StepMA_v7.2_003

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Author: Copyright � 2006, TrendLaboratory
StepMA_v7.2_003

This script functions as a technical analysis tool designed to identify and visualize market trends by creating a "Step Moving Average." Unlike standard moving averages that create smooth, continuous curves, this indicator moves in distinct steps, making it easier for traders to identify significant shifts in price direction.

Core Logic and Functionality

1. Dynamic Step Calculation The script first determines how large the "steps" should be. It analyzes the recent price volatility (the range between high and low prices) to calculate a relative movement value. This ensures that the size of the steps scales according to the market's current behavior—larger steps for volatile markets and smaller steps for calmer periods.

2. Trend Detection The indicator constantly monitors whether the price is breaking above or below specific boundaries. It establishes a "trend" by observing these breakouts:

  • If the price closes above the upper boundary, the script recognizes an upward trend.
  • If the price closes below the lower boundary, it recognizes a downward trend. The script then holds this trend until a definitive breakout in the opposite direction occurs.

3. Step Movement Logic Once a trend is established, the moving average line moves in a "staircase" fashion:

  • In an uptrend, the value remains constant or moves upward based on the pre-calculated step size.
  • In a downtrend, the value remains constant or moves downward. This removes the "noise" of minor price fluctuations, providing a clearer picture of the prevailing momentum.

4. Visual Modes (Color and Shift) The script offers different ways to display this trend information on a chart:

  • Standard Mode: Displays a single continuous line representing the StepMA.
  • Trend Tracking: Separates the data into distinct upward and downward buffers, often used to color-code the lines (e.g., Green for up, Red for down).
  • Shifted Display: Provides options to slightly offset the line visually or add extra distance to the steps based on user preferences, which helps in spotting trend reversals more clearly.

5. Alert System The script includes a built-in notification system. Whenever the logic detects a switch from an upward trend to a downward trend (or vice versa), it triggers an alert. This allows traders to receive real-time notifications about potential market shifts without having to watch the screen constantly.

Summary for the User

Essentially, this tool acts as a "filter" for market noise. It ignores small price wiggles and only reacts when price action is strong enough to break through its calculated thresholds, drawing a staircase-like line that tells you exactly which direction the current trend is heading.

Miscellaneous
Implements a curve of type %1It issuies visual alerts to the screen
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StepMA_v7.2_003 
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//|                                                  StepMA_v7.1.mq4 |
//|                                Copyright © 2006, TrendLaboratory |
//|            http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/TrendLaboratory |
//|                                   E-mail: igorad2003@yahoo.co.uk |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//| Modifications:                                                   |
//| - StepMA_v7.2, 2006/06/26, by Ogeima, ph_bresson@yahoo.com       |
//|   - Color Mode 3                                                 |
//|   - UpDownShift to ColorMode2 and ColorMode3                     |
//|   - Fixed LineBuffer[] for every ColorMode, in order to enable   |
//|     applying a MovingAverage(1) on top of the StepMA,            | 
//|     thus enabling the charting of LevelLines on the StepMA       |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+

#property copyright "Copyright © 2006, TrendLaboratory"
#property link      "http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/TrendLaboratory"

#property indicator_chart_window
#property indicator_buffers 3
#property indicator_color1 Aqua
#property indicator_color2 Lime
#property indicator_color3 Red

//---- input parameters
extern int     Length      = 10;      // Volty Length
extern double  Kv          = 0.5;     // Sensivity Factor
extern int     StepSize    = 20;       // Constant Step Size (if need)
extern int     MA_Mode     = 0;       // Volty MA Mode : 0-SMA, 1-LWMA 
extern int     Advance     = 0;       // Offset
extern double  Percentage  = 0;       // Percentage of Up/Down Moving
extern double  UpDownShift = 0;       // Number of Up/Down Moving, in points. For ColorMode==3 only.
extern bool    HighLow     = false;   // High/Low Mode Switch (more sensitive)
extern int     ColorMode   = 2;       // Color Mode Switch
extern int     BarsNumber  = 0;       

