π What is Bar and Time in StrategyQuant X?
The Bar and Time category helps your strategy understand when things are happening. These settings refer to the specific time and date details of each price barβlike the hour of the day, day of the week, or month. By using these, you can build strategies that only trade during certain sessions, avoid low-liquidity times, or target high-probability days and hours. Whether youβre optimizing for the London open or avoiding weekend volatility, Bar and Time lets you fine-tune your strategyβs timing with precision.
π§ Explanation of Each Setting
| Setting | What it Measures | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Bar Day Of Month | The day (1β31) the bar was formed | Bar formed on the 15th of the month |
| Bar Day Of Week | Day of the week (0 = Sunday, 1 = Monday, etc.) | Bar formed on Wednesday |
| Bar Hour | Hour the bar opened (0β23) | Bar at 9am |
| Bar Minute | Minute the bar opened (0β59) | Bar at 9:30am |
| Bar Month | Month the bar was formed (1 = Jan, 12 = Dec) | Bar in October |
| Current Day Of Week | Day of the week when evaluating the current moment | Same as Bar Day Of Week but reflects real-time |
| Current Hour | Current hour of evaluation | Real-time evaluation vs. bar’s |
| Current Minute | Current minute of evaluation | |
| Current Month | Current calendar month during strategy run |
π§ How They Work
These indicators are filtersβthey don’t give buy/sell signals directly but allow you to limit or time your strategy’s actions.
For example:
- Bar Hour could mean only trade during London session.
- Bar Day Of Week could mean only trade on Mondays.
π Use Cases by Strategy Type
β° Time-Frame Dependent Strategies
| Timeframe | Useful Time-Based Filters |
|---|---|
| 1H or 4H | Bar Hour, Bar Day Of Week, Current Hour |
| Daily | Bar Day Of Month, Bar Month, Bar Day Of Week |
| Intraday (15m, 5m) | Bar Minute, Current Minute, Bar Hour |
βοΈ Strategy Type Categorization
| Strategy Type | Use These Filters | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Breakout | Bar Hour, Bar Day Of Week | Only take trades during high-volatility periods (e.g., London/NY overlap) |
| Trend Following | Bar Day Of Week, Bar Month | Avoid low-trend times like Friday afternoons or August |
| Mean Reversion | Bar Hour, Bar Minute | Favor quieter times like late US session or Asian session |
| News Avoidance | Bar Day Of Week, Bar Hour | Avoid trading around NFPs, central bank announcements, etc. |
| Session-Based Strategies | Bar Hour, Bar Minute, Bar Day Of Week | Execute trades only during specific sessions like Tokyo or NY |
π Examples
πΈ Breakout Strategy (1H)
- Only trade between 9:00 and 14:00 –
Bar Hour
πΈ Daily Trend Strategy
- Donβt open trades on Fridays (avoid weekend gap risk) –
Bar Day Of Week !
πΈ Intraday Mean Reversion (15m)
- Avoid first 30 minutes after market open –
Bar Hour OR Bar Minute
πΈ Monthly Seasonality Strategy
- Only trade in high-trend months like October –
Bar Month
π§Ύ What Each Price Term Means
πΉ Basic Price Data
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| (O) | Bar Open |
| (H) | Bar High |
| (L) | Bar Low |
| (C) | Bar Close |
| (ASK) | Ask price (usually for long entries/exits) |
| (BID) | Bid price (usually for short entries/exits) |
π These are used across all timeframes: 1H, 4H, Daily, etc.
πΉ Heiken Ashi Candles
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| (HA_O) | Heiken Ashi Open |
| (HA_H) | Heiken Ashi High |
| (HA_L) | Heiken Ashi Low |
| (HA_C) | Heiken Ashi Close |
π‘ Used in trend-following and noise-filtered strategies.
πΉ Session Prices
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| (SO) | Session Open |
| (SH) | Session High |
| (SL) | Session Low |
| (SC) | Session Close |
π Useful for intraday breakout or session-based mean reversion.
πΉ Daily Prices
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| (DO) | Daily Open |
| (DH) | Daily High |
| (DL) | Daily Low |
| (DC) | Daily Close |
π§ Great for overnight gap, daily breakout, or trend setups.
πΉ Weekly Prices
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| (WO) | Weekly Open |
| (WH) | Weekly High |
| (WL) | Weekly Low |
| (WC) | Weekly Close |
π Used in swing trades or weekly breakout/trend systems.
πΉ Monthly Prices
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| (MO) | Monthly Open |
| (MH) | Monthly High |
| (ML) | Monthly Low |
| (MC) | Monthly Close |
π Powerful for long-term trend, seasonality, or macro filters.
