Profit).

3. In the list, click a security that performed well in the simulation (had
a high net gain or profit/loss ratio) and click the View button to
display the Result Details View. (If none of the securities were
profitable, select the one that lost the least money, then click View.)

Five reports are available from the Details View dialog. For more
information about what these reports tell you, see page 345.

Step 5 - Optimizing
Optimizing involves replacing components of trading rules or stops with
"OPT" variables and then specifying the range of values to be tested.
MetaStock Pro then performs multiple tests, replacing the OPT variables
with values from the range you specified.
"My First System" in this tutorial tested the buy/sell signals generated by
a 25-period moving average. We will now have MetaStock Pro optimize
our trading rules to determine the optimum number of periods to use for
the moving average.
Entering The Optimization Variable
1. With the Enhanced System Tester displayed, select "My First
System" and click the Edit... button. In the four trading rules we
created in Step 2 - Create Two New Systems, replace the "25" with
"OPT1" (for optimization variable number 1). This is shown for the

324 • Testing Your Trading Ideas MetaStock Professional

 Buy Order rule in the following illustration:

2. Click the Optimization tab. The Optimization page appears.

System Editor

General Buy Order Sell Order Sell Short Buy to Cover Stops Optimization

Optimization Variables

Name Description Minimum Maximum Step Status New...

OPT1 Periods in moving average 10 200 1 In Use
Edit...

Delete...

Total Tests: 191

OK Cancel Help

3. Click OPT1 in the list.

4. Click the Edit button. The Variable Properties dialog appears.
We want to test the moving average from 10-periods to 50-periods,
by five period increments (i.e., 10, 15, 20, etc.).

MetaStock Professional Testing Your Trading Ideas • 325

 5. Enter "Moving average periods" as OPT1's description. Type a
Minimum value of 10, a Maximum value of 50, and a Step value of 5
(as shown in the following illustration).

6. Click OK.
7. Look at the Total Tests value at the bottom of the Optimization
Variables dialog. This value shows the total number of tests (nine in
this case) that will be performed. It's always wise to check this value
after editing the optimization variables, as it is very easy to create a
system that will generate thousands of tests.
8. Click OK in the System Editor dialog to return to the Enhanced
System Tester dialog.

Step 6 - Test the Optimization System

In the Enhanced System Tester, with "My First System" still highlighted,
click the New Simulation... button. Complete the New Simulation
wizard (as described on page 320). Name this simulation "My Optimized
Simulation" and click Start.
During the optimizing, MetaStock Pro displays information regarding the
number of tests to be performed, the elapsed hours of testing, and the best
and worst gains/losses. When the test is complete, click View Results.
Note that only the five most profitable results will appear, by default. To
see more results, you can change the number in the Results section of the
System Testing Options dialog (see page 341).

Step 7 - Display the Optimization Reports

1. When the "System Test Completed" message appears, click the View
Results button. The Enhanced System Tester appears.
2. Click "My Optimized Simulation" in the lower right portion of the
Enhanced System Tester.
3. Click View. The Enhanced System Tester's Test View appears. The
five most profitable results are displayed. (You can change how
many results are displayed in the System Testing Options dialog.)
The tests are arranged in the report by their average net profit. Click
any column heading (Avg. Net Profit, Total Profit, etc.) to sort the

326 • Testing Your Trading Ideas MetaStock Professional

 results according to that column's value.
Note that the optimization variable's value appears in the far right
column for each result.
4. In the list, click a security that performed well in the simulation (had
a high net gain or profit/loss ratio) and click the View button to
display the Result Details View.
5. Five reports are available from the Result Details View dialog. For
more information about what these reports tell you, see page 345.

Tutorial Summary
You have completed the Enhanced System Tester Tutorial. In an attempt
to keep this tutorial as concise as possible, we did not fully explore
MetaStock Pro's system testing capabilities. However, you should now
be somewhat familiar with the process of creating a trading system. The
remainder of this chapter provides detailed information on system testing.
If you will be testing futures and commodities, see page 364 for special
instructions.

The Enhanced System Tester

The System Test Manager is the starting screen for all Enhanced System
Tester activities. From here you can:
• View all your systems
• Create, copy, edit and delete systems
• View all the tests run against any systems
• Create, perform and repeat tests
• View test details

The Systems Test Manager is divided into three sections: The Systems
List (left side), the Report Summary (top right), and the Trading
Simulations List (bottom right).

MetaStock Professional Testing Your Trading Ideas • 327

 New System. Opens the System Editor dialog where you can create
your own custom system using MetaStock’s Formula Language. For
more information on the System Editor dialog, see page 331.
Edit ... Opens the System Editor, where you can modify the selected
system test. See page 331 for more information on the System Editor
dialog.
Copy ... Makes a copy of the selected system. The copy is named "Copy
of <system>" and appears alphabetically in the list.
Delete. Removes the selected system test from the list.
Organizer. Opens the Organizer wizard, where you can import or
export formula files. See page 249 for more information about the
Organizer wizard.
Options. Opens the Enhanced System Tester Options dialog, described
below.
Print. Opens the print dialog.
Help. Opens the help system.

The System Tester Options Dialog

You can open this dialog by clicking the Options button in the upper
right corner of the Enhanced System Tester.

328 • Testing Your Trading Ideas MetaStock Professional

 Buy Arrow, Sell Arrow, Stop Sign, Exit Sign. Choose a color for
each of these symbols here.
Once you've run a test and you've selected a security that worked well
with that test, you can open a chart for that security. If the system
generated any signals (buy, sell, stop, or exit), the chart will show when
those signals were generated. By default, buy signals are represented by a
green arrow; sell signals are represented by a red arrow; exit signals are
represented by a red exit sign; and stops are represented by a red stop
sign.
Display Trading Signals. Uncheck this box to plot the tested
security's chart without the buy and sell arrows and stop and exit signs.
Note that when this box is unchecked, the next two options are disabled.
Label Signals. When this box is checked, two numbers appear above
each trading signal. The first number indicates how many shares were
bought or sold. The second number (in parentheses) is the order number.
Replace Existing Signals. If the security you're plotting from the
Enhanced System Tester already has signals, this option will replace the
old signals with the test's new signals.
Plot Equity Line. Uncheck this box to plot the tested security without
an equity line.
Replace Existing Lines. If the security you're plotting from the
Enhanced System Tester already has an equity line, this option will
replace the old equity line with the test's new line.
Prompt for Cleanup after ____ Simulations. Once you've run this
number of simulations, MetaStock will ask you if you want to run the
cleanup wizard (described below). This wizard deletes old analyses and
unprofitable results.
Clean Now. Click this button to open the cleanup wizard (described
below).

MetaStock Professional Testing Your Trading Ideas • 329

 The Cleanup Wizard

The cleanup wizard frees up space on your hard drive by deleting old
analyses and unprofitable results.
Discard simulations older than ___ days. Enter a number in the
field to determine how old a simulation has to be in order to delete it.
Discard unprofitable results. When this box is checked the Cleanup
Wizard deletes results that lost money or broke even.
Compact results database. Frees up some space on your hard drive
by compressing the files that contain your test results.
When you're ready, click Clean to delete the selected analyses and/or
results.

The Systems List

The Systems List (on the left side of the Enhanced System Tester) shows
all the available systems. Single click on a system to see all the tests run
on that system (in the Trading Simulations List section). Double click on
a system to open the System Editor dialog for that system. Right click on
a system to open the pop-up menu, which contains options to create a
new system, create a new simulation, and to edit, copy or delete a system.
Click the All Systems folder at the top of the list to see all the results in
the Trading Simulations List for all systems tested.
Note that if a system has results from a simulation, it will look like this:
. Systems with no results look like this:

The Report Summary

The Report Summary (in the upper right section of the Enhanced System
Tester) lists the securities that returned the most profitable results in the
simulations that were run. The Report Summary also contains a pie chart

330 • Testing Your Trading Ideas MetaStock Professional

 that tells you how much space on your hard drive is taken up with system
test results, how much free space is available on the hard drive, and how
much space is taken up by other files.

The Trading Simulations List

The Trading Simulations List shows all the tests run on the selected
system or systems, as well as currently running tests. If a test has multiple
results, they are summarized here.
Note that you can see all the results for all systems tested by clicking the
All Systems folder in the Systems List.
Double click on a test to view its results (if it is complete) or its status (if
it is running).
The Trading Simulations List has its own set of buttons, described below.
New Simulation. Opens the Perform System Test wizard, where you
can create and initiate a new test. See page 322 for more information on
creating a new test.
View. When a test is selected, this button opens the Test View dialog,
where you can see all the simulations performed for a given test. For
more information on the Test View dialog, see page 343.
Cancel. Stops the currently running test. This button is only available
when a test is running.
Discard. Removes the selected test from the Trading Simulations List.

Creating a System Test

Every system test contains four trading rules. The trading rules specify
when Buy/Sell positions should be opened/closed. System tests may also
have optimization variables and stops.
To create a new system, click the New button in the System Tester
dialog. MetaStock Pro can store up to 1,000 system tests.
After you choose New System, the System Editor dialog appears.

The System Editor

The System Editor Dialog lets you name the system test, store notes
regarding the system, and define several trading rules.
To open the Enhanced System Tester Editor, either double-click on a
system in the Systems List, or click the Edit... button in the upper left
corner of the Enhanced System Tester.
The System Editor dialog is divided into seven pages; each page is
selected by clicking its tab. The pages are described below.
MetaStock Professional Testing Your Trading Ideas • 331
 General

You can edit a system’s name here, as well as read and edit any notes
associated with the system. You can also set three rules to govern how
the system executes trades under certain circumstances:
Order Bias. Sometimes a system produces long and short signals
simultaneously. This rule tells MetaStock which to choose when long and
short signals appear at the same time.
Portfolio Bias. You can instruct MetaStock to close all existing
positions for an existing bias (long or short) when an opposite position
opening order is placed. For example, if you want MetaStock to close all
short positions when it places a new long position, select the Single
option. If you want to let MetaStock place long and short orders
simultaneously, select the Multiple option.
Position Limit. Check this option to close any open positions before
new positions are opened. You can specify that only one position can be
open at a time, or you can allow up to 65,536 simultaneous open
positions by unchecking this box.

Buy/Sell Signals
The System Editor offers four rules for initiating buy/sell signals:
Buy Order
This rule specifies when the system should purchase a given number of
shares of the current security.

332 • Testing Your Trading Ideas MetaStock Professional

 Sell Order
This rule specifies when the system should sell one or more existing long
positions.
Sell short
This rule specifies when the system should borrow a given number of
shares of the current security and to sell them on the market.
Buy to Cover
This rule specifies when the system should close one or more existing
short positions by repurchasing and returning the borrowed shares.
The buy/sell rules use the options and fields described below:
Formula The system’s formula appears here. For more
information on the MetaStock formula language, see page 235.
Functions This button opens the Paste Functions dialog, where
you can view all the functions (and their parameters) available in
the MetaStock formula language. See page 239 for more
information on the Paste Functions dialog.
Order Type If you want the test to use limit, stop, or stop limit
orders, indicate that here.
Market This order executes at the Trade Price selected in System
Tester Options - Trade Execution (see page 342).
Limit The order seeks the best price available above or below
(depending on the Order Type) a given limit price.
Stop The order seeks the best market price available once a given
limit price has been met or exceeded in a direction defined by the
Order Type.
Stop Limit The order seeks the best price available above or
below (depending on the Order Type) a given limit price once that
limit has been met or exceeded in a direction also defined by the
Order Type.
Limit or Stop Price The price used when a non-market order is
generated.
Entry Size Enter the number of shares you want the test to
purchase or sell when opening a long or short position. The
number can be a dollar amount, a number of units, a percentage of
available equity, or a number of units defined by a formula. Note
that if you're expressing this number as a percentage, the number
should be a decimal value.
Expiration Tell the system to close the order at the end of the day
or leave it open until another rule closes it.
Strategic Delay By default, systems test data as if it were
downloaded and analyzed in real time. But some data providers

MetaStock Professional Testing Your Trading Ideas • 333

 only provide data 20 minutes after it's actually updated. If this is
the case, you could tell the Enhanced System Tester to delay its
trades by 20 minutes to more accurately test your method of
trading. Also, you may only download end of day data. In that
case, you could delay all the system's trades by one day.

Stops

In addition to trading rules, each trading system can have up to five

"stops." Stops are set by clicking the Stops tab in the System Editor
dialog. Stops are used to close long and/or short positions based on the
position's gains/losses. For example, the Maximum Loss stop will close a
position if the position loses more than a specified amount.
When a stop is triggered, the position is closed regardless of the current
status of your trading rules. The price at which the position is closed is
the actual stop price or the specified exit price.
If the price gaps below a stop level on a long position, MetaStock Pro
exits at the open price of the next bar. If no open price is available, the
high price of the next bar is used. Likewise, if the price gaps above a
stop level on a short position, MetaStock Pro exits at the open price of
the next bar. If no open price is available, the low price of the next bar is
used.
Stops automatically take entry and exit commissions into account. For
example, the Maximum Loss stop knows the amount of your "exit"
commission and will attempt to close the position so the maximum loss
will not be exceeded after you pay the exit commission.

334 • Testing Your Trading Ideas MetaStock Professional

 If two stops are triggered on the same bar, the more conservative stop
takes precedence (i.e., the stop that generates the most losses). The
precedence of stops is: Maximum Loss, Breakeven, Trailing, Profit
Target, and Inactivity.
For information on optimizing stops, see page 356.
Breakeven
This stop closes an open position when the closed-out value of the
position would fall below the current equity amount (i.e., the equity
amount at the time the current trade was opened). The stop is placed at
the price where the trade could be closed and the proceeds generated
would equal the current equity amount.
To prevent this stop from being executed every time a position is opened
(because commissions ensure there is never a profit when a trade is first
opened), the Breakeven stop is enabled only after the profit for the trade
meets or exceeds the user specified "floor level." The value you enter in
the Floor Level box depends on the Method specified (points or percent).
The floor level uses the high price for a long trade and the low price for a
short trade.
This stop takes a minimum of two bars to trigger. One bar for the floor
level and another bar for the breakeven amount.
Tip: If the floor level is set to zero, the Breakeven stop will become
enabled only after the security's price increases to the point where the
position could be closed without incurring a loss.
Maximum Loss
This stop closes an open position when the losses resulting from the trade
exceed the specified Maximum Loss amount.
Example: If you set the Maximum Loss to 5%, positions will be closed
when losses exceed 5% of your current equity (including commissions).
Warning: If you set the Maximum Loss to a value that is less than or
equal to the Entry Commission, every trade will be closed immediately
after opening the position, because all trades will have a loss the moment
they are entered (due to commissions).
Profit
This stop closes an open position when a specified Profit level is reached.
Example: If you specify 10% as the profit, open positions will be closed
when they generate a 10% increase in your current equity (after
considering the effect of commissions).
Inactivity Minimum Change
This stop closes an open position when the security's price does not
generate a minimum positive price change within a specified time period.
(A "positive price change" is defined by an upward price movement while

MetaStock Professional Testing Your Trading Ideas • 335

 in a long position and a downward price movement while in a short
position.)
Type the Minimum Change and the number of Periods. The Method to
use when calculating the Minimum Change can be specified in Percentage
or Points.
Example: If you specify 1% as the Minimum Change and 20 as the
number of Periods, MetaStock Pro will automatically close any long
(short) positions where the security's price has not increased (decreased)
by at least 1% within any 20-period time frame.
This stop analyzes changes in price, not equity, and therefore ignores
commissions.
Trailing
This stop closes an open position when a specified amount (i.e., Profit
Risk) of the current position's profits are lost.
Each time a position's profits reach a new high, the Trailing stop is placed
at a level that allows a specified portion of the position's profits to be lost.
You specify the amount of the loss in the Profit Risk box (using either
Percent or Points method).
MetaStock Pro allows you to specify the number of periods to ignore.
For example, if you specify "4" for the Periods, then the Trailing stop will
lag by four periods. This means that the last four periods' profits or losses
will be ignored when determining the current stop level. This filters out
any price swings (up or down) that occur during the last four periods.
This stop is designed to lock in profits, not to limit losses. The Trailing
stop only limits the amount of profits that can be lost. Losses are limited
by the Maximum loss stop (see page 335 ).
Since trailing stops are determined by the profit level, not the price level,
no special considerations exist for short positions.
Example: 5% is specified for the Profit Risk, 0 for the Periods, and your
current position has a profit of $100.00. The stop would be triggered if
the change in the security's price caused your profits to drop to $95.00 (or
less).

336 • Testing Your Trading Ideas MetaStock Professional

 Optimizations

New. Opens the Variable Properties dialog where you can create a new
optimization variable.
Edit. Opens the Variable Properties dialog where you can change an
existing optimization variable.
Delete. Removes the selected optimization variable.

Copying and Deleting System Tests

You can make a copy of the selected system test(s) in the Enhanced
System Tester dialog using the Copy button. Just select the system you
want to copy, and click the Copy button. A system named "Copy of
<system name>" appears in the list (sorted alphabetically). This is useful
when you want to design a new system test that is very similar to another.
For example, if System A was very similar to a new system you want to
create, you could use the Copy command in the Enhanced System Tester
dialog to make a copy rather than rewriting it. You could then make the
minor modifications necessary and name it System B.
You delete the selected system tests from the Enhanced System Tester
dialog using the Delete button.

MetaStock Professional Testing Your Trading Ideas • 337

Testing Systems
When you click the New Simulation button in the Enhanced System
Tester dialog, the Perform Trading Simulation wizard appears. This
wizard takes you through four steps:

Select Systems

Select the system you want to test and click Next. To select multiple
tests, hold down the Ctrl key while you click the tests you want to
include. Or click a test, then hold down the Shift key and click another
test. All the tests between the two you click will be selected.

338 • Testing Your Trading Ideas MetaStock Professional

 Select Securities

Click Add Securities... to select the securities you want to include in the
test and click Next for more options, or click Start to begin the
simulation.
After you've added securities to the test, you can click the Dates... button
to specify a date range or number of periods to test.

System Testing Options

Set the following options here:

MetaStock Professional Testing Your Trading Ideas • 339

 Trading
Points Only Test Check this box if you are trading futures or
commodities and want to track the number of points gained or lost
instead of the currency values. See page 364 for more information on
points only system testing.

Important: When running points-only tests on more than one security,

make sure the securities show similar levels of volatility. For example, if
one security in a test shows 1000-point intraday swings and another
security in the same test never changes more than a few points in a single
day, the test's results may be skewed.

Initial Equity This is the starting balance of the account. Note that this
option is unavailable when Points Only Test is selected.
Default Size You can tell the system to place each order based on a
number of shares, total transaction cost, or percentage of equity available.
Note that this option is unavailable when Points Only Test is selected.
Portfolio
Long/Short/Both Determine what type(s) of positions are allowed:
Long, Short, or Both.
Close all positions on the last bar If this is unchecked, any open
positions will remain open after the test is complete.
Results
The checkbox in this section lets you run the simulation as a Quick Test.
A Quick Test takes less time to run than a normal simulation, and the
results take up less disk space. However, Quick Tests don't generate the
Positions, Equity and Orders reports that normal simulations do. Quick
Tests are highly recommended when you're running a system that
generates several tests.
You can also determine how many results you want to see for systems
that use optimization variables in this section.
More... This button opens the System Testing Options dialog. For more
information about System Testing Options, see page 341.
When you've entered all your options, click Next to see a summary of the
simulation, or click Start to begin.

340 • Testing Your Trading Ideas MetaStock Professional

 Ready to Begin Test

This dialog summarizes the selections you made in the previous dialogs.
Click Back to change any options, or click Start if you’re ready.

System Testing Options Dialog

This dialog contains several options divided into two sections: Broker
and Trade Execution. Note that some options will be disabled if the
Points Only option is selected.
Broker

Margin This interest rate is used to calculate the annual interest applied
to all debit balances.

MetaStock Professional Testing Your Trading Ideas • 341

 Money Market This interest rate is used to calculate the annual interest
applied to all credit balances.
Long Initial This percentage is used to calculate the initial equity
necessary to open a long position on margin.
Long Maintenance This percentage is used to calculate the initial equity
necessary to maintain a long position on margin.
Short Initial This percentage is used to calculate the equity necessary to
open a short position on margin. The percentage can be as low as 101%
and as high as 200%. For example, if the account balance is $5,000 and
the Short Initial is set to 150%, the system would allow a short sell of
$10,000. At 110% and $5,000, it would allow a short sell of $50,000. At
200% and $5,000, it would only allow a short sell of $5,000.
Short Maintenance This percentage is used to calculate the equity
necessary to maintain a short position on margin.
Type Choose how your broker’s commission will be calculated here.
Choose either Points per Transaction, Points per Unit, or Percentage of
Transaction Value.
Entry Enter your broker’s entry commission here (based on the
commission type).
Exit. Enter your broker’s exit commission here (based on the commission
type)

Trade Execution

Realistic Market Prices When this box is checked, any triggered order
executes at the open of the next bar. When it's unchecked, the Buy, Sell,
Sell Short and/or Buy to Cover Prices execute at the specified values
(Open, Close, High or Low).

342 • Testing Your Trading Ideas MetaStock Professional

 Delay order opening ____ bars. Enter a number here to execute orders
"x" bars after the trade is signaled.
Slippage (Points, Percentage, Buy, Sell, Sell Short, Buy to Cover)
These options let you introduce a degree of loss to the system by
simulating delayed executions. For example, you see your stock has
reached $20, so you call your broker and tell him to sell 100 shares. By
the time the trade executes, the price may have changed. Slippage
conservatively simulates this phenomenon by lowering all types of trades
by a specific percentage or number of points.

The Test View Screen

There are three "versions" of the Test View screen. If you tested multiple
systems, the Test View screen shows the most profitable systems based
on the average net profit of all the securities each system tested. And if
you tested multiple securities, the Test View Screen shows the securities
that returned the highest net profit when the system was applied. Finally,
if you tested multiple systems and multiple securities, you can compare
one security's performance in all the systems tested (View All Results).

The Test View Screen for Multiple Systems

The top half of the above screen shows the average net profit of the most
profitable systems tested. The list at the bottom of the screen shows more
information about the most profitable systems in the test. You can sort
the list of systems by clicking any column heading (like Avg. Net Profit).
Back Returns you to the Enhanced System Tester.

MetaStock Professional Testing Your Trading Ideas • 343

 View All Results Select any single security in the list and click this
button to see how the security performed in the other systems in the test
(if you tested multiple systems).
Back Returns you to the Enhanced System Tester (or the Test View
screen for multiple systems, if you tested multiple systems).
View Opens the Result Details dialog, described in the next section
below.
View All This button is only available if an optimized result is selected.
Clicking the View All button displays all the test results, not just the most
optimal.
Plot on Chart Opens the smart chart for the security used in the
selected test. (The chart appears behind the Enhanced System Tester, so
you'll need to close the Enhanced System Tester to see it.) The resulting
equity line and buy/sell arrows appear on the chart. You can change the
color of the arrows and other details in the Enhanced System Tester
Options dialog, described on page 328.
Discard Removes the selected result from the list.

The Test View Screen - View All Results

If you tested multiple systems, you can select a single security and see
how it performed in each of the systems tested. The graph shows the
selected security's net profit for each system tested. The list shows more
information about the security's performance in each of the systems
tested.
Back Returns you to the Test View for multiple securities.
View Opens the Result Details dialog, described in the next section
below.

344 • Testing Your Trading Ideas MetaStock Professional

 Plot on Chart Opens the smart chart for the security used in the
selected test. (The chart appears behind the Enhanced System Tester, so
you'll need to close the Enhanced System Tester to see it.) The resulting
equity line and buy/sell arrows appear on the chart. You can change the
color of the arrows and other details in the Enhanced System Tester
Options dialog, described on page 328.
Discard Removes the selected result from the list.

The Results Detail View Dialog

When you test a typical system, MetaStock Pro keeps track of tens of
thousands of test details. This information is stored in a series of reports.
Each of the reports provides different information about the test.
• The Summary Report provides a brief summary of the system tests.
• The Orders Report lists all the potential orders that were considered
and gives details about them.
• The Positions Report shows details about every position that
occurred during the test.
• The Equity Report shows details about the test's account from the
beginning of the test to the test's end.
• The System Report lists all the information the system used,
including all the options you can change.

MetaStock Professional Testing Your Trading Ideas • 345

 Summary Report

This report provides a detailed analysis of how a security performed with

a given system. It includes several categories of information, described
below.

Summary
Lists the security tested, the system used, the date and time the test was
run, the number of bars included in the test and the date range tested.

Performance
• Profit - How much money this stock earned when traded with
the selected system. If this is a negative number, it indicates a
loss.
• Performance - A percentage measure of how much profit or loss
the system generated based on its initial equity. For example, if
you start with $1000 and you end up with $1100 performance is
10%.
• Annualized Performance - Calculates what the Performance
described above would be if the simulation took one year. This
value is reached by dividing a year (365 days) by the number of
days in the simulation, then multiplying that number times and
the performance.
• Buy & Hold Profit - The profit resulting from a buy and hold
strategy. A buy and hold strategy assumes that you buy on the
first day loaded in the chart and hold the position. The profit is
calculated by using the price on the first day and the price on the
last day. Entry commissions are taken into account.

346 • Testing Your Trading Ideas MetaStock Professional

 • Buy & Hold Performance - The percentage difference between
the initial equity and the final equity if you were to buy the first
bar and sell the last. It's just like Buy & Hold Profit (described
above), but it's expressed as a percentage.
• Buy & Hold Annualized Performance - Shows how much the
system would have made or lost if they bought on the first day
of the year and sold on the last day of the year.

Trade Summary
Total Trades - The total number of trades that were generated by the test.
This number only shows closed trades and does not include the open
position that may have existed at the end of the test. Therefore, it is
possible for this value to be zero if there was a single unclosed trade in
the test.
Trade Efficiency - Your average total trade efficiency. Trade efficiency is
the percent of the potential profit your trades realized, and is explained in
more detail below.
Average Profit/Average Loss - Lists the test's average profit and average
loss.

Profitable Trades
Shows you how many profitable trades you had, and how many were
longs and how many were shorts. Also lists your profitable trades'
average profit, highest profit, lowest profit and longest consecutive run.

Unprofitable Trades
Shows you how many unprofitable trades you had, and how many were
longs and how many were shorts. Also lists your unprofitable trades'
average loss, highest loss, lowest loss, and longest consecutive run.

Maximum Position Excursions

• Long Favorable - The most profit made by any single long
position.
• Short Favorable - The most profit made by any single short
position.
• Long Adverse - The most equity lost by any single long
position.
• Short Adverse - The most equity lost by any single short
position.

Trade Efficiency

MetaStock Professional Testing Your Trading Ideas • 347

 The percentage of the total possible profit realized by the trade. There
are three types of trade efficiencies: long, short, and total. All three apply
to both long and short trades.

Long Trade Entry Efficiency is the highest price minus the entry price,
divided by highest price minus the lowest price.

Long Trade Exit Efficiency is the exit price minus the lowest price,
divided by highest price minus the lowest price.

Long Trade Total Efficiency is the exit price minus the entry price,
divided by highest price minus the lowest price.

Short Trade Entry Efficiency is the entry price minus the lowest price,
divided by highest price minus the lowest price.

Short Trade Exit Efficiency is the highest price minus the exit price,
divided by highest price minus the lowest price.

Short Trade Total Efficiency is the entry price minus the exit price,
divided by highest price minus the lowest price.
• Average Entry - The sum of the entry efficiencies for all trades
divided by the number of trades.
• Average Exit - The sum of the exit efficiencies for all trades
divided by the number of trades.
• Average Total - The sum of the total efficiencies for all trades
divided by the number of trades.
• Average Long Entry - The sum of the long entry efficiencies for
all trades divided by the number of long entries.
• Average Long Exit - The sum of the long exit efficiencies for all
trades divided by the number of long exits.
• Average Long Total - The sum of the long efficiencies for all
trades divided by the number of long trades.
• Average Short Entry - The sum of the short entry efficiencies for
all trades divided by the number of short entries.
• Average Short Exit - The sum of the short exit efficiencies for
all trades divided by the number of short exits.
• Average Short Total - The sum of the short efficiencies for all
trades divided by the number of short trades.

Performance Indices
• Buy & Hold Index - This index shows the percentage of the
system's profits as compared to a buy and hold strategy's profits.

348 • Testing Your Trading Ideas MetaStock Professional

 A value of "-50" means that the system's profits were one-half
(i.e., 50%) of the buy/hold's. A value of "25" means that the
system's profits were 25% greater than the buy/hold's. A value
of "0" means they were equal.
Ideally you want your system test to produce higher profits than
a buy/hold strategy (i.e., Buy/Hold Index is greater than zero);
otherwise the trading may not be worth the time and effort.
• Profit/Loss Index - This index compares the Amount of
Winning Trades to the Amount of Losing Trades.
The Profit/Loss Index combines Winning Trades and Losing
Trades into one value that ranges from -100 (worst) to +100
(best).
A negative index value indicates that the trading system
produced a net loss. The higher the index value, the higher the
Amount of Profitable Trades compared to the Amount of Losing
Trades.

Index Profit/Loss
+100 High Profits/No Losses
+50 Profits > Losses
0 Profits = Losses
-50 Profits < Losses
-100 No Profits/High Losses

• Reward/Risk Index - This index compares risk to reward. In

this index, risk is defined as the System Open Drawdown (i.e.,
the lowest point of the equity line below the initial investment).
Reward is defined as the Total Net Profits (i.e., the final point on
the equity line).
The Reward/Risk Index combines Reward and Risk into one
value that ranges from -100 (riskiest) to +100 (safest). A
Reward/Risk Index value of zero means that risk and reward
exactly offset each other.

Index Reward Risk

+100 High None
+50 Medium Medium
0 None None
-50 Low Medium
-100 Very Low High

MetaStock Professional Testing Your Trading Ideas • 349

 Accounting
• Initial Equity - The amount of hypothetical money the system
started with.
• Trade Profit - How much equity all the profitable trades earned.
• Trade Loss - How much equity all the unprofitable trades lost.
• Commissions - How much you paid to execute all the trades
generated by the system.
• Interest Credited - The amount of interest the system's account
earned during the test.
• Interest Charged - The amount of interest the system paid for
borrowing money during the test.
• Open Positions - The dollar value for any positions still open at
the end of the test.
• Final Equity - How much equity existed at the end of the test.

Account Variation
• Highest Account Balance - The most equity ever present during
the test.
• Lowest Account Balance - The lowest value of the cash account.
• Highest Portfolio Value - The most your open positions were
worth simultaneously during the test.
• Highest Open Drawdown - The largest equity dip (relative to the
initial investment) based on open positions. This shows the
maximum distance the equity line fell below the initial
investment when a position was still open.
• Highest Closed Drawdown - The largest equity dip (relative to
the initial investment) based on closed out positions. This
shows the maximum distance a closed-out position fell below
the initial investment amount.

Account Events
Shows you how many Margin Calls and Overdrafts occurred during the
test.

Profitable Timing
Details, measured in bars, about the length of the profitable trades that
happened during the test Average, Longest, Shortest, and Total.

Unprofitable Timing

350 • Testing Your Trading Ideas MetaStock Professional

 Details, measured in bars, about the length of the unprofitable trades that
happened during the test: Average, Longest, Shortest, and Total.

Out of Market Timing

The Longest and Average number of bars during which the test didn't
have any open trades.

Optimization Variables
If you used any optimization variables (OPT1, OPT2, etc.), their values
during this test appear here.

Orders Report

The Orders Report shows details about all the trades that were
considered, opened, executed or cancelled.
There are eleven columns in the Orders Report:
Bar. This number indicates on what bar the activity occurred, based on
the first date of the date range used when the simulation was run. For
example, if this number is 6, the corresponding activity happened on the
sixth bar of the tested data.
Date. Tells you the date when the activity occurred.
Number. Tells you when this order happened, consecutively. If this
number is 4, this order was the fourth order to happen in the test.
Event. Each order can involve several events. This column tells you
what events occurred in each trade. Events include Considered, Opened,
Placed and Executed.
Type. Lists the type of order being considered, opened or executed.
Types include Buy to Cover, Buy Long, Sell Long, Buy Short, and Sell
Short.

MetaStock Professional Testing Your Trading Ideas • 351

 Size. Indicates how many shares the order is considering, buying or
selling.
Terms. Indicates if the order is Money Market or Margin.
Price. Shows what the security's price was when the corresponding
event occurred.
Price Field. Displays which price field the order was executed on.
Position. Displays a number that maps to the Positions Report. This is
helpful when you have more than one position open at a time.
Source. What initiated the order. Possible sources are Signals, Stops,
Margin Call, Last Bar, and Bias Change.

Positions Report

This report summarizes details about each position that occurred during
the test, starting with whether the position was long or short and how
many units it traded. The graph at the top of this report represents the
distribution of trade efficiency over all of the profitable trades that
occurred in this simulation. Basically, if all the peaks appear to the right
of zero, the system is well tuned. If all the peaks appear to the left of
zero, the system is poorly tuned.
The rest of the information is organized in categories, described below.
Opening
• Price - The security's price when the position was opened.
• Bar - The position opened on this bar.
• Date - The position opened on this date.
• Efficiency - This is the percentage of possible profit this
position made. For example, say you bought a stock for $10. If
the stock fluctuates between $20 and $10 while the position is

352 • Testing Your Trading Ideas MetaStock Professional

 open, and you sell at $15, your efficiency is 50%. If you sell at
$20, your efficiency is 100%.
• Commission - How much your broker charged to place the
order.
• Value - What the securities in the position were worth when
they were bought, plus commission.
Closing
• Price - The security's price when the position was closed.
• Bar - The position closed on this bar.
• Date - The position closed on this date.
• Efficiency - This is the percentage of possible profit this
position made. For example, say you bought a stock for $10. If
the stock fluctuates between $20 and $10 while the position is
open, and you sell at $15, your efficiency is 50%. If you sell at
$20, your efficiency is 100%.
• Commission - How much your broker charged to place the
order.
• Value - What the securities in the position were worth when
they were sold, plus commission.
Most Favorable
• Price - The best price the security reached during the test
(highest for long positions, lowest for short positions).
• Bar - The bar in which the most favorable price occurred.
• Profit - How much money the position would have earned if it
had closed with the most favorable price.
Most Adverse
• Price - The worst price the security reached during the test
(lowest for long positions, highest for short positions).
• Bar - The bar in which the most adverse price occurred.
• Profit - How much money the position would have lost if it had
closed with the most adverse price.

MetaStock Professional Testing Your Trading Ideas • 353

 Equity Report

The Equity Report includes a graph that displays the account's equity
during the entire test. The numbers across the bottom of the graph
indicate bars. More details about the account appear in the table below
the graph. Those details are described here:
Bar. The bar in the test that corresponds to the rest of the information on
that row.
Date. The date on which the bar and its equity account information
occurred.
Cash. The equity account's balance.
Reserved. Money set aside for orders that aren't executed immediately,
like limit, stop, and stop limit orders. The Reserved column also includes
funds held in the maintenance margin.
Margin. The total amount of funds borrowed from the broker to execute
margined trades.
Overdraft. If the account is overdrawn, the amount below zero appears
here.
Portfolio. The value of all the securities in an open position.
Interest. How much interest the test's equity earned during this bar.
Commissions. How much money was paid in commissions for this
bar.
Total Equity. The value of the entire equity account during this bar.

System Report
The System Report summarizes all the details about the system that was
tested, including all the options you selected during the New Simulation
wizard (described on page 338).

354 • Testing Your Trading Ideas MetaStock Professional

 Printing Reports
You can print the reports generated by system tests by choosing the Print
button on the report.

Name. Choose the desired printer from the drop-list.

Print Range. Choose All to print the entire report. The Pages radio
button is always disabled.
Print to File. Check this box to send the printer output to a specified
filename. The file can be directed to the printer at a later time by right-
clicking on the filename in the Microsoft Explorer and choosing Print.
Copies. Type the number of copies to print.
Collate Copies. Separate each page of the document when printing
multiple copies (if the printer supports this feature).

Copying Reports to the Windows Clipboard

You can copy the contents of a system test report to the Windows
Clipboard for use in other Windows applications.
To copy a report to the clipboard
1. Display a report.
2. Right click anywhere within the report and choose "Select All" from
the list.
3. Right click again and select copy

MetaStock Professional Testing Your Trading Ideas • 355

Optimization
Optimizing a system involves performing multiple tests while varying
one or more parameters within the trading rules or stops.
The Enhanced System Tester Tutorial (see page 320) gives an example of
optimizing the number of time periods used to calculate a moving
average in a simple trading system. In that example, tests are run using
10- to 50-period moving averages, by 5-period increments. We
recommend that you go through this tutorial to more clearly understand
the principle of optimization.
Each trading system can have up to 10 optimization variables (referred to
as OPT1 through OPT10). (The OPT variables are not valid in custom
indicators.) To optimize a system, you replace numeric constants within
the trading rules or stops with OPT variables.
The following is an example of an OPT variable specified within a
trading rule. In this rule, "opt1" replaces the time period parameter in the
moving average function.
C > Mov(C,opt1,E)
OPT variables specified for a stop are placed directly in the Parameters
section of the Stops dialog.

You then specify the OPT variable's range (minimum, maximum, and
step). When you test a system that contains OPT variables, MetaStock
Pro will automatically perform multiple tests using each of the possible
optimization combinations.

356 • Testing Your Trading Ideas MetaStock Professional

 Specifying the Optimization Variables
To specify the ranges for the optimization variables in your trading rules
or stops, click the Optimization tab in the System Editor dialog.
System Editor

General Buy Order Sell Order Sell Short Buy to Cover Stops Optimization

Optimization Variables

Name Description Minimum Maximum Step Status New...

OPT1 Periods in moving average 10 200 1 In Use
Edit...

Delete...

Total Tests: 191

OK Cancel Help

New. This lets you add a new OPT variable and edit its properties.
Edit. Displays the Variable Properties where you can edit the minimum,
maximum, and step of the selected OPT variable.
Delete. Deletes the selected OPT variable. Note that you cannot delete
an OPT variable that is in use.
Total Tests. Displays the total number of tests that the optimized
system test will perform.
Variable Properties Dialog
The Variable Properties dialog is used to specify the range of the OPT
variables.

Name. This shows the OPT variable you are editing.

MetaStock Professional Testing Your Trading Ideas • 357

 Description. You can enter an optional description of the variable in
this box.
Minimum. Type the minimum value for the OPT variable.
Maximum. Type the maximum value for the OPT variable.
Step. Type the step size by which to increment the OPT variable. For
example, if the minimum/maximum range was 10 to 50 and the step size
was 10, the OPT variable would be replaced with the values of 10, 20,
30, 40, and 50.

Example Optimizations
The following Buy Order trading rule buys when the close is above a 10-
period moving average:
Buy Order: CLOSE > mov(CLOSE, 10, SIMPLE)
If you don't know the optimum number of time periods to use for the
moving average, you could replace the "10" in the above rule with an
optimization variable as shown below:
Buy Order: CLOSE > mov(CLOSE, OPT1, SIMPLE)
The range for OPT1 (e.g., 5 to 20 by steps of 5) is specified by selecting
the Optimizations tab from the System Editor dialog. When you test this
system, MetaStock Pro will perform multiple tests, each time replacing
the OPT1 variable with the next optimization value (as shown below).
Buy Order: CLOSE > mov(CLOSE, 5, SIMPLE){Test #1)
Buy Order: CLOSE > mov(CLOSE, 10, SIMPLE){Test #2)
Buy Order: CLOSE > mov(CLOSE, 15, SIMPLE){Test #3)
Buy Order: CLOSE > mov(CLOSE, 20, SIMPLE){Test #4)
After testing this system, there will be four reports (one for each
optimization value).
When optimization variables are used, the number of tests required to test
every combination of optimization values can be determined by
multiplying the number of tests for each OPT variable together.
The following example demonstrates the use of multiple optimization
variables:
Buy Order: rsi(14) > OPT1
Sell Order: rsi(14) < OPT2
Sell Short Order: rsi(14) < OPT2
Buy to Cover Order: rsi(14) > OPT1
OPT1: minimum = 20, maximum = 40, step = 10 {3 tests}
OPT2: minimum = 70, maximum = 80, step = 10 {2 tests}

358 • Testing Your Trading Ideas MetaStock Professional

 In the above example, OPT1 has three possible values (i.e., 20, 30, and
40) whereas OPT2 has two possible values (i.e., 70 and 80). This
combination requires that six (three multiplied by two) tests be performed
as shown below:
Test # OPT1 OPT2
1 20 70
2 30 70
3 40 70
4 20 80
5 30 80
6 40 80

The number of tests can quickly grow enormous. For example, consider
the following moving average crossover system:
Buy Order: cross(C, mov(C, OPT2, E))
Sell Order: cross(mov(C, OPT1, E),C)
Sell Short Order: cross(mov(C, OPT1, E),C)
Buy to Cover Order: cross(C, mov(C, OPT2, E))
OPT1: minimum = 1, maximum = 100, step = 1 {100 tests}
OPT2: minimum = 1, maximum = 100, step = 1 {100 tests}
In the above example, OPT1 and OPT2 each have 100 possible values.
This combination requires 10,000 (100 multiplied by 100) tests to be
performed! Even on a fast computer, this relatively simple (yet heavily
optimized) system may take hours to test.
A more appropriate method to optimize this system would be to decrease
the ranges and/or increase the steps to reduce the number of tests.

System Development Tips

Developing profitable trading systems is difficult. Even after many years
of experience with systems development, we still find ourselves getting
sidetracked on the wrong system. Here are some of the tips we've
learned.

Is Testing/Optimizing Valid?
One of the most common mistakes made in system testing and
optimization is over-fitting the trading rules to a specific set of data.
Before you get too excited when you think you've found the "holy grail"
of trading systems, check the following.
• Check the equity line (see page 361). It should gradually slope
upward. Abrupt spikes indicate inconsistent profits.

MetaStock Professional Testing Your Trading Ideas • 359

 • Test the system on different time frames. The results should be
similar to those on the original data tested.
• Test the system on different securities, across different industries.
• Optimize again using only half of the original data tested. Then test
the remaining data using the optimum values. If the system is valid,
the results of the two tests should be similar.
• Test the system on different types of markets (e.g., upward trending,
downward trending, and sideways). A good system should work in
all types of markets, since you won't always know when a market
changes from trending to trading or vice versa.
• Remember that human expectations control the prices of securities.
Therefore, it may not be realistic to expect a mechanical system to
consistently predict changes in their expectations. We suggest you
use trading systems in conjunction with other investment analysis
techniques.

Commissions
Pay close attention to the number of trades generated by a system test. If
there are a large number of trades and large profits, be sure you specified
realistic commissions. The results of the test may be much different once
commissions are factored in.

Winning Trades Versus Losing Trades

It is easy to be too concerned with the number of winning versus losing
trades. Although this can be important, you should also pay attention to
the Average Profit compared to the Average Loss (from the Summary
Report, described on page 346). Some good systems generate more
losing trades than winning. This can happen if the average winning trade
is much higher than the average losing trade.

Interest
If your system specifies that interest is earned when you are out of a trade
(see page 339), optimization may lead you to the system that is out of the
market the most. This means that a system test that lost on every trade
could turn out to be the best system, if it was out of the market more than
the other tests.
This is easily witnessed by setting the Money Market interest rate very
high (e.g., 100%) in the System Testing Options dialog and then
optimizing.

The Zig Zag and Lastvalue()Trap

The Zig Zag indicator (see page 539) uses 20/20 hindsight to filter out
fluctuations. It shows only price movements that are equal to or greater
than the amount specified. However, the Zig Zag indicator determines

360 • Testing Your Trading Ideas MetaStock Professional

 this "after the fact" (an advantage a trader doesn't have). With that said,
be careful about using the Zig Zag indicator in a system test. It will
produce results that are not attainable in real trading.
The Lastvalue() function (see page 266) can see into the future in that it
returns the last value of a data array. For example, a system test could be
written that bases a trade on a future price or indicator value—something
unattainable in real-life. Although it has value for things like pattern
recognition, it should rarely (if ever) be used in a system test, as it will
provide the system test with unattainable information.

Using The Equity Line

The equity line is a valuable tool. A quick glance at the equity line can
show a lot about the performance of a trading system.
The ideal equity line should slope upward. Large spikes may indicate that
the system is inconsistent and risky. A system that generates huge profits
on one trade (e.g., it was short during the crash of 1987) is uncertain at
best.
The following is an example of the effects on an equity line by a system
test which generated very erratic (volatile) profits. A system that
generates these results should be avoided.

MetaStock Professional Testing Your Trading Ideas • 361

 The following is an example of an equity line that has a consistent upward slope.
This is the type of results a good system generates.

Use the Cut/Copy/Paste Commands

To speed the writing of system tests, you may find the Cut/Copy/Paste
helpful (see page 8). More often than not, trading rules within a system
are very similar except for the operators. Consider the following trading
rules for a simple moving average crossover.
Buy Order: c > mov(c, 39, s)
Sell Order: c < mov(c, 39, s)
Note that the only difference between the two rules is the operator (i.e., >
and < ).
Instead of typing both rules, you could type the Buy Order rule, block it
(SHIFT+RIGHT ARROW ), copy it (CTRL+C), and then paste it (CTRL+V) in
the Sell Order text box. Of course, the real usefulness of cut and paste
comes when you are entering much longer rules than the ones illustrated
above.