//---- indicator buffers
double LineBuffer[];
double UpBuffer[];
double DnBuffer[];
double smin[];
double smax[];
double trend[];
double alertTag;

double StepMA=0, ATR0=0,ATRmax=-100000,ATRmin=1000000;
int limit;

//---- StepSize Calculation

   double StepSizeCalc ( int Len, double Km, int Size, int k)
   {

   double result;
   if( Size==0 ) 
   {
        double AvgRange=0;
	     double Weight = 0;
	     for (int i=Len-1;i>=0;i--)
	     { 
            if(MA_Mode==0) double alfa= 1.0; else alfa= 1.0*(Len-i)/Len; 
            AvgRange+= alfa*(High[k+i]-Low[k+i]);
            Weight += alfa;
        }
	     ATR0 = AvgRange/Weight;
	
	if (ATR0>ATRmax) ATRmax=ATR0;
	if (ATR0<ATRmin) ATRmin=ATR0;
	
	result=MathRound(0.5*Km*(ATRmax+ATRmin)/Point); 
	}
	else
	result=Km*StepSize;
   
   return(result);
   }

//---- StepMA Calculation   
   
   double StepMACalc (bool HL, double Size, int k)
   {
   int counted_bars=IndicatorCounted();
   double result;
   
   if (HL)
	  {
	  smax[k]=Low[k]+2.0*Size*Point;
	  smin[k]=High[k]-2.0*Size*Point;
     } 	
	else  	 
	  {
	  smax[k]=Close[k]+2.0*Size*Point;
	  smin[k]=Close[k]-2.0*Size*Point;
	  }
	  if (counted_bars==0){smax[limit+1]=smax[limit];smin[limit+1]=smin[limit];trend[limit+1]=0;}
	  
	  trend[k]=trend[k+1];   
	  
	  if (Close[k]>smax[k+1]) trend[k]=1;   
	 
	  if (Close[k]<smin[k+1]) trend[k]=-1;  
	 
	  if(trend[k]>0)
	  {
	  if(smin[k]<smin[k+1]) smin[k]=smin[k+1];
	  result=smin[k]+Size*Point;
	  } 
	  else
	  {
	  if(smax[k]>smax[k+1]) smax[k]=smax[k+1];
	  result=smax[k]-Size*Point;
	  }
     //Print (" k=",k," trend=",trend[k], " res=",result," Smax=", smax[k], " Smin=", smin[k]);
	  
     
     return(result); 
     } 
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//| Custom indicator initialization function                         |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
  int init()
  {
   string short_name;
//---- indicator line
   IndicatorBuffers(6);
   
//   SetIndexStyle(0,DRAW_LINE,STYLE_SOLID,2);
   SetIndexStyle(0,DRAW_LINE);
   SetIndexStyle(1,DRAW_LINE);
   SetIndexStyle(2,DRAW_LINE);
   
   SetIndexArrow(1,159);
   SetIndexArrow(2,159);
   
   SetIndexBuffer(0,LineBuffer);
   SetIndexBuffer(1,UpBuffer);
   SetIndexBuffer(2,DnBuffer);
   
   SetIndexShift(0,Advance);
   SetIndexShift(1,Advance);
   SetIndexShift(2,Advance);
   
   SetIndexBuffer(3,smin);
   SetIndexBuffer(4,smax);
   SetIndexBuffer(5,trend);
   
//---- name for DataWindow and indicator subwindow label
   short_name="StepMA("+Length+","+Kv+","+StepSize+")";
   IndicatorShortName(short_name);
   SetIndexLabel(0,short_name);
   SetIndexLabel(1,"UpTrend");
   SetIndexLabel(2,"DownTrend"); 
//----
   SetIndexDrawBegin(0,Length);
   SetIndexDrawBegin(1,Length);
   SetIndexDrawBegin(2,Length);
//----
   return(0);
   }
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//| Custor indicator deinitialization function                       |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
int deinit()
  {
//---- 
   
