Quote from zedDoubleNaught:
Another idea I've tried researching is: instead of "a" system, with one set of rules, increase to 2 or more sets of rules, with a switch that toggles between them. There may be synergies between some such sets. My research on this is slow, because of my platform and I have to build my own tools to work with data I can get from it. I can see the advantage of a platform made from scratch -- one would have more control to implement a feature like this.
Are you implementing day trading strategies or larger time frames?
I totally agree with multiple systems and switches. If the market opens in different places, you may want to trade differently, if your back-testing has proven to be more profitable. With the database, your program can find out what the best method to trade is and trade accordingly. This could be done in seconds using a query to the database along with a PHP script. While I currently don't implement this, it is certainly on the to-do list.
I also developed my platform to allow me to enter a stock as both a long and a short. This way, I have no bias and the program trades based on the price action. I will say, this was a very difficult portion to implement and troubleshoot. This is mainly due to all of the variables with re-entry after a stop-out.
The platform isn't just based on my method. The platform includes:
15 Different price action based entry methods (with multiple variables that are all adjustable).
3 Different methods for re-entry after a stop-out and this can be turned on or off
9 Different Profit Target Methods which is set as a % of the position and can be set to 0% if you don't want to use a Profit Target
10 Different Stop-Loss Methods
When back-testing and in live trading, you can enter a specific number of shares or a $ amount of risk for determining shares to be traded. What this will do is allow you to risk a specific $ amount / trade and the number of shares traded will be calculated automatically by the program based on your stop-loss. Obviously, the stop-loss amount must be a calculated move.
All of these are totally adjustable and you select each one independently and you do this in the user interface. The combinations are virtually limitless. Not to mention, eventually a trader will be allowed to enter their own price-based strategies in C#.
What I have learned is that the key to success with most of the methods is consistency. Don't go chasing what worked today, because it may not work tomorrow. The market doesn't move the same way everyday, but I know that the probabilities of it moving in my direction for at least a certain $ amount are pretty good. The key is what's it going to do the rest of the day and while no one knows, the probability of certain patterns forming on the daily chart are just not likely. This is what you find out when you devise a data-mining application that looks for patterns on the daily chart. While I am still developing this, this is what I have learned so far...
What % of the time should you expect a continuation after a trend day?
Does a particular pattern often precede a trend day?
Are all the patterns that most people are looking at even relevant?
What does the open tell you? From my research, the open is very important.
The platform is really intended for day-trading only and this is another reason it was developed from scratch.