Quote from burt_schroder:
Volume - order flow? Which is more important?
Neither.
If you use a display, volume bars are comparable.
In a trend, there is a first volume bar.
The next volume bar is or is not measured. The criteria for doing a measurement or not is determined by price. Two sets of criteria determine whether to measure or not to measure.
For instance, you have a gate to measure. Consider the relative size of volume on this second bar as compared to the "assigned" trend beginning volume first bar.
One of two choices will be present. For some, three choices are present and they are noting a triviality and making it important. The equal value is actually "assigned" for other reasons.
The choices are orthogonal considerations. Most people cannot work in this mental orientation. We know this because of the absence of "orthogonal discussion".
Suppose the second bar is taller (more volume), then this is a definite relative characterisitc and bar by bar it can be searched for.
The same is true if the bar is shorter.
In logic, you now have three classified entities: an assigned first bar and two volume elements with names and mathematical classifications that are differentiated if and only if a measurement is deemed possible. When not possible, then the second bar is not a trending bar and is absent from the logical development.
I conclude order flow is not described in volume. They are not comparable to each other. You may have difficulting in processing and then making this part of your beliefs. Most cannot.
They cannot be held in any regard as to importance.
The whole story on all volume bars, so far is eluding consideration in this thread.
The relative measure of volume bars, when possible, establishes events and it can be shown the relative events also stream with certainty.
Do not just believe this fact.
Prove it and use the proof to create a fully differentiated long term memory by the experience of drills. Try to understand that you have done parallel processes in other intellectual fields such as arithmetic, reading, writing, walking, running, siting, and sleeping. You may have learned to do sports where you play with and against others.
With regard to the OP, you can see he cannot open this door.
He has to think about one bar and think about its composition of granular sized parts that accumulate in volume as orders flow.
Time frames allow bars to define volume accumulation in volume and allow bars to define, crudely, order flow in up to three segments of one residual price bar once it is formed.
It is possible to think. Definable elements appear. Civilization has developed many extentions of mankind called tools. They are sufficient to define the market's operating system. The system can be used to take the full offer of the market.
There is no way I can tranfer this total package to another person except to give him the ATS. I feel that I can show its operation for a few quarters by some set of quantified results. So far no one has suggested a way to do that which would be acceptable in public.