Adding a delay to an alert

[shaeffer]

With the script below, I hear an alert every time the alert condition changes. But in flat markets, I hear the up, down, up, down alerts sometimes four times in 5 seconds. Is there a way to add a delay (of say 5 seconds) so that a change in condition will not be checked for until the 5 seconds has elapsed?

Thanks
Shaeffer

An afterthought .. I could try changing the first condition to say:
if(nMACD>(nMACD1 +.05) ....., but then I might miss some alerts

    if (getValue("rawtime",0) != nLastRawTime) {
        
        if(nMACD> nMACD1 && count != 1){ //First Time Rising 
            Alert.playSound("SOUND19.wav");
            Alert.addToList(getSymbol(),"MACDc-"+getInterval()+" Up",Color.green,Color.green);
            //nLastRawTime = getValue("rawtime",0);
            count=1;
            
        }else if(nMACD < nMACD1 && count != 2){ // First Time Falling  
            Alert.playSound("SOUND20.wav");
            Alert.addToList(getSymbol(),"MACDc-"+getInterval()+" Dn",Color.red,Color.red);
            //nLastRawTime = getValue("rawtime",0);
            count = 2
        }
    } 

[jgr]

What I did was reset the alert until the next new bar.

var alertReset = false; //above the main function

var barCount = getCurrentBarCount();

//when alert happens
alertReset = true;
alertBar = barCount;

//then in the alert logic

if (alertReset == false) {
// do alert stuff
alertReset = true;
}

// where it is in main but not in alert

if ((alertReset = true) && (barCount > alertBar)) alertReset = false;

[shaeffer]

Hi jgr.

I am using this on 15 and 60 minute charts, which for me is too long to wait between alerts.

Thanks for the suggestion though
Regards
Shaeffer

[Guest]

Re: Adding a delay to an alert

Hi Shaeffer,

You can try this function I put together using your code snippet. Based on you indicating your alerts were working, this should work as well (assuming I got my logic straight). Place the function outside the main function as you would with any other supporting function along with its associated global variables. Call the function with your variables as shown.

Hope this works and helps you out.

//~ call this function from main with your variables like this...
alertDelay(nMACD, nMACD1); 

//~ delay code snippet with your alert snippet incorporated
//~ #################################
var alertDelayTime, checkAlertFlag, delayCheckFlag, fallAlert, riseAlert; //~ associated global variables
function alertDelay(aMACD, aMACD1) {
  var rTime, secDelay;
  rTime = rawtime(0);
  secDelay = 5;
  if (delayCheckFlag) {
    if (rTime > alertDelayTime) {
      checkAlertFlag = true;
    } else {
      checkAlertFlag = false;
    }
  } else {
    checkAlertFlag = true;
  }
    
  if (checkAlertFlag) {
    alertDelayTime = rTime + 1000 * secDelay;
    if ((!riseAlert) && (aMACD > aMACD1)) { //First Time Rising 
      riseAlert = true;
      fallAlert = false;
      delayCheckFlag = true;
    } else if ((!fallAlert) && (aMACD < aMACD1)) { // First Time Falling  
      riseAlert = false;
      fallAlert = true;
      delayCheckFlag = true;
    }
    if (riseAlert) {
      Alert.playSound("SOUND19.wav");
      Alert.addToList(getSymbol(), "MACDc-" + getInterval() + " Up", Color.green, Color.green);
    } else if (fallAlert) {
      Alert.playSound("SOUND20.wav");
      Alert.addToList(getSymbol(), "MACDc-" + getInterval() + " Dn", Color.red, Color.red);
    }
  }
}
//~ ################################# 

Originally posted by shaeffer
With the script below, I hear an alert every time the alert condition changes. But in flat markets, I hear the up, down, up, down alerts sometimes four times in 5 seconds. Is there a way to add a delay (of say 5 seconds) so that a change in condition will not be checked for until the 5 seconds has elapsed?

Thanks
Shaeffer

An afterthought .. I could try changing the first condition to say:
if(nMACD>(nMACD1 +.05) ....., but then I might miss some alerts

    if (getValue("rawtime",0) != nLastRawTime) {
        
        if(nMACD> nMACD1 && count != 1){ //First Time Rising 
            Alert.playSound("SOUND19.wav");
            Alert.addToList(getSymbol(),"MACDc-"+getInterval()+" Up",Color.green,Color.green);
            //nLastRawTime = getValue("rawtime",0);
            count=1;
            
        }else if(nMACD < nMACD1 && count != 2){ // First Time Falling  
            Alert.playSound("SOUND20.wav");
            Alert.addToList(getSymbol(),"MACDc-"+getInterval()+" Dn",Color.red,Color.red);
            //nLastRawTime = getValue("rawtime",0);
            count = 2
        }
    } 

[shaeffer]

Thanks Steve,

Much appreciated. After getting bombarded some more by multiple alerts after my original posting, I decided to try adding the +/- .005 values to the conditions as shown below to require a slightly larger change before the alert sounds. So far that has greatly cut down on the multiple 'teetering on the edge' alerts.

if(nMACD> (nMACD1+0.005) && count != 1){ //First Time Rising
....
}else if(nMACD < (nMACD1-0.005) && count != 2){ // First Time Falling

But if it that .005 doesn't doesn't work (too many alerts or missed alerts) for all stocks, I'll give your solution a whirl.

Thanks again
shaeffer

[Guest]

C'est la vie

Originally posted by shaeffer
Thanks Steve,

Much appreciated. After getting bombarded some more by multiple alerts after my original posting, I decided to try adding the +/- .005 values to the conditions as shown below to require a slightly larger change before the alert sounds. So far that has greatly cut down on the multiple 'teetering on the edge' alerts.

if(nMACD> (nMACD1+0.005) && count != 1){ //First Time Rising
....
}else if(nMACD < (nMACD1-0.005) && count != 2){ // First Time Falling

But if it that .005 doesn't doesn't work (too many alerts or missed alerts) for all stocks, I'll give your solution a whirl.

Thanks again
shaeffer