Technical Reference
This section explains technical details relating to the system testing
process.

General
During the testing process, a system is always in a long, short, or an out
position.

362 • Testing Your Trading Ideas MetaStock Professional

 The current position is determined by the system's trading rules (see page
334), the optimization values (see page 324), and stop settings (see page
334).
During the testing process, MetaStock Pro keeps track of numerous
(typically tens of thousands) of pieces of information dealing with the
transactions.

Commissions
When reviewing system test results, remember that commissions are
deducted from your equity account when you enter a position, and from
your profit when you exit a position (assuming it's profitable).
For example, if you buy 100 shares of a stock valued at $10 per share,
and your entry commission is $20, $1020 is deducted from your equity
account. If you sell those shares when the stock reaches $20 per share,
and your exit commission is $30, your profit is $970 ($1000 minus $30).

Margin Requirement
The Margin Requirement field in the System Testing Options dialog (see
page 341) specifies the percent of funds that you must deposit in order to
place a trade. This allows you to leverage your transactions.
For example, if you trade a security with a 20% margin requirement (i.e.,
where you are required to deposit only 20% of the actual cost of the
security), then a 10% move in the security's price will create a 50% gain.
Consider the following example.
If the initial equity was $1,000 when a long position was entered, and the
security's price increased 10% before the long position was exited, the
profit would normally be $100 (i.e., 10% of $1,000). However, if you
place this trade using a 20% margin requirement, then you are able to buy
$5,000 worth of the security (your $1,000 is the 20% margin requirement,
plus $4,000, or 80%, of borrowed funds). Thus, the 10% increase in the
security's price would create a $500 dollar gain (i.e., 10% of $5,000).
This $500 gain represents a 50% gain on your $1,000 investment.

Earning Interest
When neither a long nor a short position is open (i.e., an "out" position
exists), interest is earned on the equity balance at the interest rate
specified in the System Testing Options dialog (see page 341).
When a long or short position is opened following an out position, the
interest earned during the out position is posted to the equity balance.

Other Accounting Issues

If the equity ever drops to, or below, zero (dropping below zero is only
possible when commissions are specified using points rather than

MetaStock Professional Testing Your Trading Ideas • 363

 percentages), no interest can be earned and no trades can be entered for
the remainder of the test. (Note, this does not apply to "points only"
system tests.)
When a Strategic Delay is specified (see page 331), all other signals and
stops are ignored until the delay period has passed.

Testing Futures and Commodities

System testing on futures and commodities is done by performing a
"points only" system test. A points only system test simply means to
ignore any currency values and only track the number of "points"
gained/lost.
To perform a points only system test, check the Points Only box in the
System Testing Options dialog (see page 341) before running the test.
The initial equity, margin requirement and annual interest rate are ignored
when a points only test is performed.
When performing a points only test, the Enhanced System Tester will
allow the equity line to drop below the zero line.
Stop parameters can still be expressed in points or percent when
performing a points only system test. Percent value calculations will be
based on the entry price for a trade rather than the equity level when the
trade was entered.
In a points only test, commissions are calculated only under the following
conditions:
• The "Points" option in the System Testing Options dialog must be
selected.
• The commission value must be less than or equal to 1. The
commission value should be entered in the equivalent number of
points. For example, if your commission rate is $30.00 and a
one-tick move on the future you are testing is 0.03125 (or $31.25 per
contract), you would enter 0.03 ($30.00 point equivalent) for the
commission rate.

Speed
System testing involves a huge amount of processing, so obviously a faster
processor in your computer will result in quicker results.
A large amount of testing time is spent writing reports to disk. Thus you
can decrease the time it takes to perform tests by using a faster hard disk.

Disk Space
System tests can generate a very large amount of data, all of which gets
stored on your computer's hard disk. To minimize the amount of space
taken up by system test results, you should discard tests you don't need,
and run the Cleanup Wizard (see page 330) periodically.

364 • Testing Your Trading Ideas MetaStock Professional

 Input() Function, Variables, and Multi-plot
Indicators
The Enhanced System Tester will accept assigned variables in the trading
rules. For example, the following is a valid Sell Order rule:
myvar:=10;
c>mov(c,myvar,s);
A system test cannot use the input() function directly (see page 265).
This function is reserved for custom indicators only. However, if a rule
uses the fml() function (see page 261) to call the results of a custom
indicator, and the custom indicator uses the input() function, the fml()
function will only use the assigned default input value—the Enhanced
System Tester will not prompt for input.
If a system test contains or references (using the fml() function) a multi-
plot indicator, only the last plot is used in the calculation of the system
test.

Trading Rule Syntax

Trading rules are entered using the MetaStock formula language (see
page 235). This syntax is very similar to the syntax used to enter
formulas in spreadsheets. Each trading rule may contain up to 1024
characters.
A trading rule always returns a "true" or "false" signal. When the trading
rule condition is true, the corresponding trade (e.g., buy, sell, etc.) is
taken. When the condition is false, no action is taken.
The following example illustrates a trading rule:
Buy Order: cross(CLOSE, mov(CLOSE,12,Simple))
If this were entered as the Buy Order rule, the system would enter a long
position when the close crossed above a 12-period moving average of the
close.
Similarly, the following trading rule would be triggered if the MACD is
greater than zero. (The "macd()" in this rule is a function, see page 269).
Buy Order: macd() > 0
All custom indicator functions (e.g., macd()) can be used in trading rules.
A specific custom indicator can be referenced using the fml() formula
(see page 261) as shown below:
Sell: fml("My Formula") > 0
You can combine multiple functions within a trading rule using the AND
and OR operators as shown below. See page 241 for more information
on using AND and OR operators.

MetaStock Professional Testing Your Trading Ideas • 365

 Buy Order: macd() > 0 AND CLOSE > mov(CLOSE,12,S)
The above rule requires that the MACD be above zero and that the close
be above its 12-period moving average.
The following rule uses the OR operator to generate a trade when the
MACD falls below zero, or when the close falls below its moving
average.
Sell Order: macd() < 0 OR CLOSE < mov(CLOSE,12,S)
Multiple ANDs and ORs can exist within a trading rule. The best way to
control the precedence (i.e., the order of operation) of multiple ANDs and
ORs within a trading rule is by using parentheses as shown in the
following trading rule:
Buy Order: (macd() > 0 AND C > 100) OR H-L>5
The preceding trading rule will generate a trade when either of the
following conditions are met:
• The MACD is above zero and the close is above 100 (i.e., both of
these conditions are met).
• The high minus the low is greater than five.
You can click the Functions button (see page 305) when editing the
trading rules (you must be editing the trading rules, not the name or
notes). The Paste Functions dialog with a list of the available functions
will then be displayed. Double-clicking on a function name will insert
the function into the trading rule at the current cursor location.
Trading rules may be left blank. However, blank rules never generate
trades.
Trading rules may only access the security's price data (e.g., high, low,
close, etc.) and custom indicator functions (see page 252). Trading rules
may not reference the trading system itself (e.g., the number of days since
the last trade). However, several of the stops (page 334) perform this
functionality.
A special variable called the "P" variable can be used to reference any
selected price or indicator plot. See page 247 for more information on
the "P" variable.
Variables can be used within the rules of a system test (see page 244).
Multiple plot formulas (i.e., those that would result in multiple plots if
plotted as a custom indicator) are allowable, but only the last one will be
recognized by the Enhanced System Tester.
Using the Alert() Function
The alert() function is used in conjunction with other functions to extend
a true signal for a specified number of periods. The signal is held true
over the specified number of periods even if another trade is generated.
The following example illustrates the use of the alert() function:
Buy Order: RSI(14) < 30 AND alert(VOLUME > 500,3)

366 • Testing Your Trading Ideas MetaStock Professional

 If this were entered as the Buy Order rule, the system would enter a long
position when the RSI was less than 30 and the volume had been greater
than 500 at any time over the previous three time periods. The
"VOLUME > 500" condition holds true over the entire three time periods
even if the volume drops below 500 during that three period time span.
If you removed the alert() function in the above example, both
conditions (i.e., RSI(14) < 30 and VOLUME > 500) would have to be
true simultaneously in order for the Buy Order signal to be generated. By
using the alert() function, a true condition generated by the "VOLUME >
500" condition is extended over a three period time span.

MetaStock Professional Testing Your Trading Ideas • 367

Ranking and Screening Securities

What is The Explorer?

The Explorer is a powerful, multi-purpose analysis tool that can perform
in-depth "explorations" on multiple securities across multiple folders.
The Explorer can perform a number of unique tasks, including comparing,
filtering, listing multiple indicator values for multiple securities, ranking,
searching, showing securities with current "buy/sell" signals, sorting, etc.
You can use The Explorer to do such things as:
• Discover which securities have just generated a "buy" (or "sell")
signal.
• Discover the securities that have just crossed above their 200-day
moving average on increased volume.
• Discover which securities rank highest by Wilder's RSI.
• Discover which securities are above their 10-week moving average,
with a Stochastic of 80 or higher, and are at a level of four on a
customized binary wave.
• Generate a performance report of all your mutual funds.
• Generate a list of every security along with the values of your favorite
six indicators for each security.
• Copy only those securities which meet your personal criteria from
the MetaStock Data CD to your hard drive for updating.
• …and more.
This is just a small sampling of what The Explorer can do for you.
Due to the inherent complexity in the design and creation of custom
indicators, trading systems, explorations, and experts, Equis cannot
provide free support for this process. However, support is available for
a reasonable fee. Call Equis at 801-265-9998 for details or fill-out the
FORMULA HELP.DOC file found in the MetaStock folder. This file is
viewable with Wordpad.
The rules and criteria that define this process are called an "exploration."
Up to six columns and a "filter" can be specified in an exploration. The
criteria that define the columns and filter are written in MetaStock's

MetaStock Professional Ranking and Screening Securities • 369

 formula language (see page 235). A list of securities can be screened for
those candidates that meet your criteria by applying a filter. A report
showing the results of an exploration can be viewed on screen or printed.
The Explorer is designed to be simple and straightforward, yet extremely
powerful. By combining the MetaStock formula language (see page 235)
and System Tester syntax, designing an exploration is just a matter of
using the skills you may already possess. You will find the MetaStock
formula language section (see page 235), the Indicator Builder Tutorial
(see page 300), and the Enhanced System Tester Tutorial (see page 320)
helpful in getting you up to speed.
Please note that the performance of The Explorer is significantly slower
when exploring intraday data while collecting real-time data.
Therefore, you may want to wait until after market hours to run
explorations on intraday data.
Before you attempt to write your own explorations, we encourage you to
take a few minutes to go through the following short tutorial. Doing this
will provide you with a solid foundation on which to build your skills.

The Explorer Tutorial

This tutorial provides a brief introduction to the process of creating an
exploration and viewing the resulting reports. It is important that you
follow this tutorial before you create your own explorations. You should
also be familiar with the Indicator Builder (see page 299) and Enhanced
System Tester (see page 327) syntax.

Quick Start (The Basics)

In its simplest form, creating an exploration involves the following steps:
1. Choose The Explorer from the Tools menu.
2. From The Explorer dialog choose New.
3. Fill out the Exploration Editor dialog by typing a Name and up to six
column formulas and a filter (if desired) using the MetaStock formula
language (see page 235). Note that the column criteria and the filter
criteria are independent--one can exist without the other.
4. Choose OK at the bottom of the dialog and choose Explore from
The Explorer dialog.
5. Select the folder and securities to explore from the Select Securities
dialog, then click OK to start the exploration.
That's it! Although there are other features that increase the power of
The Explorer, creating an exploration involves just the five steps.
The next several sections of the tutorial provide more details on the five
basic steps shown above. Please follow each step carefully, since each
step is dependent on the previous one.

370 • Ranking and Screening Securities MetaStock Professional

 The Explorer Dialog
Choose The Explorer from the Tools menu or click The Explorer button
The Explorer button on the standard toolbar to access The Explorer dialog.

You use The Explorer dialog to create, manage, and print explorations.
The explorations listed in your dialog will be different than the ones
shown above.

Creating a New Exploration

1. With The Explorer dialog displayed, choose New. The Exploration
Editor dialog appears.

The Exploration Editor dialog is the heart of an exploration. You use this
dialog to specify the name, column, and filter information.

MetaStock Professional Ranking and Screening Securities • 371

 2. Enter the exploration name as "My First Exploration" (do not enter
the quotation marks in this, or the remaining, examples).
3. Click the Column A tab and type the following in the box:

CLOSE
4. Type the following into the Column Name box:

CLOSE
Note that you can enter anything you want for the name. For this tutorial,
however, enter the name as shown above.
5. Click the Column B tab and type the following in the box below all
the column headings:

mov(CLOSE,20,SIMPLE)
6. Type the following into the Col. Name box:

MOV-20
7. Click the Column C tab and type the following in the box:

rsi( 14 )

8. Enter the following into the Col. Name box:

RSI-14

Note that the column formulas use the identical syntax as MetaStock Pro's
custom indicators. You can even reference existing formulas by using the
"FML" function (e.g., fml("MYMACD") ). This saves you from having
372 • Ranking and Screening Securities MetaStock Professional
 to retype formulas that you have already defined in the Indicator Builder
dialog.

If you want to paste in a custom indicator formula, choose the Functions

button. See page 305 for information on using the Paste Functions dialog.
9. Choose OK to return to The Explorer dialog.
10. Choose Explore to begin the exploration.
11. The Select Securities dialog appears, where you choose the securities
to explore.

12. Click the Add Securities... button. The Add Securities dialog
appears.
13. This dialog looks a lot like the Open dialog, and works just like it.
(The Open dialog is described on page 67.)You can select one or
more local or online securities.
14. Double-click the “Stocks – Common” folder.
15. For this tutorial, select all the stocks that begin with the letter A.
(Select the stock at the top of the list, then hold the Shift key and
select the last stock on the list that begins with “A”.)

16. Click Open.

For this tutorial, just choose OK. Every security in the selected
folder will be included in the exploration. However, you could have
selected specific securities and additional folders.
As the exploration is being calculated, the Exploration Status window is
displayed.
17. When MetaStock Pro has completed calculating the exploration,
choose Reports from the Exploration Completed dialog.

MetaStock Professional Ranking and Screening Securities • 373

 A report showing the results will appear.

The Exploration Report shows the name of each security and the
calculated results of each of the columns. The values shown in the
columns represent the closing price (i.e. close), a 20-day moving
average (i.e., mov(close,20,simple) ), and a 14-day RSI (i.e.,
rsi(14)) for the most recent day of data. The sort order can be changed
using the Sort command (see page 390).

Adding a Filter
A filter narrows your list to securities that meet specific criteria. You can
write a filter based on the existing column formulas, or you can write one
that is completely independent of the column formulas. In fact, you could
write an exploration with the columns left empty with just a filter.
In this tutorial, we will write a filter that lists securities that are below a
20-day moving average and have a 14-day RSI below 40. Since we have
already written these two indicators in columns A and B, we can save
time by referencing them directly within the filter.
1. Choose Close to exit the report.
2. With "My First Exploration" selected, choose Edit.
3. Choose the Filter tab.

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 Enter the following into the Filter box:
(colA < colB ) and (colC < 40)

Note that the filter could also be written as follows:

(CLOSE < mov(CLOSE,20,SIMPLE))and(rsi(14)< 40)

If your filter is based on the column formulas directly (as shown above),
you can save yourself some typing by simply referencing the columns
using the "COL" variable (e.g., colA and colB). This is particularly
handy if the column formulas are long.

The filter formulas use the identical syntax as MetaStock Pro's Enhanced
System Tester. You can even reference existing custom indicators by
using the "FML" function (e.g., fml("MYMACD") ). This saves you
from having to retype formulas that you have already defined in the
Indicator Builder dialog.
4. Choose Options in the Exploration Editor dialog. Check the Use
Filter box in the Exploration Options dialog to enable the filter. For
the filter to take effect, this box must be checked. Choose OK.
5. Choose OK to exit the Exploration Editor dialog.
6. To perform the exploration with the newly added filter, choose
Explore.
7. When MetaStock Pro has finished calculating the exploration, choose
Reports from the Exploration Completed dialog. A report showing
the results will appear.

MetaStock Professional Ranking and Screening Securities • 375

 Note that only those securities that are below their 20-day moving average
and have a 14-day RSI less than 40 will appear in the Results report.
If you wanted to narrow the list down even further, you could go back to
the Exploration Editor dialog and make the filter more restrictive:
8. Choose Close to exit the report.
9. With "My First Exploration" selected, choose Edit.
10. Make the filter more restrictive by editing the filter box to appear as
follows:

(colA < colB) and (colC < 30)

11. Choose OK to return to The Explorer dialog.
12. To perform the exploration with the more restrictive filter, choose
Explore.
13. When MetaStock Pro has finished calculating the exploration,
choose Reports from the Exploration Completed dialog. A report
showing the results will appear.
Note that the number of securities appearing in the report is probably less
than the last report, since we made the RSI portion of the filter more
restrictive.
14. To display a report showing the historical column values for a
security, select a security in the Results report and choose Inspect.

Tutorial Summary
• The Explorer provides tremendous power and flexibility by giving
you a multi-purpose analysis tool that lets you perform in-depth
explorations of your securities.
• An exploration is comprised of columns and/or a filter. Although
they are entered in the same dialog and can be combined in a single

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 exploration, the columns and filter are separate and distinct
functions.
• Column formulas and filter rules are written with the MetaStock
formula language (see page 235). They can reference existing
custom indicators using the "FML" function (e.g., fml("My MACD")
).
• A filter can reference the column formulas directly using the "COL"
variable (e.g., colA).
• The results of an exploration are shown in the Results report (see
page 388). Each security along with the designated column values
are displayed in the specified sort order.
• Historical column values for individual securities can be displayed by
choosing the Inspect button in the Results report.

The Explorer Dialog

The Explorer dialog is displayed by choosing The Explorer from the
The Explorer button Tools menu or clicking The Explorer button on the standard toolbar. The
Explorer dialog lists the names of all your explorations. You can create
up to 1,000 explorations. The selected exploration can be edited, copied,
deleted, printed, and tested. Explorations that have an "R" next to the
name have reports available from the most recent exploration.

New. Use this to display the Exploration Editor dialog in which you can
specify the name, columns, and filter for a new exploration. See page 379
for more information on creating new explorations.
Edit. Use this to display the Exploration Editor dialog in which you can
edit the selected exploration.
Copy. Use this to make a copy of the selected exploration. See page
384 for more information on copying explorations.

MetaStock Professional Ranking and Screening Securities • 377

You can select multiple Delete. Use this to delete the selected explorations. See page 384 for
explorations by holding more information on deleting explorations.
down the CTRL key as Print. Use this to print the selected explorations. See page 384 for more
you click the mouse. information on printing explorations.
Organize. Use this to display the Formula Organizer Wizard from which
you can import and export explorations, system tests, custom indicators,
and experts. This is normally used if you have purchased add-on products
from Equis or a third party. See page 249 for more information on the
Formula Organizer Wizard.
Explore. Use this to start the exploration process for the selected
exploration(s). See page 385 for more information on exploring.
Reports. This button displays the reports for the selected exploration.
This button is grayed out unless an exploration with an "R" next to it
(signifying "reports available") is selected. See page 388 for more
information on reports.
Options. This button displays the Explorer Options dialog from which
you can control data and reporting options.

Explorer Options
The Explorer Options dialog is used to specify options that affect all
explorations. To display the Explorer Option dialog, click the Options
button in The Explorer dialog.
This dialog controls options that affect all explorations. To control
options that affect single explorations, see page 380.

Load ___ Records. Enter the number of periods to use when

calculating the exploration results. Entering a value equal to the number
of periods loaded in the chart provides increased precision between
cumulative type indicators (see below) calculated on your charts and
those calculated in your explorations. You should also choose this if
your exploration uses any of the Candlestick functions (see page 288) or
the barssince() function (see page 254).
Some indicators are referred to as "cumulative" type indicators. The
results of a cumulative type indicator depend on the amount of data
loaded. For example, the results of a 10-day exponential moving average
calculated with 40 days of data loaded will be slightly different than one

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 calculated with 500 days of data loaded. This is because an exponential
moving average retains a small portion of all previous data.
Load Minimum Records. Choose this to optimize the calculation of
the exploration for speed. Certain "cumulative" type indicators may not
exactly match the results displayed on your charts (see above).
Notify When Exploration is Done. Check this box if you want the
Exploration Completed dialog to appear when an exploration is done.

Creating an Exploration
An exploration performs two separate and distinct tasks. It displays your
securities with up to six columns of indicator values. It can also filter
your securities. You can create up to 1,000 explorations.
To run The Explorer, choose The Explorer from the Tools menu or click
The Explorer button on the standard toolbar.
To create a new exploration, choose New from The Explorer dialog. The
Exploration Editor dialog appears. This dialog is used to enter the criteria
for the exploration. Up to six column formulas and one filter can be
included in an exploration.

Name. Enter the name of the exploration in the Name box.

Notes. Enter any descriptive notes in the Notes box.
Columns. Columns A-F specify the values to display in the Results
report (see page 388). A separate page is provided for each column. As
you click a column's tab, a new page appears where a formula can be
typed. Each of the columns represents a unique calculated value. The

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 column formulas are written in MetaStock's formula language (see page
235). Each column formula can be up to 2,500 characters long.
Functions. This is used to display the Paste Functions dialog. This
dialog is used to select from a list of over 190 functions. The selected
function can be inserted directly into your exploration. See page 305 for
more detailed information on this dialog.
Securities. This button gives you access to the Select Securities dialog
from which you can choose the securities to include in your exploration.
See page 382 for more detailed information on this dialog.
Options. You use this to display the Exploration Options dialog in
which you can set options for the selected exploration.

Exploration Options
The Exploration Options dialog is used to specify options that affect only
the selected exploration. To display the Exploration Options dialog, click
the Options button in the Exploration Editor dialog.
This dialog controls options for a specific exploration. To control
options that affect all explorations, see page 378.

Most Recent Date. Click this button if you want to use the most
recent date in each security file for the exploration calculations.
Specific Date. Click this button to enter the date on which you want
the exploration calculated. The most recent date for each security equal
to or prior to the date you enter will be used in the exploration.
Periodicity. Select the desired periodicity for the securities in the
exploration. Security data will be compressed (if necessary) to match
your selection. For example, daily security files can be compressed to
weekly or monthly. Note that if you select "daily" periodicity, weekly,
monthly, and yearly security files will be rejected since files cannot be
compressed to a shorter periodicity.

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 Use Filter. Check this box to enable the filter. See page 381 for
information on specifying a filter for your exploration.

Column Formula Syntax

Column formulas are written using MetaStock's formula language (see
page 235). All custom indicator functions can be used in The Explorer's
columns. This includes the "FML" function, which allows you to
reference an existing custom indicator with a simple function call. For
example, if you wanted to use one of your custom indicators,
"Combination Wave" (a complex binary wave) in an exploration column,
you could use the FML function instead of retyping it (e.g.,
fml("Combination Wave") ).
The following shows an example of a column formula that will display the
values of the difference between a 10- and 50-day moving average in the
Exploration report:
mov(CLOSE,10,SIMPLE)- mov(CLOSE,50,SIMPLE)
The following shows an example of a column formula that displays a
basic 14-day RSI in the Exploration report:
rsi(14)
The following shows an example of a column formula that will display the
difference between formula "ROC1" and formula "ROC2" in the
Exploration report:
fml("ROC1") - fml("ROC2")

Filter Syntax
A filter is written in the identical syntax as the rules in MetaStock Pro's
Enhanced System Tester. An additional variable that is unique to the filter
criteria is "COL". The COL variable references the exploration columns
directly. This keeps you from having to retype the entire column formula
and makes the filter more readable. For example, suppose you've defined
column A as follows:
mov( rsi( 20 ), 9, SIMPLE)
Now you want to display only those securities whose moving average is
less than 40. A filter could be written as follows:
mov( rsi( 20 ), 9, SIMPLE) < 40
However, to save yourself some typing and make the filter more
readable, you could use the COL variable as follows:
colA < 40
Both filters accomplish the same thing, but the second filter requires less
typing. This is particularly true when your filter involves long and
complex formulas.

MetaStock Professional Ranking and Screening Securities • 381

 Stand-alone Filters
Although a filter can be based on the exploration columns directly, a
filter can also be completely independent of the columns. In fact, the
exploration columns can be left completely empty. Perhaps you simply
want to list the securities that meet your filter criteria without any column
values displayed in the report.
For example, your entire exploration could be a filter written as follows:
cci(9) < -90 and mfi(6) < 50
In a report, note that the columns are empty when only a filter is
specified. Only the security names are displayed.

Input() Function, Variables, and Multi-plot

Indicators
The Explorer will accept assigned variables (see page 244) in the column
formula and filter rules. For example, the following is a valid column
rule:
myvar:=200;
mov(c,myvar,s);
An exploration cannot use the input() function directly (see page 306).
This function is reserved for custom indicators only. However, if a rule
uses the fml() function (see page 261) to call the results of a custom
indicator, and the custom indicator uses the input() function, the fml()
function will only use the assigned default input value—the Explorer will
not prompt for input.
If an exploration contains or references (using the fml() function) a multi-
plot indicator, only the last plot is used in the calculation of the
exploration.

Selecting Securities to Explore

MetaStock Pro can explore virtually unlimited local securities across
multiple folders, as well as online securities, using the Add Securities
dialog. This dialog is accessed by choosing Securities from the
Exploration Editor dialog, or by clicking Add Securities in the Select
Securities dialog. If no securities have been specified for an exploration,
The Explorer displays the Select Securities dialog automatically,
prompting you to make your selections.
The Add Securities dialog is almost identical to the Open dialog.

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 History. Choose the History shortcut from the Shortcut Bar to select
from the list of securities you have most recently accessed. You can
adjust the size of the history by choosing Limit History Items from the
Tools menu.
Local Data. Choose the Local Data shortcut from the Shortcut Bar to
open an existing Smart Chart located on a local disk drive. The local data
folder from which you last viewed a security is displayed.
Favorites. Choose the Favorites shortcut from the Shortcut Bar to
choose from your list of pre-defined favorite securities, and charts. To
add an item to Favorites, choose Add to Favorites from the Tools menu.
<Online Data Vendor>. If you are using an online data vendor, you
may select from a list of securities available from your vendor by
choosing this shortcut from the Shortcut Bar.
Look in. Use the drop-list to select the folder that contains the desired
Smart Chart, or chart. Traverse the folders until the desired folder is
listed.
Security name / Symbol / File Name. The chart you select from the
underlying list appears in this box. This is the chart that will be opened.
You can select multiple charts to open by holding down the SHIFT or
CTRL key as you make your selections. See page 68 for information on
filtering securities in the Open dialog.

Maintaining Lists of Securities with Favorites

The Favorites feature lets you load and save predefined lists of securities
to perform explorations on. To add a list of securities to your Favorites,
click the Save... button in the Select Securities dialog. To load a list of
securities from your Favorites, click the Favorites button in the Add
Securities dialog.

MetaStock Professional Ranking and Screening Securities • 383

 Perhaps you want to divide your securities into specific categories. To
do this, you could create a list that includes only computer stocks,
another that contains only commodities, another that contains only
automobile stocks. Instead of having to select these individually each
time for different explorations, you can group them into easily accessible
folders. You can also save the list of securities generated by an
Exploration as a list (see page 388).
NOTE: Explorations and system tests can be run on a list that has been
created in The DownLoader, but the lists that are saved to the favorites
folder after running a system test or exploration can't be used in The
DownLoader.
The list "Results of Last Exploration" is automatically generated by
MetaStock Pro. This includes only the securities from the last
exploration that were not rejected. This list can be used, but it cannot be
deleted or modified.

Copying and Deleting Explorations

You can make a copy of a selected exploration from The Explorer dialog
using the Copy button. This is useful when you need to design a new
exploration that is very similar to an existing one.
For example, if Exploration A was similar to a new exploration you want
to create, you could use the Copy command in the Explorer dialog to
make a duplicate rather than rewriting it. You could then make the minor
modifications necessary and name it Exploration B.
You can select multiple You can delete the selected explorations from The Explorer dialog using
explorations by holding the Delete button. The Delete button displays the Delete Exploration
down the CTRL or SHIFT dialog.
key as you click the mouse.

Choose whether you want to delete the explorations or the explorations'

reports. If you delete the explorations, the reports are also deleted.

Printing Explorations
You can print the names and/or formulas of your explorations with the
Print dialog. To access the Print dialog, choose Print from The Explorer
dialog.

384 • Ranking and Screening Securities MetaStock Professional

 Print What. Choose Names Only if you want to print only the names of
the explorations. Choose Names and Formulas if you want to print the
names and formulas.
Copies. Enter the number of copies to print.
All. Choose this button if you want to print all explorations.
Selection. Choose this button if you want to print only the selected
explorations.

Running the Exploration

To run an exploration, highlight the exploration name and choose the
Explore button from The Explorer dialog.

The time required to complete an exploration depends on the complexity

of the exploration and if you've chosen to use the minimum or maximum
amount of data for the calculations (see page 378). Your computer
hardware (i.e., processor, hard disk, etc.) also has a big impact on speed.

Exploration Status Dialog

During the execution of an exploration, the Exploration Status dialog
appears. This dialog keeps you informed on the progress of the

MetaStock Professional Ranking and Screening Securities • 385

 exploration. You can also use it to run the exploration in the background,
allowing you to perform other tasks while the exploration is executing.

Most of the information in this window is self-explanatory. Several of the

items are explained below.
Estimated Completion Time. This is based on the average time to
explore each security. The estimated completion time is adjusted after
each security.
Execution Priority. This drop-list allows you to control the amount of
processor time devoted to the computation of the exploration. You will
normally leave this set to "Medium." Set this to "Low" if the program
seems "jerky" or unresponsive while an exploration is running in the
background (i.e., the exploration is minimized).
Minimize. Use this button to minimize the Exploration Status dialog.
When an exploration is minimized, you are free to use any other feature in
the program. You can even perform a system test, which can also be
minimized (see page 319).
When minimized, double-click the exploration icon to redisplay the
Exploration Status dialog.
Cancel. You can cancel the exploration process by pressing the Cancel
button. There may be a slight delay after you choose Cancel. A window
appears asking you to confirm the Cancel. Reports for the securities that
were completed before pressing Cancel will be available for your
inspection.

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 To run an exploration in the background
1. Start an exploration.
2. When the Exploration Status dialog appears, click the Execution
Priority drop-list to choose the desired execution priority. If you are
planning on using other calculation intensive features in this or other
programs while the exploration runs in the background, choose
Medium or Low.
3. Click the Minimize button.

Running Multiple Explorations

There may be times when you wish to run more than one exploration on
the same list of securities, run an exploration on the results of another
exploration, or run several explorations on separate lists of securities
without having to start each exploration separately. Each of these
scenarios is possible using the Multiple Explorations dialog.
To run more than one exploration, hold down the CTRL or SHIFT key
while selecting the explorations, then choose the Explore button from The
Explorer dialog. The Multiple Explorations dialog will appear allowing
you to specify how each exploration is run.

The explorations are listed in numerical order. Use the arrows to the
right of the list to change the order of the explorations.
Use the results from the preceding exploration. Choose this
option to run each subsequent exploration on the results of the previous
exploration. The first exploration uses the list of securities selected in the
Select Securities dialog (see page 382).

MetaStock Professional Ranking and Screening Securities • 387

 Use a single security list for all Explorations. Choose this option
to run all explorations on the same list of securities.
Use a separate security list for each Exploration. This option
allows you to choose a separate list of securities for each exploration.
Automatically print results. Check this box to send the exploration
results directly to your printer as each exploration is completed.
Print. Click this button to select a printer.

Speed of Calculation
The speed of the exploration can be increased by:
• Decreasing the number of periods used in the formulas.
• Selecting "Load Minimum Records" in the Explorer Options dialog
(see page 378).
• Reducing the number of references to formulas (i.e., the FML()
function).
• Adding a faster CPU.
• Adding a faster disk drive.
• Using local data instead of data stored in the online cache folder (see
page 38).

Viewing the Reports

Exploration reports can be accessed two ways. You can choose the
Reports button from the Exploration Completed dialog. This dialog
appears immediately after an exploration has completed (the "Notify
When Exploration is Done" box must be checked in Explorer Options,
see page 378). You can also view a report by selecting an exploration in
The Explorer dialog and choosing Reports. An "R" must be displayed
next to the selected exploration.
There are three reports available for an exploration; each is available by
choosing the corresponding tab from the Reports dialog.
The Results report displays every security (that was not rejected) in the
exploration and its accompanying column values. The folder from which
each security came is displayed in the last column.
The Rejects report shows every security that was rejected and the reason
(see page 392).
The Exploration Security Column Data report shows the historical column
values for the selected security (see page 391).

Results Report
The Results report displays the results of the exploration. Every security
that passed the filter (if enabled), along with all of the defined columns

388 • Ranking and Screening Securities MetaStock Professional

 will appear. The name assigned to the exploration along with the
calculation date is displayed at the top of the report.
The width of a column in the Results report can be adjusted by dragging
the vertical separator between the column headings with the mouse until
the column is the desired width.

Inspect. This displays the Exploration Security Column Data report for
the selected security. This report displays historical values required to
calculate each column for the highlighted security. See page 391 for
more information on this report.
Open Chart. Click this button to display a chart of the selected
security.
Sort. Use this to sort the report on any of the columns. Note that you
can also click directly on the column headings to sort. Click repeatedly
to change between ascending and descending order. See page 390 for
more information on sorting.
Print. Choose this to print the contents of the Results report. See page
355 for information on printing reports.
Save List. Choose this option to save the results as a list that you can
use in The Explorer and The DownLoader.
Using the Shortcut Menu
You can also add to favorites, copy, delete, or edit the securities in the
results report. First, select the desired securities, then right click on one
of the highlighted securities. A menu appears for you to choose from.

MetaStock Professional Ranking and Screening Securities • 389

 Copy. Choose this to copy the entire report onto the Windows clipboard
so it can be pasted into another Windows document.
Save to file. Choose this to save the list as a text file.
Edit data. Choose this to open the selected security(s) in a datasheet in
The DownLoader where the data may be edited.
Delete security. Choose this to delete the selected security(s).
Copy security. Choose this to copy the selected security(s) to another
folder on a local drive. The Copy Securities dialog will appear. Enter the
new folder in the Destination folder box, or click the Browse button to
find the folder you want to copy to. If you want the Smart Chart for that
security to be copied also, check the Copy Smart Chart box. If you want
to delete the security from the current folder, check the Delete source
security box.

Add to favorites. Choose this to add the selected security(s) to your

favorites. See page 71 for more information about favorites.
Sorting the Results Report
You can sort the Results report on any of the columns (including the
Security name column) in either ascending or descending order. Simply
click the column heading on which you want to sort. Click repeatedly to
toggle between ascending and descending order. When you sort on the
security name column, the report is sorted alphabetically.

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 To control the primary, secondary, and tertiary sort columns, use the
Exploration Column Sort dialog. This dialog is accessed by clicking the
Sort button in the Results report.

Sort by. Choose the primary column on which the report is sorted from
the drop-list.
Then by. Choose the column on which duplicates from the previous
"sort" should be sorted. For example, if the security named "IBM"
appeared five times in the report, these five occurrences of IBM would
then be sorted by the column you choose here.
The sort order of the report is affected the most by the sort column
specified in the "Sort by" box. The sort columns specified in the "Then
by" boxes only take effect when there are duplicates.
Ascending. Choose this to change the sort order of the column to
ascending (i.e., the values increase as you go down the report).
Descending. Choose this to change the sort order of the column to
descending (i.e., the values decrease as you go down the report).

Exploration Security Column Data Report

This report is accessed by selecting a security in the Results report and
choosing Inspect. This report lets you view the column values for every
time period used in the calculation of the exploration.
The amount of data displayed in this report is determined by the Data
Loading option setting in the Explorer Options dialog (see page 378).
The width of a column in this report can be adjusted by dragging the
vertical separator between the column headings with the mouse until the
column is the desired width.

MetaStock Professional Ranking and Screening Securities • 391

 Print. Choose this to print the contents of the report. See page 355 for
information on printing reports.

Rejects Report
This report displays the securities that were not included in the Results
report. Each security that was rejected from the report will be listed, with
a brief description of why it was rejected.
If your exploration contains a filter, this report will list all securities that
were filtered out. Securities that were rejected due to an error are also
listed. For example, if your exploration calculates a 200-period moving
average and your IBM data file only contains 100 days of data, IBM
would appear in the Reject report.
Print. Choose this to print the contents of the Rejects report. See page
355 for information on printing reports.
Save List. Choose this option to save the results as a list that you can
use in The Explorer and The DownLoader.

Exploration Page
The Exploration page displays the column formulas, the filter rule,
periodicity and other information used for the exploration. Having this
information available with the reports lets you view this information
without having to close the reports.

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 Copying Reports to the Windows Clipboard
You can copy the contents of an exploration report to the Windows
Clipboard for use in other Windows applications.
To copy a report to the clipboard
1. Display a report.
2. Right-click anywhere within the report's page.
3. Choose Copy to copy the contents of the report to the clipboard.
You can then paste the contents into another Windows application.

Sample Explorations
This section shows the column and filter formulas for six example
explorations. Several pre-defined explorations are also included with
MetaStock Pro.

Long-term Bearish
This exploration shows securities that are below their 200-day moving
average.
Column A: close
Column B: mov(close,200,exponential)
Column C: ((close-mov(close, 200, exponential)) /
Abs(Mov(close,200,exponential))) * 100
Filter: colA < colB
This exploration requires only a filter to produce the desired list of
securities. However, the exploration also includes columns for the
closing price, the 200-day moving average value, and the percent the
close is below its 200-day moving average.

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 Long-term Bullish
This exploration shows securities that are above their 200-day moving
average.
Column A: close
Column B: mov(close,200,exponential)
Column C: ((close-mov(close, 200, exponential)) /
Abs(Mov(close,200,exponential))) * 100
Filter: colA > colB
This exploration requires only a filter to produce the desired list of
securities. However, the exploration includes columns for the closing
price, the 200-day moving average value, and the percent the close is
above its 200-day moving average.
Note that the only difference between this exploration and the Long-term
Bearish exploration is the "greater than" sign (i.e., ">") in the filter.

MACD Buy Signal

This exploration shows securities that have produced a classic MACD
"buy" signal (i.e., when the MACD rises above its signal line).
Column A: close
Column B: macd()
Column C: mov(macd(),9,exponential)
Filter: cross(macd(),mov(macd(),9,exponential)
This exploration only requires a filter to produce the desired list of
securities. However, the exploration also includes columns for the
closing price, the MACD value, and the 9-day signal line value.

Indicators, 5 popular
This exploration shows the column formulas that will show each
security's close along with five popular indicators.
Column A: close
Column B: macd()
Column C: Stoch(5,3)
Column D: cci(14)
Column E: obv()
Column F: rsi(14)
This exploration does not require a filter. This exploration could be
easily modified to include your favorite indicators.

Performance, Daily
This exploration shows the short-term performance of each security.
Column A: close
Column B: roc(close,1, percent)
Column C: roc(close,5, percent)

394 • Ranking and Screening Securities MetaStock Professional

 Column D: roc(close,10, percent)
Column E: roc(close,30, percent)
Column F: roc(close,60, percent)
This exploration does not require a filter since we want to see every
security's performance ranking. The Exploration Report has been written
to include columns for five performance criteria including a one-day, five-
day, 10-day, 30-day, and 60-day percentage rate-of-change.
You may want to use the Sort button in the Results report to sort on one
of the performance columns. For example, you could sort the report so
that securities with the highest 60-day performance appear at the top of
the column.

Price and Volume Breakout

The following exploration produces a report listing all securities that have
risen more that 5% in the last day on at least 50% greater than average
volume.
Column A: close
Column B: ref(close,-1)
Column C: roc(close,1,percent)
Column D: volume
Column E: mov(volume,50,exponential)
Column F: ((volume - mov(volume,50,exponential)) /
mov(volume, 50, exponential)) * 100
Filter: (colC >= 5) and (colD >= (colE*1.5))
This exploration requires only a filter to produce the desired list of
securities. However, the exploration also includes columns for the
closing price, the previous day's closing price, the percent rate-of-change,
volume, average volume, and the percent the volume is above its average.

Exploration Tips
• Due to the way the Performance indicator is calculated, you may
notice that the column values displayed on the Results report for the
Performance indicator are not consistent. We recommend that you
avoid using the Per() function in explorations.
• The Explorer will not include composite securities in an exploration.
If an exploration folder contains composite securities, they will be
ignored.
• Exploring data stored in the online cache folder is very slow. If you
plan to run explorations regularly, you should consider using local
data instead.
• Remember to use the COL variable within your filter to directly
reference the columns. Using the COL variable is especially
beneficial when the column formulas are long.

MetaStock Professional Ranking and Screening Securities • 395

 • For your explorations to be valid, it is important that your data be
accurate and date-aligned. Date-aligned means that the dates for each
of the securities included in the exploration match. If data is missing
for a security (even a single day), the values shown in the reports may
not be accurate.
• You may want to include a broad-based market index in your
exploration to see how it compares to your other securities.
Including an index is especially helpful when you are using The
Explorer to rank your securities by performance. Several pre-defined
performance explorations are included with MetaStock Pro.
• You can reference an indicator in a chart by selecting the indicator
(i.e., clicking on it so handles appear) and then substituting the "P"
variable in place of a formula's data array. For example, the formula
"mov(p,10,s)" would calculate a 10-period moving average of the
selected indicator.
• You should avoid using the "ref()" function to reference column
formulas (e.g., ref(colA, -1) ). The Explorer only calculates values
for the "calculation date." The ref() function returns the value for
this date only.
• You should avoid using the "cross()" function to reference column
formulas (e.g., cross(colB, colC) ). The cross() function requires
data for two days in order to determine if the "cross" actually
occurred. The Explorer only calculates the column values for the
specified "calculation date."
• When doing an exploration with the Exploration Periodicity set to
"weekly," you may receive a "period value out of range" error
message due to there not being enough data. For example, there may
be enough data to calculate a 200-day moving average, but not
enough for a 200-week moving average.

396 • Ranking and Screening Securities MetaStock Professional

Getting Expert Advice on Your
Securities

What is the Expert Advisor?

The Expert Advisor is a collection of powerful tools that keep you
informed of the current technical state of a chart. When attached to a
chart, an Expert can inform you on the state of these conditions by
various methods:
• descriptive text (called Commentaries)
• colored bars (called Highlights)
• a symbol in the bottom corner of the chart (called the Expert Corner)
• a special inner window (called a Ribbon)
• symbols on the chart (called Symbols)
• pop-up messages, sound or video (with Alerts)
• e-mail and pager messages (with Alerts)
Most people will simply use experts that are pre-packaged with
MetaStock Pro, or purchased from Equis or a third party. For example, if
you want to see Bill William's expert commentary on any chart you
display, simply right-click on the chart, choose Expert Advisor, Attach,
then choose Bill William's pre-packaged expert.
Due to the inherent complexity in the design and creation of custom
indicators, trading systems, explorations, and experts, Equis cannot
provide free support for this process. However, support is available for
a reasonable fee. Call Equis at 801-265-9998 for details or fill-out the
FORMULA HELP.DOC file found in the MetaStock folder. This file is
viewable with Wordpad.
For information on the Equis Solution Provider program and the
MetaStock Developer's Kit, go to www.equis.com.
If you are willing to invest a little time, you can create your own experts.
For example, you could create your own customized commentary. You
could create alerts that will sound and display a message when certain
conditions are met. Perhaps you would like to have your price bars

MetaStock Professional Getting Expert Advice on Your Securities • 397

 colored red when the RSI is above 50 and black when they're below 50.
The possibilities are endless.
If you want to create your own experts, you must be familiar with the
MetaStock formula language. Please see page 235 for more information
on the MetaStock formula language.
Equis International is not a Registered Investment Advisory service.
The experts included with MetaStock Pro are for educational purposes
and are to be used at your own risk. Equis International (or its
partners) is not liable for the investment decisions you make based on
information obtained from the Expert Advisor.

Using Pre-packaged Experts

Most people will never create their own experts. That’s fine! We
designed the Expert Advisor as a tool to provide information on the
technical status of a security. Not only is MetaStock Pro shipped with
many pre-packaged experts that you should find useful, other pre-
packaged offerings will be available directly from Equis and third parties.
Therefore, if you just want to use the experts that are pre-packaged with
MetaStock Pro (or purchased separately), this section is all you really
need to read.
1. Display a chart to which you would like to attach an expert.
2. Right-click anywhere within the chart’s inner window. The chart’s
shortcut menu appears.

398 • Getting Expert Advice on Your Securities MetaStock Professional

 3. Choose Expert Advisor and then Attach.
4. For this example, choose Equis – Stochastic Oscillator from the
Attach Expert dialog. Click the OK button.
5. The appearance of your chart will now change to reflect the newly
attached expert. The illustration below shows some of the
components that you may see.

6. To quickly display the commentary for the attached Expert, right-

click on the chart, choose Expert Advisor and then Commentary.
That’s it. This simple procedure is all that is required to reap the power
of the Expert Advisor.
Equis International is not a Registered Investment Advisory service.
The experts included with MetaStock Pro are for educational purposes
and are to be used at your own risk. Equis International (or its
partners) is not liable for the investment decisions you make based on
information obtained from the Expert Advisor.