π§© How They Work
You use these values to:
- Create conditions (e.g., if price breaks the daily high)
- Build indicators (e.g., breakout above weekly high)
- Set entry/exit prices (e.g., buy at ASK or sell at BID)
π§ Strategy Use by Type and Timeframe
1οΈβ£ By Time Frame
| Time Frame | Best Price Inputs |
|---|---|
| 1H / 4H | (H), (L), (C), (O), (DH), (DL), (SH), (SL) |
| Daily | (DC), (DO), (DH), (DL), (HA_C), (HA_H) |
| Weekly | (WC), (WH), (WL), (WO) |
| Monthly | (MC), (MH), (ML), (MO) |
2οΈβ£ By Strategy Type
π Trend-Following
| Use | Price Data |
|---|---|
| Confirm trend direction | Heiken Ashi (HA_C > HA_O), Weekly Close > Weekly Open |
| Filter whipsaws | Monthly trend filter: MC > MO |
| Entry timing | Buy if C > H[1] (break previous high) |
π£ Breakout
| Use | Price Data |
|---|---|
| Entry logic | C > DH or C > SH (break above highs) |
| Confirmation | Volume + Price above key level |
| Exit logic | Close < DO (failed breakout) |
π Mean Reversion
| Use | Price Data |
|---|---|
| Identify stretch | C < DL - x pips (oversold) |
| Reversion targets | C β DO or C β Daily Midpoint |
| Entry zone | L < DL (fake break) |
π Session-Based (Intraday)
| Use | Price Data |
|---|---|
| Session entry | C > SH or C < SL |
| Fade session extremes | C touches SH β short |
| Opening range breakout | C > SO + x pips |
β Final Tips
- Combine price levels with indicators (e.g., RSI, ATR) to reduce false signals.
- Use higher timeframe price data (like Weekly High/Low) for context, especially in trend-following.
- Heiken Ashi prices work best in filtered trend systems, not raw breakout strategies.
The Operators in the building blocks column of StrategyQuant X are logic-based tools used to compare values, detect crossovers, trends, or conditions over time.
Theyβre the glue that connects data like price, indicators, or volume into usable entry/exit/filter rules.
π§ What Operators Do
Operators answer questions like:
- Is todayβs close higher than yesterdayβs?
- Did RSI cross above 30?
- Has the price been lower for 3 bars in a row?
- Is the moving average rising?
These comparisons can:
β
Trigger trade entries
β
Filter trade setups
β
Confirm market conditions
β
Set exits
π§Ύ Operator Breakdown & Use Cases
πΉ Basic Comparison Operators
| Operator | Meaning | Common Strategy Types |
|---|---|---|
| (>) | A is greater than B | Breakout, Trend |
| (<) | A is less than B | Mean Reversion, Trend |
| (>=) | A is greater or equal to B | Trend, Breakout |
| (<=) | A is less or equal to B | Mean Reversion |
| (<>) | A is NOT equal to B | Rare, used in filters |
π Use on any timeframe (1H, 4H, Daily) for direct value comparisons
πΉ Directional Movement Operators
| Operator | Meaning | Strategy Type |
|---|---|---|
| Is rising | Value is increasing | Trend-Following |
| Is falling | Value is decreasing | Trend-Following |
| Not | Opposite of a condition | Reversals, Edge Filters |
π Use with indicators like RSI, Moving Average, or Volume:
πΉ Crossovers
| Operator | Meaning | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| Crosses Above | A crosses above B | Momentum entries |
| Crosses Below | A crosses below B | Exit or reversal |
| (! MA) | Indicator Crosses Above MA | Trend start |
| (!+ MA) | Indicator Above MA | Confirmation |
| (!- MA) | Indicator Below MA | Filter or Exit |
π₯ Perfect for breakout & trend strategies:
πΉ Specialized Operators
| Operator | Meaning | Use |
|---|---|---|
| (> %) Rank is Greater or Equal Percent Rank | Is this value in top %? | Momentum |
| (< %) Rank is Lower or Equal Percent Rank | Is value in bottom %? | Oversold detection |
| (> %) Is Greater for X Bars | Value consistently higher | Trend confirmation |
| (< %) Is Lower for X Bars | Value consistently lower | Trend or pullback filter |
| (+-) Above MA | Price/indicator above MA | Filter for trend direction |
π Great for mean reversion, pullbacks, and trend entries:
β³ By Time Frame
| Time Frame | Best Operator Types |
|---|---|
| 1H / 4H | Crosses, Above/Below MA, % Rank for short-term setups |
| Daily | Is Rising/Falling, Crosses, > for X bars |
| Weekly | Long-term % Rank, Above/Below MA, Trend filters |
π By Strategy Type
π Trend-Following
Indicator is risingPrice > Moving AverageRSI Crosses Above 50Close > High[1]
π Mean Reversion
Close < MARSI is lower for 3 bars% Rank is lowerCrosses above oversold level
π₯ Breakout
Price Crosses Above ResistanceClose > High[1]Volume is risingIndicator Crosses Above MA
β Summary Table
| Operator | Type | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
> / < / >= / <= | Basic comparison | Entry logic & filters |
Crosses Above/Below | Crossover logic | Entry signals |
Is rising / Is falling | Trend direction | Filters & trend systems |
% Rank | Percentile logic | Momentum / oversold |
> for X bars | Time confirmation | Strong trends or pullbacks |
Above/Below MA | Trend direction | Filters, entries, exits |
β Final Summary
In StrategyQuant X, understanding the roles of Bar & Time, Price, and Operators is essential for building intelligent and profitable trading strategies. Time-based elements like “Bar Day of Week” or “Bar Hour” help tailor strategies to specific sessions or patterns. Price elements like “Close,” “High,” or “Heiken Ashi” allow precise value tracking. Operators, the logic tools, combine all these elements to define when conditions are metβbe it a crossover, trend direction, or mean reversion trigger. Whether you’re working on 1H breakouts, daily trend-following, or 4H mean reversion strategies, mastering these building blocks is key to strategy development.
