Ton,
As pointed out by Bruce in an earlier reply;
1. It IS a scaler that you are getting.
2. Your test ( i.e. Ref(mySuperStr, -1) ) is a false test.
The reason your test writes array elements is because Ref returns an array!
Your test is writing out the result of the Ref function, which is completely
independent of the arguments passed into that function.
Run your test again using a hard coded scaler and you will see that it still
prints out as if it were an array, when clearly it is not.
mySuperStr = 5; //StrToNum(NumToStr(Close));
_TRACE("mySuperString1 "+mySuperStr);
_TRACE("mySuperString2 "+Ref(mySuperStr,-1));
_TRACE("mySuperString3 "+Ref(mySuperStr,-2));
Presumably, Ref is converting the incoming scaler to an array for its own usage.
Mike
--- In [email protected], "Ton Sieverding" <ton.sieverd...@...> wrote:
>
> Hi Rick,
>
> As you can see, in the mean time I have got several answers. Interesting
> enough we all have different opinions about this topic. But frankly I do not
> agree with "It becomes just a number, not an array". Why not ? Because that's
> not what I see. Did you ever try to access different elements in a number ?
> Do the following ...
>
> // This is an array ...
> myString = Close;
>
> _TRACE("myString1 "+myString);
>
> _TRACE("myString2 "+Ref(myString,-1));
>
> _TRACE("myString3 "+Ref(myString,-2));
>
> // This still is an array ...
>
> mySuperStr = StrToNum(NumToStr(Close));
>
> _TRACE("mySuperString1 "+mySuperStr);
>
> _TRACE("mySuperString2 "+Ref(mySuperStr,-1));
>
> _TRACE("mySuperString3 "+Ref(mySuperStr,-2));
>
> Giving me :
>
>
>
> So for me it's still an array. And according to the AmiBroker Help you cannot
> handle arrays with an simple IF. For that you need a complex IIF.
>
> Now it seems that if all elements in an array are equal, it's possible to use
> the simple IF. Because the IF thinks you are working with a number or string.
> ( Bruce ) If that's the case - and only Tomasz can tell me that - than the
> above is a simple way to use the simple IF for situations where you normally
> should use an complex IIF ... Therefore I find this code very interesting ...
>
> Regards, Ton.
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Rick Osborn
> To: [email protected]
> Sent: Tuesday, June 15, 2010 2:50 AM
> Subject: Re: [amibroker] impenetrable AFL
>
>
>
>
> Ton
> You may have this a little backward.
> The first operation is NumToString - which changes the array value to a
> string.
> The next operation is StrToNum - which changes the string back to a number.
> It becomes just a number, not an array
>
>
> Best Regards
> Rick Osborn
>
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> From: Ton Sieverding <ton.sieverd...@...>
> To: [email protected]
> Sent: Mon, June 14, 2010 4:11:34 AM
> Subject: Re: [amibroker] impenetrable AFL
>
>
> 
>
> Rick changing a string to a number THAT'S COMING FROM AN ARRAY and after
> that changing a number to a string again, should give me the same array with
> the initial strings. But the fact that I can use IF after the string
> manipulation shows me that I am no longer having an array ... I still do not
> get this. Weird ...
>
> Tomasz ????
>
> Regards, Ton.
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Rick Osborn
> To: amibro...@yahoogrou ps.com
> Sent: Sunday, June 13, 2010 5:33 PM
> Subject: Re: [amibroker] impenetrable AFL
>
>
>
>
> First off let me repeat - this is not my original code.
> I found it in someone's code for TD Sequential (with apologies to the
> original coder - didn't keep your name)
>
> The Buysignal is a Flip(Buy,Sell) type - or could be a true/false item.
>
> Checking the help file the NunToStr says
> FUNCTION It is used to convert numeric value of NUMBER or ARRAY to
> string.
> Next the StrToNum function
> FUNCTION It is used to convert numeric value of NUMBER or ARRAY to
> string.