Expert Advisor Dialog

The Expert Advisor dialog is displayed by choosing Expert Advisor from
Expert Advisor button the Tools menu or clicking the Expert Advisor button on the standard
toolbar. The Expert Advisor dialog lists the names of all your experts
(both those you have created and those pre-packaged with the software).
The Expert Advisor dialog can hold up to 1,000 experts. The selected
expert can be edited, copied, deleted, printed, and attached. You can also
create new experts from this dialog. A small triangle appears next to the
expert that is currently attached to the selected chart.
New. Use this to display the Expert Editor dialog in which you can
specify the components of a new expert.
MetaStock Professional Getting Expert Advice on Your Securities • 399
 Edit. Use this to display the Expert Editor dialog in which you can edit
the selected expert.
Copy. Use this to make a copy of the selected expert. See page 436 for
more information on copying experts.
You can select multiple Delete. Use this to delete the selected expert. See page 436 for more
experts by holding down information on deleting experts.
the CTRL key as you click Print. Use this to print the selected expert. See page 436 for more
the mouse. information on printing experts.
Organize. Use this to display the Formula Organizer Wizard from which
you can import and export explorations, system tests, custom indicators,
and experts. This is normally used if you have purchased add-on products
from Equis or a third party. See page 249 for more information on the
Formula Organizer Wizard.
Attach/Detach. Use this to attach the selected expert to the current
chart. This button changes to Detach if the selected expert is already
attached to your chart. A small triangle appears next to the attached
expert. The Attach button is disabled if no chart is displayed. See page
435 for more information on attaching experts.
Commentary. Use this to view the corresponding commentary (if
available) for the selected expert. The Commentary button is disabled if
no chart is displayed. See page 406 for more information on
commentaries.

Creating an Expert
Perhaps the most important thing to remember when creating an expert is
that it can be as simple or complex as you like. For example, you can
create a very simple expert that simply sounds an alert whenever the
close crosses above its moving average. Another expert could be written
to display a ribbon at the bottom of the chart showing the bullish and
bearish zones as defined by an RSI. Or you could write an expert that
generates a commentary explaining the current state of the security as
defined by five of your favorite indicators. The possibilities are many.
To run the Expert Advisor, choose Expert Advisor from the Tools menu or
Expert Advisor button click the Expert Advisor button on the standard toolbar.

To create a new expert, choose New from the Expert Advisor dialog. The
Expert Editor dialog appears. You use this dialog to create the various
components of an expert. Again it is important to remember that an
expert need not contain every component. In fact most experts you
create will probably only contain one or two components. The only
components required are the Name and one of the other five components
(i.e., Trend, Commentary, Highlights, Symbols, or Alerts).
This dialog is different from most in that you can resize it. Position the
mouse over the border of the dialog and click and drag the mouse until the

400 • Getting Expert Advice on Your Securities MetaStock Professional

 dialog is the desired size. This is very convenient when writing
commentaries.

Name. Enter the name of the expert in the Name box. Type any unique
information about the expert in the Notes box.
You may want to use a consistent naming convention that describes the
components used in the expert. For example, if the only component of
the expert is a commentary, you may want to name it “MyExpert
(commentary)”. If the only component was an alert, you may name it
“MyExpert (alert). The more descriptive the name, the easier it will be
for you to remember what the expert does.
Trend. Enter the Bullish and Bearish trend rules. The rules are written
using MetaStock’s formula language (see page 235). The rules are
interpreted as either true or false. The results of the trend rules are
displayed in a ribbon, the expert corner, or in the Data Window. See page
403 for more information on writing and viewing trend rules.
Commentary. Enter the commentary to display. Commentaries are
used to tell you, in English (or German, Spanish, etc.), the technical state
of the security. There are two special functions and five constants
available specifically for writing commentaries. The built-in editor also
has a basic word-processing like toolbar that allows you to control fonts
and formatting. The results of the commentary are displayed in the
Expert Commentary dialog. See page 406 for more information on
writing and viewing commentaries.

MetaStock Professional Getting Expert Advice on Your Securities • 401

 Highlights. The Highlight page is used to create and edit highlights. A
highlight colors a chart’s price bars to indicate specific conditions. An
unlimited number of highlights can be defined for an expert. See page 422
for more information on creating highlights.
Symbols. The Symbol page is used to create and edit symbols. A
symbol can be placed above or below price bars to indicate specific
conditions. An unlimited number of symbols can be defined for an
expert. See page 426 for more information on creating symbols.
Alerts. The Alert page is used to create and edit alerts. When the
defined conditions of the alert are met, a specified message will appear,
an audible sound file or video will play, or an e-mail or pager notification
will be sent. An unlimited number of alerts can be defined for an expert.
See page 430 for more information on using alerts.

Components of an Expert
An expert can be as simple or complex as you want. The following
illustration shows an expert that contains all five components. In order
for an expert to produce results, it must be attached to a chart as
illustrated by the arrow.

In most cases, an expert will only contain one or two components. In fact
an expert containing just one of the components will likely be the most
common. The illustration below shows an expert containing just two
components being attached to a chart.

402 • Getting Expert Advice on Your Securities MetaStock Professional

Defining Bullish and Bearish Trends
Bullish and bearish trends are defined in the Trends page in the Expert
Editor dialog. The rules for the bullish and bearish conditions are written
using MetaStock’s formula language (see page 235). Each rule can
contain up to 2,500 characters.

There are three states that a trend normally falls within:

Bullish. The trend is considered bullish if and only if the bullish trend
rule is true.
Bearish. The trend is considered bearish if and only if the bearish trend
rule is true.
Neutral. The trend is considered neutral if neither the bullish nor
bearish trend rules are true.
A trend can also be in one of the following states:
Confused. The trend is considered confused if both the bullish and
bearish trend rules are true simultaneously. This usually indicates an
error in the logic of the trend rules. You should double-check your
formulas to make sure they define the conditions properly.
Undefined. The trend is considered undefined if the formula is not up to
speed (e.g., during the first 49 periods of a 50-period moving average).
The first few days displayed in the ribbon are usually undefined since
most indicators take a while to get up to speed.

The results of a trend are displayed in an expert ribbon, the expert corner
or in the Data Window.The following chart shows both an expert ribbon
and the expert corner.

MetaStock Professional Getting Expert Advice on Your Securities • 403

 The expert ribbon is a small, narrow window located in the chart. The
color, patterns, and labels for the bullish, bearish, and neutral zones can
be defined within the Expert Ribbon dialog. The ribbon can be moved
within the chart using the same drag and drop techniques as with inner
windows (see page 114).
The expert corner is located in the bottom corner of the chart where the
x-and y-axes meet. This is where a user-specified symbol is displayed.
This symbol denotes the current condition of the security as defined by
the trend rules (i.e., bullish, bearish, or neutral). See page 405 for more
information on the expert corner.

Displaying the Trend in a Ribbon

The ribbon is displayed at The expert ribbon provides a convenient way to view the historical bullish,
the bottom of the chart. It bearish, and neutral zones of a security. The rules that define these zones
shows the bullish, on a ribbon are created in the Trends page of the Expert Editor dialog (see
bearish, and neutral zones page 404).
in the chart.
You can control the color, patterns and labels used in the expert ribbon
from the Expert Ribbon dialog. This dialog is displayed by choosing the
Ribbon button on the Trend page of the Expert Editor dialog.

404 • Getting Expert Advice on Your Securities MetaStock Professional

 Display Ribbon in Chart. Check this box if you want the ribbon
displayed in the chart.
Display Vertical Lines. Check this box if you want vertical lines
displayed when the trend changes. Choose the Ribbon's Inner Window
radio button if you only want the lines displayed in the inner window in
which the ribbon is located. Choose All Inner Windows if you want the
lines to extend through every inner window in the chart.
Background. Choose the background color to use for bullish, bearish,
and neutral zones of the ribbon.
Pattern. Choose the pattern to use for bullish, bearish, and neutral zones
of the ribbon.
Label. Type a label or choose a symbol (depending on whether you
chose the Text or Symbols radio button) to use for the bullish, bearish,
and neutral zones in the ribbon. Note that text labels will not display if
the zone is not wide enough to hold the entire label. Therefore you may
want to limit the number of characters used in your text labels. If your
zones are very narrow, you may want to use symbols rather than text-
based labels, since they occupy less space.
Text. Choose this radio button if you want the labels displayed using the
specified text.
Symbols. Choose this button if you want the labels displayed using the
specified symbols.

Displaying the Trend in the Expert Corner

The expert corner is The expert corner is a small area located in the bottom corner of the chart
displayed beneath the where the x-and y-axes meet. This area is reserved for the display of a
right y-axis if both axes symbol. The symbol indicates the current trend (i.e., for the last bar
are displayed. loaded in the chart) of the security. The rules that define expert corner
symbol are created in the Trend page of the Expert Editor dialog (see
page 403).
A user defined symbol will appear if the current state is bullish, bearish,
or neutral. If the state is confused (403), the symbol for neutral will
appear. If the state is undefined, no symbol will appear.

MetaStock Professional Getting Expert Advice on Your Securities • 405

 The color and style of the symbol is controlled from the Expert Corner
dialog. This dialog is displayed by choosing the Corner button on the
Trend page of the Expert Editor dialog.

Display Symbol in Expert Corner. Check this box if you want

symbols displayed in the Expert Corner area of the chart.
Symbol. Choose the symbol to use for the bullish, bearish, and neutral
state of the security.
Color. Choose the color to use for the symbol. Be sure to choose a color
that is different from the background color of the expert. Otherwise, the
symbol will not be visible.

Tips for Using Trends

• If you find the vertical lines obstructive to your charts, but you’d still
like to pinpoint the beginning and ends of trends, use highlights (see
page 422). Create two highlights, one that matches the bullish trend,
and another that matches the bearish trend. The color of the price
bars will coincide with the ribbon.
• If most of the labels on your ribbons aren’t showing up due to the
narrowness of the zones, change the label to display a symbol rather
than text. Symbols generally take up much less space. This is done
from the Expert Ribbon dialog (see page 404).
• The 200-day moving average is considered sacred to many technical
analysts. It is a good indicator of the long-term trend of the security.
You may want to create an expert corner that shows a bullish symbol
when the price is above its 200-day moving average and a bearish
sign when it's below.

Writing Commentaries to Summarize and Instruct

A commentary is perhaps the most versatile and powerful component of
the Expert Advisor. Although many people will use pre-packaged expert
commentaries, you may want to create your own.
Briefly stated, a commentary allows you to write text and then control
what text is displayed based on logical conditions. In other words, some
text can be displayed at all times and the display of other text can be
dependent on whether a specified condition is true or false. The writeif()

406 • Getting Expert Advice on Your Securities MetaStock Professional

 and writeval() functions are the key functions used when writing
commentaries. These two functions are unique to the commentary syntax.
As is the case with the other components in the Expert Advisor,
commentaries can take full advantage of MetaStock Pro’s powerful
formula language (see page 235). Therefore, you should be familiar with
custom indicators to take full advantage of commentaries.
The following illustration shows a commentary in its native format:

The following illustration shows the same commentary as it would be viewed:

A great way to learn the power and flexibility of commentaries is by

viewing the pre-packaged expert named "Equis - Instructional
Commentary" written by Steve Achelis, founder of Equis International.

MetaStock Professional Getting Expert Advice on Your Securities • 407

 To view Steve Achelis' pre-packaged instructional
commentary
1. Display a chart.
2. Choose Expert Advisor from the Tools menu.
3. Choose the expert named "Equis - Instructional Commentary" from
the dialog and click the Edit button.
4. Click the Commentary tab.

Displaying Conditional Text with Writeif()

The writeif() function displays the specified text if the condition is true.
Optionally, you can have the function display the specified text if the
condition is false. If the condition is true, the first text string is
displayed. If the condition is false, the second text string is displayed.
The following is the syntax of the writeif() function.
writeif(logical formula, “true text string”, “false
text string”)
Each text string must be contained within double quotes (" "). If you need
the text itself to contain quotes, they can be written as \” as shown below.
writeif(c>mov(c,200,s),"The trend is up and remember
\"the trend is your friend.\"", "The trend is down.")
The length of a text string is virtually unlimited (64K or about 20 pages).
This means that your text can wrap across multiple lines if needed. It can
even contain line feeds.
The following example writes “The market is bullish” if the closing price
is above its 200-day moving average. It writes “The market is bearish” if
the closing price is equal to or below its 200-day moving average.
writeif(c > mov(c,200,s),”The market is bullish”,”The
market is bearish”)
The writeif() function can display numerical values using the writeval()
function (see page 409). For example, the following example displays
the value of the RSI if the close crosses above a 50-day moving average.
writeif(cross(c,mov(c,50,s)),”writeval(rsi(14))”)
Note that in the above example, there was no text specified for a false
condition. You don’t have to specify the text for when the condition is
false.
Just like the standard if() function in the MetaStock formula language
(see page 235), you can also nest writeif() statements as shown in the
following example.
writeif(v>ref(v,-1),”writeif(c>mov(c,10,s),
”bullish”,”bearish”)”,”volume down”)
Note that the second writeif() function is completely contained within
quotes because it is the true text string for the first writeif() function.

408 • Getting Expert Advice on Your Securities MetaStock Professional

 In English, the previous statement says, "If the volume is greater than the
previous day's volume (i.e., v>ref(v,-1) ), then check the close to see if it
is above its 10-day moving average (i.e., c>mov(c,10,s) ). If both of
these are true, the word "bullish" is displayed. If volume is greater than
the previous day's, but the close isn't greater than the 10-day moving
average, "bearish" is displayed. Otherwise, if the volume is not greater
than the previous day's volume, "volume down" is displayed."
Clarifying with Comments
You may want to strategically place comments within your commentaries
to clarify and explain what is happening. Comments can be very helpful
when you need to debug or modify the syntax at a later time.
Comments can be inserted into conditional statements by surrounding the
statement in braces. The text inside the braces will not appear when the
commentary is viewed. In the formula below, "{This is bullish output}"
and "{This is neutral/bearish output}" are the comments inside the
conditional statement.
writeif(cross(c,mov(c,50,s)),
{This is bullish output}"RSI is writeval(rsi(14))”,
{This is neutral/bearish output}"RSI neutral/bearish")
If a comment is entered on its own line, you will probably want to place a
backslash (see page 413) after the comment so that an extra line feed
does not show up in your commentary.
{The following defines a support line}\
support:=(If(Abs((Trough(1,L,1)-
Trough(2,L,1))/Trough(2,L,1))<.015 AND
Abs((Trough(2,L,1)-
Trough(3,L,1))/Trough(3,L,1))<.015,{then}
(Trough(1,L,1)+Trough(2,L,1)+Trough(3,L,1))/3,0));

Using Variables in Commentaries

Variables can be used within commentaries. However, they must be
assigned within a writeif() or writeval() function. See page 437 for more
information on using variables in commentaries.

Displaying Numeric Values with Writeval()

The writeval() function is used to display the value of a formula. The
formula contained in the writeval() function must be written using
MetaStock’s formula language. The following shows the syntax of the
writeval() function.
writeval( DATA ARRAY )
The following example displays the value of the stochastic oscillator.
writeval(stoch(14,3))
The writeval() function can be nested within a writeif() function as
shown in the following example.
writeif(rsi(14) > 80, “writeval(rsi(14))”,”not above
80”)

MetaStock Professional Getting Expert Advice on Your Securities • 409

 You can also use the standard if() function to control what value the
writeval() function displays. The following formula displays the value of
the 10-period moving average if the RSI is greater than 80, otherwise the
value of the 20-period moving average is displayed.
writeval(if(rsi(14)>80,mov(c,10,s),mov(c,20,s)))
Of course the same results would be generated by the following formula
using the writeif() function. However, the previous example is more
concise.
writeif(rsi(14)>80,”writeval(mov(c,10,s))”,”writeval
(mov(c,20,s))”)
The above method is required however, if your true/false text needs to
combine formula values and text as shown below.
writeif(rsi(14)>80,”The 10-period moving average is
writeval(mov(c,10,s)).”,”The 20-period moving average
is writeval(mov(c,20,s)).”)

Controlling the Width and Decimal Placement

There may be times when you would like to control the width and
decimal placement of numbers generated by the writeval() function. The
most obvious use is when aligning values in columns.
An additional parameter can be attached to the end of the writeval()
function to control width and decimal positions. The value to the left of
the period controls the width and the value to the right of the period
controls the number of places to display to the right of the decimal. Here
are some examples.
10 characters wide and 3 decimal places: writeval(macd(),10.3)
5 characters wide and 2 decimal places: writeval (rsi(14),5.2)
Left-justified with 3 decimal places: writeval(rsi(21),0.3)
8 characters wide with no decimal places: writeval(rsi(34),8.0)
If the width specified is too small to display all of the digits required, the
actual number of digits displayed will be the minimum number required
to hold the entire value.
If the decimals field is too small to display the total number of decimal
digits in the value, the number of decimal digits displayed is truncated
(not rounded) to the number requested.
The following illustration shows the commentary to generate a table of
indicator values.

410 • Getting Expert Advice on Your Securities MetaStock Professional

 The following shows the resulting commentary.

Using Constants in Commentaries

There are five constants that are used to display information about the
security the commentary is attached to.
<NAME>. This displays the name of the security.
<SYMBOL>. This displays the ticker symbol of the security.
<PERIODICITY>. This displays the periodicity of the security in the
default long format (i.e., daily, weekly, etc.). To display the periodicity
in the short format (i.e., day, week, etc.) append a ":S" (e.g.,
<PERIODICITY:S> ). Note that appending a ":L" or nothing at all,
displays the default long format.
You can also control whether or not the first letter of the periodicity is
capitalized. <Periodicity> capitalizes the first letter (i.e., Daily); whereas
<periodicity> keeps the first letter in lower-case (i.e., weekly).

MetaStock Professional Getting Expert Advice on Your Securities • 411

 <DATE>. This displays the date (and time for intraday charts) for which
the commentary is generated (i.e., the last date and time loaded in the
chart). To display the date in the long format (e.g., "Friday, September
20, 1998") append an ":L" (e.g., "<DATE:L>"). Note that appending an
":S" or nothing at all, displays the default short format. The format of
your date (both long and short) is controlled from the Regional Settings
Properties dialog in the Windows Control Panel.
<EXPERT>. This displays the name of the expert.
The following commentary makes use of these constants.

The following is the resulting commentary.

412 • Getting Expert Advice on Your Securities MetaStock Professional

 Controlling the Look of Commentaries
You can control the way a commentary appears by using fonts, colors,
formatting, bullets, and special control characters.
The Backslash
The backslash character (i.e., \ ) tells MetaStock Pro to suppress the start
of a new line. This prevents a lot of blank lines when the conditional text
isn't displayed. For example, the following text will appear on five lines:
This
appears
on
five
lines.
Whereas, due to the backslashes, the following text appears on one line.
This \
appears \
on \
one \
line.
Note that a backslash must be followed by a carriage return.
To prevent blank lines from appearing when the nested conditional
statements are not displayed, backslashes are used in the following
example.
writeif(Highest(high)=high,"<Name> is making new
highs.")\
writeif(Lowest(low)=low,"<Name> is making new lows.",
"" )\
writeif(cross(macd(),mov(macd(),9,e)),"The MACD is
giving a new buy signal today (<Date>).", "")\

Using Colors, Fonts, and Formatting

To make your commentaries more readable, you should take advantage of
the word-processing tools on the commentary toolbar. You have a choice
of multiple fonts, point sizes, colors, formatting, text alignment, and even
bullets.
A rather boring commentary that looks like this…

MetaStock Professional Getting Expert Advice on Your Securities • 413

 …can be brought to life by using the tools creatively.

To change the fonts, colors, and formatting of text within the expert
commentary editor, use the toolbar at the top of the dialog.

Accelerator Keys
In addition to the buttons on the commentary toolbar, the following
accelerators are also available when editing a commentary:

414 • Getting Expert Advice on Your Securities MetaStock Professional

 Action Accelerator Key
Bold toggle CTRL+B

Underline toggle CTRL+U

Italics toggle CTRL+I

Center align paragraph CTRL+E

Left align paragraph CTRL+L

Right align paragraph CTRL+R

Increase paragraph indent CTRL+M

Decrease paragraph indent CTRL+SHIFT+M

Find text CTRL+F

Find next F3

Replace text CTRL+H

The standard Windows Edit controls also work within a commentary.

Action Accelerator Key

Cut to clipboard CTRL+X

Copy to clipboard CTRL+C

Paste from clipboard CTRL+V

Select All text CTRL+A

Undo last action CTRL+Z

Redo last Undo CTRL+Y

Embedding Video, Sound, and Other Files in

Commentaries
A great way to enhance an expert is to add multimedia and/or links to
additional files (e.g., spreadsheets, docs, etc.) within a commentary.
Video files, sound files, and other files (e.g., an Excel spreadsheet,
WordPerfect document, etc.) can be pasted directly in an expert
commentary. Several of the pre-packaged experts that are shipped with
MetaStock Pro include linked video clips.
Files that are linked within a commentary are usually displayed as icons.
When a commentary window for a specific chart is displayed, you can
double-click on the icon to view the file. The necessary application to
view (or run) the file is automatically launched.
You can link a file within a writeif() function in a commentary, thereby
making the display of the file's icon dependent on the condition as shown
below.

MetaStock Professional Getting Expert Advice on Your Securities • 415

 Writeif(cross(c,mov(c,21,s)," ")

In the above example, the video clip icon will only display in the
commentary if the close has crossed above a 21-period moving average.
Note that the video clip icon is contained within quotes, just as regular
text would be.
The following example shows an Excel spreadsheet linked within a
writeif() function.
Writeif(rsi(14)>80 and fml("Volatility
Breakout")=1,"View this Excel spreadsheet for

additional analysis, ")

Of course, if you want the file's icon to always display in the commentary
(several pre-packaged experts have these), simply paste link it directly in
the commentary editor box, outside of any writeif() functions. You can
paste link a file by right-clicking on the file in the Windows Explorer and
choosing Copy and then right-clicking on the commentary window in
MetaStock Pro and choosing Paste Special.
If the linked file represented by the icon has been moved, renamed,
deleted, etc., and you double-click the icon to view it, nothing will happen
since MetaStock Pro does not know where the original file is located.
Note that this will always occur if you purchased MetaStockPro on the
floppy disks (rather than on CD-ROM) and you attempt to run any of the
pre-packaged linked video clips (see page 417 for instructions on
overcoming this problem). The pre-packaged video clips are not shipped
on floppy disks due to their large size.
To paste a video, sound or other files into a commentary
1. Open the Windows Explorer.
2. Right-click on the file to copy and choose Copy from the shortcut
menu.
3. In MetaStock Pro, open the expert in which you want to copy the file
and click the Commentary tab.
4. In the Commentary editor box, right-click where you want the file to
be inserted.
5. Choose Paste Special from the shortcut menu.
6. From the Paste Special dialog, choose the Paste Link radio button.
7. If you want the file displayed as an icon in your commentary, check
the Display As Icon box.

416 • Getting Expert Advice on Your Securities MetaStock Professional

 Accessing the Videos on the MetaStock Pro CD
If you chose not to install the multimedia files on your hard disk during
the installation of MetaStock Pro, you can still view the video clips from
the MetaStock Pro CD by manually editing the link within the
commentary.
To access video directly from the MetaStock Pro CD
1. In MetaStock Pro, edit the expert that you want to view the video in
and click the Commentary tab.
2. Right-click anywhere within the Commentary editor box. You can do
this even if it says "Formula is password protected or read-only."
3. Choose Links from the shortcut menu.
4. Click the Change Source button from the Links dialog and locate
the correct AVI file from the \experts folder on the MetaStock Pro
CD.
5. Click the Update Now button in the Links dialog and then click the
Close button.
Note that the MetaStock Pro CD-ROM must be in the CD-ROM drive if
you want to view the videos. In addition, an operating system quirk
prevents the path name shown with a video's icon from updating to reflect
the new linked source.

Finding and Replacing Text in Commentaries

You can quickly locate text within a commentary by using the Find
dialog. When editing a commentary press the CTRL+F key to display the
Find dialog. You can press the F3 key to find the next occurrence of the
text.

Find What. Type the text to search for.

Match Whole Word Only. Check this box to search for occurrences
that are whole words and not part of a larger word.
Match Case. Check this box to distinguish between uppercase and
lowercase characters.
You can find text and replace with alternate text by using the Replace
command. When editing a commentary press the CTRL+H key to display
the Replace dialog.

MetaStock Professional Getting Expert Advice on Your Securities • 417

 Find What. Type the text to search for.
Replace With. Type the text to replace the text in the Find What box.
Match Whole Word Only. Check this box to search for occurrences
that are whole words and not part of a larger word.
Match Case. Check this box to distinguish between uppercase and
lowercase characters.
Replace. Click this button to replace the text in the Find What box with
the text in the Replace With box.
Replace All. Click this button to replace all text in the commentary
matching the text in the Find What box with the text in the Replace With
box.

Different Ways to View Commentaries

The Preview button allows There are several ways to view a commentary. When writing your
you to view the output of commentaries, you’ll want to use the Preview button in the Expert Editor
the commentary. dialog to see how things are turning out. Clicking this button shows you
exactly how your commentary will appear when viewed in the Expert
Commentary Preview Window. If there are errors in your commentary,
you will be notified after clicking the Preview button. Note that the
Preview button is disabled if no chart is open.
A chart must be open in order to view a commentary, otherwise the
Commentary button will be disabled.
After the expert to which the commentary belongs has been attached to a
chart, you can view the commentary by using one of the following
methods:
• Right-click the chart and choose Expert Advisor, then Commentary
from the short-cut menu. The Commentary Window appears.
• Choose Expert Commentary from the View menu. The Commentary
Window appears.
• Click the Expert Advisor button on the standard toolbar. Select the
commentary to view and then click the Commentary button. The
Commentary Preview Window appears. Use the Commentary
Preview Window if you want to quickly scan through multiple
commentaries. If no chart is displayed, the Commentary button is
disabled.

418 • Getting Expert Advice on Your Securities MetaStock Professional

 Docking the Commentary Window
The Commentary Window (not the Commentary Preview Window) can
be docked on the top, bottom or sides of the screen. Drag the
Commentary Window so that it overlaps the side of the screen by which
you want to dock and release the mouse button. Double-click just to the
right of the Commentary Window's toolbar to undock.
To change the size of a docked Commentary Window, you must change
the size prior to docking. If you dock the window on the left or right
side of the screen, the width of the window (prior to docking) is retained.
Likewise, if you dock the window on the top or bottom of the screen, the
height of the window (prior to docking) is retained.
Changing Analysis Dates with the Commentary Window
Displayed
By default the Commentary Window analyzes the last bar in the chart.
However, you are not limited to just the last bar. Perhaps, you'd like to
read what the commentary said just prior to the last market selloff. You
can use the toolbar buttons in the Commentary Window to change from
bar to bar, or you can click directly on the chart above or below the bar to
analyze. Note that this functionality is not available from the
Commentary Preview Window which is displayed from within the Expert
Advisor dialog.

The bar that the commentary is analyzing is labeled with a small black
triangle directly above the bar.

MetaStock Professional Getting Expert Advice on Your Securities • 419

 Changing from bar to bar as described above is a quick and convenient
way to test the output of your commentaries for different market
conditions.
Commentaries Updating in Real-time
An option in the Application Options dialog (see page 36) controls when
a commentary attached to a real-time chart is updated. You can choose
whether the commentary should be updated with every tick, at the
completion of each bar, or only when the Refresh button is pressed.

Complex commentaries attached to active real-time charts can be a

significant drain on system resources. Therefore, you should be careful
about choosing the "Update Commentary on each tick" option in the
Application Options dialog.

Tips for Writing Commentaries

• Take advantage of the font, color, formatting, bullets, etc. to enliven
your commentaries (see page 413).
• Create columns of indicator values by using the writeval() function in
combination with width and decimal parameters (see page 410).
• Use the backslash at the end of nested writeif() functions to avoid
blank lines (see page 413).

420 • Getting Expert Advice on Your Securities MetaStock Professional

 • Use constants to inform the reader about the security being analyzed
(see page 411). You may even make a standard header to appear at
the top of every commentary.
• When writing a commentary and you want to preview the true text
string of the logical formula in a writeif() statement, you can force the
condition to true by placing the words "or true" after the logical
formula. Likewise, the words "or false" after a logical formula will
force the condition to false and allow you to preview the false text
string.
• Instead of using generic words like "bars" or "periods" in
commentaries, use the <periodicity> constant with the letter "s"
immediately following it (e.g., <periodicity>s ). This will return a
much more descriptive "days", "weeks", etc., matching the
periodicity of the chart.
• If you need to place quotes around a word in the true/false text of a
writeif() statement, precede the quote with a backslash (i.e.,
\"bearish\").
• Comments can be inserted within a commentary by placing the text in
braces (i.e., {} ). You may want to use comments to clarify complex
functions. The text inside the braces will not display when the
commentary is viewed.
• If a comment is entered on its own line, you will probably want to
place a backslash (see page 413) after the comment so that an extra
carriage return does not show up in your commentary.
• See the pre-packaged commentary named "Equis - Instructional
Commentary."
• You can jump directly from a chart to its commentary by right-
clicking on the chart, choosing Expert Advisor and then choosing
Commentary.
• You can increase the size of the Expert Editor dialog by clicking on
the border of the dialog and dragging. You may find this especially
helpful when writing commentaries.
• When creating columns of text or numbers, use a fixed width font
such as Courier or Courier New to help align columns neatly.

Using Highlights to Emphasize Specified Conditions

Highlights are a great visual tool for analyzing a chart. Since the focal-
point of a chart is the price bars, it only makes sense to have the display
of the bars convey information about the technical status of the security.
This is done with the use of color.
The Expert Advisor allows you to define an unlimited number of
conditions that will cause the bars to change colors. For example, the
bars could be colored red when the RSI is above 80, blue when its below

MetaStock Professional Getting Expert Advice on Your Securities • 421

 20, and black when its between 20 and 80. A simple concept, yet
amazingly convenient and powerful.

Creating and Editing Highlights

Highlights are created and edited from the Highlights page of the Expert
Advisor dialog. Highlights are enabled by checking the box to the left of
the highlight's name.

New. Choose this to create a new highlight. The Expert Highlight

Editor appears from which you can specify the name, conditions, and
color for a highlight.
Edit. Choose this to edit the selected highlight. The Expert Highlight
Editor dialog appears.
Delete. Choose this to delete the selected highlights.
Check All. Click this button to enable (check) all highlights. If you
select only a portion of the highlights, only those selected are enabled.
Uncheck All. Click this button to disable (uncheck) all highlights. If
you select only a portion of the highlights, only those selected are
disabled.
Move Up. Click the Move Up button to move the selected highlight up
Move Up button the list. The higher a highlight is on the list, the higher the priority it is
given. See page 430 for information on priority.
Move Down. Click the Move Down button to move the selected
Move Down button highlight down the list. The higher a highlight is on the list, the higher the
priority it is given. See page 430 for information on priority.

422 • Getting Expert Advice on Your Securities MetaStock Professional

 Specifying the Condition for a Highlight
As with the other components in the Expert Advisor, the conditions for
the highlights are written in the MetaStock formula language. They are
evaluated as either true or false. A true condition will cause the price plot
to be drawn (highlighted) in the specified color. If the condition is false,
prices are displayed in the colors specified in the Price Properties dialog
(see page 151).
You use the Expert Highlight Editor dialog to specify the condition and
the color to use for a highlight. This dialog is accessed by choosing New
or Edit from the Highlights page of the Expert Editor dialog.

Name. Enter the name for the highlight. You should use a name that is
descriptive of the highlight (e.g., "RSI/Moving Average Bullish"). The
maximum length of the name is 40 characters.
Condition. Enter the formula to use for the highlight. If the formula is
true for a given time period (i.e., day, week, month, etc.), the price plot
will be highlighted with the selected color. Click the Functions button if
you need help with the MetaStock formula language. Formulas must be
written in the MetaStock formula language (see page 235).
Color. Choose the color from the drop list box. This is the color that
will be used when the highlight’s condition is true.
Functions. Click this button to display the Paste Functions dialog (see
page 305). Note that this button is enabled only when the cursor is
located within the Condition box.

Viewing the Results of Highlights

As with all components of an expert, you must attach the expert
containing the highlight to a chart in order to see the results.
To view the results of a highlight
1. Open a chart.
2. Choose Expert Advisor from the Tools menu.
3. Choose the expert that contains the highlights and choose Edit.

MetaStock Professional Getting Expert Advice on Your Securities • 423

 4. Click the Highlights tab.
5. Check the box next to the desired highlight(s). Click the OK button.
6. Choose Attach from the Expert Advisor dialog. The price plot on
the chart should now redraw to reflect the highlight contained within
the attached expert.
7. Click the Close button in the Expert Advisor dialog.

Sample Highlights
The following illustrations show some examples of highlights.
This highlight colors the bars blue when the close is below its 20-period
moving average.

This highlight colors the bars green when the closing price is up, the RSI
is below 30, the CCI is below -100, and volume is twice its average.

You can also combine multiple highlights. For example, the previous
two highlights could both be enabled simultaneously from the Highlights
page as shown below. Note that the checked box indicates both are
enabled.

424 • Getting Expert Advice on Your Securities MetaStock Professional

 When the conditions for these highlights are evaluated, the highlight that
Move Up/Dn buttons appears at the top of the list is given highest priority. Use the Move Up
and Move Down buttons to change the priority. In this case, the highlight
named “Oversold Reversal” is given the highest priority since it is listed
first. This means that if the conditions for both the Oversold Reversal
and the RSI/CCI are true on the same day, the Oversold Reversal
highlight will take precedence. The bar would be colored green.

Tips for Using Highlights

• Highlights and Trend ribbons (see page 404) are very similar. Both
are used to place emphasis on zones of prices when a specified
condition is true.
• Highlights are best used for conditions that remain true over a period
of time. Symbols are best to mark conditions that are triggered
momentarily (i.e., moving average crossovers).

Using Symbols to Identify Key Points on Charts

Symbols provide a great way to mark points on your chart where
specified conditions are met.
Expert Symbols can be Conceptually, symbols are almost identical to highlights. In fact, the only
distinguished from other difference is the way the results are displayed on the chart.
symbols by the small "e" The Expert Advisor allows you to define an unlimited number of
that appears next to conditions that will cause the specified graphic or text to appear above or
them. below the price bar that triggered the condition “true.” For example, a
bull graphic could be placed below the price bar on the day when the RSI
crosses above 20--a bear graphic when the RSI crosses below 80.
If you use the System Tester, this may be just the tool you’ve been
looking for. It's like having your chart constantly being monitored by a

MetaStock Professional Getting Expert Advice on Your Securities • 425

 system test. Much like the results of the buy/sell signals of a system test
are displayed with arrows on your chart, the Expert Advisor’s symbols
feature can keep you up-to-date on conditions in your chart.

Creating and Editing Symbols

Symbols are created and edited from the Symbols page of the Expert
Advisor dialog. Symbols are enabled by checking the box to the left of
the symbol's name.

New. Choose this to create a new symbol. The Expert Symbol Editor
appears from which you can specify the name, conditions, and
graphic/text for a symbol. See 428 for more information on this dialog.
Edit. Choose this to edit the selected symbol. The Expert Symbol Editor
dialog appears (see page 426).
Delete. Choose this to delete the selected symbol.
Check All. Click this button to enable (check) all symbols. If you
select only a portion of the symbols, only those selected are enabled.
Uncheck All. Click this button to disable (uncheck) all symbols. If you
select only a portion of the symbols, only those selected are disabled.
Move Up. Click the Move Up button to move the selected symbol up in
Move Up button the list. The higher a symbol is on the list, the higher the priority it is
given. See page 430 for information on priority.
Move Down. Click the Move Down button to move the selected symbol
Move Down button down in the list. The higher a symbol is on the list, the higher the priority
it is given. See page 430 for information on priority.
Specifying the Condition for a Symbol
As with the other components in the Expert Advisor, the conditions for
symbols are written in the MetaStock formula language. They are

426 • Getting Expert Advice on Your Securities MetaStock Professional

 evaluated as either true or false. A true condition will cause the symbol
to be drawn near the price plot using the specified graphic and/or text.
You use the Expert Symbol Editor dialog to specify the formula condition
and the graphic/text to use for a symbol. This dialog is accessed by
choosing New or Edit from the Symbol page of the Expert Editor dialog.

Name. Enter the name for the symbol. You should use a name that is
descriptive of the symbol's condition (e.g., "RSI/Moving Average
Bullish"). The maximum length of the name is 40 characters.
Condition. Enter the formula to use for the symbol. If the formula is
true for a given time period (i.e., day, week, month, etc.), the price bar
will be marked with the selected graphic and/or text. You may want to
click the Functions button if you need help with the MetaStock formula
language. Formulas must be written in the MetaStock formula language
(see page 235).
Functions. Click this button to display the Paste Functions dialog (see
page 305). Note that this button is enabled only when the cursor is
located within the Condition box.
Defining the Symbols to Display
The Symbols page of the Expert Symbol Editor dialog is used to define
the graphic and label to use for the symbols. Note that a symbol does not
have to contain both a graphic and a label.

MetaStock Professional Getting Expert Advice on Your Securities • 427

 Graphic. Choose the graphic to display for the symbol from the drop-
list. If you prefer not to have a graphic attached to the symbol, choose
“(None)” from the drop-list.
Size. Choose the size of the graphic (but not the label), from the drop-
list. Use the Font button to change the size of the label.
Color. Choose the color for the graphic (but not the label) from the
drop-list. Use the Font button to change the color of the label.
Label. Enter the label to display for the symbol. A label can contain up
to 40 characters, including line feeds. If you prefer not to display a label,
simply leave the box blank.
Symbol Position. Choose the location for the graphic.
Label Position. Choose the location for the label.
Font. Click this button to display the standard Windows Font dialog.
This dialog is used to change the font, color, and style of the label.

Viewing the Results of Symbols

As with all components of an expert, you must attach the expert
containing the symbol to a chart in order to see the results.
To view the results of a symbol
1. Open a chart.
2. Choose Expert Advisor from the Tools menu.
3. Choose the expert that contains the symbol(s) and choose Edit.
4. Click the Symbols tab.
5. Check the box next to the desired symbol(s). Click the OK button.
6. Choose Attach from the Expert Advisor dialog. The chart will now
redraw to reflect the symbol contained within the attached expert.
7. Click the Close button in the Expert Advisor dialog.

428 • Getting Expert Advice on Your Securities MetaStock Professional

 Sample Symbols
The following illustrations show some examples of symbols.
This symbol draws a graphic of a bear below the price bar when the close
crosses below its 40-period moving average.

This symbol places the label “Overbought” if the Stochastic crosses

above 80, the CCI is above 100, and volume is twice its average.

You can also combine multiple symbols. For example, the previous two
symbols could both be enabled simultaneously from the Symbols page as
shown below. Note that the checked boxes indicate both are enabled.

MetaStock Professional Getting Expert Advice on Your Securities • 429

 When the conditions for these symbols are evaluated, the symbol that
Move Up/Dn buttons appears at the top of the list is given highest priority. Use the Move Up
and Move Down buttons to change the order. In this case, the symbol
named “Moving Average Crossover” is given the highest priority since it
is listed first. This means that if the conditions for both Moving Average
Crossover and the Stochastic/CCI/Volume are true on the same day, only
the Moving Average Crossover symbol will be displayed.

Tips for Using Symbols

• Highlights are best used for conditions that remain true over a period
of time. Symbols are best to mark conditions that are triggered
momentarily (i.e., moving average crossovers).
• Symbols in combination with Alerts provide a great way to keep
abreast of the signals generated by your favorite system test. In fact,
you may want to copy the system test rules into the Expert Symbol
Editor dialog and the Expert Alert Editor dialog so that they are
constantly monitored.

Using Alerts to Grab Your Attention

Alerts give you the ability to ensure that you stay in touch with current
conditions in your chart, even when you’re away from the office. An alert
is defined just like highlights and symbols. However, where highlights
and symbols are activated on all the data loaded in the chart, alerts are
displayed only if the condition is “true” for any new bars since the chart
was last opened. (When you first attach an expert to a chart, alerts will be
triggered only for the last bar in the chart.)
The Expert Advisor allows you to define an unlimited number of alerts.
When the alerts are triggered, you can be notified by a message box on
your screen, play a sound or video file, or send notification to an e-mail

430 • Getting Expert Advice on Your Securities MetaStock Professional

 address or pager. For example, you could define an alert that would pop-
up and play a sound file of the Star Spangled Banner whenever your U.S.
Treasury Bond prices fall below the lower Bollinger Band. Or maybe
you’d like a video clip of fireworks displayed whenever IBM’s 14-day
RSI falls below 70 on twice the average volume. There’s nothing wrong
with being a little creative and having some fun with these tools.
For those that use the System Tester, this may be just the tool you’ve
been looking for. It's like having your chart constantly being monitored
by a system test. Much like the results of the buy/sell signals of a system
test are displayed with arrows on your chart--the Expert Advisor’s Alert
feature can be used to keep you up-to-date on conditions in your chart.

Creating and Editing Alerts

Alerts are created and edited from the Alerts page in the Expert Advisor
dialog. Alerts are enabled by checking the box to the left of the alert's
name.

New. Choose this button to create a new alert. The Expert Alert Editor
appears from which you can specify the name, conditions, and define the
pop-up message and WAV or AVI file to play. See page 433 for more
information on this dialog.
Edit. Choose this button to edit the selected alert. The Expert Alert
Editor dialog appears.
Delete. Choose this button to delete the selected alert.
Check All. Click this button to enable (check) all alerts. If you select
only a portion of the alerts, only those selected are enabled.
Uncheck All. Click this button to disable (uncheck) all alerts. If you
select only a portion of the alerts, only those selected are disabled.

MetaStock Professional Getting Expert Advice on Your Securities • 431

 Move Up. Click the Move Up button to move the selected alert up in
Move Up button the list. This has no effect on the priority given to an alert. All alerts are
given equal priority.
Move Down. Click the Move Down button to move the selected alert
Move Down button down in the list. This has no effect on the priority given to an alert. All
alerts are given equal priority.
Specifying the Conditions for an Alert
As with the other components in the Expert Advisor, the conditions for
alerts are written in the MetaStock formula language. They are evaluated
as either true or false. A true condition on any bar more current than the
last time the chart was opened will cause the alert to trigger and display
the specified pop-up message, or play the accompanying sound or video
file (if available), and send notification via e-mail or a pager. (When you
first attach an expert to a chart, alerts will be triggered only for the last
bar in the chart.)
You use the Expert Alert Editor dialog to specify the formula conditions
and how you want to be notified that the alert has been triggered. This
dialog is accessed by choosing New or Edit from the Alert page in the
Expert Editor dialog.

Name. Enter the name for the symbol. You should use a name that is
descriptive of the alert’s condition (e.g., RSI/Moving Average Bullish).
The maximum length of the name is 40 characters.
Condition. Enter the formula to use for the alert. When first attaching
the expert, the alert will trigger if the formula is true for the most recent
period loaded in the chart. When opening the chart after the expert is
attached, the alert will trigger if the formula is true for any bars that are
more current than the last time you opened the chart. You may want to
click the Functions button if you need help with the MetaStock formula
language. Formulas must be written using the MetaStock formula
language (see page 235).

432 • Getting Expert Advice on Your Securities MetaStock Professional

 Function. Click this button to display the Paste Functions dialog (see
page 305). You may want to click the Functions button if you need help
with the MetaStock formula language (see page 235). Note that this
button is enabled only when the cursor is located within the Condition
box.
Defining the Alert
The Alerts page of the Expert Alert Editor dialog is used to define the
pop-up message, WAV or AVI file to play, and whether or not to send
notification by e-mail or pager when the alert is triggered. Note that a
alert does not have to contain both a message and a multimedia file.

Message. Enter the message to display when the alert triggers. You
can enter up to 40 characters.
Text Only. Choose this button if you want only the specified text
message shown in the Message box to display when an alert is triggered.
Play Video. Choose this button if you want the specified video file
shown in the Video File box to play when an alert is triggered.
Play Sound. Choose this button if you want the specified sound file
shown in the Sound File box to play when an alert is triggered. Check the
accompanying "Repeat Sound" box if you want the sound file to repeat
playing once it is triggered. You can stop the sound from playing by
clicking the OK button in the pop-up Expert Alert dialog.
Sound/Video File. Enter the folder and file name of the sound or
Play button video file to play. Sound files have a WAV file extension. Video files
have an AVI file extension. There is no limit to the size of the sound or
video file you can play. Use the Browse button if you need to search
your disk. Once the path and file name are entered, you can click the
play button to test the playback.

MetaStock Professional Getting Expert Advice on Your Securities • 433

 Send alert to e-mail recipient. Check this box to send an e-mail
message to the recipient listed in Application Properties (see page 37)
when this alert is triggered.
Send alert to pager. Check this box to send a notification of the
triggered alert to the pager specified in Application Properties (see page
37).

Viewing Triggered Alerts

Each time a chart is opened after an alert has been attached to the chart,
the alert conditions are checked to see if any alerts have triggered. If an
alert is triggered for any period that is more current than the last time the
chart was opened, the Expert Alert dialog will pop-up.

