They are the kinds of things that the "I don't ever wanna be a programmer types" wouldn't use any way ...
--- In [email protected], RajeevM <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Yes > > The direction AMI needs now (in my view) is to make the powerful horse work > for the technical fools. (people who cant code etc). > > If this is done, the Ami's shine would get exponential. > > I can imagine that for people like thomaz its hard to imagine, "whats > complex in ami"..!! > > Please create a poll.. ( Online in yahoo groups) or else where and ask what > 'complex things' would people like to have a little more easier. > > regards > Rajeev > > > On 10/16/06, brian.z123 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > Hello Jlami11, > > > > The virtues of AB are often extolled in this forum (along with the > > vices) but I don't think I have seen a post that even goes close to > > doing it justice. > > Tomasz is too modest to list all the good points in one place > > himself, although God knows that after 100k posts it is well overdue. > > Here is my attempt that will have to suffice until bettered. > > > > ******************************************************************* > > Conclusion: > > > > The bad news is that it takes a lot of patience to master AmiBroker, > > especially for those who are not seasoned traders/programmers. > > The good new is that it is worth the effort. > > If there is a better program out there Tomasz would have known about > > it a long time ago ;-) > > > > (If you are in a hurry skip to list at the bottom of the post). > > > > ******************************************************************* > > > > An interesting question. > > As a relatively new Ami user I can empathise with you. > > Keep in mind that there is no *holy grail* of software or anything > > else in trading. > > Also my only intention is to offer help to you and give credit to > > AmiBroker where it is due. > > > > What you are really asking is; "Will AmiBroker be worth the time I > > will have to put in to learn it, will I be capable of learning it > > and what will I be able to do with it when I am competent?", > > (that is like looking for your glasses!). > > Ultimately you are the only one who can answer that. > > > > You need to clarify how serious you are about trading and clearly > > state your trading objectives to yourself first. > > I am continually amazed by the number of people who come into this > > forum and who, presumably, want to be winning traders, but obviously > > do not have a winning attitude (I am not suggesting that is you. I > > am simply providing some context to my comments). > > If that is the case they can not blame the software for their > > eventual and inevitable failure. > > > > > > My experiences may provide some guideance for you. > > > > I am a non-programmer, non-mathematician and a self-taught computer > > layperson. > > I do not have a tertiary education. > > I am probably of above average intelligence but I don't know exactly > > where I am on that line and I have no interest in finding out. > > Fortunately I do have abilities and talents of some kind that get me > > by, althoguh I am not sure exactly what they are either. > > > > Four years ago I had zero experience in investment of any kind when > > I set myself very high investment goals. > > I will rephrase the last part; I knew specifically what I wanted to > > achieve as an investor (if the format would allow it I would bold or > > underline specifically, as in, the % return I am going to get and > > the hours per week I am going to get it in). > > After the intitial learning phase I also quickly identified what > > investment styles I *believed* in and which ones suited my personal > > characterstics and objectives e.g. I don't want to spend hours > > reading company reports, financials etc so I went away from that > > type of trading. > > Once again I would underline *belief* and *personal characteristics*. > > > > In short, when I bought AB I knew why I was buying it. > > At that stage I had already settled on *trading* as my chosen > > primary investment vehicle and I also had a definite trading style. > > I wanted to use AB as the tool to develop and implement that on a > > wider scale. > > I am continually improving and growing so I never say never as far > > as trading goes but so far nothing I have learnt in AmiWorld has > > changed my view on trading; it has simply confirmed and enhanced it. > > > > I didn't know exactly what I was getting with AB but I did exchange > > a couple of emails with support in which I discussed the capability > > of AB in the key areas of my interest. > > My questions were somewhat naive, and Tomasz probably scratched his > > head a little, but he gave me a professional reply. > > Specifically I enquired about customising my own stops and one or > > two other similar questions, as I do not trade in anything I don't > > understand. > > If I can code it myself I definitely understand it. > > > > I had also found that what passes as folklore in common investment > > culture more often than not does not stand up to analysis, so I > > prefer to go my own way; no *canned* anything for me. > > > > My conclusion was that on the balance of probability AB would do the > > job. I also formed a favourable impression of the CEO/developer i.e. > > he was