Using Strings in EL for multi-step System

This little strategy uses EasyLanguage’s string manipulation to keep track of a multi-step, mutli-criteria, multi-state trade entry. You don’t buy until the buyString is equal to “BUY”. The sell side is just the opposite. When you program a multi-step entry you also need to build a reset situation. In the case of this system you reset the string to null(“”) when the price dips back down below the 9 day moving average. After resetting the process starts over again.


{Use curly brackets for mult-line
 comments
 
 This system needs three criteria to be met
 before a trade is initiated
 Buy Criteria 1:  C > 9 day movAvg - trend Up
 Buy Criteria 2:  H = HighestHigh 10 days - break Out
 Buy Criteria 3:  C < C[2] - retracement }
 
 vars:buyString(""),sellString("");
 
 
 if marketPosition = 0 then {If flat then reset strings}
 begin
 	buyString = "";
 	sellString = "";
 end;
 
 if c >= average(c,9) then buyString = "B";  //First criteria met
 if c < average(c,9) then buyString = "";
 
 if c > average(c,9) then sellString = "";
 if c <= average(c,9) then sellString = "S"; 
 
 if buyString = "B" then
 begin
 	if h > highest(h,10)[1] then buyString = buyString + "U"; //Second Criteria met
 end;
 
 if buyString = "BU" then
 begin
 	if c < c[2] then buyString = buyString + "Y"; //Third criteria met
 end;
 
 if buyString = "BUY" then buy ("BuyString") next bar at open; //Read BUY
 
 if sellString = "S" then
 begin
 	if l > lowest(l,10)[1] then sellString = sellString + "E";
 end;
 
 if sellString = "SE" then
 begin
 	if c > c[2] then sellString = sellString + "LL";
 end;
 
 if sellSTring = "SELL" then sellShort ("sellString") next bar at open; 
 setStopLoss(1000);

 SetPercentTrailing(1000, 30);