This dialog shows the date on which the alert triggered, and displays the
message specified in the Expert Alert Editor. E-mail and pager
notifications associated with the alert are also sent. If a sound or video
file was attached to the alert, it will begin playing. Click the OK button
to remove the dialog and stop the sound or video.
If other alerts remain to be displayed, you can click the “Skip all
remaining alerts for this security” box to keep them from popping up.
Any e-mail and pager alerts will be sent, however.
Alerts can also be triggered if you change the periodicity (see page 120).
For example, an alert that was not triggered on daily data may be
triggered if the periodicity is changed to weekly.

Tips for Using Alerts

• When you open a chart with an expert attached, any e-mail or pager
alerts that are triggered for any bar more current than the last time
you opened the chart will be sent. If you do not want these
notifications to be sent, you can edit the Expert Advisor, or go into
Application Properties (see page 37) and disable e-mail and pager
alerts before opening the charts.
• For those that have the ability to record their own sound or video
files, you may find it useful (and even fun) to attach a multimedia file
to your alerts. When the alert is triggered, the sound or video file

434 • Getting Expert Advice on Your Securities MetaStock Professional

 will begin playing—informing you in plain English (or Spanish,
German, etc.) what has occurred.
• You can use the Sound Recorder located in the Windows Multimedia
folder to record your own sound files.

• Symbols in combination with Alerts provide a great way to keep

abreast of the signals generated by your favorite system test. In fact,
you may want to copy the system test rules into the Expert Symbol
Editor dialog and the Expert Alert Editor dialog so that they are
constantly monitored.

Attaching an Expert to a Chart

After you have created an expert, you must attach the expert to a chart in
order for it to function. As mentioned earlier, an expert can contain just
one or all five of the components. Most of your experts will probably
contain just one or two components.
MetaStock Pro’s Smart Chart feature automatically saves the expert that
is attached to a chart. So the next time you open the chart, the expert will
automatically reevaluate your chart and display the updated results.
The Attach button in the Expert Advisor dialog is a toggle button. If an
expert that is not already attached is selected, the button toggles to Attach.
If the selected expert is already attached (i.e., a small triangle appears
next to it), the button toggles to Detach. If no chart is open, the button is
disabled.
A chart can only have one expert attached to it at a time. However, you
can create multiple charts of the same security using the New Window
command in the Window menu (see page 86). After creating a “clone” of
the selected chart, you could then attach another expert to it.
To attach an expert to a chart
1. Open the chart to which you want to attach the expert.
2. Display the Expert Advisor dialog by doing one of the following:
Expert Advisor button • Choose Expert Advisor from the Tools menu.
• Click the Expert Advisor button on the standard toolbar.

MetaStock Professional Getting Expert Advice on Your Securities • 435

 3. Choose the desired expert from the Expert Advisor dialog and click
the Attach button.
or
Right-click on the chart.
4. Choose Expert Advisor from the shortcut menu, then choose
Attach.
5. Choose the desired expert from the Attach Expert dialog.
To detach an expert from a chart
1. Open the chart that has the attached expert.
2. Display the Expert Advisor dialog by doing one of the following:
Expert Advisor button • Choose Expert Advisor from the Tools menu.
• Click the Expert Advisor button on the standard toolbar.
3. Select the attached expert from the Expert Advisor dialog (i.e., the
one with the small triangle next to it) and click the Detach button.
or
Right-click on the chart’s inner window.
4. Choose Expert Advisor from the shortcut menu, then choose
Detach.

Copying and Deleting Experts

You can make a copy of a selected expert from the Expert Advisor dialog
using the Copy button. This is useful when you need to design a new
expert that is similar to an existing one.
For example, if Expert A was similar to a new expert you want to create,
you could use the Copy command in the Expert Advisor dialog to make a
You can select multiple duplicate rather than rewriting it. You could then make the minor
experts by holding down modifications necessary and name it Expert B (or whatever).
the CTRL key as you You delete the selected experts from the Expert Advisor dialog using the
click the mouse. Delete button.

Printing Experts
You can print the names and/or formulas of your experts with the Print
dialog. To access the Print dialog, choose Print from Expert Advisor
dialog.

436 • Getting Expert Advice on Your Securities MetaStock Professional

 Printer. Choose the desired printer from the drop-list.
Print Range. The All option is always enabled. All selected experts
will be printed.
Copies. Enter the number of copies to print.

Pre-packaged Experts
Many pre-packaged experts are included with MetaStock Pro. The
experts written by Equis and shipped with MetaStock Pro begin with
“Equis” (i.e., Equis - Volatility Analysis). The experts written by industry
experts (e.g., Pring, Raff, Fishback, etc.) begin with their name (e.g., Don
Fishback – ODDS™ Option Analyst).
Equis International is not a Registered Investment Advisory service.
The experts included with MetaStock Pro are for educational purposes
and are to be used at your own risk. Equis International (or its
partners) is not liable for the investment decisions you make based on
information obtained from the Expert Advisor.

Input() Function, Variables, and Multi-plot Indicators

The Expert Advisor will accept assigned variables (see page 244) in
trends, commentaries, highlights, symbols, and alerts.
In commentaries, however, variables must always be assigned within a
writeif() or writeval() formula. In other words, you cannot write a
commentary that appears as follows:
myvar:=mov(c,200,s);
writeif(c>myvar,"The close is above it's 200-period
moving average");
writeif(myvar>ref(myvar,-10),"The 200-period moving
average is trending up.");

MetaStock Professional Getting Expert Advice on Your Securities • 437

 The syntax above is invalid because the assignment of the "myvar"
variable is made outside of the writeif() functions. However, this could
be correctly rewritten as follows:
writeif(myvar:=mov(c,200,s);c>myvar,"The close is
above it's 200-period moving average. ")\
writeif(myvar:=mov(c,200,s);myvar>ref(myvar,-10),"The
200-period moving average is trending up.")

Note that the assignment of the variable "myvar" is made inside each of
the writeif() functions. As is always the case when assigning variables,
the variable assignment must be followed by a semi-colon. Although the
use of variables in the example above does not seem very beneficial, you
will find that assigning variables to long, complex formulas can make the
commentary much easier to read.
An expert cannot use the input() function directly (see page 306). This
function is reserved for custom indicators only. However, if an expert
uses the fml() function (see page 261) to call the results of a custom
indicator, and the custom indicator uses the input() function, the fml()
function will only return the assigned default input value—the expert will
not prompt for input.
If an expert contains or references (using the fml() function) a multi-plot
indicator, only the last plot is used in the calculation of the exploration.

Expert Advisor Tips

• Due to the way the Performance indicator is calculated (its values are
dependent on the amount of data loaded in the chart), you may
experience inconsistent results if you use it. Therefore, we
recommend that you avoid using the Per() function in experts.
• You can reference an indicator in a chart by selecting the indicator
(i.e., clicking on it so handles appear) and then substitute the "P"
variable in place of a formula's data array. For example, the formula
"mov(p,10,s)" would calculate a 10-period moving average of the
selected indicator. Note that “P” will represent the plot selected at
the time the expert is attached to the chart. See page 247 for more
information on the "P" variable.
• If you aren't familiar with the MetaStock formula language, you
really should learn how to use the Indicator Builder and System
Tester. The Indicator Builder and System Tester are the key building
blocks for the Expert Advisor.
• You can jump directly from a chart to its commentary by right-
clicking on the chart, choosing Expert Advisor and then choosing
Commentary.
• You can increase the size of the Expert Editor dialog by clicking on
the border of the dialog and dragging. You may find this especially
helpful when writing commentaries.

438 • Getting Expert Advice on Your Securities MetaStock Professional

 • Experts are saved with templates and smart charts.
Equis International is not a Registered Investment Advisory service.
The experts included with MetaStock Pro are for educational purposes
and are to be used at your own risk. Equis International (or its
partners) is not liable for the investment decisions you make based on
information obtained from the Expert Advisor.

Execution Errors in an Expert

The Error Executing Expert dialog will appear if a run-time error occurs
while calculating an expert. Any error that is not a "math" error qualifies
as a run-time error.

Remove this Expert from the chart. The expert is removed from
the chart so that it will not calculate again.
Keep this Expert in the chart. The expert will calculate again with
the next data update of the chart and any errors that occur will be
reported.
Don't show future errors for this Expert in this chart. The
expert will calculate again with the next data update of the chart. Any
errors that occur will not be reported. Note that the errors will be
suppressed only for the expert in the current chart.

Note that this dialog may also appear if you changed the folder listed in
the File Locations page in the Application Options dialog (see page 33).

MetaStock Professional Getting Expert Advice on Your Securities • 439

Interpretation of Indicators and Line
Studies

Indicator Guide
The indicators and line studies found in MetaStock Pro can be divided
into six categories. The intent of this guide is to help you develop better
trading systems. A robust technical trading system should probably
incorporate indicators from several of these categories. Note that some
indicators fall into more than one category.

Trend Indicators
The following indicators and line studies can be used to measure trend.
Trend is a term used to describe the persistence of prices to move in one
direction.

Indicator Creator Page

Reference
Aroon Chande 449
Commodity Selection Index Wilder 458
DEMA Mulloy 461
Directional Movement Wilder 463
Forecast Oscillator Chande 469
Linear Regression Indicator 478
Linear Regression Slope 478
Linear Regression Trendline 480
MACD Appel 480
Moving Averages (all methods) 486
Parabolic SAR Wilder 499
Performance 499
Polarized Fractal Efficiency Hannula 501
Price Oscillator 503

MetaStock Professional Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies • 441

 Qstick Indicator Chande 508
r-squared 509
Raff Regression Channel Raff 511
Standard Deviation Channel Equis 520
Standard Error 521
Standard Error Bands Equis (Andersen) 521
Standard Error Channel Equis 523
TEMA Mulloy 528
Time Series Forecast 530
Trendlines 532
Vertical Horizontal Filter White 536
Zig Zag Merril 542

Volatility Indicators
The following indicators can be used to measure volatility. Volatility is a
general term used to describe the magnitude of day-to-day fluctuations in
prices (independent of direction). Generally, changes in volatility tend to
lead changes in prices.

Indicator Creator Page

Reference
Average True Range Wilder 450
Bollinger Bands Bollinger 451
Commodity Selection Index Wilder 458
Moving Average (variable) Chande 488
ODDS™ Probability Cones Fishback 492
Relative Volatility Index Dorsey 516
Standard Deviation 519
Standard Error Bands Equis (Andersen) 521
Volatility, Chaikin’s Chaikin 537
Volatility, Option Bookstaber 498

Momentum Indicators
The following indicators can be used to measure momentum. Momentum
is a general term used to describe the speed at which prices move over a
given time period. Generally, changes in momentum tend to lead changes
in prices.

442 • Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies MetaStock Professional

 Indicator Creator Page
Reference
Accumulation Swing Index Wilder 448
Chande Momentum Oscillator Chande 456
Commodity Channel Index Lambert 458
Dynamic Momentum Index Chande 464
Intraday Momentum Index Chande 474
Linear Regression Slope 478
MACD Appel 480
Mass Index Dorsey 483
Momentum Indicator 485
Price Oscillator 503
Price Rate-Of-Change Appel 504
Random Walk Index Poulus 511
Range Indicator Weinberg 512
Relative Momentum Index Altman 513
Relative Strength Index Wilder 515
Stochastic Momentum Index Blau 523
Stochastic Oscillator Lane 524
Swing Index Wilder 527
Trix unknown 534
Ultimate Oscillator Williams 535
Williams’ %R Williams 541
Williams’ Williams 542
Accumulation/Distribution

Cycle Indicators
The following indicators and line studies can be used to measure cycles.
Many securities, particularly futures, show a tendency to move in cyclical
patterns. Price changes can often be anticipated at key cyclical intervals.

Indicator Creator Page

Reference
Cycle Lines 460
Detrended Price Oscillator 462
Fibonacci Time Zones 469
Fourier Transform 469

MetaStock Professional Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies • 443

 MESA Sine Wave Indicator Ehlers 484

Market Strength Indicators

The following indicators can be used to measure market strength. Each
of these indicators incorporate either volume or open interest, which are
the basic ingredients to the measurement of market strength. Generally
higher volume and/or open interest levels indicate more participants and
therefore more strength.

Indicator Creator Page

Reference
Accumulation/Distribution Williams 448
Demand Index Sibbet 462
Chaikin Money Flow Chaikin 456
Chaikin Oscillator Chaikin 453
Ease of Movement Arms 465
Herrick Payoff Index Herrick 472
Klinger Oscillator Klinger 476
Money Flow Index Quong/Soudack 485
Moving Average (volume Arms 487
adjusted)
Negative Volume Index Fosback 492
On Balance Volume Granville 495
Open Interest 496
Positive Volume Index Fosback 501
Price Volume Trend 505
Trade Volume Index Equis (Slauson) 531
Volume 537
Volume Oscillator 538
Volume Rate-Of-Change 539

Support and Resistance Indicators

The following indicators and line studies can be used to measure support
and resistance. A common occurrence is for prices to repeatedly rise or
fall to a certain level and then reverse. This phenomenon (attributed to
basic supply and demand) is called support and resistance.

Indicator Creator Page

Reference

444 • Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies MetaStock Professional

 Andrews' Pitchfork Andrews 449
Envelope 466
Fibonacci Arcs, Fans, 467
Retracements
Gann Lines, Fans, Grids Gann 471
Projection Bands Widner 506
Projection Oscillator Widner 507
Quadrant Lines 509
Speed Resistance Lines 518
Tirone Levels Tirone 531
Trendlines 532

MetaStock Professional Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies • 445

Accumulation/Distribution
The contents of the Accumulation/Distribution Line are explained in
detail under the discussion of the Chaikin Oscillator (page 4). Briefly,
the indicator is:
  ( Close - Low ) - ( High - Close )  
  × Volume  + I
  ( High - Low )  

Where "I" is yesterday's Accumulation/Distribution value.

See page 163 for more information on plotting indicators. See page 175
for more information on the Accumulation/Distribution's parameters.

Interpretation
The interpretation of the Accumulation/Distribution Line is similar to the
interpretation of On Balance Volume (see page 493) wherein the
indicator displays the flow of volume into or out of a security. The
discussion on the Chaikin Oscillator (see page 451) explains the
principles behind the Accumulation/Distribution Line.

Tips
Please don't confuse the volume Accumulation/Distribution indicator
with Williams' price Accumulation/Distribution indicator (see page 539).
An example custom indicator (see page 308) shows how to calculate the
Accumulation/Distribution line.

Accumulation Swing Index

The Accumulation Swing Index is a cumulative total of the Swing Index
(see page 524). Step-by-step instructions on calculating the Swing Index
are provided in Wilder's book, New Concepts In Technical Trading
Systems (see page 544).
See page 163 for more information on plotting indicators. See page 175
for more information on the Accumulation Swing Index's parameters.

Interpretation
A breakout is indicated when the Accumulation Swing Index exceeds its
value on the day when a previous significant high swing point was made.
A downside breakout is indicated when the value of the Accumulation
Swing Index drops below its value on a day when a previous significant
low swing point was made.
You can confirm trendline breakouts by comparing trendlines on the
Accumulation Swing Index to trendlines on the price chart. A false
breakout is indicated when a trendline drawn on a price chart is

446 • Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies MetaStock Professional

 penetrated, but a similar trendline drawn on the Accumulation Swing
Index is not penetrated.

Andrews' Pitchfork
Andrews' Pitchfork is a line study consisting of three parallel lines. The
lines are drawn from three points that you select.
The three trendlines are drawn as follows: The first trendline begins at
the left-most point selected and is drawn so it passes directly between the
right-most points. This line is the handle of the pitchfork. The second
and third trendlines are then drawn beginning at the right-most points and
are drawn parallel to the first line. These lines are the tines of the
pitchfork.
See page 205 for more information on drawing line studies. See page 215
for more information on the Andrews' Pitchfork parameters.

Interpretation
The interpretation of a Pitchfork is based on normal trendline support and
resistance principles (see page 529).

Aroon
The Aroon indicator was developed by Tushar Chande. Aroon is Sanskrit
word meaning “dawn’s early light” or the change from night to day. The
Aroon indicator allows you to anticipate changes in security prices from
trending to trading range. For more information on the Aroon indicator
see the article written by Tushar Chande in the September 1995 issue of
Technical Analysis of Stocks & Commodities magazine.
These changes are anticipated by measuring the number of periods that
have passed since the most recent x-period high and x-period low.
Therefore, the Aroon indicator consists of two plots; one measuring the
number of periods since the most recent x-period high (Aroon Up) and
the other measuring the number of periods since the most recent x-period
low (Aroon Down).
The actual plotted value is a “stochastic” like scale (see page 521) ranging
from 0 to 100. Assuming a default time-period of 14 days, if a security
makes a new 14-day high, the Aroon Up = 100; when the security makes a
new 14-day low, the Aroon Down = 100. When the security has not made
a new high for 14 days, the Aroon Up = 0; when the security has not
made a new low for 14 days, the Aroon Down = 0.
As explained in the interpretation section for the VHF indicator (see page
533) the age-old problem for many trading systems is their inability to
determine if a trending or trading range market is at hand. Trend-
following indicators such as MACD and moving averages, tend to be
whipsawed as markets enter a non-trending congestion phase. On the

MetaStock Professional Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies • 447

 other hand, overbought/oversold oscillators (which work well during
trading range markets) tend to overreact to price pull-backs during
trending markets—thereby closing a position prematurely. The Aroon
indicator attempts to remedy this by helping you determine when trend-
following or overbought/oversold indicators are likely to succeed.
See page 163 for more information on plotting indicators. See page 175
for more information on the Aroon parameters.

Interpretation
There are basically three conditions that you look for when interpreting
the Aroon indicator: extremes at 0 and 100, parallel movement between
Aroon Up and Aroon Down, and crossovers between Aroon Up and
Aroon Down.
Extremes. When the Aroon Up line reaches 100, strength is indicated. If
the Aroon Up remains persistently between 70 and 100, a new uptrend is
indicated. Likewise if the Aroon Down line reaches 100, potential
weakness is indicated. If the Aroon Down remains persistently between
70 and 100, a new downtrend is indicated.
A strong uptrend is indicated when the Aroon Up line persistently
remains between 70 and 100 while the Aroon Down line persistently
remains between 0 and 30. Likewise a strong downtrend is indicated
when the Aroon Down line persistently remains between 70 and 100
while the Aroon Up line persistently remains between 0 and 30.
Parallel Movement. When the Aroon Up and Aroon Down Lines move
parallel with each other (are roughly at the same level), then
consolidation is indicated. Expect further consolidation until a
directional move is indicated by an extreme level or a crossover.
Crossovers. When the Aroon Down line crosses above the Aroon Up
line, potential weakness is indicated. Expect prices to begin trending
lower. When the Aroon Up line crosses above the Aroon Down line,
potential strength is indicated. Expect prices to begin trending higher.

Average True Range

The True Range indicator is defined by Wilder to be the greatest of the
following for each period:
• The distance from today's high to today's low.
• The distance from yesterday's close to today's high.
• The distance from yesterday's close to today's low.
• The Average True Range is simply the average of the true ranges
over the past x periods (where x is specified by the user).
See page 163 for more information on plotting indicators. See page 175
for more information on the Average True Range parameters.

448 • Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies MetaStock Professional

 Interpretation
In his book, New Concepts In Technical Trading Systems (see page 544),
Wilder defines a trading system that uses the Average True Range. He
also provides details on calculating the Average True Range and the
trading system.
The Average True Range also can be interpreted using the same
techniques that are used with the other volatility indicators. Refer to the
discussion on Standard Deviation for additional information on volatility
interpretation (see page 516).

Bollinger Bands
Bollinger Bands are a type of envelope (see page 464) developed by John
Bollinger. However, where envelopes are plotted at a fixed percentage
above and below a moving average, Bollinger Bands are plotted at
standard deviation levels above and below a moving average.
You may find the expert named "Equis - Bollinger Bands" helpful in
interpreting Bollinger Bands. See page 435 for more information an
experts.
For information on products and services offered by John Bollinger
contact Bollinger Capital Management at 1-310-798-8855.
See page 163 for more information on plotting indicators. See page 176
for more information on the Bollinger Band parameters.

Interpretation
When displaying Bollinger Bands in MetaStock Pro (see page 176), you
are prompted to enter the number of periods in the bands and the number
of standard deviations between the bands and the moving average. Mr.
Bollinger recommends default values of "20" for the number of periods,
"simple" for the moving average method, and "2" deviations. He notes
that periods of less than 10 periods do not appear to work very well.
MetaStock Pro plots Bollinger Bands on the security's prices or indicator.
These interpretational comments refer to bands on the security's closing
price.
Because the spacing between Bollinger Bands is based on the standard
deviation of the security, the bands widen when the security becomes
more volatile, and contract when the security becomes less volatile.
Mr. Bollinger notes the following characteristics of Bollinger Bands.
• Sharp price changes tend to occur after the bands tighten, as
volatility lessens.
• When prices move outside the bands, a continuation of the trend is
implied.

MetaStock Professional Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies • 449

 • Bottoms/tops made outside the bands followed by bottoms/tops
made inside the bands call for reversals in the trend.
• A move that originates at one band tends to go all the way to the
other band. This observation is useful when projecting price targets.

Tip
An example custom indicator (see page 308) shows how to calculate
Bollinger Bands.

Candlesticks, Japanese
The Japanese developed a method of technical analysis in the 1600s to
analyze the price of rice contracts. This technique is called Candlestick
charting.
Candlestick charts display the open, high, low, and closing prices in a
format similar to a modern-day bar-chart. Articles written by Steven
Nison that explain Candlestick charting appeared in the December, 1989
and April, 1990 issues of Futures Magazine. The definitive book on the
subject is Japanese Candlestick Charting Techniques also by Steve Nison
(see page 544).
You may find the expert named "Equis - Candlesticks" helpful in
interpreting Candlestick patterns. See page 435 for more information an
experts.
The following illustration shows the components of the two types of
candlesticks:

Some investors are attracted to Candlestick charts by their mystique--

maybe they are the "long forgotten Asian secret" to investment analysis.
Other investors may be turned-off by their mystique. Regardless of your
feelings about the mystique of Candlestick charting, we strongly
encourage you to explore their use. Candlestick charts dramatically
illustrate supply/demand concepts defined by classical technical analysis
theories.
IMPORTANT: Because Candlesticks display the relationship between
the open, high, low, and closing prices, they cannot be displayed on
securities that only have closing prices, nor were they intended to be
displayed on securities that lack opening prices. If you attempt to display
a Candlestick chart on a security that does not have opening prices,

450 • Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies MetaStock Professional

 MetaStock Pro will use the previous period's closing prices in place of
opening prices. Note that this technique can create Candlestick lines and
patterns that are not valid (e.g., the previous period's close may have been
outside the current period's high-low range).

Interpretation
See page 288 for detailed information on many candlestick patterns.
A good way to learn about candlestick patterns is to attach the expert
named "Equis - Candlesticks" to a chart.

Candlevolume
Candlevolume charts are a unique hybrid of the Equivolume and
Candlestick charting methods. A candlevolume chart possesses the
shadows and empty/filled body characteristics of Candlestick charts, plus
the volume-based body width of Equivolume charts. This combination
gives you the unique ability to study Candlestick patterns in combination
with their volume.

Chaikin A/D Oscillator

The Chaikin Oscillator is created by subtracting a 10-period exponential
moving average of the Accumulation/Distribution Line (see page 446)
from a 3-period moving average of the Accumulation/Distribution Line.
The formula equivalent of the calculation is shown below:
mov( ad(), 3, E) - mov( ad(), 10, E)
See page 163 for more information on plotting indicators. See page 178
for more information on the Chaikin Oscillator parameters.

Interpretation
The following article on volume accumulation/distribution interpretation,
written by Mr. Marc Chaikin, is reprinted here with his permission.
Technical analysis of both market averages and stocks must include
volume studies in order to give the technician a true picture of the internal
dynamics of a given market. Volume analysis helps in identifying internal
strengths and weaknesses that exist under the cover of price action. Very
often, volume divergences versus price movement are the only clues to an
important reversal that is about to take place. While volume has always
been mentioned by technicians as important, little effective volume work
was done until Joe Granville and Larry Williams began to look at volume
versus price in the late 1960s in a more creative way.
For many years it had been accepted that volume and price normally rose
and fell together, but when this relationship changed, the price action
should be examined for a possible change of trend. The Granville OBV

MetaStock Professional Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies • 451

 concept which views the total volume on an up day as accumulation and
the total volume on a down day as distribution is a decent one, but much
too simplistic to be of value. The reason is that there are too many
important tops and bottoms, both short-term and intermediate-term, where
OBV confirms the price extreme. However, when an OBV line gives a
divergence signal versus a price extreme, it can be a valuable technical
signal and usually triggers a reversal in price.
Larry Williams took the OBV concept and improved on it. In order to
determine whether there was accumulation or distribution in the market or
an individual stock on a given day, Granville compared the closing price
to the previous close, whereas Williams compared the closing price to the
opening price. He [Williams] created a cumulative line by adding a per-
centage of total volume to the line if the close was higher than the opening
and, subtracting a percentage of the total volume if the close was lower
than its opening price. The accumulation/distribution line improved
results dramatically over the classic OBV approach to volume
divergences.
Williams then took this one step further in analyzing the Dow Jones
Industrials by creating an oscillator of the accumulation/distribution line
for even better buy and sell signals. In the early 1970s, however, the
opening price for stocks was eliminated from the daily newspaper and
Williams' formula became difficult to compute without many daily calls to
a stockbroker with a quote machine. Because of this void, I created the
Chaikin Oscillator substituting the average price of the day for Williams'
opening and took the approach one step further by applying the oscillator
to stocks and commodities. The Chaikin Oscillator is an excellent tool for
generating buy and sell signals when its action is compared to price
movement. I believe it is a significant improvement over the work that
preceded it.
The premise behind my oscillator is three-fold. The first premise is that
if a stock or market average closes above its midpoint for the day (as
defined by [high+low]/2), then there was accumulation on that day. The
closer a stock or average closes to its high, the more accumulation there
was. Conversely, if a stock closes below its midpoint for the day, there
was distribution on that day. The closer a stock closes to its low, the
more distribution there was.
The second premise is that a healthy advance is accompanied by rising
volume and a strong volume accumulation. Since volume is the fuel that
powers rallies, it follows that lagging volume on rallies is a sign of less
fuel available to move stocks higher.
Conversely, declines are usually accompanied by low volume, but end
with panic-like liquidation on the part of institutional investors. Thus, we
look for a pickup in volume and then lower lows on reduced volume with
some accumulation before a valid bottom can develop.
The third premise is that by using the Chaikin Oscillator, you can monitor
the flow of volume into and out of the market. Comparing this flow to

452 • Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies MetaStock Professional

 price action can help identify tops and bottoms, both short-term and
intermediate-term.
Since no technical approach works all the time, I suggest using the
oscillator along with other technical indicators to avoid problems. I favor
using a price envelope (see page 464) around a 21-day moving average
and an overbought/oversold oscillator together with the Chaikin Oscillator
for the best short and intermediate-term technical signals.
1. The most important signal generated by the Chaikin Oscillator occurs
when prices reach a new high or new low for a swing, particularly at
an overbought or oversold level, and the oscillator fails to exceed its
previous extreme reading and then reverses direction.

Signals in the direction of the intermediate-term trend are more

reliable than those against the trend.

A confirmed high or low does not imply any further price action in
that direction. I view that as a non-event.
2. A second way to use the Chaikin Oscillator is to view a change of
direction in the oscillator as a buy or sell signal, but only in the
direction of the trend. For example, if we say that a stock that is
above its 90-day moving average of price is in an up-trend, then an
upturn of the oscillator while in negative territory would constitute a
buy signal only if the stock were above its 90-day moving average--
not below it.

A downturn of the oscillator while in positive territory (above zero)

would be a sell signal if the stock were below its 90-day moving
average of closing prices. <End of Chaikin's article>

Tips
Advanced users can perform variations on the Chaikin Oscillator by
changing the "3" and "10" in the following formula (see page 300).
mov( ad(), 3, E) - mov( ad(), 10, E)
An example custom indicator (see page 309) shows how to calculate the
Chaikin Oscillator.

Chaikin Money Flow

Like the popular Chaikin A/D Oscillator developed by Marc Chaikin, the
Chaikin Money Flow indicator is based on the Accumulation/Distribution
line. It is created by summing the values of the
Accumulation/Distribution Line for 21 periods and then dividing by a 21
period sum of the volume.

MetaStock Professional Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies • 453

 sum(((( C-L )-( H-C )) / ( H-L ))*V,21 ) / sum(V,21)
See page 163 for more information on plotting indicators. See page 177
for more information on the Chaikin Money Flow parameters.

Interpretation
The interpretation of the Chaikin Money Flow indicator is based on the
assumption that market strength is usually accompanied by prices closing
in the upper half of their daily range with increasing volume. Likewise,
market weakness is usually accompanied by prices closing in the lower
half of their daily range with increasing volume.
If prices consistently close in the upper half of their daily high/low range
on increased volume, then the indicator will be positive (i.e., above the
zero line). This indicates that the market is strong. Conversely, if prices
consistently close in the lower half of their daily high/low range on
increased volume, then the indicator will be negative (i.e., below the zero
line). This indicates that the market is weak.
The Chaikin Money Flow indicator provides excellent confirmation
signals of trendline and support/resistance breakouts. For example, if a
security's prices have recently penetrated a downward sloping trendline
(signaling a potential trend reversal), you may want to wait for further
confirmation by allowing the Chaikin Money Flow indicator to cross
above the zero line. This may indicate an overall shift from a downtrend
to a new uptrend.
A divergence between the Chaikin Money Flow indicator and prices are
also significant. For example, if the most recent peak of the indicator is
lower than it's prior peak, yet prices are continuing upward, this may
indicate weakness.

Chande Momentum Oscillator

The Chande Momentum Oscillator (CMO) was developed by Tushar
Chande. A scientist, an inventor, and a respected trading system
developer, Mr. Chande developed the CMO to capture what he calls
“pure momentum.” For more definitive information on the CMO and
other indicators we highly recommend the book The New Technical
Trader by Tushar Chande and Stanley Kroll.
The CMO is closely related to, yet unique from, other momentum
oriented indicators such as RSI, Stochastic, Rate-of-Change, etc. It is
most closely related to Welles Wilder’s RSI (see page 512), yet it differs
in several ways:
• It uses data for both up days and down days in the numerator, thereby
directly measuring momentum.
• The calculations are applied on unsmoothed data. Therefore, short-
term extreme movements in price are not hidden. Once calculated,
smoothing can be applied to the CMO, if desired.

454 • Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies MetaStock Professional

 • The scale is bounded between +100 and -100, thereby allowing you
to clearly see changes in net momentum using the 0 level. The
bounded scale also allows you to conveniently compare values across
different securities.
You may find the expert named "Equis - Chande Momentum Oscillator"
helpful in interpreting the Chande Momentum Oscillator. See page 435
for more information on experts.
See page 163 for more information on plotting indicators. See page 177
for more information on the Chande Momentum Oscillator parameters.

Interpretation
The CMO can be used to measure several conditions.
Overbought/oversold. The primary method of interpreting the CMO is
looking for extreme overbought and oversold conditions. As a general
rule, Mr. Chande quantifies an overbought level at +50 and the oversold
level at -50. At +50, up-day momentum is three times the down-day
momentum. Likewise, at -50, down-day momentum is three times the up-
day momentum. These levels correspond to the 70/30 levels on the RSI
indicator.
You could also establish overbought/oversold entry and exit rules by
plotting a moving average trigger line on the CMO. For example, if you
are using the default 20-period CMO, a 9-period moving average may
serve as a good trigger line. Buy when the CMO crosses above the 9-
period trigger line; sell when it crosses below.
Trendiness. The CMO (much like the VHF indicator, see page 533) can
also be used to measure the degree to which a security is trending. The
higher the CMO, the stronger the trend. Low values of the CMO show a
security in a sideways trading range.
You may find the CMO helpful in establishing the entry and exit rules of
a trend following system. Enter when the CMO is high and exit when it
moves lower.
Divergence. Although not specifically mentioned in Mr. Chande’s book,
you could also look for divergence between the CMO and the price, as is
often done with other momentum indicators. See the discussion about
divergence in the Interpretation section of RSI (see page 512).

Other. Although not specifically mentioned in Mr. Chande’s book, you

may also look for chart formations (head and shoulders, rising wedges,
etc.), failure swings, and support/resistance. See the discussion on these
methods in the Interpretation section of RSI (see page 512).

MetaStock Professional Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies • 455

Commodity Channel Index
The Commodity Channel Index (CCI) is calculated by first determining
the difference between the mean price of a commodity and the average of
the means over the time period chosen. This difference is then compared
to the average difference over the time period (this factors in the
commodity's own inherent volatility). The result is then multiplied by a
constant that is designed to adjust the CCI so that it fits into a "normal"
trading range of +/-100.
A complete explanation of the CCI is beyond the scope of the manual.
Further details on the contents and interpretation of the CCI can be found
in the October 1980 issue of Commodities magazine (now known as
Futures). The article was written by Donald Lambert.
The CCI indicator used in older versions of MetaStock is called "CCI
(EQUIS)." "CCI (Standard)" is the recently modified version that is
consistent with the author's current calculation method. The interpretation
of both methods is identical.
See page 163 for more information on plotting indicators. See page 177
for more information on the CCI parameters.

Interpretation
While the CCI was originally designed for commodities, the indicator
also works very well with stocks and mutual funds.
There are two methods of interpreting the CCI:
• Looking for divergences

A popular method of analyzing the CCI is to look for divergences in

which the underlying security is making new highs while the CCI is
failing to surpass its previous highs. This classic divergence is
usually followed by a correction in the security's price.
• As an overbought/oversold indicator

The CCI usually oscillates between +/-100. Readings outside these

ranges imply an overbought/oversold condition.

Commodity Selection Index

The CSI is calculated using the ADXR component of the Directional
Movement indicator. Refer to New Concepts in Technical Trading
Systems (see page 544) for more information on the calculation and
interpretation of the indicator.
See page 163 for more information on plotting indicators. See page 178
for more information on this indicator's parameters.

456 • Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies MetaStock Professional

 Interpretation
A high CSI rating indicates that the commodity has strong trending and
volatility characteristics. The trending characteristics are brought out by
the Directional Movement factor in the calculation--the volatility
characteristic by the Average True Range factor.
Wilder's approach is to trade commodities with high CSI values (relative
to other commodities). Because these commodities are highly volatile,
they have the potential to make the "most money in the shortest period of
time." High CSI values imply trending characteristics, which makes it
easier to trade the security.
The CSI is designed for short-term traders who can handle the risks
associated with highly volatile markets.

Correlation
The purpose of correlation analysis is to measure the relationship between
two variables. This relationship is called the "correlation coefficient."
The correlation coefficient ranges between ±1.0. A coefficient of +1.0 is
a perfect positive correlation and -1.0 is a perfect negative correlation.
Two variables with no relationship will have a coefficient of zero.
See page 163 for more information on plotting indicators. See page 178
for more information on the Correlation parameters.

Interpretation
Correlation analysis involves a "dependent" and an "independent"
variable. Correlation analysis measures whether or not a change in the
independent variable will result in a change in the dependent variable.
A low correlation coefficient (e.g., ±0.10) suggests that the relationship
between the two variables is weak or non-existent. A high correlation
indicates that the dependent variable (e.g., the security's price) will
change when the independent variable (e.g., an indicator) changes.
The direction of the dependent variable's change depends on the sign of
the coefficient. If the coefficient is a positive number, then the dependent
variable will move in the same direction as the independent variable; if
the coefficient is negative, then the dependent variable will move in the
opposite direction of the independent variable.
A useful feature of correlation analysis is its predictive capability, because
the correlation coefficient shows how well a change in the independent
variable (e.g., an indicator) predicts a change in the dependent variable
(e.g., the security's price).

The Correlation indicator can be used in three ways:

MetaStock Professional Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies • 457

 • Correlation of a security's price to an indicator

You can measure the relationship between an indicator and a

security's price. A high positive correlation coefficient means that a
change in the indicator usually predicts a change in the security's
price. A high negative correlation (e.g., -0.70) means that when the
indicator's value changes, the security's price will usually move in
the opposite direction. Remember, a low (e.g., 0.10) correlation
coefficient indicates that the relationship between the security's price
and the indicator is not significant.
• Correlation of one security to another

Another use of correlation analysis is to measure the strength of a

relationship between two securities. Often, one security's price
"leads" or predicts the price of another security. This is especially
noticeable with commodities. For example, the correlation
coefficient of gold versus the dollar shows a strong negative
relationship. In other words, an increase in the dollar usually predicts
a decrease in the price of gold.
• Correlation of one indicator to another

Another use of correlation analysis is to measure the strength of a

relationship between two indicators. Often, one indicator's
movement "leads" or predicts the movement of another indicator.
For example, a volume-based indicator (i.e., Chaikin Oscillator,
Money Flow Index, etc.) may be found to lead a momentum based
indicator (i.e., RSI, Stochastic, etc.).

Cycle Lines
Cycles allow us to accurately predict events in nature: bird migrations, the
tides, planetary movements, etc. You can also use cycle analysis to
predict changes in financial markets, although not always with the
accuracy found in nature.
We know that prices are a consensus of human expectations. These
expectations are always changing, shifting the supply/demand lines (see
page 523), and causing prices to oscillate between overbought and
oversold levels. Fluctuations in prices are a natural process of changing
expectations and lead to cyclical patterns.
See page 205 for more information on drawing line studies. See page 215
for more information on Cycle Line parameters.

Interpretation
An obvious example of a cyclical pattern is shown in a chart of a sine
wave. Although security prices rarely move with this degree of

458 • Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies MetaStock Professional

 predictability, even a quick glance at many security charts is enough to
see evidence of some type of cyclical pattern.
MetaStock Pro's Cycle Line tool allows you to place equally spaced
vertical lines on a chart. Since you can control the spacing between the
cycle lines, you may be able to visually extrapolate the cycles evident in a
plot. If you extend the right margin of a chart, the cycle lines will extend
into the future. This can help you anticipate when the next peak or trough
of a cycle may occur.

DEMA
DEMA is a unique smoothing indicator developed by Patrick Mulloy. It
was originally introduced in the February 1994 issue of Technical
Analysis of Stocks & Commodities magazine.
As Mr. Mulloy explains in the article:
"Moving averages have a detrimental lag time that increases as the
moving average length increases. The solution is a modified version of
exponential smoothing with less lag time."
DEMA is an acronym that stands for Double Exponential Moving
Average. However, the name of this smoothing technique is a bit
misleading in that it is not simply a moving average of a moving average.
It is a unique composite of a single exponential moving average and a
double exponential moving average that provides less lag than either of
the two components individually.
See page 163 for more information on plotting indicators. See page 179
for more information on the DEMA parameters.

Interpretation
DEMA can be used in place of traditional moving averages. You can use
it to smooth price data or other indicators. Some of Mr. Mulloy's original
testing of DEMA was done on the MACD. Oddly, he found that the
faster responding DEMA-smoothed MACD produced fewer (yet more
profitable) signals than the traditional 12/26 smoothed- MACD. A
custom indicator named "MACD (DEMA-smoothed)" is included with
MetaStock Pro.
This type of smoothing is certainly not limited to the MACD. You may
want to experiment on other indicators as well.
See page 525 for information on TEMA, a similar smoothing method
developed by Mr. Mulloy.

Demand Index
The Demand Index, developed by James Sibbet, combines price and
volume in such a way that it is often a leading indicator of price change.
The Demand Index calculations are too complex, however, for this text.

MetaStock Professional Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies • 459

 The calculations require 21-column accounting paper to calculate
manually.
MetaStock Pro uses a slight variation on the Sibbet's original Index so
that the Index is displayed on a "normal" y-axis scale. The author's Index
is plotted on a scale labeled +0 at the top, 1 in the middle, and -0 at the
bottom. MetaStock Pro uses a scale from +100 to -100. Other than the
difference in y-axis labeling, the indicator is calculated exactly as
designed by its author.
See page 163 for more information on plotting indicators. See page 179
for more information on the Demand Index parameters.

Interpretation
There are six "rules" to the Demand Index:
• A divergence between the Demand Index and the price trend suggests
an approaching weakness in price.
• One more rally to new highs usually follows an extreme peak in the
Demand Index (the Index is performing as a leading indicator).
• Higher prices with a lower Demand Index peak usually coincides
with an important top (the Index is performing as a coincidental
indicator).
• The Demand Index penetrates the level of zero indicating a change in
trend (the Index is performing as a lagging indicator).
• When the Demand Index stays near the level of zero for any period of
time, a weak price movement that will not last long is indicated.
• A large long-term divergence between prices and the Demand Index
indicates a major top or bottom.

Detrended Price Oscillator

The Detrended Price Oscillator (DPO) is an indicator that attempts to
eliminate the trend in prices. Detrended prices allow you to more easily
identify cycles and overbought/oversold levels.
The calculation is quite simple; you simply center an x-period moving
average by shifting it back x/2 + 1 periods. This centered moving average
is then subtracted from the close. The result is an oscillator that crosses
above and below zero.
Since the DPO is shifted back "x/2 + 1" periods, the last "x/2 + 1" periods
will have no values.
MetaStock Pro prompts you to enter the number of periods. The value
entered should be the approximate length of the cycle you wish to
identify. Cycles longer than the number of periods you enter will not be
shown. The default value is 20.

460 • Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies MetaStock Professional

 See page 163 for more information on plotting indicators. See page 179
for more information on the Detrended Price Oscillator parameters.

Interpretation
Long-term cycles are made up of a series of short-term cycles. Analyzing
these shorter term components of the long-term cycles can be helpful in
identifying major turning points in the longer term cycle. The DPO is
helpful in recognizing the underlying cyclical components of the price
action.
You may find it helpful to fit cycle lines (see page 458) to the DPO to
determine the length of the cycles.

Directional Movement
The Directional Movement System, developed by J. Welles Wilder, is
explained thoroughly in his book, New Concepts in Technical Trading
Systems (see page 544). MetaStock Pro calculates and plots all five of the
indicators that comprise the Directional Movement System (i.e., CSI,
+DI, -DI, ADX, and ADXR).
MetaStock Pro also calculates a related indicator, the Commodity
Selection Index (see page 456).
Wilder's book gives complete step-by-step instructions (and examples) on
calculating and interpreting each of the above indicators.
You may find the expert named "Equis - Directional Movement" helpful
in interpreting Directional Movement indicators. See page 435 for more
information an experts.
See page 163 for more information on plotting indicators. See page 180
for more information on the Directional Movement parameters.

Interpretation
The basic Directional Movement trading system involves plotting the 14-
period +DI and the 14-period -DI on top of each other in the same inner
window (see page 172). An improved method of displaying these two
indicators is to plot their difference using the following formula:
pdi(14) - mdi(14)
Positions should be taken by buying when the +DI rises above the -DI
(i.e., the formula shown above rises above zero) and selling when the
+DI falls below the -DI (i.e., the formula falls below zero).
These simple trading rules are qualified with the "extreme point rule."
This rule is designed to prevent whipsaws and reduce the number of
trades.
The extreme point rule requires that on the day that the +DI and -DI cross,
you note the "extreme price." If you are long, the extreme price is the low

MetaStock Professional Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies • 461

 price on the day the lines cross. If you are short, the extreme price is the
high price on the day the lines cross.
The extreme point is then used as a trigger point at which you should
implement the trade. For example, after receiving a buy signal (the +DI
rose above the -DI), you should then wait until the security's price rises
above the extreme point (the high price on the day that the +DI and -DI
lines crossed) before buying. If the price fails to rise above the extreme
point, you should continue to hold your short position.
In Wilder's book, he notes that this system works best on securities that
have a high Commodity Selection Index (CSI) value. He says, "as a rule
of thumb, the system will be profitable on commodities that have an
ADXR value above 25. When the ADXR drops below 20, then do not
use a trend-following system."

Dynamic Momentum Index

The Dynamic Momentum Index (DMI) was developed by Tushar Chande
and Stanley Kroll. The indicator is covered in detail in their book The
New Technical Trader.
The DMI is identical to Welles Wilder’s RSI (see page 512) except the
number of periods is variable rather than fixed. The variability of the
time periods used in the DMI is controlled by the recent volatility of
prices. The more volatile the prices, the more sensitive the DMI is to price
changes. In other words, the DMI will use more time periods during quiet
markets, and less during active markets. The maximum time periods the
DMI can reach is 30 and the minimum is 3. This calculation method is
similar to the Variable Moving Average, also developed by Tushar
Chande (see page 484).
The advantage of using a variable length time period when calculating the
RSI is that it overcomes the negative effects of smoothing, which often
obscure short-term moves.
The volatility index used in controlling the time periods in the DMI is
based on a calculation using a five period standard deviation and a ten
period average of the standard deviation.
See page 163 for more information on plotting indicators. See page 180
for more information on the Dynamic Momentum Index parameters.

Interpretation
Chande recommends using the DMI much the same as the RSI. However,
because the DMI is more sensitive to market dynamics, it often leads the
RSI into overbought/oversold territories by one or two days.
Like the RSI, look for overbought (bearish) conditions above 70 and
oversold (bullish) conditions below 30. However, before basing any trade
off of strict overbought/oversold levels using DMI or any
overbought/oversold indicator, Chande recommends that you first qualify

462 • Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies MetaStock Professional

 the trendiness of the market using indicators such as r-squared (see page
506) or CMO (see page 454). If these indicators suggest a non-trending
market, then trades based on strict overbought/oversold levels should
produce the best results. If a trending market is suggested, you can use
the DMI to enter trades in the direction of the trend.