obviously no dummy with an exceptional empathy for his users > > and that is an important thing when buying and using trading > > software. > > You have to have confidence. > > (That wasn't too bad an assessment based on two short emails was it? > > Time has proven that to be spot on). > > > > Like all products, only long term ownership will provide a complete > > answer to buyer satisfaction, so I went ahead and purchased. > > I am quite used to spending money on dead leads etc; that is normal > > business practise and I consider it to be a part of development > > costs. > > I didn't hesitate to spend USD$199 on Ami. > > Like any business, there was no guarentee that cost would ever be > > recouped. That is not to mention the intellectual capital invested > > e.g. my first 2 trading years and $15000 were purely speculative > > ventures, until I reached a point where I was able to prove to > > myself that, compared to the majority, I was quite good at it. > > > > For the record my trading disposition is objective, mechanical > > system, TA based, but I do keep an open mind and will snap up > > anything that works. > > I consider myself to be a developing trader. > > It is not something that can be mastered in a few hundred or even a > > few thousand hours; not from my background anyway. > > > > > > I could write a book on the subject, and I might one day, but to cut > > to the chase. > > > > I have used a lot of other market programs but my experience is > > lightweight compared to some in this group. > > I will benchmark my comments against the last program I used, which > > was one of the majors. > > I was very happy with it in every respect until after 1000's of > > hours of commitment to learning it, I found it couldn't actually do > > what I really needed it to. > > The backtester didn't work, at least not the way I expected it too, > > and at that time my expectations were not as high as they are now. > > > > I managed to jig around that problem by using the programs explorer > > as a psuedo-backtester and exporting the results to Xcel for > > analysis. > > I was proud of myself, as a non-programmer, for achieving that. > > I set up four older computers with a KVM switch as my test-bank and > > reeled off a few thousand hours of backtesting until I simply came > > to the end of the line, fullstop. > > Why stuff around with homemade backtesters when there are > > professionals writing and maintaining them for a living? > > > > Hence AmiBroker, which incidentally was recommended to me by the > > developer of a quite well known money management program. > > > > It was very hard to have to start all over again in a new program, > > especially after being able to use the old one fluently. > > The first 3 months of Ami were very de-motivating. > > I found it to be a hard program to learn and I had to grit my teeth > > more than a few times. > > One of the reasons it is hard to learn is that it has a lot more > > depth and breadth than my previous program. > > That automatically demands more learning time. > > It also has a different business model to what most of us have come > > to expect e.g the manual in AB is not a textbook that is posted in > > the mail nor is it merely the help files. > > The *manual* in Ami is dynamic and offers a lot more than help files > > but it is also less structured. > > It also leaves out a few bits and pieces here and there that a lot > > of beginners would expect to find. > > I am comfortable with that but some people aren't. > > It is not a good system for beginners but it is a great system for > > seasoned performers. > > Why begrudge them that; they are entitled to their place in the > > world? > > I guess in a way, that makes Ami a boutique program, although I am > > sure Tomasz will correct me if that is wrong. > > My attitude is; "if you can't beat them join them". > > I am playing catch-up at a furious rate. > > > > > > My trading objectives are very high. > > I bought AB in the belief that it was the program most likely to > > enable me to meet those objectives. > > I have had the program approx 6 months and have spent a lot of hours > > per week on it. > > I don't have the definitive answer but so far AB has not > > disappointed. > > The ultimate responsibility is not on Tomasz's shoulders, it is on > > mine. > > Initially Tomasz answered my *buying* questions and provided a free > > trial. > > It was my decision to buy. > > Let the buyer beware. > > > > > > I am continually learning and improving so the things I want to do > > in the future may well be different from my current expectations but > > I am confident Ami will accommodate my growth. > > I have said that if I don't achieve my trading goals with Ami there > > will not be another program, which is my way of saying that Ami is > > good enough if I am good enough. > > I do have a cut off point and I will retire my trading career if I > > retire Ami. > > > > I won't look back and list the negatives of other programs. > > I will not list the negatives of AmiBroker either (I am into > > positivity) although I will say it is not perfect. > > > > ****************************************************************** > > > > My list of AB positives (not in any particular order): > > > > 1. price > > 2. *fully* customiseable > > 3. distant horizon (most traders will never exceed its ability. > > Those who do exceed AB's limits don't mind sharing their > > knowledge and Tomasz doesn't like coming second so that should tell > > you something). > > 4. transparent and controllable > > 5. honest dialogue > > 6. ethical company > > 7. allows use with a wide range of data providers > > 8. cheap and free data options for those who need that > > 9. trading orientated program (truly for traders by traders) > > 10. trading friendships > > 11. trading mentorships > > 12. active forum with a sprinkling of diverse specialists > > 13. quick responses to program 'bugs' > > 14. 