//----
   return(0);
  }     
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//| StepMA_v7.2                                                        |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
int start()
{
   int shift, counted_bars=IndicatorCounted();
     
   if ( BarsNumber > 0 ) int Nbars=BarsNumber; else Nbars=Bars;
   if ( counted_bars > 0 )  limit=Bars-counted_bars;
   if ( counted_bars < 0 )  return(0);
   if ( counted_bars ==0 )  limit=Nbars-Length-1; 
     
   for(shift=limit;shift>=0;shift--) 
   {	
     
      int Step = StepSizeCalc( Length, Kv, StepSize, shift);
				
      Comment (" StepSize= ", Step);
	
   	StepMA = StepMACalc ( HighLow, Step, shift)+Percentage/100.0*Step*Point;
	
   	if ( ColorMode == 0) LineBuffer[shift]=StepMA;
	
   	if ( ColorMode == 1)
   	{
         if ( trend[shift]>0 )
         {
            UpBuffer[shift]=StepMA-Step*Point;
            LineBuffer[shift]= UpBuffer[shift];
        if(alertTag!=Time[0]) {Alert("StepMA_v7 Trend Up on ",Symbol()," Period ",Period());alertTag = Time[0];}
            DnBuffer[shift]=EMPTY_VALUE;
         }
         else
         if ( trend[shift]<0 )
         {
            DnBuffer[shift]=StepMA+Step*Point;
            LineBuffer[shift]= DnBuffer[shift];
        if(alertTag!=Time[0]) {Alert("StepMA_v7 Trend Down on ",Symbol()," Period ",Period());alertTag = Time[0];}
            UpBuffer[shift]=EMPTY_VALUE;
         }
      }
      else
      if ( ColorMode == 2)
      {
         if (trend[shift]>0) 
         {
            UpBuffer[shift]=StepMA+UpDownShift*Point;
            if ( trend[shift+1] < 0 ) UpBuffer[shift+1] = DnBuffer[shift+1];
            LineBuffer[shift]= UpBuffer[shift];
        if(alertTag!=Time[0]) {Alert("StepMA_v7 Trend Up on ",Symbol()," Period ",Period()," dn= ",DnBuffer[shift]," up= ",UpBuffer[shift]," shift= ",shift);alertTag = Time[0];}
            DnBuffer[shift]=EMPTY_VALUE;
         }
         if (trend[shift]<0) 
         {
            DnBuffer[shift]=StepMA-UpDownShift*Point;
            if ( trend[shift+1] > 0 ) DnBuffer[shift+1] = UpBuffer[shift+1];
            LineBuffer[shift]= DnBuffer[shift];
        if(alertTag!=Time[0]) {Alert("StepMA_v7 Trend Down on ",Symbol()," Period ",Period()," dn= ",DnBuffer[shift]," up= ",UpBuffer[shift]," shift= ",shift);alertTag = Time[0];}
            UpBuffer[shift]=EMPTY_VALUE;
         }
      }//end if ( ColorMode == 2)
      else
      if ( ColorMode == 3)
   	{
         if ( trend[shift]>0 )
         {
            UpBuffer[shift]=StepMA+(Step+UpDownShift)*Point;
            LineBuffer[shift]= UpBuffer[shift];
        if(alertTag!=Time[0]) {Alert("StepMA_v7 Trend Up on ",Symbol()," Period ",Period());alertTag = Time[0];}
            DnBuffer[shift]=EMPTY_VALUE;
         }
         else
         if ( trend[shift]<0 )
         {
            DnBuffer[shift]=StepMA-(Step+UpDownShift)*Point;
            LineBuffer[shift]= DnBuffer[shift];
        if(alertTag!=Time[0]) {Alert("StepMA_v7 Trend Down on ",Symbol()," Period ",Period());alertTag = Time[0];}
            UpBuffer[shift]=EMPTY_VALUE;
         }
      }//end if ( ColorMode == 3)
      else
      {	
         LineBuffer[shift]=StepMA;
         UpBuffer[shift]=EMPTY_VALUE;
         DnBuffer[shift]=EMPTY_VALUE;
      }
	
   }//end for(shift=limit;shift>=0;shift--) 
	return(0);	
 }

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