Problem changing background color

[tasman]

I am having trouble changing the background bar color when the current bar is the first bar of a new day. It works fine for all previous days, but the background color of the current day doesn't change until the second bar. Is there some kind of DrawBarBgColor function that I am missing?

Dale Sullivan

/**************************************************
Created by Dale Sullivan  October 2003

This program shows where a day starts and ends.  I find
that this is especially useful on 60 minute charts.
***************************************************/

var vTempColor;
var vBgColor1;
var vBgColor2;

function preMain() {

    setComputeOnClose(true);
    setPriceStudy(true);
    setStudyTitle("NewDay");
    setCursorLabelName("NewDay");

    var fp1 = new FunctionParameter("v1stBgColor", FunctionParameter.COLOR);
        fp1.setDefault(Color.white);   // First color = white

    var fp2 = new FunctionParameter("v2ndBgColor", FunctionParameter.COLOR);
        fp2.setDefault(Color.RGB(0xE8, 0xE8, 0xE8));   //Second color = very light grey

}

function main(v1stBgColor, v2ndBgColor) {
    if(vBgColor1 == null)
        vBgColor1 = v1stBgColor;
    if(vBgColor2 == null)
        vBgColor2 = v2ndBgColor;

    var vThisBarDate = getDay(); 
    var vPreviousBarDate = getDay(-1);

    if(vThisBarDate != vPreviousBarDate){
                //Swap colors
            vTempColor = vBgColor1;
            vBgColor1 = vBgColor2;
            vBgColor2 = vTempColor;
    }
        setBarBgColor(vBgColor1);
} 

[eSignal_JasonK]

Hello Dale,

Your formula is actually working properly. The background coloring does not center on the bars. It colors from the center of the current bar to the center of the next bar. In the image below, the cursor is on the 6:30 bar for 1/9, which is the first bar for today and has a white background.

[eSignal_JasonK]

Hello Dale,

A very kind gentleman, and a wise one at that I must say, just came to me and suggested I try your formula in replay mode. I now see the problem you're having with this formula in real time. I made a few modifications to your formula. It should work properly for you now. Try the attached.

[tasman]

Hi Jason,

Thanks for the help. And thanks also to the very kind and wise gentleman.

After I studied your changes to my formula I was able to see where I went wrong. After I removed the setComputeOnClose(true) statement, the rest was pretty obvious. I just had to change the new day comparison so the color change only happens once on the first bar of a new day.

That was also an interesting method you used to swap the colors.

Thanks again.

Dale