Ease of Movement
The Ease of Movement indicator was developed by Richard W. Arms, Jr.,
best known for the popular Arms Index and the Equivolume charting
method. The Ease of Movement indicator is a product of the Equivolume
charting method. The Ease of Movement indicator provides one value
(for each time period) representing the price and volume for that period.
It calculates the ease at which prices are moving. The larger the price
move and the lighter the volume, the easier the movement.
Ease of Movement (EMV) is calculated as follows:
Midpoint Move
EMV =
Box Ratio

Where:
Today' s High + Today' s Low Yesterday' s High + Yesterday' s Low
Midpoint = −
2 2
Volume (in 10,000s)
Box Ratio =
High - Low

The raw Ease of Movement values is usually smoothed by a moving

average.
See page 163 for more information on plotting indicators. See page 180
for more information on the Ease of Movement parameters.

Interpretation
The Ease of Movement indicator produces a buy signal when the
indicator crosses above the zero center line, indicating that the security is
moving upward easily; a sell signal is given when the indicator crosses
below the zero center line, indicating that the security is moving
downward easily.
High ease of movement values correspond with easy upward price
movement whereas low ease of movement values correspond with easy
downward price movement. When price movement is small on heavy
volume, the ease of movement indicator is zero.

MetaStock Professional Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies • 463

Envelope
An envelope is comprised of two moving averages (see page 484). One
moving average is shifted upward and the second moving average is
shifted downward. The envelope is plotted around a price plot or
indicator.
See page 163 for more information on plotting indicators. See page 181
for more information on Envelope parameters.

Interpretation
Envelopes define the upper and lower boundaries of a security's normal
trading range. A sell signal is generated when the security reaches the
upper band, whereas a buy signal is generated at the lower band. The
optimum percentage shift depends on the volatility of the security--the
more volatile, the larger the percentage.
The logic behind envelopes is that overzealous buyers and sellers push the
price to the extremes (i.e., the upper and lower bands), at which point the
prices often stabilize by moving to more realistic levels. This is similar to
the interpretation of Bollinger Bands (see page 449).

Equivolume
Developed by Richard W. Arms, Jr., and explained in his book Volume
Cycles in the Stock Market (see page 544), Equivolume presents a highly
informative picture of market activity for stocks, futures, and indices.
Equivolume departs from other charting methods with its emphasis on
volume as an equal partner with price. Instead of being displayed as an
"afterthought" on the lower margin of a chart, volume is combined with
price in a two-dimensional box. The top line of the box is the high for the
period and the bottom line is the low for the period. The width of the box
is the unique feature of Equivolume charting; it represents the volume of
trading for the period.
The width of the box is controlled by a normalized volume value. The
volume for an individual box is normalized by dividing the actual volume
for the period by the total of all volume displayed on the chart.
Therefore, the width of each Equivolume box is based on a percentage of
total volume, with the total of all percentages equaling 100.
The following illustration shows the components of an Equivolume box:

464 • Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies MetaStock Professional

 The resulting charts represent an important departure from all other
analytical methods, in that time becomes less important than volume in
analyzing price moves. It suggests that each movement is a function of
the number of shares or contracts changing hands rather than the amount
of time elapsed.
Perhaps the Equivolume charting method is best summed up by the
developer himself as follows: "If the market wore a wristwatch, it would
be divided into shares, not hours."

Interpretation
The shape of each Equivolume box provides a picture of the supply and
demand for the security during a specific trading period. Short and wide
boxes (i.e., small change in price combined with heavy volume) tend to be
seen at turning points, while tall and narrow boxes (i.e., large change
combined with low volume) are more likely to be seen during continuing
moves.
Especially important are boxes which penetrate old support or resistance
levels, since it takes "power" to create a reliable penetration. A "power
box" is one in which both height and width increase substantially. Lack
of box width, due to light volume, puts the validity of a breakout in
question.
The more volume in a top or bottom consolidation, the larger the ensuing
move is likely to be. Volume is directly observable on an Equivolume
chart by noting the overall width of the consolidation.
For an in-depth understanding of Equivolume, we recommend the book
Volume Cycles in the Stock Market by the developer, Richard W. Arms,
Jr. (see page 544).

Fibonacci Studies
Leonardo Fibonacci was an important mathematician who was born in
Italy around the year 1170. It is rumored that Fibonacci discovered the
relationship of what are now referred to as Fibonacci numbers while
studying the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt.
Fibonacci numbers are a sequence of numbers in which each successive
number is the sum of the two previous numbers:
1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, 233, 377, 610, etc.
These numbers possess an intriguing number of interrelationships, such as
the fact that any given number is approximately 1.618 times the preceding
number and any given number is approximately 0.618 times the following
number. The booklet Understanding Fibonacci Numbers by Edward
Dobson (see page 544) contains a good discussion of these
interrelationships.
See page 205 for more information on drawing line studies. See
Fibonacci Arcs (page 216), Fibonacci Fans (page 217), Fibonacci
MetaStock Professional Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies • 465
 Retracements (page 217), and Fibonacci Time Zones (page 217) for more
information on the Fibonacci parameters.

Interpretation
MetaStock Pro has four Fibonacci studies: arcs, fans, retracements, and
time zones.
The general interpretation of the Fibonacci studies involves the
anticipation of a change in trend as prices near the lines created by the
Fibonacci studies.
Arcs
The calculation and interpretation of Fibonacci Arcs is similar to that of
Fibonacci Fan Lines. First, a trendline is drawn between two extreme
points. MetaStock Pro then draws three arcs, centered on the second
extreme point, that intersect the trendline drawn between the two extreme
points at the Fibonacci levels of 38.2%, 50.0%, and 61.8%.
The interpretation of Fibonacci Arcs involves looking for, or anticipating,
support and resistance as prices approach the arcs. A common technique
is to display both Fibonacci Arcs and Fibonacci Fan Lines and to
anticipate support/resistance at the points where the Fibonacci studies
cross.
The points where the Arcs cross the price data will vary depending on the
scaling, because the Arcs are drawn so they always appear circular
relative to the computer screen.
Fans
Fibonacci Fan Lines are displayed by first drawing a trendline between
two extreme points. MetaStock Pro then draws an invisible vertical line
through the second extreme point. This vertical line is then divided at the
Fibonacci levels of 38.2%, 50.0%, and 61.8%. Finally, three trendlines
are drawn from the first extreme point so they pass through the invisible
vertical line at the above three levels. (This technique is similar to the
method used to calculate Speed Resistance Lines, see page 515.)
Retracements
Fibonacci Retracements are displayed by first drawing a trendline
between two extreme points (i.e., a significant trough and peak). After
selecting Fibonacci Retracement from the Insert menu, a series of up to
nine horizontal lines will be drawn at the Fibonacci levels of 0.0%,
23.6%, 38.2%, 50.0%, 61.8%, 100%, 161.8%, 261.8%, and 423.6%.
After a significant move (either up or down), prices will often rebound
and retrace a significant portion (if not all) of the original move. As the
price retraces, support and resistance levels will often occur at or near the
Fibonacci Retracement levels.

466 • Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies MetaStock Professional

 Time Zones
The Fibonacci Time Zones command displays vertical lines at the
Fibonacci intervals of 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, etc. The interpretation of
Fibonacci Time Zones involves looking for significant changes in price
near the vertical lines.

Forecast Oscillator
The Forecast Oscillator is an extension of the linear regression based
indicators made popular by Tushar Chande. The Forecast Oscillator plots
the percentage difference between the forecast price (generated by an x-
period linear regression line) and the actual price. The oscillator is above
zero when the forecast price is greater than the actual price. Conversely,
it's less than zero if its below. In the rare case when the forecast price and
the actual price are the same, the oscillator would plot zero.
For more on linear regression analysis see pages 480, 478, and 530.

Interpretation
Actual prices that are persistently below the forecast price suggest lower
prices ahead. Likewise, actual prices that are persistently above the
forecast price suggest higher prices ahead. Short-term traders should use
shorter time periods and perhaps more relaxed standards for the required
length of time above or below the forecast price. Long-term traders
should use longer time periods and perhaps stricter standards for the
required length of time above or below the forecast price.
Chande also suggests plotting a three-day moving average trigger line of
the Forecast Oscillator to generate early warnings of changes in trend.
When the oscillator crosses below the trigger line, lower prices are
suggested. When the oscillator crosses above the trigger line, higher
prices are suggested.

Fourier Transform
It is beyond the scope of the manual to provide a full explanation of
Fourier analysis. Further information can be found in Technical Analysis
of Stocks & Commodities magazine (TASC), Volume One issues #2, #4,
and #7; Volume Two issue #4; Volume Three issues #2 and #7
(Understanding Cycles); Volume Four issue #6; Volume Five issues #3
(In Search of the Cause of Cycles) and #5 (Cycles and Chart Patterns);
and Volume Six issue #11 (Cycles).
Fourier Transforms were originally developed as an engineering tool to
study repetitious (cyclical) phenomena such as the vibration of a stringed
musical instrument or an airplane wing during flight.
The complete analysis concept is called spectral analysis. Fast Fourier
Transform (FFT) is an abbreviated calculation that computes in seconds

MetaStock Professional Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies • 467

 rather than minutes. The FFT sacrifices phase relationships and
concentrates only on cycle length and amplitude (strength).
The benefit of FFT is its ability to extract the predominate cycle(s) from a
series of data (e.g., an indicator or a security's price).
FFTs are based on the principal that any finite, time-ordered set of data
can be approximated arbitrarily well by decomposing the data into a set of
sine waves. Each sine wave has a specific cycle length, amplitude, and
phase relationship to the other sine waves.
Problems occur when applying FFT analysis to security price data
because FFTs were designed to be applied to non-trending, periodic data
(whereas security price data tends to be trending). This is overcome by
"detrending" the data using either a linear regression trendline or a
moving average.
Security data is not truly periodic, since securities are not traded on
weekends and some holidays. MetaStock Pro removes these
discontinuities by passing the data through a smoothing function called a
"hamming window."
See page 163 for more information on plotting indicators. See page 180
for more information on the Fourier Transform parameters.

Interpretation
As stated at the beginning of this section, it is beyond the scope of the
manual to provide complete interpretation of FFT analysis. The
remainder of this section explains the interpretation of MetaStock Pro's
Interpreted FFT.
The Interpreted FFT displays an indicator that shows the three
predominate cycle lengths and the relative strength (i.e., the relative
amplitudes) of the cycles.
The Interpreted FFT indicator is always displayed from the most
significant cycle to the least significant cycle. The longer the indicator
remains at a specific cycle length, the more predominate it was in the data
being analyzed.
Once you know the predominate cycle length, you may want to use it as a
parameter for other indicators. For moving averages, use 1/2 of the cycle
length for the optimum number of periods. For example, if you know that
a security has a 40-day cycle, you may want to plot a 20-day moving
average.

Gann Studies
W. D. Gann (1878-1955) designed several unique techniques for studying
price charts. Central to Gann's techniques was the use of geometric
angles in conjunction with time and price. Gann believed that specific

468 • Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies MetaStock Professional

 geometric patterns and angles had unique characteristics that could be
used to predict price action.
All of Gann's techniques require that equal time and price intervals be
used on the charts, so that a rise/run of 1 x 1 will always equal a 45 degree
angle.
Gann believed that the ideal balance between time and price exists when
prices rise or fall at a 45 degree angle relative to the time axis. This is
also called a 1 x 1 angle (i.e., prices rise one price unit for each time unit).
See page 205 for more information on plotting line studies. See page 218
for more information on the Gann Study parameters.

Interpretation
Gann Angles are drawn between a significant bottom and top (or vice
versa) at various angles. Deemed the most important by Gann, the 1 x 1
trendline signifies a bull market if prices are above the trendline or a bear
market if below. Gann felt that a 1 x 1 trendline provides major support
during an up-trend and when the trendline is broken, it signifies a major
reversal in the trend. Gann identified nine significant angles, with the 1 x
1 being the most important:
1x8 - 82.5 degrees
1x4 - 75 degrees
1x3 - 71.25 degrees
1x2 - 63.75 degrees
1x1 - 45 degrees
2x1 - 26.25 degrees
3x1 - 18.75 degrees
4x1 - 15 degrees
8x1 - 7.5 degrees
Note that in order for the rise/run values (e.g., 1 x 1, 1 x 8, etc.) to match
the actual angles (in degrees), the x- and y-axes must have equally spaced
intervals. This means that one unit on the x-axis (i.e., hour, day, week,
month, etc.) must be the same distance as one unit on the y-axis. The
easiest way to calibrate the chart is make sure that a 1 x 1 angle produces
a 45 degree angle.
Gann observed that each of the angles can provide support and resistance
depending on the trend. For example, during an up-trend the 1 x 1 angle
tends to provide major support. A major reversal is signaled when prices
fall below the 1 x 1 angled trendline. According to Gann, prices should
then be expected to fall to the next trendline (i.e., the 2 x 1 angle). In
other words, as one angle is penetrated, expect prices to move and
consolidate at the next angle.
Gann developed several techniques for studying market action. These
include Gann Lines, Gann Fans, and Gann Grids.

MetaStock Professional Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies • 469

Herrick Payoff Index
The Herrick Payoff Index is used to analyze futures and commodities.
Because the Index uses open interest in its calculations, the security must
contain open interest.
Briefly, the calculation of the Herrick Payoff Index involves computing
the mean price for each day and then using this information to compute
the difference in mean prices for each day. The flow of money into, or
out of, the commodity is then computed by multiplying the change in the
mean prices by the day's volume to arrive at a total change in dollars for
the day. MetaStock Pro uses the dollar value of a one cent move (input
by the user) to modify the "money flow" by changes in open interest. The
daily values of the "modulated dollar amount" are then smoothed with an
exponential moving average.
According to Herrick, the recommended input for "the value of a one cent
move" is "100" for most commodities. The only exception is for Silver,
which should be "50."
Before the Herrick Payoff Index is calculated, you will be prompted to
enter a smoothing factor known as the "multiplying factor." The
multiplying factor is part of a complex smoothing mechanism. However,
the results are similar to the smoothing obtained by a moving average.
For example, a multiplying factor of ten produces results similar to a 10-
period moving average.
See page 163 for more information on plotting indicators. See page 183
for more information on the Herrick Payoff Index parameters.

Interpretation
The interpretation of the Herrick Payoff Index involves visually
comparing the action of the Index with the price while looking for
divergences and convergences. An example divergence would be
increasing prices while the Index is falling. An example convergence
would be decreasing prices while the Index is rising.

Tip
Open interest is usually not available for the most recent day. Thus, the
right most data point of the Herrick Payoff Index is usually blank.

High/Low/Close Bar
A bar chart is the most popular way to display security prices. A bar chart
is made up of vertical bars, with each bar representing the price
movement for a time period (i.e., hour, day, week, month, etc.). Hash
marks on the left and right sides of the bar represent the opening and
closing prices respectively. The top of the bar represents the high price
and the bottom of the bottom represents the low price.

470 • Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies MetaStock Professional

 Interpretation
Bar charts, by themselves are used to view the movement of the security's
prices over a specific time period. Indicators (see page 163) and line
studies (see page 205) can be displayed along with bar charts to help
determine the future direction of the security's price.

Inertia
The Inertia indicator was developed by Donald Dorsey. It was originally
introduced in the September 1995 issue of Technical Analysis of Stocks
& Commodities magazine. It is an outgrowth of Dorsey’s Relative
Volatility Index (see page 513).
Dorsey chose the name “Inertia” because of his definition of a trend. He
asserts that a trend is simply the “outward result of inertia.” It takes
significantly more energy for a market to reverse direction than to
continue along the same path. Therefore a trend is a measurement of
market inertia.
In physics, Inertia is defined in terms of mass and direction of motion.
Using technical analysis to analyze security prices, the direction of motion
is easily defined. However, mass is not so easily defined. Dorsey asserts
that “volatility” may be the simplest and most accurate measurement of
inertia. This theory led him to use the Relative Volatility Index (RVI) as
the basis for a trend indicator.
Inertia is simply a smoothed RVI. The smoothing mechanism is a Linear
Regression indicator (see page 475). The RVI helps measure the general
direction of volatility. Dorsey found that by smoothing the RVI, a good
long-term trend indicator resulted.

See page 163 for more information on plotting indicators. See page 183
for more information on the Inertia parameters.

Interpretation
If the Inertia indicator is above 50, positive inertia is indicated. The
long-term trend is up and should remain up as long as the indicator is
above 50. If it's below 50, negative inertia is indicated. The long-term
trend is down and should remain down as long as the indicator is below
50.

MetaStock Professional Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies • 471

Intraday Momentum Index
The Intraday Momentum Index (IMI) was developed by Tushar Chande.
It is a cross-breed between the RSI (see page 512) and candlestick
analysis (see page 450). For more information on the IMI, refer to the
book The New Technical Trader by Tushar Chande and Stanley Kroll.
The calculation of the IMI is very similar to the RSI, except it uses the
relationship between the intraday opening and closing prices to determine
whether the day is “up” or “down.” If the close is above the open, it is an
up day. If the close is below the open it is a down day. Therein lies its tie
to candlestick charting. For those familiar with candlestick charting, the
IMI separates the black and white candlesticks and performs a RSI
calculation on the candlestick bodies.
See page 163 for more information on plotting indicators. See page 183
for more information on the Intraday Momentum Index parameters.

Interpretation
Overbought/oversold. Index values above 70 indicate a potential
overbought situation with lower prices ahead. Values below 30 indicate a
potential oversold situation with higher prices ahead. As with all
overbought/oversold indicators, you should first quantify the trendiness of
the market before acting on the signals. Indicators like the VHF (see page
533), CMO (see page 454), and r-squared (see page 506) can be used to
gauge the trendiness of the market.
Divergences. The basic premise behind the IMI, is that shifts in intraday
momentum lead shifts in interday momentum. Look for divergences
between the indicator and the price action. If the price trends higher
(lower) and the IMI trends lower (higher), then a reversal may be
imminent.
Candlestick Confirmation. The IMI is useful in confirming candlestick
patterns. For example, before acting on a bullish candlestick pattern such
as the Engulfing Bullish Lines (see page 291), you may want to confirm
the bullishness with the IMI.

Kagi
Kagi charts are thought to have been created around the time the Japanese
stock market started trading in the 1870s. Kagi charts were introduced to
the western world by Steve Nison (a well-known authority on the
Candlestick charting method). Kagi charts display a series of connecting
vertical lines where the thickness and direction of the lines are dependent
on the price action. If closing prices continue to move in the direction of
the prior vertical Kagi line, that line is extended. However, if the closing
price reverses by a pre-determined "reversal" amount, a new Kagi line is
drawn in the next column in the opposite direction. An interesting aspect

472 • Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies MetaStock Professional

 of the Kagi chart is that when closing prices penetrate the prior column's
high or low, the thickness of the Kagi line changes.
To draw Kagi lines, compare the close to the ending point of the last Kagi
line. If the price continues in the same direction as the prior line, the line
is extended in the same direction, no matter how small the move.
However, if the closing price moves in the opposite direction by the
reversal amount or more (this could take a number of sessions), then a
short horizontal line is drawn to the next column and a vertical line is
continued to the new closing price. If the closing price moves in the
opposite direction of the current column by less than the reversal amount
then no lines are drawn.
In addition, if a thin Kagi line exceeds the prior high point (on the Kagi
chart), the line becomes thick. Likewise, if a thick Kagi line breaks a
prior low point, the line becomes thin.

Interpretation
Kagi charts are an excellent way to view the underlying supply and
demand of a security. A series of thick lines shows that demand is
exceeding supply (a rally); a series of thin lines shows that supply is
exceeding demand (a decline); and a series of alternating thick and thin
lines shows that the market may be in a relative state of equilibrium (i.e.,
supply equals demand).
The most basic trading technique for Kagi charts is to buy when the Kagi
line changes from thin to thick and to sell when the Kagi line changes
from thick to thin.
A sequence of higher highs and higher lows on Kagi charts shows the
underlying force of the bulls. As a general rule of thumb, eight to 10
higher highs on a Kagi chart often coincides with an overextended market
(i.e., a downside reversal may be imminent). Whereas, lower highs and
lower lows may reflect an underlying weakness.

Indicators calculated on kagi charts use all the data in each column and
then display the average value of the indicator for that column.
For more in-depth coverage of the Kagi charting method, we recommend
the book Beyond Candlesticks by Steve Nison (see page 544).

Klinger Oscillator
The Klinger Oscillator (KO) was developed by Stephen J. Klinger.
Learning from prior research on volume by such well-known technicians
as Joseph Granville, Larry Williams, and Marc Chaikin, Mr. Klinger set
out to develop a volume-based indicator to help in both short- and long-
term analysis.

MetaStock Professional Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies • 473

 The KO was developed with two seemingly opposite goals in mind: to be
sensitive enough to signal short-term tops and bottoms, yet accurate
enough to reflect the long-term flow of money into and out of a security.
The KO is based on the following tenets:
• Price range (i.e. High - Low) is a measure of movement and volume
is the force behind the movement. The sum of High + Low + Close
defines a trend. Accumulation occurs when today's sum is greater
than the previous day's. Conversely, distribution occurs when today's
sum is less than the previous day's. When the sums are equal, the
existing trend is maintained.
• Volume produces continuous intra-day changes in price reflecting
buying and selling pressure. The KO quantifies the difference
between the number of shares being accumulated and distributed
each day as "volume force." A strong, rising volume force should
accompany an uptrend and then gradually contract over time during
the latter stages of the uptrend and the early stages of the following
downtrend. This should be followed by a rising volume force
reflecting some accumulation before a bottom develops.
• By converting the volume force into an oscillator representing the
difference between a 34-period and 55-period exponential moving
average with a 13-period trigger, the force of volume into and out of
a security can easily be tracked. Comparing this force to price action
can help identify divergences at tops and bottoms.
See page 163 for more information on plotting indicators.

Interpretation
Mr. Klinger recommends the following guidelines for using the KO:
1) The most reliable signals occur in the direction of the prevailing trend.
Strict stop guidelines (i.e., failure to penetrate the zero line or a violation
of the trigger line) should remain in force.
2) The most important signal occurs when the KO diverges with the
underlying price action, especially on new highs or new lows in
overbought/oversold territory. For example, when a stock makes a new
high or low for a cycle and the KO fails to confirm this, the trend may be
losing momentum and nearing completion.
3) If the price is in an uptrend (i.e., above an 89-day exponential moving
average), buy when the KO drops to unusually low levels below zero,
turns up, and crosses its trigger line. If the price is in a downtrend (i.e.,
below an 89-day exponential moving average), sell when the KO rises to
unusually high levels above zero, turns down, and crosses its trigger line.
While the KO works well for timing trades in the direction of the trend, it
is less effective against the trend. This can create problems for the trader
trying to "scalp" a trade against the prevailing trend. However, when the
KO is used in conjunction with other technical indicators, better results

474 • Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies MetaStock Professional

 can be achieved. William's %R (see page 538) is recommended for
confirming an overbought/oversold price condition and Gerald Appel's
MACD (see page 478) is recommended for confirming the short-term
direction of price.

Tip
Stephen Klinger suggests the following formula for viewing the
cumulative flow of money into and out of a security:
cum(kvo())
Plot a 13-period moving average of the formula as a trigger line for
entering buy and sell trades. See page 299 for more information on
creating formulas.

Line Chart
A line chart is the simplest type of chart. One price (typically the close)
is plotted for each time period (i.e., day, week, month, etc.). A single,
unbroken line connects each of these price points.

Interpretation
Line charts, by themselves are used to view the movement of the
security's prices over a specific time period. Indicators (see page 163)
and line studies (see page 205) can be displayed along with line charts to
help determine the future direction of the security's price.
A line chart's strength comes from its simplicity. It provides an
uncluttered, easy to understand view of a security's price. Line charts are
typically displayed using a security's closing prices.

Linear Regression Indicator

The Linear Regression indicator is based on the trend of a security's price
over a specified time period. The trend is determined by calculating a
linear regression trendline using the "least squares fit" method. The least
squares fit technique fits a trendline to the data in the chart by minimizing
the distance between the data points and the linear regression trendline.
Any point along the Linear Regression indicator is equal to the ending
value of a Linear Regression trendline. For example, the ending value of
a Linear Regression trendline that covers 10 days will have the same
value as a 10-day Linear Regression indicator. This differs slightly from
the Time Series Forecast indicator (see page 527) in that the TSF adds the
slope to the ending value of the regression line. This makes the TSF a bit
more responsive to short term price changes. If you plot the TSF and the
Linear Regression indicator side-by-side, you’ll notice that the TSF hugs
the prices more closely than the Linear Regression indicator.

MetaStock Professional Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies • 475

 Rather than plotting a straight Linear Regression trendline, the Linear
Regression indicator plots the ending values of multiple Linear
Regression trendlines.
See page 163 for more information on plotting indicators. See page 184
for more information on the Linear Regression indicator parameters.

Interpretation
The interpretation of a Linear Regression indicator is similar to a moving
average. However, the Linear Regression indicator has two advantages
over moving averages.
Unlike a moving average, a Linear Regression indicator does not exhibit
as much "delay." Since the indicator is "fitting" a line to the data points
rather than averaging them, the Linear Regression line is more responsive
to price changes.
The indicator is actually a forecast of the next periods (tomorrow’s) price
plotted today. The Forecast Oscillator plots the percentage difference
between the forecast price and the actual price. Tushar Chande suggests
that when prices are persistently above or below the forecast price, prices
can be expected to snap back to more realistic levels. In other words the
Linear Regression indicator shows where prices should be trading on a
statistical basis. Any excessive deviation from the regression line should
be short-lived.

Linear Regression Slope

The Linear Regression method provides several useful outputs for
technical analysts, including the Slope. The Slope shows how much
prices are expected to change per unit of time. Some may remember this
as “rise over run.”
See page 163 for more information on plotting indicators. See page 185
for more information on the Linear Regression Slope parameters.

Interpretation
It is helpful to consider Slope in relation to r-squared (see page 506).
While Slope gives you the general direction of the trend (positive or
negative), r-squared gives you the strength of the trend. A high r-squared
value can be associated with a high positive or negative Slope.
When the Slope of the trend first becomes significantly positive, you
could open a long position. You could sell, or open a short position when
the Slope first becomes significantly negative. You should refer to the
table below to determine when a trend is deemed “significant.” For
example, if the 14-period Slope has recently turned from negative to
positive (i.e., crossed above zero), you may consider buying when r-
squared crosses above the 0.27 level.

476 • Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies MetaStock Professional

 To determine if the trend is statistically significant for a given x-period
linear regression line, plot the r-squared indicator and refer to the
following table. This table shows the values of r-squared required for
95% confidence level at various time periods. If the value is less than the
critical values shown, you should assume that prices show no statistically
significant trend.
Number r-squared
of Periods Critical Value
(95%
confidence)
5 0.77
10 0.40
14 0.27
20 0.20
25 0.16
30 0.13
50 0.08
60 0.06
120 0.03

You may even consider opening a short-term position opposite the

prevailing trend when you observe the Slope rounding off at extreme
levels. For example, if the Slope is at a relatively high level and begins to
turn down, you may consider selling or opening a short position.
There are numerous ways to use the linear regression outputs of Slope and
r-squared in trading systems. For more detailed coverage, refer to the
book The New Technical Trader by Tushar Chande and Stanley Kroll.

Linear Regression Trendline

Linear regression is a statistical tool used to predict future values from
past values. In the case of security prices, it is commonly used as a
quantitative way to determine the underlying trend and when prices are
overextended.
A Linear Regression trendline uses the least squares method to plot a
straight line through prices so as to minimize the distances between the
prices and the resulting trendline.
See page 205 for more information on plotting line studies. See page
218 for more information on the Linear Regression parameters.

Interpretation
If you had to guess what a particular security's price would be tomorrow,
a logical guess would be “fairly close to today’s price.” If prices are

MetaStock Professional Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies • 477

 trending up, a better guess might be “fairly close to today’s price with an
upward bias.” Linear regression analysis is the statistical confirmation of
these logical assumptions.
A Linear Regression trendline is simply a trendline drawn between two
points using the least squares fit method. The trendline is displayed in the
exact middle of the prices. If you think of this trendline as the
“equilibrium" price, any move above or below the trendline indicates
overzealous buyers or sellers.
A Linear Regression trendline shows where equilibrium exists. Raff
Regression Channels (see page 508) show the range prices can be
expected to deviate from a Linear Regression trendline.
The Time Series Forecast indicator (see page 527) displays the same
information as a Linear Regression trendline. Any point along the Time
Series Forecast is equal to the ending value of a Linear Regression
Trendline plus its slope. For example, the ending value of a Linear
Regression trendline (plus its slope) that covers 10 days will have the
same value as a 10-day Time Series Forecast.
Linear Regression trendlines is used to construct Raff Regression
Channels (see page 220), Projection Bands (see page 503), Projection
Oscillator (see page 504) and the Linear Regression indicator (see page
475).

MACD
The Moving Average Convergence/Divergence indicator (MACD) is
calculated by subtracting the value of a 0.075 (26-period) exponential
moving average from a 0.15 (12-period) exponential moving average. A
9-period dotted exponential moving average (the "signal line") is
automatically displayed on top of the MACD indicator line.
You may find the expert named "Equis - MACD" helpful in interpreting
the MACD indicator. See page 435 for more information an experts.
See page 163 for more information on plotting indicators. See page 185
for more information on the MACD parameters.

Interpretation
The basic MACD trading rule is to sell when the MACD falls below its 9-
period signal line. Similarly, a buy signal occurs when the MACD rises
above its signal line.
A variation of the MACD can be created by plotting the following
formula:
macd() - mov(macd(), 9, E)
Then change the indicator line style to a histogram (see page 169), and
plot a 9-period dotted moving average of the indicator.

478 • Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies MetaStock Professional

 In a system test of this indicator, sell arrows are drawn when the
histogram peaked and turned down and buy arrows are drawn when the
histogram formed a trough and turned up.

Tips
Additional variations on the MACD (e.g., different moving average time
periods) can be created using the Price Oscillator indicator (see page
501).
An example custom indicator (see page 309) shows how to calculate the
MACD.

Market Facilitation Index

In his book, Trading Chaos, Dr. Bill Williams, introduces a unique
method of combining price action with volume. The main component of
this method is a simple indicator he developed called the Market
Facilitation Index (MFI).
The MFI simply divides the day's range (high to low) by the total
volume. The result shows the efficiency of price movement by
quantifying the price movement per unit of volume.
The "Profitunity" expert, written by Bill Williams, is included with
MetaStock Pro. This expert labels each bar on your chart and provides
commentary on the current bar. See 399 for more information on the
Expert Advisor.
For information on other products and services offered by Bill Williams,
call Profitunity Trading Group at 1-409-945-8880.
See page 163 for more information on plotting indicators. See page 185
for more information on the MFI parameters.

Interpretation
The MFI as a stand-alone indicator has little value. However, by
comparing the current bar's MFI and volume with the previous bar's MFI
and volume, a very tradable system emerges.
William's defines the four possible combinations of MFI and volume as
follows. A plus sign means the current bar's value is greater than the
previous bar's value. A minus sign means the current bar's value is less
than the previous bar's value.

Volum MFI Label

e
+ + Green
- - Fade
- + Fake

MetaStock Professional Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies • 479

 + - Squat

Green. This bar shows an increase in volume and MFI relative to the
previous bar. Hence, there is price movement, and the MFI is larger for
this bar than that for the previous bar. Further, more players are entering
the market as signaled by the increase in volume. This activity in the
futures market means that off-floor traders are very active. In addition,
the price action is directional--that is, the market is moving in one
direction due to the involvement of new traders putting on new positions.
This is the kind of day that you would already want to have a trade on in
the same direction.
Fade. This bar shows a decrease in volume and MFI relative to the
previous bar. The market has slowed and there is a minor amount of
activity as indicated by the low volume. This type of day is called a fade,
as the traders' interest in the market by this point is fading. Often, this
sort of day happens at the end of a trend. The market has simply reached
a point where nobody is willing to establish any new positions. At this
point the market appears to be suffering from a certain amount of
boredom. Keep in mind, however, that out of this market condition, a
new trend could emerge.
Fake. This bar shows a decrease in volume but an increase in the MFI.
This condition means that the market is moving more relative to the
previous bar (the greater MFI), but the lack of volume is evidence that
there is no new participation. The price action may be driven by just the
traders in the pit and is not attracting new players from the outside.
Williams has an hypothesis, that the traders in the pit may be just strong
enough to push the market to price levels where there are many stop
orders resting in the hands of the brokers, hence faking out the off-floor
traders.
Squat. This bar shows an increase in volume relative to the previous bar,
but the MFI is lower. The increase in volume indicates heavy activity, but
the decrease in the MFI indicates that the market is unable to make any
real headway. Volume increased, the trend has stalled and the price
movement has stopped. This price action usually, but not always occurs
prior to an important move in the opposite direction. This type of bar is
called a squat bar because the market appears to be squatting prior to a
breakout. Often, the breakout of such a bar will indicate whether this
squat is a trend reversal squat or a trend continuation squat.

Mass Index
The Mass Index, popularized by Tushar Chande and Donald Dorsey (see
the June 1992 issue of Technical Analysis of Stocks & Commodities
magazine), is calculated by summing an exponentially smoothed moving
average of the daily ranges (High-Low) over 25 periods.

480 • Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies MetaStock Professional

 The Mass Index is designed to identify reversals in trend by measuring
the narrowing and widening of the average range between the high and
low prices. As the range widens, the Mass Index increases. As the range
narrows, the Mass Index decreases.
See page 163 for more information on plotting indicators. See page 186
for more information on the Mass Index parameters.

Interpretation
The most significant pattern to watch for is called the "reversal bulge." A
reversal bulge occurs when a 25 period Mass Index rises above 27 and
subsequently falls below 26.5. A reversal in price is likely once the Mass
Index falls below 26.5. The overall direction of prices (i.e., trending or
trading range), is unimportant.
A 9-period exponential moving average is used to determine whether the
reversal bulge indicates a "buy" or "sell" signal. Since the Mass Index
attempts to predict reversals in trend, positions should be taken by buying
if the moving average is trending down and selling if the moving average
is trending up. Since trends can fail to reverse, stop-loss orders should be
placed with new positions.

Median Price
The Median Price indicator is calculated by adding the high price and the
low price together, and then dividing by two. The result is the average, or
median, price.
High + Low
Median Price =
2
See page 163 for more information on plotting indicators. See page 186
for more information on the Median Price parameters.

Interpretation
The Median Price indicator provides a simple, single-line chart of the
day's average price. You may find it helpful when testing moving average
penetration systems to display moving averages of the Median Price
indicator, rather than of the security's closing price.

Tip
An example custom indicator (30907) shows how to calculate the Median
Price indicator.

MetaStock Professional Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies • 481

MESA Sine Wave
The MESA Sinewave indicator was developed by recognized cycle
specialist John Ehlers. The MESA Sinewave indicator looks like a
sinewave when the market is in a cycle mode and tends to wander when
the market is in a trend mode. The MESA Sinewave indicator anticipates
cycle mode turning points rather than waiting for confirmation as is done
with most oscillators. The MESA Sinewave indicator has the additional
advantage that trend mode whipsaw signals are minimized.
The Sine Wave indicator was introduced in the November 1996 issue of
Technical Analysis of Stocks & Commodities magazine.
See page 163 for more information on plotting indicators. See page 186
for more information on the MESA Sine Wave indicator parameters.

Interpretation
The MESA Sinewave indicator consists of two plots - one displaying the
Sine of the measured phase angle over the time period parameter and the
other the Sine of the phase angle advanced by 45 degrees (called the Lead
Sine). Together, the crossings of the Sine and Lead Sine plots give clear
advanced indication of cycle mode turning points.
When the MESA Sinewave indicator resembles an actual sine wave, this
suggests the market is in a cycle mode. The indicator lines are not well
structured when the market is in a trend mode. A buy signal is given
when the Sine plot crosses above the Lead Sine plot. A sell signal is
given when the Sine plot crosses below the Lead Sine plot. An obvious
advantage that the MESA Sinewave indicator has over its
“overbought/oversold” counterparts is that it enters and exits much more
precisely without giving up a piece of the market’s movement by waiting
for confirmation.
When the market is in a trend mode the MESA Sinewave indicator does
not resemble a sine wave. In fact, the Sine and Lead Sine plots typically
languish in a sideways pattern around zero, running somewhat parallel
and distant from each other. The correct trading strategy in the trend
mode is to trade the trend. Basic moving average crossovers are helpful
for entering and exiting positions in this type of market.
The MESA Sinewave indicator is sensitive to using the correct time
period parameter. You can use the Cycle Lines line study (see page 215)
to estimate the best time period to use.

Momentum
The momentum of a security is the ratio of today's price compared to the
price x-time periods ago. The formula equivalent of the calculation is
shown below:

482 • Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies MetaStock Professional

 Close
Momentum = x 100
ref(Close,-10)

Where:
ref(Close,-10) = The closing price 10 periods ago
See page 163 for more information on plotting indicators. See page 186
for more information on the Momentum parameters.

Interpretation
The interpretation of the Momentum indicator is identical to the
interpretation of the Price R.O.C (see page 501). Both indicators display
the rate-of-change of a security's price. The Price R.O.C. indicator
displays the rate-of-change as a percentage. The Momentum indicator
displays the rate-of-change as a ratio.

Money Flow Index

The Money Flow Index (MFI) attempts to measure the strength of money
flowing in and out of a security. It is closely related to the Relative
Strength Index (RSI); however, the Money Flow Index accounts for
volume action. The RSI incorporates price action only.
Money flow (not the Money Flow Index) is calculated by determining the
average price for the day and then comparing this figure to the previous
day's average price. If today's average price is greater, it is considered
positive money flow. If today's average price is less, it is considered
negative money flow. Money flow for a specific day is calculated by
multiplying the average price by the volume.
Money Flow = Volume × Average Price
Positive Money Flow is the sum of the positive money flow over the
specified number of periods. Negative Money Flow is the sum of the
negative money flow over the specified number of periods.
Positive Money Flow
Money Ratio =
Negative Money Flow
Finally, the Money Flow Index is calculated using the following formula:
100
Money Flow Index (MFI) = 100 -
1 + Money Ratio
See page 163 for more information on plotting indicators. See page 187
for more information on the Money Flow Index parameters.

Interpretation
The interpretation of the Money Flow Index is as follows:

MetaStock Professional Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies • 483

 • Look for divergence/failure swings between the indicator and the
price action. If the price trends higher (lower) and the MFI trends
lower (higher), then a reversal may be imminent.
• Look for market tops to occur when the MFI is above a specific level
(e.g., 80). Look for market bottoms to occur when the MFI is below
a specific level (e.g., 20).

Moving Averages
A moving average is a method of calculating the average value of a
security's price, or indicator, over a period of time. The term "moving"
implies, and rightly so, that the average changes or moves. When
calculating a moving average, a mathematical analysis of the security's
average value over a predetermined time period is made. As the security's
price changes over time, its average price moves up or down.
MetaStock Pro calculates and displays six different types of moving
averages: simple (also referred to as arithmetic), exponential, time series,
triangular, variable, and weighted. In addition, MetaStock Pro will
calculate moving averages of the security's open, high, low, close,
median price, typical price, volume, open interest, or indicator.
The only significant difference between the various types of moving
averages is the weight assigned to the most recent data. Once this
"weighting" scheme has been determined, it is held static over the range
of calculations. The exceptions are the variable moving average and
volume adjusted moving average. The variable moving average
automatically adjusts its weighting based on market conditions. A
variable moving average becomes more sensitive to recent data as
volatility increases and less sensitive to recent data as volatility decreases.
Similarly, the volume adjusted moving average automatically adjusts as
the security's volume increases and decreases.
See page 163 for more information on plotting indicators. See page 187
for more information on moving average parameters.

Moving Average Calculation Methods

Exponential
An exponential (or exponentially weighted) moving average is calculated
by applying a percentage of today's closing price to yesterday's moving
average value.
For example, to calculate a 9% exponential moving average of IBM:
First, we would take today's closing price and multiply it by 9%. We
would then add this product to the value of yesterday's moving average
multiplied by 91% (100% - 9% = 91%).
m.a. = [(today' s close) × 0.09] + [(yesterday' s m.a. ) × 0.91]

484 • Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies MetaStock Professional

 Because most investors feel more comfortable working with time periods
rather than with percentages, MetaStock Pro converts days into an
exponential percentage. For example, if a 21-day exponential moving
average is requested, a 9% moving average is calculated.
The formula for converting days to exponential percentages is as follows:
2
exponential percentage =
time periods + 1
For example, to calculate a 10-day exponential moving average, you
would use 0.18:
2
0.18 =
10 + 1
To convert an exponential percentage into time periods, you would use
the following formula:
2
time periods = −1
percentage
Using our previous example, we can check to see that a 0.18 exponential
moving average is actually a 10-day average.
2
10 = -1
0.18
The method used to calculate an exponential moving average puts more
weight toward recent data and less weight toward past data than does the
simple moving average method. This method is often called
exponentially weighted.
Simple
A simple, or arithmetic, moving average is calculated by adding the
closing price of the security for a number of time periods (e.g., 12 days)
and then dividing this total by the number of time periods. The result is
the average price of the security over the time period.

For example, to calculate a 21-day moving average of IBM: First, we

would add up IBM's closing prices for the preceding 21 days. Next, we
would divide that sum by 21; this would give us the average price of IBM
over the preceding 21 days. We would plot this average price on the
chart. The following day (tomorrow) we would do the same calculations:
add up the previous 21 days' closing prices, divide by 21, and plot the
resulting figure on the chart.
Time Series
The time series moving average is calculated using linear regression
techniques. Rather than plotting a straight linear regression line, a time
series moving average plots the last point of the line. It does this using

MetaStock Professional Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies • 485

 the specified number of periods for each day. The individual points are
then connected together with a line to form a time series moving average.
This moving average is sometimes referred to as a "moving linear
regression" study or a "regression oscillator."
For information on calculating linear regression using the least squares
method (the basis behind time series moving averages), refer to any basic
statistics book.
Triangular
A triangular moving average is similar to exponential and weighted
moving averages except a different weighting scheme is used.
Exponential and weighted moving averages assign the majority of the
weight to the most recent data. Simple moving averages assign the weight
equally across all the data. With a triangular moving average, the
majority of the weight is assigned to the middle portion of the data.
A triangular moving average is simply a double-smoothed simple moving
average. To calculate a 9-period (similar for all odd periods) triangular
moving average:
1) Divide 9 by 2 to get 4.5
2) Round 4.5 up to 5
3) Triangular moving average (odd periods) = (mov(mov(c,5,s)5,s)
A 12-period (similar for all even periods) is calculated as follows:
1) Divide 12 by 2 to get 6.
2) Add 1 to 6 to get 7*.
3) Triangular moving average (even periods) = (mov(mov(c,6,s),7,s)
*
The rule is to take the length divided by 2 as one average, and that
number plus 1 as the second.
Variable
A variable moving average is an exponential moving average that
automatically adjusts the smoothing constant based on the volatility of the
data series. The more volatile the data, the larger the smoothing constant
used in the moving average calculation. The larger the smoothing
constant, the more weight given to the current data. The opposite is true
for less volatile data.
Trader’s often associate high volatility with strongly trending markets.
However, this is a mistake. Strong trending markets are often less volatile
because of the consistency of day-to-day price changes. Its when prices
are erratic in their day-to-day movements (i.e., down a lot, up a little, up a
little, up a lot, up a little, down a little, etc.), that volatility increases. This
can occur in uptrending, downtrending, or sideways markets.
Typical moving averages suffer from the inability to compensate for
changes in volatility. During volatile markets, you want a moving

486 • Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies MetaStock Professional

 average to increase its sensitivity, so that you will quickly be on the
correct side of any wild gyrations. By automatically adjusting the
smoothing constant, a variable moving average is able to adjust its
sensitivity, allowing it to perform better in both high and low volatility
markets.
VMA = (0.78*(volatility index) * close) + (1-0.078 * volatility
index)*yesterday’s VMA
The absolute value of a 9-period Chande Momentum Oscillator is used
for the volatility index. The higher this index the more volatile the
market, thereby increasing the sensitivity of the moving average.
This method of calculating a variable moving average was presented by
Tushar Chande in the March 1992 issue of Technical Analysis of Stocks
& Commodities magazine.
Volume Adjusted
Dick Arms, well-known as the developer of the Arms Index and the
equivolume charting method (see page 464), has developed a unique
method for calculating moving averages. In keeping with his prior work,
the calculation method incorporates volume and is appropriately called a
volume adjusted moving average .
The calculation for a volume adjusted moving average is somewhat
complex; however, it is conceptually easy to understand. All moving
averages (even volume adjusted) use some type of weighting scheme to
"average" the data. Exponential and weighted moving averages assign the
majority of weight to the most recent data. Simple moving averages
assign the weight equally across all data. Variable moving averages
assign the majority of the weight to the most volatile data. And as its
name implies, volume adjusted moving averages assign the majority of
weight to the day's with the most volume.
A volume adjusted moving average is calculated as follows:
1. Calculate the average volume using every time period in the chart.
2. Calculate the volume increment by multiplying the average volume
by 0.67.
3. Calculate each period's volume ratio by dividing each period's actual
volume by the volume increment.
4. Starting at the most recent time period and working backwards,
multiply each period's price by the period's volume ratio and
cumulatively sum these values until the user-specified number of
volume increments is reached. Note that only a fraction of the last
period's volume will likely be used.
Weighted
A weighted moving average is also designed to put more weight on recent
data and less weight on past data. A weighted moving average is
calculated by multiplying each of the previous day's data by a weight.

