Using DrawLine method to connect datapoints

[h1000]

>>PART 1.<<
>>Post is broken down into three messages as it is exceeding maximum character limit<<

I have been struggling with a custom indicator for some time now, and hope that someone might be able to direct me to a solution.

I initially started a thread on this topic at http://www.ninjatrader.com/support/forum/showthread.php?t=46422 For the sake of example, I compared it to the ZigZag indicator. I am afraid that this comparison was overly complex and derailed the simple intent of the post.

Basically, what I want to do is draw a line from the close of one inside day to the close of the next inside day (see attached .png).

[h1000]

>>Part 2.<<
>>Post is broken down into three messages as it is exceeding maximum character limit<<

The only solution that I could achieve with my limited programming experience would be to manually code all possible inside-day combinations, with code similar to this:

 
//If the current day [0] and the previous day [1] are inside days
if(
Low[0]>Low[1] && High[0]<High[1] //Check for inside day on current day [0]
&&
Low[1]>Low[2] && High[1]<High[2] //Check for inside day on previous day [1]
)
{ DrawLine(CurrentBar.ToString() + "Line", false, 1, Close[1], 0, Close[0], Color.Blue, DashStyle.Dash, 2); }
 
//If the current day [0] and day [2] are inside days
if(
Low[0]>Low[1] && High[0]<High[1] //Check for inside day on current day [0]
&&
Low[2]>Low[3] && High[2]<High[3] //Check for inside day on previous day [2]
)
{ DrawLine(CurrentBar.ToString() + "Line", false, 2, Close[2], 0, Close[0], Color.Blue, DashStyle.Dash, 2); } 

...but of course all possible iterations/combinations of inside days would have to be manually coded to make this work. This is clearly impractical.

[h1000]

>>Part 3.<<
>>Post is broken down into three messages as it is exceeding maximum character limit<<

I have just stumbled on a thread that draws similar lines and offers a potential pathway to a solution (see http://www.ninjatrader.com/support/forum/showthread.php?t=46426). However, as only some of the code is posted, I have been unable to use it to create a working solution.

I am hoping that perhaps some forum members with programming experience can see how the info at http://www.ninjatrader.com/support/forum/showthread.php?t=46426 could develop into a solution.

Any insights, however small, would be helpful.

[NinjaTrader_AdamP]

h1000,

Why don't you keep track of the location of the previous "inside bar" then when a new one is found draw a new line?

Notice :

DrawLine(string tag, bool autoScale, DateTime startTime, double startY, DateTime endTime, double endY, Color color, DashStyle dashStyle, int width)

The startTime can be found using Time[0] and startY can be found using Close[0] obviously stored for the previous "inside bar". When you find a new "inside bar" then you draw a line between the previous one and the current one, then set the previous startTime and prebious startY again to Time[0], and Close[0] respectively.

if(Low[0]>Low[1] && High[0]<High[1])
{
     DrawLine(CurrentBar.ToString(), true, previousStart, previousY, Time[0], Close[0], Color.Blue, DashStyle.Dash, 3);
 
    previousStart = Time[0];
    previousY = Close[0];

}

Please let me know if I may assist further.

[koganam]

Untested code that should do the trick. Let me know if you have any errors. I would usually test the code, but the market today frustrated me so much that by the time my opportunity came, I was too jaded to take it, and I am too annoyed at myself for allowing the frustration to break my discipline, after all these years, when I thought that I was over such problems.

DrawLine() parameters have been hard-coded. You may want to turn them into user parameters.

private bool IsInit = false;
private bool IsInsideDay = false;
private int LastInsideDayBarNum = 0;
private int CurrentInsideDayBarNum = 0;

         protected override void Initialize()
        {
            Overlay                = false;
            this.ZOrder            = 100; //ensures that plot stays on top of candles
        }

 protected override void OnBarUpdate()
        {
            if (CurrentBar < 1) return; //escape first bar, as we need to compare with the bar before it.
            
            this.IsInsideDay = false;
            if (High[0] < High[1] && Low[0] > Low[1]) IsInsideDay = true;

            // initialize the points for drawing lines. We need 2 points to start, so do nothing until we have those 2 points.

            if (!this.IsInit)
            {
                if (this.IsInsideDay && this.LastInsideDayBarNum == 0 && this.CurrentInsideDayBarNum != 0)
                {
                    this.IsInit = true;
                }
                else if (this.IsInsideDay && this.LastInsideDayBarNum == 0 && this.CurrentInsideDayBarNum == 0)
                {
                    this.CurrentInsideDayBarNum = CurrentBar;
                    return;                
                }
            }
            
            if (this.IsInsideDay)
            {
                this.LastInsideDayBarNum = this.CurrentInsideDayBarNum;
                this.CurrentInsideDayBarNum = CurrentBar;
                int StartBarsAgo = CurrentBar - this.LastInsideDayBarNum;
                DrawLine("Line" + CurrentBar.ToString(), true, 
                        StartBarsAgo, Close[StartBarsAgo], 
                        0, Close[0], 
                        Color.Blue, DashStyle.Dash, 2);
            }