Problem with creating a custom indicator

kazi

Hi guys,

I am trying to create a custom indicator, I am following https://www.backtrader.com/docu/inddev.html:

I am using the indicator code from the above tutorial which is as follows:

class SimpleMovingAverage1(bt.Indicator):
    lines = ('sma',)
    params = (('period', 20),)

    def __init__(self):
        self.addminperiod(self.params.period)

    def next(self):
        datasum = math.fsum(self.data.get(size=self.p.period))
        self.lines.sma[0] = datasum / self.p.period

I have defined it under def init(self): as follows:

        self.sma = SimpleMovingAverage1(self.datas, period=20)

The issue is when I try to print out the out put of the indicator I am getting the following error:

Starting Portfolio Value: 0.02100000
2018-02-06, Close, 0.00098700
2018-02-06, Current balance: 0.02100000, Profit: 0.00000000
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "machine_engine-test.orig.py", line 213, in <module>
    thestrats = cerebro.run(runonce=False)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.6/dist-packages/backtrader/cerebro.py", line 1127, in run
    runstrat = self.runstrategies(iterstrat)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.6/dist-packages/backtrader/cerebro.py", line 1295, in runstrategies
    self._runnext(runstrats)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.6/dist-packages/backtrader/cerebro.py", line 1626, in _runnext
    strat._next()
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.6/dist-packages/backtrader/strategy.py", line 325, in _next
    super(Strategy, self)._next()
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.6/dist-packages/backtrader/lineiterator.py", line 268, in _next
    self.nextstart()  # only called for the 1st value
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.6/dist-packages/backtrader/lineiterator.py", line 342, in nextstart
    self.next()
  File "machine_engine-test.orig.py", line 153, in next
    self.log('SMA %.8f' % self.sma[0])
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.6/dist-packages/backtrader/lineseries.py", line 467, in __getitem__
    return self.lines[0][key]
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.6/dist-packages/backtrader/linebuffer.py", line 163, in __getitem__
    return self.array[self.idx + ago]
IndexError: array index out of range

I am not sure why I am getting this error, from my understanding the self.addminperiod(self.params.period) option is supposed to inform the system to backfill x amount of data.

Your help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks

backtrader

@kazi said in Problem with creating a custom indicator:

 self.sma = SimpleMovingAverage1(self.datas, period=20)

Passing an array is likely to break things

Yelloww

@kazi I think you should use SimpleMovingAverage1(self.data, period=20) or SimpleMovingAverage1(self.datas[0], period=20)

kazi

Hi guys,

Thanks a lot for your assistance, that solved the issue of:

IndexError: array index out of range

But I noticed that the indicator does not seem to get the addminperiod data before beginning its operations, the initial output of this indicator is NAN.

Thank you in advance.

backtrader

It could be adding NaN values itself ... we can't know. Easy way:

When you get to next in your indicator

print the len(self), so you'll know when it was first invoked
print the actual values being gathered by get(size=self.p.period)

That will for sure help you and in case that's not enough it will help the others see if they can help. The more the things you let others know the easier it will be.