MetaStock Professional Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies • 487

 The following table shows how a 5-day weighted moving average is
calculated.

Day No. Weight * Price = Weighted Price

1 1 25 25
2 2 26 52
3 3 28 84
4 4 25 100
5 5 29 145
Totals 15 133 = 27.067

Note how the 5-day weighted moving average gives five times more
weight to today's price (i.e., 5 * 29) than to the price five days ago (i.e.,
1* 25).

Interpretation
The most popular method of interpreting a moving average is to compare
the relationship between a moving average of the security's closing price
and the security's closing price itself. A sell signal is generated when the
security's price falls below its moving average and a buy signal is
generated when the security's price rises above its moving average.
This type of moving average trading system is not intended to get you in
at the exact bottom and out at the exact top. Rather, it is designed to keep
you in line with the security's price trend by buying shortly after the
security's price bottoms and selling shortly after it tops.
The critical element in a moving average is the number of time periods
used in calculating the average. When using hindsight, you can always
find a moving average that would have been profitable. The key is to find
a moving average that will be consistently profitable. The most popular
moving average is the 39-week (or 200-day) moving average. This
moving average has a good track record in timing the major (long- term)
market cycles. The length of a moving average should fit the market
cycle you wish to follow:

Trend Moving Average Length

Very Short Term 5-13 days
Short Term 14-25 days
Minor Intermediate 26-49 days
Intermediate 50-100 days
Long Term 100-200 days

488 • Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies MetaStock Professional

 When you display moving averages, the number of time periods you enter
is based on the periodicity of the security that is loaded. For example, if
you load daily data, then entering 12 for the number of time periods in the
moving average will cause MetaStock Pro to calculate a 12-day moving
average. If you had loaded weekly data, MetaStock Pro would calculate a
12-week moving average.
You can convert a daily moving average quantity into a weekly moving
average quantity by dividing the number of days by 5 (e.g., a 200-day
moving average is almost identical to a 40-week moving average). To
convert a daily moving average quantity into a monthly quantity, divide
the number of days by 21 (e.g., a 200-day moving average is very similar
to a 9-month moving average).
MetaStock Pro enables you to plot moving averages of securities and any
of the indicators tracked by the program. The interpretation of an
indicator's moving average is similar to the interpretation of a security's
moving average: when the indicator rises above its moving average, it
signifies a continued upward movement by the indicator; when the
indicator falls below its moving average, it signifies a continued
downward movement by the indicator.
Indicators which are especially well-suited for use with moving average
penetration systems include the MACD, Price R.O.C., Momentum, and
Stochastics.
Some indicators, such as short-term Stochastics, fluctuate so erratically
that it is difficult to tell what their trend really is. By removing the
indicator (i.e., setting the Indicator Style to Invisible in the Indicator's
Properties dialog) and then plotting a moving average of the indicator, we
can see the general trend of the indicator rather than its day-to-day
fluctuations.
Whipsaws can be reduced, at the expense of a slightly later signal, by
plotting a short-term moving average (e.g., 2-10 day) of oscillating
indicators such as the 12-day R.O.C., Stochastics, or the RSI. For
example, rather than selling when the Stochastic Oscillator falls below 80,
you might sell only when a 5-period moving average of the Stochastic
Oscillator falls below 80.

Negative Volume Index

The Negative Volume Index (NVI) relates a decrease in volume to the
change in the security's price. When volume decreases from the previous
day, the NVI is adjusted by the percentage change in the security's price.
If (V < (ref(V,-1)) then
NVI = I + (((C - ref(C,-1) / ref(C,-1)))
If (V >= ref(V,-1)) then
NVI = I
Where:

MetaStock Professional Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies • 489

 C = Today's closing price
ref(C,-1) = Yesterday's closing price
I = Yesterday's Negative Volume Index
NVI = Today's Negative Volume Index
V = Today's volume
ref(V,-1) = Yesterday's volume
The NVI is constructed so it only displays changes on days when volume
decreases from the previous day. Because falling prices are usually
associated with falling volume, the NVI will usually trend downward.
See page 163 for more information on plotting indicators. See page 188
for more information on the NVI parameters.

Interpretation
Interpretation of the NVI assumes that on days when volume increases,
the crowd-following "uninformed" investors are in the market.
Conversely, on days with decreased volume, the "smart money" is quietly
taking positions. Thus, changes shown in the NVI (remember that the
NVI changes only on lower volume days) display what the smart money is
doing.
Stock Market Logic, by Norman Fosback, points out that the odds of a
bull market are 95 out of 100 when the NVI of the Dow Industrials is
above its one-year moving average.

Tip
An example custom indicator (see page 309) shows how to calculate the
Negative Volume Index.

ODDS Probability Cones

ODDS™ Probability Cones were developed by Don Fishback, renowned
option expert and originator of the ODDS option trading methodology.
Perhaps Mr. Fishback's most significant contribution to option analysis
includes the application of price volatility and its affect on the laws of
probability. ODDS Probability Cones are a result of this work.
Fishback's ODDS methodology is based on the assumptions made in
every commonly used option pricing model. If you use an option pricing
model to value options, you are making the probability assumptions used
by ODDS, whether you realize it or not.
The assumption is that the financial markets are random and that prices
exhibit a normal distribution. That means that if you looked at the
market’s price changes over an extended period of time, the shape of the
price distribution would look like a bell curve. The x-axis of a bell curve
is in terms of standard deviations--the y-axis in terms of price. A normal
distribution assumption has some very useful properties, including the one

490 • Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies MetaStock Professional

 that is the most important to us--probability is equal to the area under the
curve.

The official definition of volatility is equal to one standard deviation of

the price change (expressed in logarithmic terms) annualized. In simpler
language, volatility provides us with a value that can be used to measure
the "likelihood" of a significant price change. The higher the volatility,
the greater the likelihood of a significant price move.
Notice that volatility is equal to one standard deviation, which happens to
be the same unit as our bell curve’s x-axis. It is this property that allows
us to create the ODDS Probability Cones found in MetaStock Pro.
Option traders may find the expert named "Don Fishback – ODDS™
Option Analyst" helpful. See page 435 for more information on experts.
See page 205 for more information on plotting line studies. See page 219
for more information on the ODDS Probability Cones parameters.
For more information, contact Don Fishback at 1-800-637-8970.

Interpretation
ODDS Probability Cones (which are greatly influenced by recent price
volatility) provide you with a visual guide to the most probable range of
future prices. This range (i.e. the cone's width) is determined by recent
volatility in prices, the number of time periods projected, and the
probability percentage (e.g., 68% confidence, 90% confidence, etc.). The
more volatile the security prices, the wider the expected range of future
prices and hence the wider the cones. The cones always widen from the
apex even if recent volatility is very low, because as time increases, the
better the odds of a significant price move.
By default, the cones show the expected range of prices given a 68.26%
probability (this is equivalent to one standard deviation). This means that
there is a 68.26% probability that prices will remain within the cones over
the specified time frame. By increasing this percentage, you can control

MetaStock Professional Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies • 491

 the width of the cones. As you might expect, higher percentages result in
wider cones.
The following illustration shows a chart and a standard bell curve (with
one standard deviation shaded) flipped on its side. Note that this
corresponds to the width of the Probability Cones on the chart (which are
plotted using 68.26%, or one standard deviation).

The original use of this type of analysis was intended to help option
traders determine the best strategy to implement. From a probability
standpoint, an option trader would prefer to sell options with strikes that
lie outside the cones and buy options with strikes that lie within the cones.
The cones also have equal value for the analysis of regular long and short
positions. All else being equal and assuming you are confident in your
price directional forecast, you would prefer to establish a long or short
position in a security with wide cones rather than one with narrow cones.
Of course, this assumes that the recent calculated volatility will continue
or rise. If you expect volatility to drop, then you should reconsider.

On Balance Volume
On Balance Volume relates volume to price change. It is calculated by
adding the day's volume to a cumulative total when the security's price
closes up, and subtracting the day's volume when the security's price
closes down.
If today's close > yesterday's close then
OBV = yesterday's OBV + today's volume
If today's close < yesterday's close then
OBV = yesterday's OBV - today's volume
If today's close = yesterday's close then
OBV = yesterday's OBV
See page 163 for more information on plotting indicators. See page 188
for more information on the OBV parameters.

492 • Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies MetaStock Professional

 Interpretation
On Balance Volume is a running total of volume. It seeks to show if
volume is flowing into or out of a security. When the security closes
higher than the previous close, all of the day's volume is considered up-
volume. When the security closes lower than the previous close, all of
the day's volume is considered down-volume.
Joe Granville is the father of OBV and its analysis. We can barely begin
to explain a simplified version of OBV interpretation here. If you want
further information on OBV analysis, we recommend that you read his
book, New Strategy of Daily Stock Market Timing for Maximum Profits
(see page 544).
The basic assumption, regarding OBV analysis, is that OBV changes
precede price changes. The theory is that smart money can be seen
flowing into the security by a rising OBV. When the public then moves
into the security, both the security and the OBV will surge ahead.
If the security's price movement precedes OBV movement, a "non-
confirmation" is said to have occurred. Non-confirmations can occur at
bull market tops (when the security rises without, or before, the OBV) or
at bear market bottoms (when the security falls without, or before, the
OBV).
The OBV is said to be in a rising trend when each new peak is higher than
the previous peak and each new trough is higher than the previous trough.
Likewise, the OBV is in a falling trend when each successive peak is
lower than the previous peak and each successive trough is lower than the
previous trough. When the OBV is moving sideways and is not making
successive highs and lows, it is in a doubtful trend.
Once a trend is established, it remains in force until it is broken. There
are two ways in which the OBV trend can be broken. The first occurs
when the trend changes from a rising trend to a falling trend, or from a
falling trend to a rising trend.
The second way the OBV trend can be broken is if the trend changes to a
doubtful trend and remains doubtful for more than three days. Thus, if the
security changes from a rising trend to a doubtful trend and remains
doubtful for only two days before changing back to a rising trend, the
OBV is considered to have always been in a rising trend.
When the OBV changes to a rising or falling trend, a breakout is said to
have occurred. Since OBV breakouts normally precede security
breakouts, investors should buy long on OBV upside breakouts.
Likewise, investors should sell short when the OBV makes a downside
breakout. Positions should be held until the trend changes (as explained
in the preceding paragraph).
This method of analyzing On Balance Volume is designed for trading
short-term cycles. According to Granville, investors must act quickly and
decisively if they wish to profit from short-term OBV analysis.

MetaStock Professional Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies • 493

 Tip
An example custom indicator (see page 310) shows how to calculate On
Balance Volume.

Open Interest

The Open Interest indicator plots the number of open contracts of a given
commodity.
Open interest is only available for futures and can only be plotted if the
data file contains open interest data. A simple way to tell if the file
contains open interest data is to select the Open Interest indicator. If
nothing is plotted, there is no open interest data.
See page 163 for more information on plotting indicators. See page 188
for more information on the Open Interest indicator's parameters.

Interpretation
Open interest is used to measure the activity and strength of a commodity.
An increase in open interest accompanied with higher prices shows that
new buyers are continuing to enter the market and thus can be viewed as a
confirmation of the upward price move. Likewise, a decrease in open
interest while prices are making new highs (a divergence) is often viewed
as a warning sign suggesting an impending decline in prices.

Option Indicators
A brief interpretation of the option indicators in MetaStock Pro is
provided below. For more information on these indicators and option
analysis see page 543.
See page 163 for more information on plotting indicators. See page 189
for more information on the Option indicator parameters.

Option Delta
Delta shows the amount that the option's price will change if the
underlying security's price changes by $1.00.
For example, if XYZ is selling for $105.00/share, a call option on XYZ is
selling for $2.00 and the Delta is 75%, then the option's price should
increase $0.75 (to $2.75) if the price of XYZ increases to $106.00/share.
In other words, the option should go up $0.75 for each $1.00 that XYZ
goes up.

494 • Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies MetaStock Professional

 Option Expiration
The Option Expiration indicator shows the month to month expiration
cycle of stock and index options. It is designed primarily to help in the
development of more robust trading systems using the indicator's function
(see page 2720 for more information on the Option Expiration function).
The visual interpretation of the plot itself is of little value as it simply
shows the number of days until the next monthly option expiration date.
Stock and Index options expire on the Saturday following the third Friday
of each month. Options may be written for one of three cycles. New
options can be written every three months, with cycles beginning in
January, February, and March.
The option expiration day in the months of March, June, September, and
December are referred to as "triple witching." On these days, stock
options, index options, and index futures all expire simultaneously. For
this reason, triple witching days are often very volatile.
Since options officially expire on Saturdays (a non-trading day), the Next
Option Expiration indicator's value on the Friday before expiration will be
1.00—meaning one day until expiration. This is also consistent with the
way the Option Life function calculates (see page 272).
Some of the most active days in the history of the markets have occurred
at option expiration. Because of the increasing use of options by both
small and large investors as a means of hedging and speculating, it may be
wise to consider the potential increase in volatility that can occur in the
underlying security on option expiration days.
See page 163 for more information on plotting indicators. See page 188
for more information on the Option Expiration parameters.

Option Gamma
Gamma shows the anticipated change in Delta, given a one point increase
in the underlying security. Thus, it shows how responsive Delta is to a
change in the underlying security's price. For example, a Gamma of four
indicates that the Delta will increase four points (e.g., from 50% to 54%)
for each one point increase in the underlying security's price.

Option Life
Option Life shows the number of days until expiration. Generally
speaking, the longer the time until expiration, the more valuable the
option.

Option Price
The Option Price is the main output of the Black-Scholes model. It shows
how much the option should sell for based on the various components that
make up the model (e.g., volatility, option life, security price, etc.). It
helps answer the question, "Is the option overpriced or underpriced?"

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 Option Theta
Theta shows the change in the option's price (in points) due to the effect
of time alone. The longer the time until expiration, the less effect that
time has on the price of the option. However, as the option nears
expiration, the effect can be great, particularly on out-of-the-money
options. Theta is also referred to as "time decay."

Option Vega
Vega shows the change in the option price due to an assumed 1% increase
in the underlying security's volatility. Vega shows the dollar amount of
gain that should be expected if the volatility goes up one point (all else
being equal).

Option Volatility
Options of high volatility stocks are worth more than those with low
volatility, because of the greater chance the option has of moving in-the-
money by expiration. Option purchasers should prefer options with high
volatilities and option writers should prefer options with low volatilities
(all else being equal).
This measure of option volatility is a historical volatility measurement
requiring 21 days of data. It is based on the "High-Low-Close Estimator"
method presented in the book, The Complete Investment Book (see page
544).

Parabolic SAR
The Parabolic Time/Price System, developed by J. Welles Wilder, is
explained thoroughly in his book, New Concepts in Technical Trading
Systems (see page 544). This indicator is used to set price stops and is
often called the stop-and-reversal (SAR) indicator.
See page 163 for more information on plotting indicators. See page 190
for more information on the Parabolic SAR parameters.

Interpretation
If you are long (i.e., the price is above the SAR), the SAR will move up
every day, regardless of the direction the price is moving. The amount the
SAR moves up depends on the amount that prices move.
The Parabolic SAR provides excellent stops. You should close long
positions when the price falls below the SAR and close short positions
when the price rises above the SAR.
The Parabolic SAR is plotted as shown in Wilder's book (above). Each
SAR stop level point is displayed on the day in which it is in effect. Note
that the SAR value is today's, not tomorrow's stop level.

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Performance
The Performance indicator displays a security's price performance as a
percentage. This is sometimes called a "normalized" chart.
See page 163 for more information on plotting indicators. See page 190
for more information on the Performance parameters.

Interpretation
The numeric value of the Performance indicator is the percentage that the
security has changed since the first period loaded. For example, a value
of 10 would mean that the security's price has increased 10% since the
first period loaded on the left side of the chart. Similarly, a value of -10%
would mean that the security's price has fallen by 10% since the first
period.

Tip
The Performance indicator calculates the percent that prices have changed
since the first day loaded in the chart. Therefore, if you want to calculate
a security's performance from a specific date (e.g., the day you bought it),
you should first use the X-Axis Properties dialog (see page 118) to change
the first date loaded.

Point & Figure

Point & figure (P&F) charts differ from "normal" price charts in that they
completely disregard the passage of time and only chart changes in prices.
Rather than having price on the y-axis and time on the x-axis, P&F charts
display price changes on both axes.
P&F charts display an "X" when prices rise by the "box size" and display
an "O" when prices fall by the box size. Note that no Xs or Os are drawn
if prices rise or fall by an amount that is less than the box size.
Each column can contain either Xs or Os, but never both. In order to
change columns (e.g., from an X column to an O column), prices must
reverse by the "reversal amount" multiplied by the box size. For example,
if the box size is 3 points and the reversal amount is 2 boxes, then prices
must reverse direction 6 points (3 times 2) in order to change columns. If
you are in a column of Xs, the price must fall 6 points in order to change
to a column of Os. If you are in a column of Os, the price must rise 6
points in order to change to a column of Xs. The changing of columns
signifies a change in the trend of prices.
Because prices must reverse direction by the reversal amount, each
column in a P&F chart will have at least "reversal amount" boxes.
When in a column of Xs or Os, MetaStock Pro will first check to see if
prices have moved in the current direction (e.g., rose if in a column of Xs
or fell if in a column of Os) before checking for a reversal. MetaStock

MetaStock Professional Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies • 497

 Pro uses the high and low prices to decide if prices have changed enough
to display a new box.
Indicators calculated on P&F charts use all the data in each column and
then display the average value of the indicator for that column.
Interpretation
P&F charts are designed to display the underlying supply and demand of a
security. A column of Xs shows that demand is exceeding supply (a
rally); a column of Os shows that supply is exceeding demand (a decline);
and a series of short columns shows that supply and demand are relatively
equal.
There are several chart patterns that appear repeatedly in P&F charts.
These include Double Tops and Bottoms, Bullish and Bearish Signal
formations, Bullish and Bearish Symmetrical Triangles, Triple Tops and
Bottoms, etc. It is beyond the scope of the manual to fully explain all of
the possibilities. See page 544 for a list of recommended books.

Polarized Fractal Efficiency

The Polarized Fractal Efficiency indicator (PFE) was developed by Hans
Hannula. It was introduced in the January 1994 issue of Technical
Analysis of Stocks & Commodities magazine. As an engineer,
programmer, and trader with over 30 years market experience, Mr.
Hannula developed a unique approach to applying the laws of fractal
geometry and chaos to the markets.
See page 163 for more information on plotting indicators. See page 190
for more information on the Polarized Fractal Efficiency parameters.

Interpretation
Drawing upon the pioneering works of mathematician Benoit Mendelbrot,
Mr. Hannula developed an indicator to gauge the efficiency that prices
travel between two points in time.
The more linear and efficient price movement, the shorter the distance the
prices must travel between two points. The more "squiggly" the price
movement, the less efficient it's travel.
The primary use of the PFE indicator is as a measure of how trendy or
congested price action is. PFE readings above zero mean that the trend is
up. The higher the reading the "trendier" and more efficient the upward
movement. PFE readings below zero mean that the trend is down. The
lower the reading the "trendier" and more efficient the downward
movement. Readings around zero indicate choppy, less efficient
movement, with a balance between the forces of supply and demand.
Several interesting phenomenon have been observed by Mr. Hannula:
• Indexes (particularly the OEX) tend to have a maximum PFE (both
plus and minus) of about 43%.

498 • Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies MetaStock Professional

 • The middle region (around zero) is a balance between supply and
demand and therefore a congestion point.
• A hooking pattern often occurs right before the end of an efficient
period. This pattern occurs when the PFE appears to have maxed
out, turns in the opposite direction towards zero, and then makes one
last attempt at maximum efficiency. Trades can be entered in the
opposite direction, with a stop just beyond the extreme of the hook.
Stay with the trade all the way to the other extreme, unless it slows
around the zero line. If it slows around zero, exit the trade and wait
for a new maximum efficiency entry.

Positive Volume Index

The Positive Volume Index (PVI) relates an increase in volume to the
change in the security's price. When volume increases from the previous
day, the PVI is adjusted by the percentage change in the security's price.
If (V > ref(V,-1)) then
PVI = I + (((C - ref(C,-1)) / ref(C,-1)))
If (V <= ref(V,-1)) then
PVI = I
Where:
C = Today's closing price
ref(C,-1) = Yesterday's closing price
I = Yesterday's Positive Volume Index
PVI = Today's Positive Volume Index
V = Today's volume
ref(V,-1) = Yesterday's volume
The PVI is constructed so it only displays changes on days when volume
increases from the previous day. Because rising prices are usually
associated with rising volume, the PVI will generally trend upward.
See page 163 for more information on plotting indicators. See page 191
for more information on the PVI parameters.

Interpretation
The interpretation of the PVI is the opposite of the NVI (see page 489).
The PVI seeks to show what "uninformed" investors are doing.

Tip
An example custom indicator (see page 310) shows how to calculate the
Positive Volume Index.

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Price Channel
Price Channels are similar in concept to other types of bands and channels
including moving average bands, Projection Bands (see page 503),
Envelopes (see page 464), and Bollinger Bands (see page 449). They also
have some of the characteristics of channel lines such as Raff Regression
Channels (see page 508).
Price Channels are plotted by finding the highest high over the specified
number of periods and plotting the result above the current price to form
the top channel. The bottom channel is formed by plotting the lowest low
over the specified number of periods. The resulting plot consists of two
lines representing the recent highest and lowest prices.
Price Channels, in essence, are dynamic (or moving) support and
resistance levels based. They are constantly adjusted to reflect recent
new highs and new lows.
See page 205 for more information on plotting line studies. See page 191
for more information on Price Channel parameters.

Interpretation
Price Channels are used much like other types of channels and bands--
they help gauge the ebb and flow of optimism and pessimism. When
prices are at or near the upper channel, extreme optimism is indicated--
look for prices to meet resistance and to move down to more rational
levels. Likewise, when prices are at or near the lower channel, extreme
pessimism is indicated--look for prices to find support and move up to
more rational levels.
Since Price Channels are calculated from absolute high and low price
levels, they tend to provide traditional support and resistance. For
example, if prices bounce two or more times off of the bottom channel
near the same price level, strong support is indicated. Likewise, if prices
rebound two or more times off the top channel near the same price level,
strong resistance is indicated.
Interestingly, much like Bollinger Bands, narrow Price Channels often
precede significant price moves. Several interesting observations
involving the combination of a 20-period Bollinger Band and 20-period
Price Channel are noted below:
• Expect a significant upward price move when the Price Channel and
Bollinger Bands are very narrow and the closing price exceeds the
upper Price Channel. Place a protective stop just below the middle
Bollinger Band.
• Expect a significant downward price move when the Price Channel
and Bollinger Bands are very narrow and the closing price drops
below the lower Price Channel. Place a protective stop just above the
middle Bollinger Band.

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 • Expect a short-term pullback against the prevailing uptrend when the
Price Channel and Bollinger Bands are wide and the closing price
exceeds the upper Price Channel.
• Expect a short-term pullback against the prevailing downtrend when
the Price Channel and Bollinger Bands are wide and the closing price
exceeds the lower Price Channel.

Price Oscillator
The Price Oscillator displays the difference between two moving averages
of the security's price. The difference between the averages can be
expressed in either points or percentages.
See page 163 for more information on plotting indicators. See page 191
for more information on the Price Oscillator parameters.

Interpretation
Moving average analysis often generates buy signals when a short-term
moving average (or the security's price) rises above a longer-term moving
average. Conversely, sell signals are generated when a shorter-term
moving average falls below a longer-term moving average. The Price
Oscillator illustrates the cyclical (and often profitable) signals generated
by one or two moving average systems.

Tips
For more information on moving average systems and oscillators, refer to
Moving Averages (see page 484) and the MACD (see page 478).
An example custom indicator (see page 310) shows how to calculate the
Price Oscillator.

Price Rate-Of-Change
The Price Rate-Of-Change (R.O.C.) indicator (percent method) is
calculated by dividing the price change over the last x-periods by the
closing price of the security x-periods ago. The result is the percentage
that the security's price has changed in the last x-periods.
If the security's price is higher today than x-periods ago, the R.O.C. will
be a positive number. If the security's price is lower today than x-periods
ago, the R.O.C. will be a negative number.
See page 163 for more information on plotting indicators. See page 192
for more information on the R.O.C. parameters.

Interpretation
A long recognized phenomenon of security prices is the fact that prices
tend to surge ahead and retract in a cyclical wave-like motion. The Price

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 Rate-Of-Change indicator illustrates this wave-like motion of a security's
price in an oscillator format. As the security's price increases, its R.O.C.
will rise; conversely, as its price falls, its R.O.C. will fall. The faster
prices rise or fall, the faster the R.O.C. will rise or fall.
MetaStock Pro allows you to select the time period used in the R.O.C.
calculation. The time period may range from a very short 1-day R.O.C.
(which causes an erratic chart) to a long-term 200-day (or longer) R.O.C.
The most popular time periods are the 12-day and 25-day R.O.C. for short
to intermediate-term trading and a 1-year (255-day) R.O.C. for long-term
analysis.
The 12-day R.O.C. is best used as a short to intermediate-term
overbought/oversold indicator. The higher the R.O.C., the more
overbought the security; the lower the R.O.C., the more likely a rally.
However, as with all overbought/oversold indicators, it is best to wait for
the market to begin to correct (i.e., turn up or down) before placing your
trade. A market that appears overbought may remain overbought for
some time. In fact, extremely overbought/oversold readings usually imply
a continuation of the current trend.
The 12-day R.O.C. tends to be very cyclical, oscillating back and forth in
a fairly regular pattern. Often, price changes can be anticipated by
studying the previous cycles of the R.O.C. and relating the previous
cycles to the current market.
The optimum overbought/oversold levels (e.g., +/-5) will vary depending
on the security being analyzed and overall market conditions. In strong
bull markets, it is usually beneficial to use higher levels, perhaps +10 and
-5.

Tips
The predefined Price R.O.C. discussed here displays the R.O.C. as a
percentage. The R.O.C. also can be displayed as a ratio using the
Momentum indicator (see page 482), or expressed in points by choosing
the "periods" button in the properties dialog (see page 192).
An example custom indicator (see page 310) shows how to calculate the
Price R.O.C.

Price Volume Trend

The Price Volume Trend (PVT) is similar in concept to On Balance
Volume (see page 492) in that it is a cumulative total of volume that is
adjusted depending on changes in closing prices. But whereas OBV adds
all volume on days when prices close higher and subtracts all volume on
days when prices close lower, the PVT adds only a portion of the daily
volume. The amount of volume added to the PVT is a function of the
amount by which prices rose or fell relative to the previous day's close.
PVT = (((C-ref(C,-1)) / ref(C,-1)) * V) + I

502 • Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies MetaStock Professional

 Where:
C = Today's closing price
ref(C,-1) = Yesterday's closing price
V = Today's volume
I = Yesterday's Price Volume Trend
The PVT is calculated by multiplying the day's volume by the percentage
change of the underlying security and adding this value to a cumulative
total. For example, if the security closed up 0.5% and volume was
10,000 shares, we would add 50 (i.e., 0.005 * 10,000 = 50) to the PVT.
If the security had closed down 0.5%, we would have subtracted 50 from
the PVT.
See page 163 for more information on plotting indicators. See page 192
for more information on the PVT parameters.

Interpretation
The interpretation of the Price Volume Trend is similar to the
interpretation of On Balance Volume (see page 492) and the Volume
Accumulation/Distribution Line (see page 446).
Many investors feel that the PVT more accurately illustrates the flow of
money into and out of a security than does OBV. This is because OBV
adds the same amount of volume to the indicator regardless of whether
the security closes up a fraction of a point or doubles in price. However,
the PVT adds only a small portion of volume to the indicator when the
price changes by a small percentage and adds a large portion of volume
to the indicator when prices change by a large percentage.

Tip
An example custom indicator (see page 310) shows how to calculate the
Price Volume Trend.

Projection Bands
Projection Bands were developed by Mel Widner, Ph.D. They were
originally introduced in the July 1995 issue of Technical Analysis of
Stocks & Commodities magazine.
Projection Bands are similar in concept to other types of bands including
moving average bands, Price Channels (see page 500), Envelopes (see
page 464), and Bollinger Bands (see page 449). They also have some of
the characteristics of channel lines such as Raff Regression Channels (see
page 508).
Projection Bands are plotted by finding the minimum and maximum
prices over the specified number of days and projecting these forward
(parallel to a linear regression line). The resulting plot consists of two

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 bands representing the minimum and maximum price boundaries. Prices
will always be contained by the bands, unlike Bollinger Bands.
See page 163 for more information on plotting indicators. See page 192
for more information on the Projection Bands parameters.

Interpretation
Projections Bands are used much like other types of bands--they help
gauge the ebb and flow of optimism and pessimism. When prices are at
or near the upper band, extreme optimism is indicated--look for prices to
move down to more rational levels. Likewise, when prices are at or near
the lower band, extreme pessimism is indicated--look for prices to move
up to more rational levels.
It is recommended that all band generated signals be confirmed by other
indicators, because prices will often ride along a band for an extended
amount of time during strong trending markets. During trending markets,
you can use bands to trade short-term reactions against the primary trend.
In trading range markets, you can use the bands to trade
overbought/oversold levels. Indicators like the VHF (see page 533),
CMO (see page 454), and r-squared (see page 506) can be used to gauge
the trendiness of the market.

Projection Oscillator
Developed by Mel Widner, Ph.D., the Projection Oscillator is a by-
product of his Projection Bands (see page 503). The Projection
Oscillator is basically a slope-adjusted Stochastic. Where the Stochastic
Oscillator (see page 521) shows the relationship of the current price to its
minimum and maximum prices over a recent time period, the Projection
Oscillator shows the same thing, but the minimum and maximum prices
are adjusted up/down by the slope of the price’s regression line. This
adjustment makes the Projection Oscillator more responsive to short-term
price moves than an equi-period Stochastic.
Put another way, the Projection Oscillator shows where the current price
is relative to the Projection bands. A value of 50 indicates that the
current price is exactly in the middle of the bands. A value of 100
indicates that prices are touching the top band. A value of 0 indicates
that prices are touching the bottom band.
See page 163 for more information on plotting indicators. See page 192
for more information on the Projection Oscillator parameters.

Interpretation
The Projection Oscillator can be used as both a short- and intermediate-
term trading oscillator depending on the number of time periods used
when calculating the oscillator. When displaying a short-term Projection
Oscillator (e.g., 10-20 days), it is popular to use a 3-day trigger line.

504 • Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies MetaStock Professional

 There are several ways to interpret a Projection Oscillator.
Overbought/oversold. Buy when the oscillator falls below a specific
level (e.g., 20) and then rises above that level, and sell when the
Oscillator rises above a specific level (e.g., 80) and then falls below that
level. High values (i.e., above 80) indicate excessive optimism. Low
values (i.e., below 20) indicate excessive pessimism.
However, before basing any trade off of strict overbought/oversold levels,
you should first qualify the trendiness of the market using indicators such
as r-squared (see page 506) or CMO (see page 454). If these indicators
suggest a non-trending market, then trades based on strict
overbought/oversold levels should produce the best results. If a trending
market is suggested, then you can use the oscillator to enter trades in the
direction of the trend.
Crossovers. Buy when the oscillator crosses above its trigger (dotted)
line and sell when the oscillator crosses below its trigger line. You may
want to qualify your trades by requiring that the crossovers occur above
the 70 level or below the 30 level.
Divergences. You may consider selling if prices are making a series of
new highs and the oscillator is failing to surpass its previous highs. You
may consider buying if prices are making a series of new lows and the
oscillator is failing to surpass its previous low. You may qualify your
trades by requiring that the divergence occur above the 70 level or below
the 30 level.

Qstick Indicator
The Qstick indicator was developed by Tushar Chande. Qstick provides
a way to quantify candlesticks. The distance between the open and close
prices lies at the heart of candlestick charting. For those unfamiliar with
candlestick charting, the body of a candlestick is black if today’s close is
less than the open; it is white if today’s close is greater than the open. A
majority of white candlesticks over a specified range is considered
bullish. Whereas a majority of black candlesticks over a specified range
is considered bearish.
The Qstick indicator is simply a moving average of the difference
between open and close prices.
For more information on the Qstick indicator, refer to the book The New
Technical Trader by Tushar Chande and Stanley Kroll.
See page 163 for more information on plotting indicators. See page 193
for more information on the Qstick parameters.

Interpretation
Qstick values below zero indicate a majority of black candlesticks (over
the time periods specified) and therefore a bearish bias for the security.

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 Values above zero indicate a majority of white candlesticks (over the
time periods specified) and therefore a bullish bias for the security.
There are several ways to trade the Qstick indicator:
Crossovers. Buy when the indicator crosses above zero. Sell when it
crosses below zero.
Extreme Levels. Buy when the Qstick indicator is at an extremely low
level and turning up. Sell when the Qstick indicator is at an extremely
high level and turning down. You may even want to plot a short-term
moving average on the Qstick to serve as a trigger line.
Divergences. Buy when the Qstick is moving up and prices are moving
down. Sell when the Qstick is moving down and prices are moving up.
You may want to consider waiting for the price to confirm the new
direction before placing the trade.

Quadrant Lines
Quadrant Lines are a series of horizontal lines that divide the highest and
lowest values (usually prices) into four equal sections.
See page 205 for more information on drawing line studies. See page
220 for more information on the Quadrant Line parameters.

Interpretation
Quadrant Lines are primarily intended to aid in the visual inspection of
price movements. They help you see the highest, lowest, and average
price over a specified period.

r-squared
The Linear Regression method provides several useful outputs for
technical analysts, including the r-squared. R-squared shows the strength
of trend. The more closely prices move in a linear relationship with the
passing of time, the stronger the trend.
You may find the expert named "Equis - Statistical Analysis" helpful in
interpreting r-squared. See page 435 for more information an experts.
See page 163 for more information on plotting indicators. See page 193
for more information on the r-squared parameters.

Interpretation
r-squared values show the percentage of movement that can be explained
by linear regression. For example, if the r-squared value over 20 days is
at 70%, this means that 70% of the movement of the security is explained
by linear regression. The other 30% is unexplained random noise.
It is helpful to consider r-squared in relation to Slope (see page 476).
While Slope gives you the general direction of the trend (positive or

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 negative), r-squared gives you the strength of the trend. A high r-squared
value can be associated with a high positive or negative Slope.
Although it is useful to know the r-squared value, ideally, you should use
r-squared in tandem with Slope. High r-squared values accompanied by
a small Slope may not interest short term traders. However, high r-
squared values accompanied by a large Slope value may be of huge
interest to traders.
One of the most useful way to use r-squared is as a confirming indicator.
Momentum based indicators (e.g., Stochastics, RSI, CCI, etc.) and
moving average systems require a confirmation of trend in order to be
consistently effective. R-squared provides a means of quantifying the
“trendiness” of prices. If r-squared is above its critical value and heading
up, you can be 95% confident that a strong trend is present.

When using momentum based indicators, only trade overbought/oversold

levels if you have determined that prices are trendless or weakening (i.e.,
a low or lowering r-squared value). Because in a strong trending market,
prices can remain overbought or oversold for extended periods.
Therefore, you may want to reconsider trading on strict
overbought/oversold levels used by many indicators. An “overbought”
market can remain overbought for extended periods in a trending market.
However, a signal generated by a moving average crossover system may
be worth following, since these systems work best in strong trending
markets.
To determine if the trend is statistically significant for a given x-period
linear regression line, plot the r-squared indicator and refer to the
following table. This table shows the values of r-squared required for a
95% confidence level at various time periods. If the r-squared value is
less than the critical values shown, you should assume that prices show no
statistically significant trend.

Number r-squared
of Periods Critical Value
(95%
confidence)
5 0.77
10 0.40
14 0.27
20 0.20
25 0.16
30 0.13
50 0.08
60 0.06

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 120 0.03

You may even consider opening a short-term position opposite the

prevailing trend when you observe r-squared rounding off at extreme
levels. For example, if the slope is positive and r-squared is above 0.80
and begins to turn down, you may consider selling or opening a short
position.
There are numerous ways to use the linear regression outputs of r-squared
and Slope in trading systems. For more detailed coverage, refer to the
book The New Technical Trader by Tushar Chande and Stanley Kroll.

Raff Regression Channel

Developed by Gilbert Raff, the regression channel is a line study that
plots directly on the price chart. The Regression Channel provides a
precise quantitative way to define a price trend and its boundaries.
The Regression Channel is constructed by plotting two parallel,
equidistant lines above and below a Linear Regression trendline. The
distance between the channel lines to the regression line is the greatest
distance that any one high or low price is from the regression line.
For more detailed information on using the Raff Regression Channel, we
recommend the book Trading the Regression Channel by Gilbert Raff
(available directly from Equis International).
See page 205 for more information on drawing line studies. See page 220
for more information on the Raff Regression Channel parameters.

Interpretation
Raff Regression Channels contain price movement, with the bottom
channel line providing support and the top channel line providing
resistance. Prices may extend outside of the channel for a short period of
time. However, if prices remain outside the channel for a long period of
time, a reversal in trend may be imminent.

Random Walk Index

In an effort to find an indicator that overcomes the effects of a fixed look-
back period and the drawbacks of traditional smoothing methods, Michael
Poulos developed the Random Walk Index. The Random Walk Index is
based on the basic geometric concept that the shortest distance between
two points is a straight line. The further prices stray from a straight line
during a move between two points in time, the less efficient the
movement.
See page 163 for more information on plotting indicators. See page 194
for more information on the Random Walk Index parameters.

508 • Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies MetaStock Professional

 Interpretation
Mr. Poulos found significant evidence during his research that the
"dividing line" between short- and long-term time frames for most futures
and stocks is right around eight to 10 days. Therefore, he feels an
effective trading system using the RWI can be devised using two different
time frames—a short-term RWI (two to seven periods) for the market's
frantic, random side and a long-term RWI (eight to 64 periods) for the
market's steady, trending side.
Peaks in the short-term RWI of highs tend to coincide with price peaks.
Peaks in the short-term RWI of lows tend to coincide with price troughs.
Readings of the long-term RWI of highs above 1.0 provides a good
indication of a sustainable uptrend. Readings of the long-term RWI of
lows above 1.0 provide a good indication of a sustainable downtrend.
Therefore Mr. Poulus feels that an effective trading system could be built
that opens trades (after short-term pull-backs against the direction of the
long-term trend) using the following guidelines:
• Buy Order (or close short) when the long-term RWI of the highs is
greater than 1.0, and the short-term RWI of lows peaks above 1.0.
• Sell Short Order (or Sell Order) when the long-term RWI of the lows
is greater than 1.0, and the short-term RWI of highs peaks above 1.0.

Range Indicator
The Range Indicator was developed by Jack Weinberg. It was
introduced in the June 1995 issue of Technical Analysis of Stocks &
Commodities magazine. Mr. Weinberg developed this indicator based on
his observation that changes in the average day's intraday range (high to
low) as compared to the average day's interday range (close to close)
precede the start of a new trend or the end of the current trend.
See page 163 for more information on plotting indicators. See page 194
for more information on the Range Indicator parameters.

Interpretation
The Range Indicator shows when the intraday high to low ranges exceed
the interday close to close ranges.
This approach proves useful in identifying the start and end of trends.
When the intraday ranges are dramatically higher than the interday
ranges, the market is considered "out of balance," and the Range Indicator
will be at a high level. When at a high level, look for the current trend to
end. Conversely, when the Range Indicator is at a low level (below 20 for
example), look for the emergence of a new trend.
Mr. Weinberg found that the Range Indicator improves many momentum
and trend-following trading systems. For example, he found that the
results of a basic two moving average crossover system on the four major

MetaStock Professional Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies • 509

 currencies were dramatically improved by filtering the signals with the
Range Indicator. By waiting to enter a long position until the Range
Indicator crossed above a defined low level and then waiting to exit until
the indicator crossed above a defined high level, profits, number of trades,
and risk were dramatically improved.

Relative Momentum Index

The Relative Momentum Index (RMI) was developed by Roger Altman.
Impressed with the Relative Strength Index's insensitivity to the number
of lookback periods, yet frustrated with it's inconsistent oscillation
between defined overbought and oversold levels, Mr. Altman added a
momentum component to the RSI. The RMI was first introduced in the
February 1993 issue of Technical Analysis of Stocks & Commodities
magazine.
As mentioned, the RMI is a variation of the RSI indicator. Instead of
counting up and down days from close to close as the RSI does, the RMI
counts up and down days from the close relative to the close x-days ago
(where x is not necessarily 1 as required by the RSI). So as the name of
the indicator reflects, "momentum" is substituted for "strength."
See page 163 for more information on plotting indicators. See page 194
for more information on the Relative Momentum Index parameters.

Interpretation
As an oscillator, the RMI exhibits the same strengths and weaknesses of
other overbought/oversold indicators. During strong trending markets the
RMI will remain at overbought or oversold levels for an extended period.
However, during non-trending markets, the RMI tends to oscillate
predictably between an overbought level of 70 to 90 and an oversold
level of 10 to 30.
Since the RMI is based on the RSI, many of the same interpretation
methods can be applied. In fact, many of these "situations" are more
clearly manifest with the RMI than they are with the RSI.
Tops and Bottoms. The RMI usually tops above 70 and bottoms below
30. The RMI usually forms these tops and bottoms before the underlying
price chart.
Chart Formations. The RMI often forms chart patterns (such as head
and shoulders or rising wedges) that may or may not be visible on the
price chart.
Failure Swings. (Also known as support or resistance penetrations or
breakouts.) This is where the RMI surpasses a previous high (peak) or
falls below a recent low (trough).
Support and Resistance. The RMI shows, sometimes more clearly than
the price chart, levels of support and resistance.

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 Divergence. As discussed above, this occurs when the price makes a new
high (or low) that is not confirmed by a new RMI high (or low).

Note that a 20,1 parameter RMI is equivalent to a 20-period RSI. This is

because the 1-day momentum parameter is calculating day-to-day price
changes, which the standard RSI does by default. As the momentum
parameter is increased, the oscillation range of the RMI becomes wider
and the fluctuations become smoother.

Relative Strength Comparative

The Relative Strength Comparative indicator compares two securities to
show how the securities are performing relative to each other. Be careful
not to confuse Comparative Relative Strength with the Relative Strength
Index.
Comparative Relative Strength is calculated by dividing one security's
prices by a second security's price. The result of this division is the ratio,
or relationship, between the two securities.
Another way to display the Comparative Relative Strength of two
securities, is to create a composite security using The DownLoader (see
The DownLoader User's Manual for more information.)
See page 163 for more information on plotting indicators. See page 195
for more information on the Relative Strength Comparative parameters.

Interpretation
A Comparative Relative Strength chart compares a security's price with
that of another security. When the indicator is moving up, it shows that
the security (the one displayed in the chart) is performing better than the
selected security. When the indicator is moving sideways, it shows that
both securities are performing the same (i.e., rising and falling by the
same percentages). When the indicator moves down, it shows that the
security is performing worse than the selected security (i.e., not rising as
fast or falling faster).
Stock and mutual fund traders may find it helpful to track the
Comparative Relative Strength between the stocks and funds you are
following and an index such as the NASDAQ Composite or the Dow
Industrials. Or you may want to do a comparison with a closely tied
industry group. For example, if you were following Ford, a Comparative
Relative Strength between Ford and the S&P Auto Index would be
helpful to show how Ford is performing relative to the entire auto
industry.
Futures Traders may find it helpful to compare futures with the CRB
index. Or perhaps one future with another. For example, Gold and
Silver, the Yen and the Pound, Bonds and the Dollar, etc.

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 Tip
When using a composite security to create a Relative Strength
Comparative, the value is stored in the price fields (rather than the
indicator field). This enables you to easily display indicators of Relative
Strength Comparatives.

Relative Strength Index

The Relative Strength Index (RSI) is a popular oscillator used by
commodity traders. It was first introduced by J. Welles Wilder in an
article in Commodities (now known as Futures) magazine in June, 1978.
Step-by-step instructions on calculating and interpreting the RSI are also
provided in Mr. Wilder's book, New Concepts in Technical Trading
Systems (see page 544).
The name "Relative Strength Index" is slightly misleading as the RSI does
not compare the relative strength of two securities, but rather the internal
strength of a single security. A more appropriate name might be "Internal
Strength Index."
The RSI is a fairly simple formula, but is difficult to explain without
pages of examples. The basic formula is:
 
 100 
RSI = 100 - 
 U 
1+  D  
  
Where:
U = An average of upward price change.
D = An average of downward price change.
MetaStock Pro prompts you to enter the number of time periods in the
averages.
See page 163 for more information on plotting indicators. See page 195
for more information on the RSI parameters.