24-48 hour support > > 15. rapid pace of development > > 16. responsive to suggestions > > 17. extensive support material albeit hard to find at first > > 18. open architecture > > 19. personal contact with CEO > > 20. CEO accepts and answers criticism in public > > 21. trading specific programming language (you don't need to learn > > C++ etc just learn AFL. If that is your first language it will be a > > challenge but I am doing it. I only read half a dummies book, > > quarter of an online manual on scripting and a bit of Wikipedia here > > and there and away I went. My prior formula language and backtesting > > experience does help though). > > 22. the last market software program I will ever have to master > > 23. challenging > > 24. offers trading opportunities I hadn't thought of before > > 25. good rapport with and respect for the developer > > 26. provides easy access to basic fundamental data in formulas > > 27. provides access to unlimited external database (especially > > useful for referencing extensive fundamental databases) > > 28. cheap and reliable *industry standard* charting program for > > those who just want that > > 29. time efficient (there are no unneccessary frills anywhere in > > Amiworld. If anything there are probably not enough frills depending > > on who you ask). > > 30. mature program (10+ years) > > 31. extensive library (official and unofficial) of popular industry > > indicators etc > > 32. licenced to use on more than one machine > > 33. speed > > 34. 64 bit and dual core processors not a future problem? > > 35. backward compatibility not a problem? > > 36. has trading orientated functions the others do not have? > > 37. array based processing which is a very *commonsense* approach > > for laypeople. Use is analagous to Xcel spreadsheet rows except for > > more advanced uses where programming procedures like looping come > > into play (when you can see your code output being written into Xcel > > rows in your minds eye you are nearly there). > > I have spent a lot of time in Xcel prior to AB so that helps me to > > step into AFL. If you are good with Xcel functions you will > > definitely be good with AFL. > > 38. industry standard *canned scans* are easily achievable with > > simple code > > 39. It is a very pragmatic program e.g I have 5-10 tasks on my > > advanced list that are industry wide trader breakers. I have already > > cracked two or three of those in Ami without even getting out of > > second gear and I am optimistic about the rest (Null data handling, > > custom indexes and survivor bias are the first three demons to bite > > the dust). > > 40. readily perform trainging examples and problem solve using > > explorer. > > 41. ASCII import for the data masochists > > > > In short it does exactly what the publicity blurb on the homepage > > says it will do, and more! > > > > > > There are probably additional postives but a mint tea and a bowl of > > muesli is calling. > > > > BrianB2. =8-) > > > > P.S Tomasz, this doesn't provide you future immunity from my > > withering critiques. > > > > --- In [email protected], "jlami11" <jlami11@> wrote: > > > > > > Hi, > > > > > > I just wanted to know how Amibroker compares to other software. > > > > > > In particular I heard tradingblox was pretty good and could do > > alot, > > > while requiring less programming. Or would programming required be > > the > > > same if more advanced functions were needed e.g. dynamic pos > > sizing, > > > dynamic risk control etc etc. > > > > > > Has anyone used tradingblox? and if Amibroker and Tradingblox were > > the > > > same price, which one would you prefer? > > > > > > Lastly is Amibroker generally superior to other software? I ask > > this > > > as I come from a non-programming background and would not be easy > > for > > > me to adapt to diff. software in future. > > > > > > Thanks in advance any help is appreciated. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Please note that this group is for discussion between users only. > > > > To get support from AmiBroker please send an e-mail directly to > > SUPPORT {at} amibroker.com > > > > For other support material please check also: > > http://www.amibroker.com/support.html > > > > > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > Rajeev Mundra | Founder : EagleEye TradeTech > Cell: +91 98608 51052 | Yahoo Id: rajeevmundra > Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > ~Take Risks www.eetradeconsult.blogspot.com > Please note that this group is for discussion between users only. To get support from AmiBroker please send an e-mail directly to SUPPORT {at} amibroker.com For other support material please check also: http://www.amibroker.com/support.html Yahoo! 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