> So the combination of changing that value of the array from a number to a
> string and then "that string" back to "a number" (not an array)
>
> LastValue works the same but I still don't understand that function well
> enough.
> From the help file
> FUNCTION Returns last calculated value of the specified ARRAY. The
> result of this function can be used in place of a constant (NUMBER) in any
> function argument.
> If ARRAY is undefined (e.g., only 100-days loaded and you request
> the last value of a 200-day moving average) then the lastvalue function
> returns zero.
> Caveat: since this function fills an entire data array with the
> last value of another array, it allows a formula to look into the future.
> so if there are repeated events (buy signals and sell signals), I'm not
> sure if lastvalue sees any but the last one. Plus I worry about the Caveat!!
>
>
> Best Regards
> Rick Osborn
>
>
>
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> From: Ton Sieverding <ton.sieverding@ scarlet.be>
> To: amibro...@yahoogrou ps.com
> Sent: Sun, June 13, 2010 2:55:32 AM
> Subject: Re: [amibroker] impenetrable AFL
>
>
> 
>
> That's interesting code, Rick. Can you explain me why this works ?
>
> 1. First I assume BuySignal to be BUY. Therefore being an array. So IF
> should not work. Should be IIF. But even when I put there BUY to be sure it's
> an array, it does work. Why ?
>
> 2. What's the difference between StrToNum(NumtoStr( BUY)) and BUY ?
> Should give me the same result. But is does not. Without this trick I cannot
> use IF. What's going on here ????
>
> Regards, Ton.
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Rick Osborn
> To: amibro...@yahoogrou ps.com
> Sent: Saturday, June 12, 2010 10:52 PM
> Subject: Re: [amibroker] impenetrable AFL
>
>
>
>
> Yuki
>
> I have the following code which changes the background gradient color
> depending on whether a buy or sell signal is given.
>
> if(StrToNum(NumToStr(BuySignal)) )
> bgColor = ColorRGB(0,66, 2);
> else
> bgColor = ColorRGB(66,2, 0);
> SetChartBkGradientF ill( colorBlack, bgColor);
>
>
> Perhaps you can change this to meet your needs
>
>
> Best Regards
> Rick Osborn
>
>
>
>
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
> From: Yuki Taga <yukit...@tkh. att.ne.jp>
> To: amibro...@yahoogrou ps.com
> Sent: Sat, June 12, 2010 1:24:58 AM
> Subject: [amibroker] impenetrable AFL
>
>
> Impenetrable! (At least to me.)
>
> xcolor = IIf(TSI >= SigLine, SetChartBkGradientF ill( ParamColor("
> BgTop", ColorRGB( 172,172,172 )),
> ParamColor(" BgBottom" , ColorRGB( 172,172,172 ))), SetChartBkGradientF
> ill( ParamColor(" BgTop", ColorRGB(140, 140,140)) ,
> ParamColor(" BgBottom" , ColorRGB(140, 140,140)) ));
>
> SetChartBkColor( SelectedValue( xcolor));
>
> I tried that line above as
> SetChartBkGradientF ill(SelectedValu e(xcolor) ); but that produced a
> syntax error.
>
> I think you can see what I'm trying to do here. The idea is simple:
> change the background gradient depending on a true/false result. The
> gradients in this example are not the gradients I would actually use
> (in fact they are not gradients at all, as your intelligent eyes will
> quickly have seen). They are just test code to see if I can even
> make it work. I cannot.
>
> For one thing, the gradient does not change no matter the selected
> value. It's static. For another thing, the margin background goes
> to black, a hideous (although somewhat foreseen) result.
>
> Okay, what am I doing wrong, and where did I miss this in the docs?
> And what, if anything, can I do about this margin result? The only
> way I can change the *entire* background color is by not using a
> gradient??? (Using SetChartBkColor) How sad that would be! I can
> make that work, at least. But not with a gradient.
>
> Anything is possible in Amibroker, right?
>
> Wrong?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Yuki
>