Interpretation
When Wilder introduced the RSI, he recommended using a 14-day RSI.
Since then, the 9-day and 25-day RSIs have also gained popularity.
Because you can vary the number of time periods in the RSI calculation,
we suggest that you experiment to find the period that works best for you.
(The fewer days used to calculate the RSI, the more volatile the
indicator.)
The RSI is a price-following oscillator that ranges between 0 and 100. A
popular method of analyzing the RSI is to look for a divergence in which
the market index is making a new high, but the RSI is failing to surpass
its previous high. This divergence would be an indication of an

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 impending reversal. When the RSI then turns down and falls below its
most recent trough, it is said to have completed a failure swing. The
failure swing would be considered a confirmation of an impending
reversal.
In Mr. Wilder's book, he discusses five uses of the RSI in analyzing
commodity charts (these apply to indices as well):
Tops and Bottoms. The RSI usually tops above 70 and bottoms below
30 (MetaStock Pro automatically draws horizontal lines at these levels).
The RSI usually forms these tops and bottoms before the underlying
price chart.
Chart Formations. The RSI often forms chart patterns (such as head
and shoulders or rising wedges) that may or may not be visible on the
price chart.
Failure Swings. (also known as support or resistance penetrations or
breakouts): This is where the RSI surpasses a previous high (peak) or
falls below a recent low (trough).
Support and Resistance. The RSI shows, sometimes more clearly than
the price chart, levels of support and resistance.
Divergence. As discussed above, this occurs when the price makes a
new high (or low) that is not confirmed by a new RSI high (or low).
For additional information on the RSI, refer to Mr. Wilder's book.

Relative Volatility Index

The Relative Volatility Index (RVI) was developed by Donald Dorsey. It
was originally introduced in the June 1993 issue of Technical Analysis of
Stocks and Commodities magazine (TASC). A revision to the indicator
was covered in the September 1995 issue.
The RVI is used to measure the direction of volatility. The calculation is
identical to the Relative Strength Index (RSI) (see page 512) except that
the RVI measures the standard deviation of daily price changes rather
than absolute price changes.
See page 163 for more information on plotting indicators. See page 196
for more information on the RVI parameters.

Interpretation
When developing the RVI, Dorsey was searching for a confirming
indicator to use with traditional trend-following indicators (such as a dual
moving average crossover system). He found that using a momentum-
based indicator to confirm another “repackaged” momentum-based
indicator is usually ineffective.
Dorsey made this clear in the June 1993 TASC article:

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 “Technicians are tempted to use one set of indicators to confirm another.
We may decide to use the MACD to confirm a signal in Stochastic...
Logic tells us that this form of diversification will enhance results, but too
often the confirming indicator is just the original trading indicator
repackaged, each using a theory similar to the other to measure market
behavior... Every trader should understand the indicators being applied
to the markets to avoid duplicating information.”
When testing the profitability of a basic moving average crossover
system, Dorsey found that the results could be significantly enhanced by
applying the following RVI rules for confirmation. Similar rules are
likely to be effective for other momentum or trend following indicators.
• Only act on buy signals when RVI > 50.
• Only act on sell signals when RVI < 50.
• If a buy signal is ignored, enter long if RVI > 60.
• If a sell signal is ignored, enter short if RVI < 40.
• Close a long position if RVI falls below 40.
• Close a short position if RVI rises above 60.
Because the RVI measures a different set of market dynamics than other
indicators, it is often superior as a confirming indicator. As Dorsey states:
“There is no reason to expect the RVI to perform any better or worse
than the RSI as an indicator in its own right. The RVI’s advantage is
as a confirming indicator because it provides a level of
diversification missing in the RSI.”

Renko
The Renko charting method is thought to have acquired its name from
"renga" which is the Japanese word for bricks. Renko charts were
introduced by Steve Nison (a well-known authority on the Candlestick
charting method).
Renko charts are similar to Three Line Break charts except that in a
Renko chart, a line (or brick as they are sometimes called) is drawn in the
direction of the prior move only if a fixed amount (i.e., the box size) has
been exceeded. The bricks are always equal in size. For example, in a
five unit Renko chart, a 20 point rally is displayed as four equally sized,
five unit high Renko bricks.
To draw Renko bricks, today's close is compared with the high and low of
the previous brick (white or black). When the closing price rises above
the top of the previous brick by the box size or more, one or more equal
height, white bricks are drawn in the next column. If the closing price
falls below the bottom of the previous brick by the box size or more, one
or more equal height, black bricks are drawn in the next column.

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 If the market moves up more than the amount required to draw one brick,
but less than the amount required to draw two bricks, only one brick is
drawn. For example, in a two unit Renko chart, if the base price is 100
and the market moves to 103, then one white brick is drawn from the
base price of 100 to 102. The rest of the move--from 102 to 103--is not
shown on the Renko chart. The same rule applies anytime the price does
not fall on a box size divisor.

Indicators calculated on renko charts use all the data in each column and
then display the average value of the indicator for that column.

Interpretation
Basic trend reversals are signaled with the emergence of a white or black
brick. A new white brick indicates the beginning of a new uptrend. A
new black brick indicates the beginning of a new downtrend. Since the
Renko chart is a trend following technique, there will be times when the
market induces whipsaws. However, a trend following technique is
intended to allow traders to ride on the major portion of the trend.
Since a Renko chart isolates the underlying trends by filtering out the
minor ups and downs, Renko charts are excellent for helping determine
support and resistance levels.
For more in-depth coverage of the Renko charting method, we
recommend the book Beyond Candlesticks by Steve Nison (see page
544).

Speed Resistance Lines

Speed Resistance Lines, also called 1/3 - 2/3 lines, are a series of
trendlines that divide a price move into three equal sections. They are
similar in construction and interpretation to Fibonacci Fan Lines (see page
466).
See page 205 for more information on drawing line studies. See page 220
for more information on the Speed Resistance Line parameters.

Interpretation
Speed Resistance Lines are used to define price support levels. For
example, if a security is in a rising trend, its price will usually stay above
the 2/3 Speed Line. If prices do penetrate the 2/3 line, they will generally
fall all the way to the 1/3 line before regaining support.

Spread
Spreads compare two securities to show how the securities are
performing relative to each other. Spreads are normally calculated using
futures.

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 A spread is calculated by subtracting the value of one security from the
value of another security. To display a spread of two securities, you can
create a composite security using The DownLoader (see page 60 in this
manual), or you can plot the Spread indicator.
When creating the composite with The DownLoader, be sure to select
Subtract as the operator type. Enter the appropriate Weighting Factor.
Certain futures spreads require that one future have more or less weight
than the other. The Weighting Factor may be used to specify the weight
for each future in the spread (e.g., a Weighting Factor of 0.40 multiplies
the future's prices by 0.40). Entering a Weighting Factor of 1.00 for both
futures in the composite gives each equal weight.
See page 163 for more information on plotting indicators. See page 196
for more information on the Spread parameters.

Interpretation
A Spread involves buying one security and selling another with the goal
of profiting from the narrowing or expanding of the spread between the
two items. For example, you might buy gold and sell silver short with
the expectation that the price of silver will fall faster (or rise slower) than
the price of gold.

Tip
When using a composite security to create a spread, the value of the
spread is stored in the price fields (rather than the indicator field). This
enables you to display indicators of Spreads.

Standard Deviation
Standard Deviation is a statistical measurement of volatility. It is derived
by calculating an x-time period simple moving average of the data item
(i.e., the closing price or an indicator); summing the squares of the
difference between the data item and its moving average over each of the
preceding x-time periods; dividing this sum by x; and then calculating the
square root of this result.
See page 163 for more information on plotting indicators. See page 196
for more information on the Standard Deviation parameters.

Interpretation
Standard Deviation is typically used as a component of an indicator,
rather than as a stand-alone indicator. For example, Bollinger Bands (see
page 449) are calculated by adding a security's Standard Deviation to a
moving average.
High Standard Deviation values signify high volatility: the data item
being analyzed is deviating from its moving average significantly.

516 • Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies MetaStock Professional

 Similarly, low Standard Deviation values signify low volatility; the data
item is remaining close to its moving average.
Typically, low Standard Deviation values (i.e., low volatility) tend to
come before significant upward price changes.
Many analysts agree that major tops are normally accompanied with high
volatility and major bottoms are generally calm with low volatility.

Tips
An example custom indicator (see page 310) shows how to calculate
Standard Deviation.
The ODDS Probability Cones are calculated using standard deviation-
based volatility (see page 490).

Standard Deviation Channel

Standard Deviation Channels are calculated by plotting two parallel lines
above and below an x-period linear regression trendline. The lines are
plotted x standard deviations away from the linear regression trendline.
See page 205 for more information on drawing line studies. See page 221
for more information on Standard Deviation Channel parameters.

Interpretation
Price movements are characterized by swings from one extreme to the
other. Markets reflect the collective mood if its participants. When
market participants are overly optimistic, prices are driven up at an
unsustainable rate. Likewise, when market participants are overly
pessimistic, prices are beaten down at an unsustainable rate. The
keywords here are "extreme" and "unsustainable." Even the most raging
bull markets or violent bear markets will either pause for a breather or
reverse temporarily.
Markets tend to have an equilibrium point (i.e., a point towards which
prices tend to be drawn). Linear regression analysis is helpful in
determining where this "balancing point" lies. On the other hand,
standard deviation analysis is helpful in determining where the "extremes"
lie.
Elementary statistical analysis states that approximately 67% of future
price movement should be contained within one standard deviation and
approximately 95% within two standard deviations. However, this
assumes random, trendless data. Since most markets show overwhelming
evidence of non-random, trending behavior, these 67% and 95% values
are not as accurate. Standard Deviation channels, however, incorporate
the trend (as measured by the middle linear regression plot). Therefore,
they provide a trend-biased assessment of expected price movement.

MetaStock Professional Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies • 517

 Standard Deviation Channels can be used to enhance several types of
technical analysis techniques. Here are some ideas:
• Validate candlestick patterns. Enter long on bullish engulfing
lines only if they form below the bottom channel line.
• Validate overbought/oversold signals. Close long (or enter short)
when the Stochastic falls below 80, volume is above average, and
prices have recently fallen below the top channel line.
• Validate support/resistance breakouts. If prices have broken
above a long-term resistance level, yet volume is suspiciously light,
wait until the prices break above the upper channel on above average
volume.

Standard Error
Standard Error measures how closely prices congregate around a linear
regression line. The closer prices are to the linear regression line, the
higher the r-squared value and the stronger the trend.
For example, if each day’s closing price was equal to that day’s
regression line value, then the standard error would be zero. The more
variance or “noise” around the regression value, the larger the standard
error and the less reliable the trend.
See page 163 for more information on plotting indicators. See page 197
for more information on the Standard Error parameters.

Interpretation
High standard error values indicate that the security’s prices are very
volatile around the regression line. Changes in the prevailing trend (over
the number of time periods specified) are usually preceded by a rapidly
increasing standard error.
Standard error can be used effectively in combination with the r-squared
indicator (see page 506). Changes in trend are often signaled by a high
downward moving r-squared, a low upward moving standard error, or a
low upward moving r-squared and a high downward moving standard
error. In other words, when the two are at extreme levels and begin to
converge, look for a change in trend.
Note that a change in trend does not necessarily mean that an upward
trend will reverse to a downward trend. Sideways movement is also
considered a “change.”

Standard Error Bands

Standard Error Bands are a type of envelope (see page 464) developed by
Jon Andersen. They are similar to Bollinger Bands in appearance, but
they are calculated and interpreted quite differently. Where Bollinger

518 • Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies MetaStock Professional

 Bands are plotted at standard deviation levels above and below a moving
average, Standard Error Bands are plotted at standard error levels above
and below a linear regression plot. See page 518 for a definition of
standard error.
See page 163 for more information on plotting indicators. See page 197
for more information on Standard Error Bands parameters.

Interpretation
When displaying Standard Error Bands, you are prompted to enter the
number of periods in the bands and the number of standard errors between
the bands and the linear regression line (see page 197). Mr. Andersen
recommends default values of "21" for the number of periods, a 3-day
simple moving average for the smoothing, and "2" standard errors. He
also notes that very short time frames tend to produce unreliable results.
MetaStock Pro plots Standard Error Bands on the security's prices or
indicator. These interpretational comments refer to bands on the
security's closing price.
Because the spacing between Standard Error Bands is based on the
standard error of the security, the bands widen when the volatility around
the current trend increases, and contract when volatility around the current
trend decreases.
Since Standard Error Bands are statistically based, other statistical
indicators such as r-squared, Standard Error, Linear Regression, etc. work
well for trade confirmation.
Mr. Andersen notes the following characteristics of Standard Error
Bands.
• Tight bands are an indication of a strong trend.
• Prices tend to bounce between the bands when the bands are wide.
• Tight bands followed by a widening of the bands may indicate the
exhaustion of a trend and a possible reversal.
• When the bands reverse direction after an exhausted trend, prices
tend to move in the direction of the bands.
• The r-squared indicator works well in combination with Standard
Error Bands. A high r-squared value combined with tight bands
confirms a strong trend. A low r-squared value combined with wide
bands confirms that prices are consolidating.

Standard Error Channel

Standard Error Channels are calculated by plotting two parallel lines
above and below an x-period linear regression trendline. The lines are
plotted a specified number of standard errors away from the linear
regression trendline.

MetaStock Professional Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies • 519

 See page 205 for more information on drawing a line studies. See page
221 for more information on Standard Deviation Channel parameters.

Interpretation
Price movements are characterized by swings from one extreme to the
other. Markets reflect the collective mood if its participants. When
market participants are overly optimistic, prices are driven up at an
unsustainable rate. Likewise, when market participants are overly
pessimistic, prices are beaten down at an unsustainable rate. The
keywords here are "extreme" and "unsustainable." Even the most raging
bull markets or violent bear markets will either pause for a breather or
reverse temporarily.
Markets tend to have an equilibrium point (i.e., a point towards which
prices tend to be drawn). Linear regression analysis is helpful in
determining where this "balancing point" lies. On the other hand,
standard error analysis is helpful in determining where the "extremes" lie.
Standard Error Channels can be used to enhance several types of
technical analysis techniques. Here are some ideas:
• Validate candlestick patterns. Enter long on bullish engulfing
lines only if they have formed below the bottom channel line.
• Validate overbought/oversold signals. Close long (or enter short)
when the Stochastic falls below 80, volume is above average, and
prices have recently fallen below the top channel line.
• Validate support/resistance breakouts. If prices have broken
above a long-term resistance level, yet volume is suspiciously light,
wait until the prices break above the upper channel on above average
volume.

Stochastic Momentum Index

The Stochastic Momentum Index (SMI) was developed by William Blau.
It incorporates an interesting twist on the popular Stochastic Oscillator.
While the Stochastic Oscillator provides you with a value showing the
distance the current close is relative to the recent x-period high/low range,
the SMI shows you where the close is relative to the midpoint of the
recent x-period high/low range. The result is an oscillator that ranges
between +/- 100 and is a bit less erratic than an equal period Stochastic
Oscillator.
The SMI was introduced in the January 1993 issue of Technical Analysis
of Stocks & Commodities magazine.
An example formula (see page 311) illustrates the calculation of the
Stochastic Momentum Index.
See page 163 for more information on plotting indicators. See page 197
for more information on the Stochastic Momentum Index parameters.

520 • Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies MetaStock Professional

 Interpretation
When the close is greater than the midpoint of the range, the SMI is
positive. When the close is less than the midpoint of the range, it is
negative.
The interpretation of the SMI is virtually identical to the Stochastic
Oscillator. Three popular methods include:
• Buy when the SMI falls below a specific level (e.g., -40) and then
rises above that level, and sell when the Oscillator rises above a
specific level (e.g., +40) and then falls below that level. However,
before basing any trade off of strict overbought/oversold levels it is
recommended that you first qualify the trendiness of the market using
indicators such as r-squared (see page 506) or CMO (see page 454).
If these indicators suggest a non-trending market, then trades based
on strict overbought/oversold levels should produce the best results.
If a trending market is suggested, then you can use the oscillator to
enter trades in the direction of the trend.
• Buy when the SMI rises above its signal line (dotted) line and sell
when the SMI falls below the signal line.
• Look for divergences. For example, where prices are making a series
of new highs and the SMI is failing to surpass its previous highs.
• Mr. Blau also notes that a 1-day SMI (with large smoothing periods
such as 100) is very sensitive to the close relative to the high and low
of the day. These type of parameters make the RMI useful as a
sentiment, or trend identification indicator, thereby providing a better
sense of the overall direction of the market.

Stochastic Oscillator
Sto.chas.tic (st kas'tik) adj. 2. Math. designating a process having an
infinite progression of jointly distributed random variables.-- Webster's
The Stochastic Oscillator compares where a security's price closed
relative to its trading range over the last x-time periods.

The formula for the %K parameter of the Stochastic is:

(today ′ s close) - (lowest low %K periods)
(highest high %K periods) - (lowest low %K periods)
For example, to calculate a 10-day %K: First, find the security's highest
high and lowest low over the last 10 days. For this example, let's assume
that during the last 10 days the highest high was 46 and the lowest low
was 38--a range of 8 points. If today's closing price was 41, %K would
be calculated as:

MetaStock Professional Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies • 521

 41 - 38
= 3 / 8 = 0.375
46 - 38
The 0.375 in this example shows that today's close was at the level of
37.5% relative to the security's trading range over the last 10 days. If
today's close was 42, the Stochastic Oscillator would be 0.50. The 0.50
would show that the security closed today at 50%, or the mid-point, of its
10-day trading range.
The above example used a %K Slowing Period of 1 day (no slowing). If
you use a Slowing Period of greater than 1 period, you would total the
value of the numerators for the number of Slowing Periods, then total the
value of the denominators for the number of Slowing Periods, and then
perform the division. For example, to calculate a 10-day %K with 3-
period slowing, you would sum the value of the numerators (i.e., today's
close minus the lowest low in the last 10 periods) for each of the last three
periods, then sum the value of the denominators (i.e., the highest high in
the last 10 periods minus the lowest low in the last 10 periods) for each of
the last three periods, and finally divide the sum of the numerators by the
sum of the denominators.
A moving average of %K is then calculated using the number of time
periods you specified in the %D Periods. This moving average is called
%D.
Finally, MetaStock Pro multiplies all stochastic values by 100 to change
decimal values into percentages for better scaling (e.g., 0.375 is displayed
as 37.5%).
The Stochastic Oscillator always ranges between 0% and 100%. A
reading of 0% shows that the security's close was the lowest price that the
security has traded during the preceding x-time periods. A reading of
100% shows that the security's close was the highest price that the
security has traded during the preceding x-time periods.
You may find the expert named "Equis - Stochastic Oscillator" helpful in
interpreting the Stochastic Oscillator. See page 435 for more information
an experts.
See page 163 for more information on plotting indicators. See page 198
for more information on the Stochastic Oscillator parameters.

Interpretation
Stochastic Oscillators can be used as both short- and intermediate-term
trading oscillators depending on the number of time periods used when
calculating the oscillator. When displaying a short term Stochastic
Oscillator (e.g., 5-25 days), it is popular to slow the %K value by 3-days.
There are several ways to interpret a Stochastic Oscillator. Three popular
methods include:
• Buy when the Oscillator (either %K or %D) falls below a specific
level (e.g., 20) and then rises above that level, and sell when the

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 Oscillator rises above a specific level (e.g., 80) and then falls below
that level. However, before basing any trade off of strict
overbought/oversold levels it is recommended that you first qualify
the trendiness of the market using indicators such as r-squared (see
page 506) or CMO (see page 454). If these indicators suggest a non-
trending market, then trades based on strict overbought/oversold
levels should produce the best results. If a trending market is
suggested, then you can use the oscillator to enter trades in the
direction of the trend.
• Buy when the %K line rises above the %D (dotted) line and sell
when the %K line falls below the %D line.
• Look for divergences. For example, where prices are making a series
of new highs and the Stochastic Oscillator is failing to surpass its
previous highs.
MetaStock Pro's System Tester (see page 319) can be used to
automatically generate buy/sell signals based on methods #1 and #2
(above).

Tip
An example custom indicator (see page 311) shows how to calculate the
Stochastic Oscillator.

Support and Resistance Levels

Think of security prices as the result of a head-to-head battle between a
bull (the buyer) and a bear (the seller). The bulls push prices higher and
the bears push prices lower. The direction prices actually move reveals
who is winning the battle.
Using this analogy, consider the following chart of Motorola. Between
August of 1989 and February of 1990, Motorola rose to the price level
of 15.75 several times where it encountered upside resistance. Also note
how when the price dropped to 13.25 it encountered downside support.

MetaStock Professional Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies • 523

 Savvy investors could see that Motorola was locked in a trading range
(between 13.25 and 15.75) and knew that it would have to break out of
this range. What direction? Who knows! The fact was that the security
was bound to break out. The longer it remained in its trading range, the
more powerful the anticipated breakout.
The price breakout finally occurred in March 1990 when prices rose
above their resistance level. Once the upside resistance line was
penetrated on a closing basis, the price of the security rose rapidly. (The
penetration of support/resistance levels is usually accompanied with an
increase in volume.)
After the quick rise, the price dropped downward once again. When the
price reached the line that had previously been upside resistance, it
encountered downside support and was unable to fall further. This is a
well-documented phenomena. Once penetrated, resistance lines become
support lines. Similarly, when prices fall below support lines, the support
lines usually provide price resistance.

Swing Index
The Swing Index seeks to isolate the "real" price of a security by
comparing the relationships between the current prices (i.e., open, high,
low, and close) and the previous period's prices.
The Swing Index requires opening prices.
Step-by-step instructions on calculating the Swing Index are provided in
Wilder's book, New Concepts In Technical Trading Systems (see page
544).
See page 163 for more information on plotting indicators. See page 199
for more information on the Swing Index parameters.

524 • Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies MetaStock Professional

 Interpretation
Wilder notes the following characteristics of the Swing Index.
• It provides a numerical value that quantifies price swings.
• It defines short-term swing points.
• It cuts through the maze of high, low, and close prices and indicates
the real strength and direction of the market.
Refer to the Accumulation Swing Index (see page 446) for additional
interpretational information regarding the Swing Index and the "limit
move."

TEMA
TEMA is a unique smoothing indicator developed by Patrick Mulloy. It
was originally introduced in the January 1994 issue of Technical
Analysis of Stocks & Commodities magazine.
As Mr. Mulloy explains in the article:
"Moving averages have a detrimental lag time that increases as the
moving average length increases. The solution is a modified version of
exponential smoothing with less lag time."
TEMA is an acronym that stands for Triple Exponential Moving Average.
However, the name of this smoothing technique is a bit misleading in that
it is not simply a moving average of a moving average of a moving
average. It is a unique composite of a single exponential moving average,
a double exponential moving average, and a triple exponential moving
average that provides less lag than either of the three components
individually.
See page 163 for more information on plotting indicators. See page 199
for more information on the Stochastic Oscillator parameters.

Interpretation
TEMA can be used in place of traditional moving averages. You can use
it to smooth price data or other indicators. Some of Mr. Mulloy's original
testing of TEMA was done on the MACD. Oddly, he found that the
faster responding TEMA-smoothed MACD produced fewer (yet more
profitable) signals than the traditional 12/26 smoothed- MACD. A
custom indicator named "MACD (TEMA-smoothed)" is included with
MetaStock Pro.
This type of smoothing is certainly not limited to the MACD. You may
want to experiment on other indicators as well.
See page 459 for information on DEMA, a similar smoothing method
developed by Mr. Mulloy.

MetaStock Professional Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies • 525

Three Line Break
Three Line Break charts originate from Japan and were introduced to the
western world by Steve Nison (a well-known authority on the Candlestick
charting method). The Three Line Break charting method gets its name
from the default number of line blocks typically used.
Using the closing price, a new white block is added in a new column if the
previous high price is exceeded. A new black block is drawn if the close
makes a new low. If there is neither a new high or low, nothing is drawn.
With a default Three Line Break, if a rally is powerful enough to form
three consecutive white blocks, then the low of the last three white blocks
must be exceeded before a black block is drawn. If a sell-off is powerful
enough to form three consecutive black blocks, then the high of the last
three black blocks must be exceeded before a white block is drawn.
To draw line break blocks, today's close is compared to the high and low
of the previous block. A block is drawn only when today's close exceeds
the high or low of the previous block. If today's close is higher than the
top of the previous block, a new white block is drawn in the next column
from the prior high to the new high price. If today's close is lower than
the bottom of the previous block, a new black block is drawn in the next
column from the prior low to the new low price. If the close fails to move
outside the range of the previous blocks high or low, then nothing is
drawn.
With the default Three Line Break chart, a downside reversal (i.e., white
blocks change to black blocks) occurs when the price moves under the
lowest price of the last three consecutive white blocks. A black reversal
block is drawn from the bottom of the highest white block to the new
price. An upside reversal (i.e., black blocks change to white blocks)
occurs when the price moves above the highest price of the last three
consecutive black blocks. A white reversal block is drawn from the top of
the lowest black block to the new high price.
Indicators calculated on Three Line Break charts use all the data in each
column and then display the average value of the indicator for that
column.

Interpretation
There are many ways to trade with Three Line Break charts. The most
basic method involves buying when a white block emerges after three
prior black blocks, or selling when a black block appears after three
white blocks.
An advantage of the Three Line Break chart is that there is no arbitrary
fixed reversal amount. It is the market's action which gives the indication
of a reversal. Reversal signals in Three Line Break charts are sent well
after the new trend has started. However, many traders are comfortable

526 • Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies MetaStock Professional

 with this insofar as they believe that it is safer to be in for the major part
of the trend rather than trying to pick a top or bottom.
To adjust the sensitivity of the reversal criteria, traders can adjust the
number of blocks that need to be broken before a reversal is drawn. Thus,
two line or four line break charts can be used instead of the standard
Three Line Break charts. Shorter time frame traders should use shorter
reversal amounts (e.g., two or three), whereas longer term investors
should use longer reversal amounts (e.g., five or even 10). The most
popular line break chart in Japan is the Three Line Break chart.
For more in-depth coverage of the Three Line Break charting method, we
recommend the book Beyond Candlesticks by Steve Nison (see page
544).

Time Series Forecast

The Time Series Forecast indicator is based on the trend of a security's
price over a specified time period. The trend is determined by calculating
a linear regression trendline using the "least squares fit" method. The
least squares fit technique fits a trendline to the data in the chart by
minimizing the distance between the data points and the linear regression
trendline.
Any point along the Time Series Forecast is equal to the ending value of
a Linear Regression trendline plus its slope. For example, the ending
value of a Linear Regression trendline (plus its slope) that covers 10 days
will have the same value as a 10-day Time Series Forecast. This differs
slightly from the Linear Regression indicator (see page 475) in that the
Linear Regression indicator does not add the slope to the ending value of
the regression line. This makes the TSF a bit more responsive to short
term price changes. If you plot the TSF and the Linear Regression
indicator side-by-side, you’ll notice that the TSF hugs the prices more
closely than the Linear Regression indicator.
Rather than plotting a straight Linear Regression trendline, the Time
Series Forecast indicator plots the ending values of multiple Linear
Regression trendlines. The resulting Time Series Forecast indicator is
sometimes referred to as a "moving linear regression" study or a
"regression oscillator."
See page 163 for more information on plotting indicators. See page 199
for more information on the Time Series Forecast parameters.

Interpretation
The interpretation of a Time Series Forecast is similar to a moving
average. However, the Time Series Forecast indicator has two
advantages over moving averages.
Unlike a moving average, a Time Series Forecast does not exhibit as
much "delay." Since the indicator is "fitting" a line to the data points

MetaStock Professional Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies • 527

 rather than averaging them, the Time Series line is more responsive to
price changes.
As the name suggests, the indicator can be used to forecast the next
period's price. This estimate is based on the trend of the security's prices
over the period specified (e.g., 20 periods). If the trend continues, the
last point of the trendline (the value of the Time Series Forecast) is
forecasting the next period's price.

Tirone Levels
Tirone Levels are a series of horizontal lines that identify support and
resistance levels. They were developed by John Tirone.
See page 205 for more information on drawing line studies. See page 223
for more information on the Tirone Level parameters.

Interpretation
Tirone Levels can be drawn using either the Midpoint 1/3-2/3 method or
the Mean method. Both methods are intended to help you identify
potential support and resistance levels based on the range of prices over a
given time period. The interpretation of Tirone Levels is similar to
Quadrant Lines (see page 506).

Trade Volume Index

The Trade Volume Index (TVI) is designed to calculate on intraday
securities with "minutes per bar" set to zero (i.e., a tick chart). It is
calculated by adding each trade's volume to a cumulative total when the
price ticks up by a specified amount, and subtracting the trade's volume
when the price ticks down by a specified amount. It's based on the
premise that trades taking place at the higher "ask" price are buy
transactions (from market marker or specialist to trader)and trades at the
lower "bid" price are sell transactions (from trader to market maker or
specialist). The TVI oscillates around zero. Values above zero indicate
net buying pressure, whereas values below zero indicate net selling
pressure.
The TVI is similar to On Balance Volume, except the TVI continues to
cumulate the volume (be it on the buy or sell side) if the price is
unchanged. Tick charts (especially of stock prices) will often display
trades at the bid or ask price for extended periods without changing
(creating a flat spot). The TVI continues to assign the trade volume
during these extended flat periods to either the buy or sell side (depending
on its last price change). The On Balance Volume indicator only assigns
volume when price changes occur. This works well for daily charts but
not for tick charts.
MetaStock Pro prompts you to enter the "Minimum Tick Value." The
Minimum Tick Value controls when volume switches from the buy side

528 • Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies MetaStock Professional

 to the sell side. If the absolute value of the uptick or downtick is less
than the Minimum Tick Value, MetaStock Pro will continue to assign the
volume to the current side (i.e., buy or sell side). If the absolute value is
greater than the Minimum Tick Value and the price changes direction,
MetaStock Pro will switch and begin assigning volume to the opposite
side.
Although the TVI will plot on any chart, it was originally designed to
analyze intraday tick charts. Therefore, you may want to use On Balance
Volume for non-tick charts (i.e., 5-minute, hourly, daily, weekly,
monthly). However, the TVI can be used with non-tick data by increasing
the Minimum Tick Value. For example, you could set the Minimum
Tick Value to a large value (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4 points or more) on a daily
stock chart. This produces a smoothing effect when compared to On
Balance Volume. Volume will cumulate in the direction of the trend until
the price reverses by the specified number of points from a previous
trough or peak. When this occurs, volume will then begin to cumulate in
the opposite direction.
See page 163 for more information on plotting indicators. See page 200
for more information on the Trade Volume Index parameters.

Interpretation
The TVI helps identify whether buyers or sellers are in control. If the
TVI is trending up, it indicates that buyers are in control. If the TVI is
trending down, it indicates that sellers are in control. If the TVI is above
zero, it indicates that net buying has taken place over the time period
displayed. If the TVI is below zero, it indicates that net selling has taken
place over the time period displayed.
If a large number of trades are taking place at a specific price level (i.e., a
flat spot forms on the tick chart) and the TVI is rising (falling), look for
the price to break out on the upside (downside).

Trendlines
It's difficult, if not impossible, to provide information on a topic as
complex and multifaceted as trendlines in the small area available here.
The best source to learn about trendlines and chart patterns is the book
Technical Analysis of Stock Trends, by Edwards and Magee (see page
544).
See page 205 for more information on drawing a line studies. See page
224 for more information on Trendline parameters.

General
A trendline is a sloping line drawn between two prominent points on a
chart. Rising trendlines are usually drawn between two troughs (low

MetaStock Professional Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies • 529

 points) to illustrate price support while falling trendlines are usually
drawn between two peaks (high points) to illustrate upside price
resistance.
The consensus is that once a trend has been formed (two or more
peaks/troughs have touched the trendline and reversed direction) it will
remain intact until broken.
That sounds much more simplistic than it is! The goal is to analyze the
current trend using trendlines and then either invest with the current trend
until the trendline is broken, or wait for the trendline to be broken and
then invest with the new (opposite) trend.
The following chart displays two trendlines. The first trendline is a
"falling" trendline. Note how it is drawn between successive peaks in the
price. The second trendline is rising. It is drawn between successive
troughs.

One benefit of trendlines is they can help distinguish intuitive decisions

("I think it's time to sell...") from analytical decisions ("I will hold until
the current rising trendline is broken"). Another benefit of trendlines is
that they almost always keep you on the "right" side of the market. When
using trendlines, it's difficult to hold a security for very long when prices
fall just as it's hard to be short when prices rise--either way the trendline
will be broken.

Trendline Angles
MetaStock Pro provides two commands that deal with trendline angles:
Gann Lines (see page 218), and Trendline by Angle (see page 224). The
following discussion explains how these commands function and their
differences.
There are basically two ways to quantify the angle of a line drawn on a
chart. The first method is relative to the computer screen (or the piece of

530 • Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies MetaStock Professional

 paper). If you draw a line at 45 degrees using a protractor on the screen,
the line should rise by one inch for each inch it extends (runs) to the right.
This 45 degree angle also could be expressed as a slope of 1.
1 inch rise
1 inch run
The Trendline by Angle commands work in this manner--relative to the
computer screen. We say it is relative to the computer screen because we
are discussing inches, not prices, on the screen. Regardless of how many
days are displayed or what the x- and y-axes of the chart are set to, a 45
degree angle will slope up and to the right at 45 degrees relative to the
computer screen.
A second way to quantify the angle of a line drawn on the chart is relative
to the x- and y-axes of the chart itself.
A 45 degree angle relative to the x- and y-axes would rise one y-axis unit
(point) for each x-axis unit (day) that the line extends (runs) to the right.
1 point rise
1 period run
This is how Gann Lines are drawn: relative to the x- and y-axes of the
chart. The difference between these two methods, i.e., relative to the
screen (inches) or to the axes (points), is substantial.
Gann Lines specifically ask for the ratio, i.e., the periods (run) and the
points (rise). If you enter 1 x 1, you will get a line that rises one point for
each day it travels to the right. The line may or may not appear to rise at
45 degrees relative to the screen, depending on how many periods you
have loaded and how the left scale (y-axis) is set.
If you want a 1 x 1 Gann Line to appear to rise at 45 degrees relative to
the computer screen, you will have to use the X- and Y-Axis Parameters
dialog (see page 118 and page 123) to manually adjust the x- and y-axis.
The Trendline by Angle command draws trendlines relative to the
computer screen. Changing the x- and y-axes will have no effect on the
angle of the trendline.

TRIX
TRIX displays the percent rate-of-change of a triple exponentially
smoothed moving average of the security's closing price.
It is the 1-period percent change of an x-period exponential moving
average of an x-period exponential moving average of an x-period
exponential moving average of the closing price.
An article on the TRIX indicator appears in Volume One of Technical
Analysis of Stocks & Commodities magazine (TASC). The TRIX
indicator presented in the TASC article uses a slightly different method to
calculate the exponential moving averages and displays the 1-period

MetaStock Professional Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies • 531

 change in "points multiplied by 1,000" (whereas MetaStock Pro displays
the change as a percentage).
See page 163 for more information on plotting indicators. See page 200
for more information on the TRIX parameters.

Interpretation
The TRIX indicator oscillates around a zero line. Its triple exponential
smoothing is designed to filter out "insignificant" cycles (i.e., those that
are shorter than x-periods).
Trades should be placed when the indicator changes direction. You also
can plot a 9-period moving average of the TRIX to create a "signal" line
(similar to the MACD indicator, see page 478) and then buy when the
TRIX rises above its signal line, and sell when it falls below its signal
line.

Typical Price
The Typical Price indicator is calculated by adding the high, low, and
closing prices together, and then dividing by three. The result is the
average, or typical price.
High + Low + Close
Typical Price =
3
See page 163 for more information on plotting indicators. See page 201
for more information on the Typical Price parameters.

Interpretation
The Typical Price indicator provides a simple, single-line chart of the
day's average price. You may find it helpful when testing moving
average penetration systems to display moving averages of the Typical
Price indicator, rather than of the security's closing price.

Ultimate Oscillator
Oscillators typically compare a security's (smoothed) price with its price
x-periods ago. Larry Williams notes that the value of this type of
oscillator can vary greatly depending on the number of time periods used
during the calculation. Thus, he developed the Ultimate Oscillator that
uses weighted sums of three oscillators, each of which uses a different
time period.

The three oscillators are based on Williams' definitions of buying and

selling "pressure."
See page 163 for more information on plotting indicators. See page 201
for more information on the Ultimate Oscillator parameters.

532 • Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies MetaStock Professional

 Interpretation
Williams recommends that you trade following a divergence and a
breakout in the Ultimate Oscillator's trend.
A bullish divergence occurs when the security's price makes a lower low
that is not confirmed by a lower low in the Oscillator. A bearish
divergence occurs when the security's price makes a higher high that is
not confirmed by a higher high in the Oscillator.

Vertical Horizontal Filter

The Vertical Horizontal Filter (VHF) determines whether prices are in a
trending phase or a congestion phase. The VHF compares the sum of a
one period rate-of-change to the range between high and low prices over
the specified period.
The age-old problem for many trading systems is their inability to
determine if a trending or trading range market is at hand. Trend-
following indicators such as MACD and moving averages, tend to be
whipsawed as markets enter a non-trending congestion phase. On the
other hand, oscillators (which work well during trading range markets)
tend to overreact to price pull-backs during trending markets. The VHF
indicator attempts to remedy this by measuring the "trendiness" of a
market.
MetaStock Pro prompts you to enter the number of periods to use in the
calculation. The default value is 28.
See page 163 for more information on plotting indicators. See page 201
for more information on the VHF parameters.

Interpretation
There are three ways to use the VHF indicator:
• VHF values above or below certain levels indicate the degree of
trending. The higher the VHF, the higher the degree of trending.
• The direction of the VHF can be used to determine whether a
trending or congestion phase is developing. A rising VHF indicates a
developing trend; a falling VHF indicates that prices may be entering
a congestion phase.
• The VHF as a contrarian type indicator. Expect congestion to follow
high VHF values. Low VHF values may indicate a trending phase
will soon follow.

Volatility, Chaikin's
The Volatility indicator compares the spread between a security's high
and low prices. This is done by first calculating a moving average of the

MetaStock Professional Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies • 533

 difference between the daily high and low prices and then calculating the
percent rate-of-change of that moving average.
Before calculating the Volatility indicator, you are asked to enter the
number of time periods in the moving average and the number of time
periods in the R.O.C. The author of this indicator (Marc Chaikin)
recommends 10-periods for both the moving average and the R.O.C.
See page 163 for more information on plotting indicators. See page 201
for more information on the Volatility indicator's parameters.

Interpretation
This indicator quantifies volatility as a widening of the range between the
highs and the lows (i.e., wider price swings during the day).
There are two ways to interpret this measure of volatility. One method
assumes that market tops are generally accompanied by increased
volatility and that market bottoms are generally accompanied by
decreased volatility. An opposing method (Mr. Chaikin's) assumes that
an increase in the Volatility indicator over a short time period indicates
that a bottom is near (e.g., a panic sell-off) and that a decrease in volatility
over a longer time period indicates an approaching top (e.g., a mature bull
market).

Tips
Mr. Chaikin recommends that investors do not rely on any one indicator
and suggests using a moving average penetration or trading band system
to confirm this (or any) indicator.
Because this indicator uses high and low prices in its calculation, it will
not work on securities that only have a closing price (e.g., most mutual
funds).
An example custom indicator (see page 311) shows how to calculate
Chaikin Volatility.

Volume
Volume is the number of units (i.e., shares or contracts) traded during a
specific time period. The analysis of volume is a basic yet very important
element of technical analysis. Volume helps measure the intensity of
price movement.
Often, the y-axis scale for volume is displayed in multiples of 10s or 100s
rather than the actual number (i.e., 500 = 500,000 shares). If there is a
scaling multiple, it will be displayed at the bottom of the y-axis scale.
Volume is normally displayed in a histogram line style below the prices
(see page 114).
Some real-time data vendors do not provide volume with every tick. If
this is the case, MetaStock Pro will automatically assign a volume value

534 • Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies MetaStock Professional

 of "1" for every incoming tick. This allows you to at least see the
number of "ticks" that have come in during a specified period. In other
words, if the volume on a 1-minute bar is 22, then you know that 22
trades came in during that minute.
If your real-time data vendor does not supply trade volume with updates,
and a symbol is added during a trading session, the first tick will contain
the total volume up to that point in the trading session. MetaStock Pro
will then calculate the trade volume for all subsequent ticks.
See page 163 for more information on plotting indicators. See page 202
for more information on Volume parameters.

Interpretation
Volume is important to many techniques and systems used in technical
analysis. In brief, volume provides clues to the intensity level of a given
price move.
Generally speaking, volume tends to be a leading indicator of price.
Volume usually drops off before prices peak, and it usually picks up
before prices rise from a market bottom.
Low volume levels are characteristic of the indecision that typically
accompanies consolidation periods (i.e., periods where prices move
sideways in a narrow range). Low volume is often found at market
bottoms.
High volume levels are characteristic of market tops and the beginning of
new trends (i.e., when prices break out of a trading range). Just prior to
market bottoms, volume will often increase on panic driven selling.
Volume also helps determine the health of an existing trend. A healthy
up-trend should have higher volume on the upward legs of the trend, and
lower volume on the downward, corrective legs. After a market top, it is
common to have a sharp down day on very heavy volume. A healthy
downtrend usually has higher volume on the downward legs of the trend
and lower volume on the upward, corrective legs.

Volume Oscillator
The Volume Oscillator displays the difference between two moving
averages of a security's volume. The difference between the averages can
be expressed in either points or percentages.
See page 163 for more information on plotting indicators. See page 202
for more information on the Volume Oscillator parameters.

Interpretation
As volume levels are increasing, shorter-term volume moving averages
will rise above longer-term volume moving averages. This is similar to

MetaStock Professional Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies • 535

 how shorter-term price moving averages rise above longer-term price
moving averages when prices are increasing.
Thus, the difference between two volume moving averages of varying
lengths (i.e., this indicator) can be used to see if overall volume trends are
increasing or decreasing. When the Volume Oscillator rises above zero, it
signifies that the shorter-term volume moving average has risen above the
longer-term volume moving average, or that the short-term volume trend
is higher (i.e., more volume) than the longer-term volume trend.
There are many ways to interpret changes in volume trends. One common
belief is that rising prices coupled with increased volume, and falling
prices coupled with decreased volume, is bullish. Conversely, if volume
increases when prices fall, and volume decreases when prices rise, the
market is showing signs of underlying weakness.
The theory behind this is straight forward. Rising prices coupled with
increased volume signifies increased upside participation (more buyers)
that should lead to a continued move. Conversely, falling prices coupled
with increased volume (more sellers signifies increased downside
participation).

Tip
An example custom indicator (see page 311) shows how to calculate the
Volume Oscillator.

Volume Rate-Of-Change
The Volume Rate-Of-Change (R.O.C.) indicator is calculated by dividing
the volume change over the last x-periods by the volume x-periods ago.
The result is the percent by which the volume has changed over the last x-
periods.
If volume is higher today than x-days ago, the R.O.C. will be a positive
number. If volume is lower today then x-days ago, the R.O.C. will be
negative.
See page 163 for more information on plotting indicators. See page 203
for more information on the Volume R.O.C. parameters.

Interpretation
The Volume R.O.C. is calculated identically to the Price R.O.C. (see page
501), except it displays the R.O.C. of the security's volume, rather than of
its closing price. Additional information on the interpretation of volume
trends can be found in the discussion on the Volume Oscillator (see page
535).

536 • Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies MetaStock Professional

 Tip
An example custom indicator (see page 311) shows how to calculate
Volume R.O.C.

Weighted Close
The Weighted Close indicator is calculated by multiplying the close by
two, adding the high and the low, and dividing by four. The result is the
average price for the day with extra weight given to the closing price.
(Close × 2) + High + Low
Weighted Close =
4
See page 163 for more information on plotting indicators. See page 203
for more information on the Weighted Close parameters.

Interpretation
The Weighted Close indicator provides a single line chart of the average
price. When testing moving average penetration systems, you may find it
helpful to display moving averages of the Weighted Close indicator,
rather than of the security's closing price.

Tip
An example custom indicator (see page 312) shows how to calculate
Weighted Close.

Wilder's Smoothing
The Wilder's Smoothing indicator was developed by Welles Wilder, best
known as the developer of the Directional Movement system (see page
461) and the Relative Strength Index (see page 512).
Wilder used this smoothing indicator as a component of many of his
other studies. It is basically a type of moving average, similar to the
"exponential" method in that it retains a decreasingly smaller percentage
of all historical data in the series.
See page 163 for more information on plotting indicators. See page 203
for more information on the Wilder's Smoothing parameters.

Interpretation
The Wilder's Smoothing indicator should be used just as you would use a
moving average. Although similar to the exponential, weighted, and
triangular moving average methods in how it has a "memory" of all
historical data, the Wilder's Smoothing method seems to be the least
responsive of the three.

MetaStock Professional Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies • 537

 For more information on the interpretation of moving averages, see page
488.

Williams' %R
The formula used to calculate Williams' %R is similar to the Stochastic
Oscillator:
Williams' %R is plotted on an upside down scale with 0 at the top and 100
at the bottom. To show the indicator in this upside down fashion,
MetaStock Pro places a minus symbol before the %R values. You should
ignore the minus symbol.
See page 163 for more information on plotting indicators. See page 203
for more information on the Williams' %R parameters.

