Need assistance with market filter

[PropKid]

I'm trying to implement a simple market filter that will exit current trades and stop future ones when my definition of a bear market is present (a declining 40-week MA).

I don't get any errors but I also don't get any trades. I am using TC2000 for EOD data and I've been tinkering with the Russell 1000 components in a watchlist for testing. Am I missing something regarding the use of "SPY" since it would not be in the watchlist? It is in the database and when I test the code on SPY alone it also offers no trades. Other systems I've tested without a market filter worked fine.

Many thanks for the assistance

//Simple Trend with Market Filter

//	Simple trend following example so I can learn how to code a market filter correctly

NumPos = 1; 	//Number of allowed positions
SetPositionSize(100/NumPos,spsPercentOfEquity);
SetOption( "MaxOpenPositions", NumPos );

MA1_len = 20;

MA_1 = MA(C,MA1_len);

//Entry based on a rising moving average
MA_entry = IIf(MA_1>Ref(MA_1,-1),1,0);

//Attempting to add a market level filter. 
//Bear Market filter
SetForeign("SPY");
BearMkt = C < MA(C,40);
RestorePriceArrays(); 

IIf(BearMkt,MA_entry=0,MA_entry == MA_entry);

MA_Buy = MA_entry == 1;
MA_sell = MA_entry == 0;

Buy = MA_buy;
Sell = MA_sell;```

[TrendSurfer]

@PropKid

IIf(BearMkt,MA_entry=0,MA_entry == MA_entry);

Wrong!

See Common Coding Mistakes.

[mradtke]

@TonyR if he does as you suggest, he won't have any entry logic based on the MA of the stock. He'll just be long whenever Bear Market is false.

[mradtke]

@TrendSurfer is correct: you are not using 'IIf()' correctly. However, your logic does not even require the use of 'IIf()', so i suggest you remove those and simplify your coding.

Hint:

x = IIf(myTest, 1, 0);

Simplifies to:

x = myTest;

[portfoliobuilder]

@PropKid as you appear to be new to the forum I would point you to the Official Knowledge Base which as many very useful articles and will answer most of your questions.

Broad market timing in system formulas

Kudos to @TrendSurfer @tonyr and @mradtke for making you feel welcome on the forum (but guys, point him toward the knowledge base )

[PropKid]

Many thanks for the assistance, folks. I had read the Knowledge Base on the topic but for some reason hadn't considered a different logic. Also had some unnecessary code in there too.

The final looks like this and works well.

Thanks again.

//Simple Trend with Market Filter

//	Simple trend following example so I can learn how to code a market filter correctly

NumPos = 14; 	//Number of allowed positions
SetPositionSize(100/NumPos,spsPercentOfEquity);
SetOption( "MaxOpenPositions", NumPos );

MA1_len = 20;

MA_1 = MA(C,MA1_len);


//Attempting to add a market level filter. 
//Bear Market filter
SetForeign("SPY");
BearMkt = C < MA(C,40);
RestorePriceArrays(); 

//Entry based on a rising moving average
Buy = MA_1>Ref(MA_1,-1) AND NOT BearMkt;

//Exit based on declining moving average OR BearMkt
Sell = MA_1<=Ref(MA_1,-1) OR BearMkt;