Interpretation
The analysis of Williams' %R is very similar to that of the Stochastic
Oscillator (see page 521) except that %R is upside down and the
Stochastic Oscillator has internal smoothing.
Readings in the range of 80 to 100% (remember to ignore the minus
symbol) indicate that the market is oversold, while readings in the 0 to
20% range suggest that the market is overbought.
As with all overbought/oversold indicators, it is best to wait for the
security's price to change direction before placing your trades. For
example, if an overbought/oversold indicator (such as the Stochastic
Oscillator or Williams' %R) is showing an overbought condition, it is
wise to wait for the security's price to turn down before selling the
security. (The MACD is a good indicator to monitor change in a
security's price.) It is not unusual for overbought/oversold indicators to
remain in an overbought/oversold condition for a long time period as the
security's price continues to climb/fall. Selling simply because the
security appears overbought may take you out of the security long before
its price shows signs of deterioration.
An interesting phenomena of the %R indicator is its uncanny ability to
anticipate a reversal in the underlying security's price. The indicator
almost always forms a peak and turns down a few days before the
security's price peaks and turns down. Likewise, %R usually creates a
trough and turns up a few days before the security's price turns up.

Tip
An example custom indicator (see page 312) shows how to calculate
Williams' %R.

538 • Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies MetaStock Professional

Williams' Accumulation/Distribution
Williams' Accumulation/Distribution is a cumulative total of "X" where:
TRH (true range of highs) =
Yesterday's close or today's high, whichever is greater.
TRL (true range of lows) =
Yesterday's close or today's low, whichever is less.
If today's close is greater than yesterday's close,
X = today's close - TRL,
otherwise, if today's close is less than yesterday's close,
X = today's close - TRH,
otherwise,
X = 0.
See page 163 for information on plotting indicators. See page 204 for
information on the Williams' Accumulation/Distribution parameters.

Interpretation
Williams recommends trading this indicator based on divergences.
• Distribution of the security is indicated when the security is making a
new high and the A/D indicator is failing to make a new high. Sell.
• Accumulation of the security is indicated when the security is making
a new low and the A/D indicator is failing to make a new low. Buy.

Tips
Williams' Accumulation/Distribution indicator is a price indicator. The
Accumulation/Distribution indicator is a volume indicator (see page 446).
An example custom indicator (see page 312) shows how to calculate
Williams' A/D.

Zig Zag
The Zig Zag indicator filters out changes in the data item (i.e., the
security or an indicator) that are less than x percent or points. It is used
primarily to aid in the visual inspection of a chart--punctuating the
significant moves.
See page 163 for more information on plotting indicators. See page 204
for more information on the Zig Zag parameters.

Interpretation
The Zig Zag indicator is useful to filter out "noise" in a security's price
and indicators. It is primarily intended to aid in the visual inspection of a
chart.

MetaStock Professional Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies • 539

 The Zig Zag indicator can be useful for those concerned with Elliot Wave
counts since it helps identify significant turning points.
Be forewarned, that the last leg (i.e., segment) of the Zig Zag is dynamic,
meaning that it can change. Therefore, be careful when designing system
tests, experts, etc. based on the Zig Zag indicator.
For additional information on the Zig Zag indicator, refer to Filtered
Waves by Arthur Merrill (see page 544).

540 • Interpretation of Indicators and Line Studies MetaStock Professional

Appendices

Information About Your Computer System

Information about your computer system is available from the About
MetaStock dialog. Choose About MetaStock from the Help menu.
If you have Microsoft Office installed you can click the System Info
button in this dialog to view information about your PC.

Installing and Using MetaStock Pro on a Network

A special installation procedure is required in order for MetaStock Pro to
be accessible by multiple network users. Information is provided here for
both the network administrator and the workstation users.
Note. MetaStock Pro can be accessed simultaneously by multiple users
on a network. However, each user of MetaStock Pro must be a licensed
owner. Please purchase a licensed copy of MetaStock Pro for each
person using the software. If more than one user is accessing a single
licensed copy of MetaStock Pro, then you are violating the license
agreement and breaking the law.

Discounts are available if you purchase multiple copies.

Information for the Network Administrator

MetaStock Pro can be installed on a network drive for use by multiple
workstations. Choose the "Complete/Custom" option from the MetaStock
Pro Setup dialog to install all files to the network drive.
MetaStock Pro data files can also be stored on a network drive for use by
multiple workstations.
Each workstation must have full read/write access to the folders
containing program and data files.

Information for Workstation Users

In order for MetaStock Pro to access the program's network files from a
workstation, each workstation must complete a "Workstation" installation.

MetaStock Professional Appendices • 541

 Choose the "Workstation" option from the MetaStock Pro Setup dialog to
install the necessary files to the workstation drive.
At the beginning of the workstation installation you are prompted to type
your user name (unless you have already installed). Be sure that this
name is unique in order to avoid conflicts with other network users. You
can change the user name after installation from MetaStock Pro's
Application Options dialog (see page 35).
During the installation you are also asked to specify the network drive
where the MetaStock Pro program files are located. Ask your network
administrator for this information. The path to the MetaStock Pro
program files on the network is automatically stored in each workstation's
Windows registry.
Do not attempt to access a real-time data folder that is in use by another
MetaStock Pro user. If you do, the other user will lose "write" privileges
to the folder.

Entering Dates in MetaStock Pro

When entering dates in MetaStock Pro, you can type them or use a special
drop-down calendar that allows you to easily choose specific dates.

If you choose to type the dates rather than select them from the drop-
down calendar, you can enter the year using two or four digits. If you
enter only two digits, MetaStock Pro interprets the two digit years 26
through 99 to mean 1926 through 1999. Two digit years 00 through 25
are interpreted to mean 2000 through 2025. This means that in order to
enter a date of 1915 or 2036, you would need to type in the four digit
year, or MetaStock Pro would not interpret them as you intended.

Converting Custom Formulas, System Tests, Explorations,

and Experts
When you installed MetaStock Pro for the first time, the installation
program asked if you wanted to transfer your custom indicators, system
tests, and explorations from a previous version of MetaStock to
MetaStock Pro 8.0. If you answered "yes," you will be asked if you want
to update your files to be compatible with MetaStock Pro 8.0. You are

542 • Appendices MetaStock Professional

 asked this the first time you attempt to access the Indicator Builder,
System Tester, The Explorer, and the Expert Advisor.
Also, if you have deleted, moved, or renamed the MS80FORM.DTA,
MS80PRFT.DTA, MS80EXPL.DTA, or MS80EXPT.DTA files, you are
asked if you want to create new files. The actual formulas, system tests,
explorations, and experts (respectively) are stored in these files.

Program Performance
There are several things you can do to speed up MetaStock Pro:
• Close other applications while running MetaStock Pro.
• Only load as much data as you need (see page 80).
• Limit the number of charts you have open.
• Use the status bar (see page 27) to view the date and pointer location
rather than the Data Window.
• Increase the amount of RAM in your computer.
• Install a faster CPU.
• Limit the number of calculation-intensive indicators and experts
attached to a chart.

Using OptionScope
OptionScope is a separate program provided with MetaStock Pro that is
patterned after a spreadsheet. It is used to analyze options on futures and
equities.
You run OptionScope from within MetaStock Pro by choosing
OptionScope from the Tools menu or by clicking the OptionScope button
OptionScope button on the standard toolbar.
With OptionScope you can:
• calculate the fair market value of put and call options.
• calculate implied volatility to see what the "actual" option's price is
implying the volatility should be.
• calculate delta, vega, gamma, and theta (see page 494) to study the
sensitivity of the option to changes in market conditions.
• calculate "what-if" scenarios.
• display graphs of option positions.
The folder where the OptionScope program is located is specified in the
Application Options dialog (see page 33).
OptionScope includes an on-line help system that explains how to use the
program's features. Choose Contents from OptionScope's Help menu.

MetaStock Professional Appendices • 543

Suggested Reading

The following books have been used by Equis for the Interpretation of
Indicators and Line Studies chapter of the manual. Equis also
recommends these books to those needing additional information on
technical analysis.
For additional information on books, videos, software and other
educational materials, check out the EQUISDirect catalog on our web site
at http://www.equis.com.

Achelis, Steven B. Technical Analysis from A to Z. Chicago, IL:

Probus Publishing Company, 1995.
Written by the president and founder of Equis International. This book
contains an introduction to technical analysis, plus a complete reference
to over 100 indicators and studies.

Appel, Gerald and Hitschler, Fred. Stock Market Trading Systems.

Homewood, IL: Dow Jones-Irwin, 1980.
Takes a thorough look at moving average trading systems, timing market
cycles, the 12-day Rate-Of-Change, etc.

Appel, Gerald. The Moving Average Convergence-Divergence Method.

Great Neck, NY: Signalert, 1979.
The MACD from its creator.

Arms, Richard W., Jr. Volume Cycles in the Stock Market. Salt Lake
City, UT: Equis International, Inc., 1994.
Thoroughly explains the Equivolume charting method, volume cycles,
and the ease of movement indicator.

Bookstaber, Richard. The Complete Investment Book. Glenview,

Illinois: Scott, Foresman and Company, 1985.
Explains the Black/Scholes option calculations used in MetaStock Pro.

Chande, Tushar S and Stanley Kroll. The New Technical Trader. New
York: Wiley, 1994.
A book describing a new statistically- based breed of price-based, and
risk control indicators.

544 • Appendices MetaStock Professional

 Cohen, A.W. How To Use The Three-Point Reversal Method of Point &
Figure Stock Market Trading. Larchmont, NU: Chartcraft, 1984.
A detailed book on point & figure chart interpretation.

Dobson, Edward D. Understanding Fibonacci Numbers. Greenville, SC:

Traders Press, 1984.
A brief overview of Fibonacci numbers. Contains an extensive
bibliography.

Edwards, Robert D. and Magee, John. Technical Analysis of Stock

Trends. Sixth Edition. Boston, MA: John Magee, Inc., 1992.
(Distributed by New York Institute of Finance.)
Explains trendlines and chart patterns.

Eng, William F. The Technical Analysis of Stocks, Options, & Futures.

Chicago, IL: Probus Publishing,1988.

Granville, Joseph E. New Strategy of Daily Stock Market Timing for

Maximum Profit. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1976.
A book from the inventor of On Balance Volume. Mr. Granville has
earned a bearish reputation, but his technical tools remain valid.

Kaufman, Perry J. Commodity Trading Systems and Methods. New

York: Wiley, 1978.
A serious book for the serious technician. While not required, a strong
background in mathematics is helpful when reading this book.

Lebeau, Charles, and David Lucas. Technical Trader's Guide to

Computer Analysis of the Futures Market. Homewood, IL: Business
One Irwin, 1991.
An excellent book that shows the historical performance of popular
technical indicators and oscillators.

Leibovit, Mark A. Using the Volume Reversal Survey in Market

Analysis (520-282-1275).
This pamphlet provides information on some of the pattern finding
functions in the MetaStock formula language (i.e., Inside, Outside,
Rally, and Reaction).

MetaStock Professional Appendices • 545

 Merrill, Arthur A. Filtered Waves-Basic Theory. Chappaqua, NY: The
Analysis Press, 1977.
This is an entire book about the Zig Zag indicator. It is available from:
Technical Trends
John R. McGinley, Jr.
P.O. Box 792
Wilton, CT 06897

Murphy, John J. Technical Analysis of the Futures Markets. New York,

NY: New York Institute of Finance, 1986.
One of the best single sources of information on technical analysis. You
don't have to trade commodities for this book to be valuable.

Natenberg, Sheldon. Option Volatility and Pricing Strategies. Chicago,

IL: Probus Publishing Company, 1988.
Explains the Black/Scholes option calculations used in MetaStock Pro.

Nison, Steven. Japanese Candlestick Charting Techniques. New York,

NY: New York Institute of Finance, 1991.
Explains how to use and interpret Candlestick charts.

Nison, Steven. Beyond Candlesticks. New York, NY: Wiley, 1994.

Explains how to use and interpret Kagi, Renko, and Three Line Break
charts.

Raff, Gilbert. Trading the Regression Channel. Salt Lake City, UT.
Equis International, 1996.
Explains how to trade the Regression Channel and objectively draw
trendlines.

Pring, Martin J. Technical Analysis Explained. Third edition. New

York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 1991.
A complete, well-written book on technical analysis. Recommended.

Wilder, J. Welles. New Concepts in Technical Trading Systems.

Greensboro, NC: Trend Research, 1978.
Explains the interpretation and calculation of about a dozen indicators
including all of the Directional Movement indicators, the Relative
Strength Index, and the Commodity Selection Index.

546 • Appendices MetaStock Professional

Index

pager and e-mail, 37, 430

A tips, 434
using, 430
About MetaStock, 541 viewing triggered, 434
Absolute value function, 252 Alignment of header/footer,
Accelerator keys 136
in commentaries, 414 Allow mixed case ticker
in menus, 18 symbols, 32
Accessibility options, 17 Ambiguity menu, 147
Accumulation swing index And/Or operators, 241
function, 253 Andrews' pitchfork
interpretation, 446 drawing tips, 215
parameters, 175 interpretation, 447
Accumulation/Distribution parameters, 215
function, 252 Angle
interpretation, 446 drawing trendlines by, 224
parameters, 175 interpretation, 530
sample custom indicator, Application properties, 31
308 Apply button, 168
Ad() function, 252 Apply template, 99
Add Arc tangent function, 253
charts to layout, 93 Arcs, Fibonacci, 216
layout dialog, 90 Aroon
multiple securities, 47 function, 253, 254
Add all interpretation, 447
layout dialog, 90 parameters, 175
Addition function, 253 Arrange inner window, 113
Address Book, 37 Arrows
Adjust, line study, 212 placing on chart, 222
Adx() function, 254 Aswing() function, 253
Adxr() function, 258 Atan() function, 253
Alert function, 253 Atr() function, 254
Alert function, system tester, Attach experts, 435
366 Auto rotate, 171
Alerts (expert) Autoscroll, 88
creating/editing, 431
options, 37

MetaStock Professional Index • 547

Average directional Bullish harami cross
movement function, function, 290
254 Bullish harami function, 290
Average true range Buy/hold index, 354
function, 254 Buying pressure function,
interpretation, 448 255
parameters, 176
AVI files C
in alerts, 433
in experts, 415 Cache
File Server, 57
online, 42, 43
B
Calendar, drop-down, 542
Bar chart Candlesticks
displaying, 151 displaying, 151
Bars since function, 254 functions, 288
Base security, 143 interpretation, 450
Bbandbot() function, 254 Candlevolume
Bbandtop() function, 255 displaying, 151
Bearish 3 DDE Server interpretation, 451
(EqDdeSrv) Cascade
Theethodmethod charts, 15
formation function, layouts, 93
288 Cci
Bearish harami cross interpretation, 456
function, 289 parameters, 177
Bearish harami function, 288 Cci() function, 256
Big black candle function, Ccie() function, 256
289 CD-ROM, accessing data
Big white candle function, from, 78
289 Ceiling function, 255
Binary waves, 312 Centering header/footer, 136
Black body function, 289 Chaikin money flow
Blank background, 109 function, 255
Bollinger band bottom interpretation, 453
function, 254 parameters, 177
Bollinger band top function, Chaikin oscillator
255 function, 255
Bollinger bands interpretation, 451
interpretation, 449 parameters, 177
parameters, 176 sample custom indicator,
sample custom indicator, 309
308 Chande momentum
Books, suggested, 544 oscillator
Border, chart and page, 134 function, 255
Breakeven stop, 335 interpretation, 454
Bullish 3 method formation parameters, 177
function, 289

548 • Index MetaStock Professional

Change security commands, Color
83 data window text, 161
Channel lines, 212 inner window, 112
Chart of indicator, 169
toolbar, 24 of line study, 210
Chart options dialog, 104 of price plot, 151
Chart(s) setting defaults, 170
closing, 68, 82 toolbar, 25
creating, 78 x-axis gridlines, 123
definition, 63, 77 y-axis gridlines, 126
deleting, 75 Commentary (expert)
displaying existing, 79 tips, 420
modifying, 104 using backslash, 413
moving, 108 using colors, fonts,
options, 33 formatting, 413
printing, 138 using constants, 411
resizing, 109 viewing, 418
saving, 69, 81 window, 418
scanning through, 83 writeif() function, 408
scrolling, 85 writeval() function, 409
selecting, 16, 103 writing, 406
title bar, 34 Comments
to clipboard, 8 in custom indicators, 240
ChartTips, 34, 160 Commissions
Choose a security dialog, 84 technical reference, 363
Clipboard commands, 8, trading tips, 360
355, 393 Commodity channel index
Cloning charts, 86 function, 256
Close interpretation, 456
button, 16 parameters, 177
charts, 82 Commodity selection index
command, 68 function, 256
inner windows, 116 interpretation, 456
layout, 96 parameters, 178
Close All, 68 Composite securities, 81
Close all open charts Configuration
when open new chart, 73 real-time, 51
Co() function, 255 Configuration, application,
COL variable, explorer, 381 31
Collecting data Configure Server, 51
DataOnDemand, 152 Confirm deletions dialog,
with The DownLoader, 43, 158
58 Constants, commentary, 411
Collecting Data Contents of data window,
DataOnDemand, 42, 228 161
through the Internet, 228 Contents, help, 29
with The DownLoader, 51, Context sensitive help, 31
61 Continuous contracts, 48

MetaStock Professional Index • 549

Converting print, 304
custom formulas, system prompting for input, 306
tests, explorations, referencing others, 242
experts, 542 samples, 308
data, 50, 60 tips, 248
Copy Custom Toolbar, 21
custom indicator, 304 Customer service, 5
expert, 436 Cut to clipboard, 8
exploration, 384 Cut/Copy/Paste
indicator, 172 in system tester, 362
line study, 211 Cycle lines
price plot, 153, 154 drawing tips, 215
system test, 337 interpretation, 458
Copy to clipboard, 8 parameters, 215
Corner (expert) plotting on equivolume,
displaying, 405 145
Correlation analysis
function, 256 D
interpretation, 457
parameters, 178 Daily data, 60
Cosine function, 256 Dark cloud cover function,
Create 290
data folder, 50 Data
multiple securities, 47 edit, 152
new security, 60 end-of-day, 42
Create new folder button, 73 intraday, 42
Cross function, 257 local, 41
Crosshairs online, 41, 42
displaying/removing, 161 printing, 138
Csi() function, 256 viewing with data window,
Cumulate function, 257 158
Custom Formulas What is data?, 41
support, 5, 299, 319, 369, Data array parameters, 240
397 Data collection
Custom indicator real-time, 42
comments, 240 with The DownLoader, 42,
copying, 304 43, 58
creating, 303 Data Collection
deleting, 304 DataOnDemand, 42, 228
error dialog, 317 real-time, 51
errors, 238 through the Internet, 228
functions, 237 with The DownLoader, 51,
location of files, 33 61
math errors, 316 Data Server, 51, 52, 56, 57
multi-plot, 306 Data window
pasting functions in, 305 changing contents, 161
plotting, 301 displaying/removing, 158
precedence, 236

550 • Index MetaStock Professional

 viewing indicator values, chart or layout, 108
174 open dialog, 68
viewing price values, 158 Detrended price oscillator
DataOnDemand, 42, 228 function, 258
DataOnDemand Cache, 42, interpretation, 460
43 parameters, 179
Dates Di() function, 258
general guidelines for Dialogs, how to use, 18
entering, 542 Directional movement
on printout, 136 function, 258
on status bar, 27 interpretation, 461
prompting for when parameters, 180
loading, 80 Directional movement rating
Day-of-month function, 257 function, 258
Day-of-week function, 257 Display base security, 144
Default color and style, 170 Displayed, x-axis properties,
Default template, 78, 102 119
Defaults button, 19 Divergence function, 258
Delete Division by zero, 317
charts from layout, 94 Division function, 259
charts, layouts, templates, Doji function, 291
75 Doji star function, 291
confirming, 32, 158 Down price, color of, 151
custom indicator, 304 DownLoader
expert, 436 collecting data, 51, 61, 228
exploration, 384 editing data, 152
indicator, 173 location of files, 33
indicators, 109 maintaining local
line studies, 109 securities, 50, 60
line study, 214 Dpo() function, 258
price plot, 153, 157 Drag and drop
selected object, 14 indicators, 165
symbols, 109 inner windows, 114
system test, 337 price plots, 153
text, 109 Drawing toolbar, 207
Delete All, 109 Dual Monitors, 39
Delta Dx() function, 258
function, 257 Dynamic momentum index
interpretation, 494 parameters, 180
parameters, 189 Dynamic momentum index
Dema function, 259
function, 258 Dynamic momentum index
parameters, 179 interpretation, 462
Demand index, 459
function, 258 E
interpretation, 459
parameters, 179 Ease of movement
Description function, 259

MetaStock Professional Index • 551

 interpretation, 463 Evening doji star function,
parameters, 180 291
Edit Evening star function, 292
chart, 79 Excel
custom indicators, 303 creating an OLE link to, 9
data, 152 Excel, exporting to, 9, 11
indicator, 167 Exiting
inner windows, 111 charts and layouts, 68
layout, 93 MetaStock, 8
line study, 208 Expert advisor
price plot, 146 alerts, 430
redo, 8 attaching alerts, 435
template, 101 components of, 402
undo, 8 copy, delete experts, 436
Edit layout dialog, 92 highlights, 421
Ellipse, parameters, 216 printing, 436
E-mail sample experts, 437
alerts, 37, 430 symbols, 425
charts, 228 Expert Advisor
MAPI, 228 creating an expert, 400
technical support, 5 defined, 397
VIM, 228 dialog, 399
Emv() function, 259 tips, 438
End date, line study, 210 Expert(s)
End value, line study, 210 pre-packaged, 398
End-of-day data, 42 Exploration status dialog,
Engulfing bullish line 385
function, 291 Explorer
Enhanced System Tester, copy, delete explorations,
327 384
Enhanced System Tester creating an exploration,
Tutorial, 320 371, 379
Envelope defined, 369
interpretation, 464 dialog, 371, 377
parameters, 181 filter, 374, 381
Equis Data Server, 51, 52, formula syntax, 381
56, 57 inspect button, 389
Equity lists of securities, 383
using from system test, location of files, 33
361 multiple explorations, 387
Equivolume options, 378
displaying, 151 printing, 384
interpretation, 464 reports, 388
Error messages running, 385
custom indicator, 238, sample explorations, 393
251, 316 selecting securities, 382
expert advisor, 439 sort, 389
speed of, 388

552 • Index MetaStock Professional

 tips, 395 Find/replace, in
tutorial, 370 commentary, 417
Exponent function, 260 First date
Exporting formula-based security datasheet, 59
tools, 249 Floor function, 260
Exporting, with clipboard, 8 Fml() function, 246, 261,
Extend line study, 210 306
fmlvar() function, 261
F Folder
browse for folder, 59
Falling window function, creating, 50
292 security datasheet, 59
Fans Font
Fibonacci, 217 automatically reduce, 135
Fast fourier transform header/footer, 136
function, 260 symbol labels, 222
Favorites text, 223
adding to, 71, 72 y-axis properties, 119, 125
clearing, 71, 72 Fonts
creating folders in, 71 dialog, 171
shortcut, 65, 67, 71, 383 Footer, printing, 135
Fft()function, 260 Forecast oscillator
Fibonacci parameters, 181
arcs, drawing tips, 216 Forecast oscillator
arcs, parameters, 216 function, 261
fans, drawing tips, 217 Forecast oscillator
fans, parameters, 217 interpretation, 467
interpretation, 465 Formula
plotting on equivolume, call function, 261
145 organizer wizard, 249
retracements, drawing tips, tips, 248
217 variable call function, 261
retracements, parameters, Formula call function, 306
217 Fourier transform
time zones, parameters, function, 260
217 interpretation, 467
File name parameters, 182
open template dialog, 101 Fraction function, 261
save dialog, 70 Fractions
File Server, 51, 53, 56, 57 displaying y-axis in, 124
Files Frame/fill of text, 223
location of, 33 Full Desktop, 39
Filter, Explorer, 374 Full screen, 38
Filtering securities, open Functions
dialog, 68 custom indicator, 237
Find command, 74 list of, 252
Find, help system, 30 pasting, 239, 305

MetaStock Professional Index • 553

Futures, adding with the Herrick payoff index
symbol database, 48 function, 262
Futures, system testing, 364 interpretation, 470
parameters, 183
G Hhv() function, 263
Hide a line, 169
Gamma High/low/close
function, 262 displaying, 151
interpretation, 495 High/low/close bar
parameters, 189 interpretation, 470
Gann studies Highest bars ago function,
interpretation, 468 263
plotting on equivolume, Highest function, 262
145 Highest high function, 263
Gap down function, 262 Highest high value bars
Gap up function, 262 function, 263
Glossary, custom indicator, Highest since bars ago
249 function, 264
Gravestone doji function, Highest since function, 263
292 Highlights (expert)
Gray checkboxes, 105 creating/editing, 422
Grids sample, 424
x-axis, 122 tips, 425
y-axis, 126 using, 421
Group, symbol database, 46 viewing, 423
Historical data
H intraday, 58
History
Hammer function, 293 clearing, 71, 72
Handicapped options, 17 limiting size, 71, 72
Hanging man function, 293 shortcut, 65, 67, 71, 383
Header, printing, 135 Holidays on charts, 35
Heading Horizontal line
chart, 34, 104, 112 attached to indicator, 169
contents, 108 drawing tips, 218
inner window, 105 parameters, 218
Hearing-impaired options, Hot keys, for commentaries,
17 414
Help Hpi() function, 262
contents screen, 29 HTML file, save as, 228
for Windows, 4
index, 30
indicator interpretation, I
174 If function, 241, 264
online, 29 Implied volatility, 543
on-line, 4 Importing formula-based
ways to get, 4 tools, 249
Help system, 4 Importing, with clipboard, 8

554 • Index MetaStock Professional

Inactivity stop, 335 scanning charts with, 83
Indent custom indicator, 248 scrolling charts with, 86
Index, help system, 30 using, 87
Indicator zoom scaling with, 128
color/style, 25, 169 Interest rate, system tester,
copying, deleting, moving, 360, 363
172 Internet, 227
custom, 299 collecting data, 228
defined, 163 company news, 232
horizontal line, 169 current quote, 231
modifying, 167 DataOnDemand, 228
parameters, 174 e-mailing charts, 228
plotting, 163 Equis on the Web, 234
properties, 167 menu file, 230
quicklist, 165 option chain, 232
viewing values, 174 Quotes menu, 230
Indicator builder Research menu, 232
defined, 299 saving HTML files, 228
dialog, 302 shortcut menus, 229
tutorial, 300 technical support, 5, 234
Indicator editor, 303 www.equis.com, 4
Indicator guide, 441 Interpretation
Indicators, dialog, 164 on-line help, 174
Inertia Intertia
interpretation, 471 parameters, 183
Inertia indicator Intertia indicator
interpretation, 471 function, 264
Inner windows Intraday data, 42
closing, 116 Intraday momentum index
drawing a line study in, parameters, 183
205 Intraday momentum index
modifying, 111 function, 266
moving, 114 Intraday momentum index
opening, 110 interpretation, 472
plotting an indicator in, Invalid
163 exponentiation, 317
splitter bar, 106 log, 317
title bar, 105 power, 317
Input function, 265, 365, Invert scale
382, 437 y-axis properties, 125
Input() function, 306 Inverted black hammer
Inside function, 265 function, 293
Installing third party add- Inverted hammer function,
ons, 249 293
Integer function, 265 Invisible line style, 169
IntelliMouse
changing periodicity with,
121

MetaStock Professional Index • 555

J adjusting, copying,
deleting, moving, 211
Japanese candlesticks
color/style, 25, 210
functions, 288
defined, 205
interpretation, 450
drawing, 205
patterns, 288
modifying, 208
JPEG files, saving charts as,
parameters, 215
228
parameters (common), 209
properties, 208
K Line style toolbar, 25
Kagi Linear regression indicator
displaying, 151 function, 267
interpretation, 472 interpretation, 475
parameters, 148 parameters, 184
Klinger oscillator Linear regression slope
function, 266 function, 267
interpretation, 473 interpretation, 476
parameters, 184 parameters, 185
Linear regression trendline
channels, 478
L interpretation, 477
Label symbols, 222 parameters, 218
Last date Linear regression trendline
security datasheet, 59 channel
Last value function, 266 parameters, 220
Lastvalue function, 361 Links, videos, 417
Layout (printing), 134 Llv() function, 268
Layouts Load options, 72
cascade, stack, tile, 93 Load periods, 80
closing, 68, 96 Loaded
creating, 90 x-axis properties, 119
definition, 63, 89 Local securities
deleting, 75 maintaining, 50
displaying existing, 91 Logarithm function, 267
editing, 92 Long legged doji function,
saving, 69, 95 293
Learn as you plot, 86 Long lower shadow
Life (option) function, 294
interpretation, 495 Long upper shadow
parameters, 189 function, 294
Life() function, 272 Look-up
Line multiple securities, 47
horizontal, 218 symbol, 59
vertical, 225 Lowest bars ago function,
Line chart 267
displaying, 151 Lowest function, 267
interpretation, 475 Lowest low value bars
Line study function, 268

556 • Index MetaStock Professional

Lowest low value function, Mesa sine wave
268 function, 270
Lowest since bars function, interpretation, 482
268 Mesa sine wave indicator
Lowest since function, 268 parameters, 186
MetaStock File Server, 51,
M 53, 56, 57
Mfi() function, 271
MACD Microsoft Windows support,
function, 269 4
interpretation, 478 Midpoint function, 270
parameters, 185 Minimize
sample custom indicator, button, 16, 109
309 chart, 109
Major unit window, 16
y-axis properties, 124 Minimum
Manual, user's, 4 y-axis properties, 124
MAPI, 228 Minimum function, 270
Margin requirement, system Minor unit
tester, 363 y-axis properties, 124
Margins, printing, 135 Minus directional movement
Market facilitation index function, 270
function, 269 Mistakes, undoing, 8
interpretation, 479 Mo() function, 271
parameters, 185 Modulus by zero, 317
Mass index Modulus function, 271
function, 269 Momentum
interpretation, 480 function, 271
parameters, 186 interpretation, 482
Maximize parameters, 186
button, 16, 109 sample custom indicator,
chart, 109 309
dual monitors, 39 Money flow index, 271
window, 16 interpretation, 483
Maximum parameters, 187
y-axis properties, 124 Month function, 271
Maximum function, 269 Monthly data, 60, 120
Maximum loss stop, 335 Morning star function, 295
Mdi() function, 270 Mouse, IntelliMouse, 87
Median price Move
function, 269 charts, 108
in moving average, 188 indicator, 172
interpretation, 481 inner windows, 114
parameters, 186 line study, 211
sample custom indicator, price plot, 153, 154
309 Moving average
Menu bar, 17 function, 271
Mesa lead sine function, 269 interpretation, 484

MetaStock Professional Index • 557

 parameters, 187 interpretation, 492
plotting, 163 parameters, 188
Mp() function, 269 sample custom indicator,
Multimedia, in 310
commentaries, 415 On neck-line function, 295
Multiple Online cache, 42, 43
explorations, 387 exploring, 395
Multiplication function, 272 Online data
Multi-plot custom DataOnDemand, 42, 228
indicators, 306 Online Data, 41, 42
Multi-plot formulas updating, 152
in experts, 437 using with Security Data
in explorations, 382 function, 279
in system tests, 365 Online Data Vendor
options, 38
N shortcut, 65, 67, 71, 383
Open
Name, network user, 35 apply template, 98
Negative function, 272 charts, 7, 79
Negative square root, 317 inner windows, 110
Negative volume index layout, 91
function, 272 multiple charts, 80
interpretation, 489 Open dialog, speed of, 79
parameters, 188 Open interest, 45, 59
sample custom indicator, interpretation, 494
309 parameters, 188
Network Open link, 10
user name, 35 Open price, 45, 59
using MetaStock on, 541 Open template dialog, 100
New Open windows list, 16
chart, 78 Open/open interest
dialog, 64 security datasheet, 59
layout, 90 Operators, custom indicator,
window, 80, 86, 93 236
Next security, 83 Optimization
Not sign, 154 example, 358
reports, 326
O validity of, 359
variables, 357
Object linking and Optimizing system tests, 324
embedding, 9 Option expiration
Obv() function, 272 function, 272
ODDS probability cones interpretation, 495
interpretation, 490 parameters, 188
parameters, 219 Option indicators
OLE, creating links, 9 interpretation, 494
On balance volume parameters, 189
function, 272 Option life function, 272

558 • Index MetaStock Professional

Option() function, 276 Period value out of range,
Options 396
accessibility, 17 Periodicity
application properties, 31 changing with
Explorer, 378 intellimouse, 87
handicapped, 17 exploration, 380
hearing-impaired, 17 New Security dialog, 44,
new dialog, 80 60
system test, 338 New/Open dialog, 65, 68
visually-impaired, 17 of chart, 120
OptionScope, 543 other, 121
location of files, 33 X-Axis Properties, 120
Or operator, 241 Periods
Organizer, formula, 249 controlling number loaded,
Orientation, printing, 137 80
Oscp() function, 275 Piercing line function, 295
Oscv() function, 285 Plot-based indicator, 163
Other periodicity, 121 Plus directional movement
Outside function, 273 function, 274
Overlaying price plots, 153 Point & figure
displaying, 151
P interpretation, 497
parameters, 149
P data array identifier, 247 Pointer mode (equivalent),
Page number, on printout, 205
136 Points only system testing,
Page setup, 134 364
Pager Polarized fractal efficiency
alerts, 37, 430 function, 274
settings, 37 parameters, 190
Paper size, 137 Positive volume index
Parabolic SAR function, 274
function, 273 interpretation, 499
interpretation, 496 parameters, 191
parameters, 190 sample custom indicator,
Parallel trendlines, 212 310
Paste from clipboard, 8 Power function, 274
Paste functions, 239, 305, Precedence, operator, 236
380 Precision function, 274
Paste special, 9 Prev constant, 246
Pdi() function, 274 Preview, print, 137
Peak bars ago function, 273 Previous security, 83
Peak value function, 273 Price (option)
Performance interpretation, 495
function, 274 Price array identifiers, 235
interpretation, 497 Price channel
parameters, 190 function, 275
real-time collection, 57 interpretation, 500

MetaStock Professional Index • 559

 parameters, 191 Prompt for dates, 80
Price oscillator Put/Call price
function, 275 function, 276
interpretation, 501 Pvi() function, 274
parameters, 191 Pvt() function, 275
sample custom indicator,
310 Q
Price plot
color/style, 25, 151 Qstick indicator
copying, deleting, moving, function, 277
153 interpretation, 505
modifying, 146 parameters, 193
parameters, 147 Quadrant lines
properties, 146 interpretation, 506
viewing values, 158 parameters, 220
Price rate-of-change Quicklist
interpretation, 501 controlling contents of,
parameters, 192 166
sample custom indicator, displaying custom
310 indicators in, 303
Price style quicklist, 146 icons defined, 163
Price volume trend plotting an indicator, 165
function, 275 Quickstart Tutorials, 3, 4, 31
interpretation, 502 Quitting MetaStock, 8
parameters, 192 Quotes
sample custom indicator, current, 231
310 internet shortcut menu,
Print 230
charts, 138
custom indicators, 304 R
expert, 436
exploration, 384 R squared indicator
preview, 137 function, 277
reports, 355 interpretation, 506
Printer parameters, 193
selecting and configuring, Raff regression channels,
133 220
Projection bands Rally function, 277
interpretation, 503 Rally with volume function,
parameters, 192 277
Projection bands bottom Random walk index
function, 275 function, 277
Projection bands top parameters, 194
function, 276 Range indicator
Projection oscillator function, 278
function, 276 parameters, 194
interpretation, 504 Rate of change function, 278
parameters, 192 Reaction function, 278

560 • Index MetaStock Professional

Reaction with volume Reports
function, 278 printing, 355
Read-only data, 78 system tester, 345
Real-time Rescale y-axis, 86
configuration, 51 Research
data collection, 42, 43, 51 internet shortcut menu,
margin, 122 232
minimum system Reset
configuration, 2 zoom scaling, 128
OLE, 11 Restore button, 16
options, 36 Restore workspace on
securities, 43 startup, 32
updating commentaries, Results report, 388
420 Retain scale, x-axis
Real-time data properties, 119
updating, 152 Retracements, Fibonacci,
Recent file list, 7 217
Rectangle parameters, 220 Ribbon (expert)
Redo, 8 displaying, 404
Reference function, 278 Right margin
Referencing custom x-axis properties, 122
indicators, 242 Rising window function,
Reject report, 392 295
Relative momentum index Rotate buttons, 207
function, 279 Round function, 279
parameters, 194 Rsi
Relative strength interpretation, 512
comparitive parameters, 195
parameters, 195 Rsi() function, 279
Relative strength index R-squared
function, 279 parameters, 197, 198
interpretation, 512 Running Metastock, 3
parameters, 195 Running Multiple
Relative volatility index Explorations, 387
function, 279
interpretation, 513 S
parameters, 196
Remove Sar() function, 273
layout dialog, 90 Save, 69
MetaStock from hard disk, charts, 81
3 dialog, 69
values in title bar, 105, 112 layout, 95
Remove all template, 101
layout dialog, 90 Save all, 70
Renko Save as
displaying, 151 chart, 81
interpretation, 514 template, 97
parameters, 150 Scale

MetaStock Professional Index • 561

 changing with drag and Shortcuts
drop, 126 custom toolbar, 21
font, 119, 125 SIGs, Equis, 4
invert, 125 Sine function, 280
location, 127 Size
semi-log, 125 of charts, 109
x-axis properties, 118 of inner windows, 113
y-axis properties, 123 of paper, 137
Scaling Options dialog, 156 Smart chart
Scaling, zoom, 128 defined, 77
Screen saving as chart, 78
allotting more space for, Snap to price, 210
38 Sort
Screentips, 20 exploration report, 389
Scrolling charts, 85 results report, 390
Search securities, 74 Sound
Securities in alerts, 433
creating local, 43, 58 Sound,
referencing in custom in commentaries, 415
formulas, 243 Specific contracts, 48
Security Speed of open dialog, 79
base, 143 Speed of program,
create button, 60 increasing, 543
Security Data function, 243 Speed resistance lines
Security name interpretation, 515
new dialog, 65, 67, 383 parameters, 220
Select mode, 32, 207 Spinning top function, 297
Select plot dialog, 206 Splitter bar
Selecting inner window, 106
charts, 103 resizing inner windows,
printer, 133 114
Self referencing formulas, Spread
246 parameters, 196
Selling pressure function, Spreads, interpretation, 515
280 Spreadsheets, exporting to,
semi-log scale, y-axis 9, 11
properties, 125 Square root function, 280
Send command, 228 Stack, layouts, 93
Separating lines function, Standard deviation
296 function, 280
Setup interpretation, 516
page, 134 parameters, 196
printer, 133 sample custom indicator,
Setup key, 3 310
Shaven bottom function, 296 Standard deviation channel
Shaven head function, 296 parameters, 221
Shooting star function, 297 Standard error
Shortcut bar, 71 function, 280

562 • Index MetaStock Professional

 interpretation, 518 Swing index
parameters, 197 function, 281
Standard error bands interpretation, 524
interpretation, 518 parameters, 199
parameters, 197 Symbol
Standard error bands bottom database, 59
function, 280 security datasheet, 59
Standard error bands top Symbol database, 46
function, 281 Symbol Database
Standard error channel add symbols, 65, 72
parameters, 221 creating custom symbol
Start value, line study, 210 lists, 49
Starting MetaStock, 3 creating futures contracts,
Status bar 48
displaying/removing, 28, creating multiple
32 securities, 47
drawing line studies, 207 display, 72
usage, 27 edit symbols, 72
Stdev() function, 280 modifying, 49
Stochastic momentum index updating, 49
function, 281 using to create securities,
interpretation, 520 46
parameters, 197 Symbol palette, 222
Stochastic oscillator Symbols
function, 281 deleting, 222
interpretation, 521 drawing tips, 223
sample custom indicator, labeling, 222
311 parameters, 222
Stochasticoscillator Symbols (expert)
parameters, 198 creating/editing, 426
Stops tips, 430
system tester, 334 using, 425
Style viewing, 428, 429
of indicator, 169 System info, 541
of line study, 210 System menu, 14
of price plots, 151 System test
of x-axis gridlines, 123 commissions, 360
of y-axis gridlines, 126 copying, deleting, 337
setting defaults, 170 creating, 320, 331
Subtraction function, 281 defined, 319
Summary report, 346 disk space, 364
Summation function, 281 displaying reports, 323
Support entering stops, 334
for custom formulas, 5, interest, 360
299, 319, 369, 397 optimizing, 324
for MetaStock, 5 options, 338
for Microsoft Windows, 4 reports, 345
Support/resistance, 523 speed, 364

MetaStock Professional Index • 563

 testing, 322 mixed case, 32
tips, 359 Tile
trading rule syntax, 365 charts, 15
System tester Tile, layouts, 93
dialog, 320, 327 Time
location of files, 33 on printout, 136
tutorial, 320 on status bar, 27
Time series forecast
T function, 282
interpretation, 527
Tab, inserting in custom parameters, 199
indicator, 248 Time zones, Fibonacci, 217
Technical support Tip of the day, 3
for MetaStock, 5 Tirone levels
for Windows, 4 drawing tips, 224
Tema interpretation, 528
function, 282 parameters, 223
parameters, 199 Title bar
Template chart, 34, 104
default, 102 contents, 108
Templates inner window, 105, 112
applying, 98 Toolbar
creating, 97 chart, 24, 34, 105
default, 78 color, 25
definition, 97 custom, 21
deleting, 75 dialog, 20
editing, 101 drawing, 207
options menu, 72 floating/docking, 26
saving, 101 line style, 25
Text removing/displaying, 20
drawing tips, 223 rotate buttons, 207
parameters, 223 using, 19
Theta Trade volume index
function, 282 function, 283
interpretation, 496 interpretation, 528
parameters, 189 parameters, 200
Thick lines, printing, 137 Trailing stop, 336
Thickness, of price plot, 151 Trend (expert)
Three black crows function, corner, 405
297 diplaying ribbon, 404
Three line break tips, 406
displaying, 151 Trend (Expert)
interpretation, 526 defining, 403
parameters, 150 Trendline
Three white soldiers angles, interpretation, 530
function, 297 drawing by angle, 224
Ticker symbols interpretation, 529
entering in datasheet, 59 parameters, 224

564 • Index MetaStock Professional

Trendline by angle V
drawing tips, 224
Value when function, 284
parameters, 224
Variables
Triangle
in experts, 437
parameters, 224
in explorations, 382
TRIX
in system tests, 365
function, 283
referencing, 246
interpretation, 531
using in formulas, 244
parameters, 200
Variance function, 284
Trough bars ago function,
Vega
283
function, 284
Trough value function, 283
interpretation, 496
Tsf() function, 282
parameters, 189
Tutorials
Vertical horizontal filter
Explorer, 370
function, 284
Indicator builder, 300
interpretation, 533
Quickstart, 3, 4, 31
parameters, 201
System tester, 320
Vertical line
Tvi() function, 283
drawing tips, 225
Tweezer bottoms function,
parameters, 225
298
Vhf() function, 284
Tweezer tops function, 298
Video
Typical price
in alerts, 433
function, 283
in commentaries, 415
in moving average, 188
VIM, 228
interpretation, 532
Visually-impaired options,
parameters, 201
17
Volatility
U implied, 543
Ultimate oscillator option, 496
function, 283 Volatility (Chaikin's)
interpretation, 532 function, 285
parameters, 201 interpretation, 533
Undo, 8 parameters, 201
uninstalling MetaStock, 3 sample custom indicator,
Up one level button, 73 311
Up price, color of, 151 Volatility (option)
Update link, 10 function, 285
Updating parameters, 189
MetaStock, 228 Volume
symbol database, 49, 228 interpretation, 534
User groups, Equis, 4 parameters, 202
User info, 35 Volume oscillator
User name, 35 function, 285
User's manual, 4 interpretation, 535
parameters, 202
sample custom indicator,
311

MetaStock Professional Index • 565

Volume rate-of-change Windows 98
interpretation, 536 dual monitors, 39
parameters, 203 Write text, 223
sample custom indicator, Writeif() function, 286, 408
311 Writeval() function, 286,
409
W
X
WAV file in alerts, 433
Wc() function, 285 X-axis
web site, www.equis.com, 4 displaying/removing, 107
Weekends gridlines, 122
on charts, 35 properties, 118
Weekly data, 60, 120
Weight, of price plot, 151 Y
Weighted close
function, 285 Y-axis
interpretation, 537 font, 119, 125
parameters, 203 gridlines, 126
sample custom indicator, invert, 125
312 location, 107
What's this command, 31 on status bar, 27
White body function, 298 properties, 123
Wilder's smoothing rescale, 86
interpretation, 537 Year function, 287
Williams' %R Yearly data, 120
function, 286
interpretation, 538 Z
parameters, 203
sample custom indicator, Zig zag
312 function, 287
Williams' accumulation/dist in system tester, 360
function, 286 interpretation, 539
interpretation, 539 parameters, 204
parameters, 204 Zoom
sample custom indicator, box, 128
312 in, 128
Williams, Bill, 479 out, 128
Windows reset, 128
chart list, 16 Zoom scaling, 128
standard features, 7

566 • Index MetaStock Professional