How do I preform an Candidates Search?

The Candidates Search is a powerful functionality that greatly increases NNFX Algo Tester capabilities to backtest indicators and algorithms. You can now backtest multiple indicators for the same position in just one optimization. Optimize multiple settings to find the best combinations in just one click! 

Some examples of questions that can be answered by using the Candidates Search:

• Which of these 10 Exit indicators works best in my algorithm?
  
  
• What is the best C1+C2 combination among my indicators?
  
  
• Which of my 5 ASH settings is better?
  
  
• Does any of my Volume indicators really improve my algorithm?
  
  
• Can my indicators create a good algorithm?
  
  
• And much more...

To use the Candidates Search you must first select this option in the indicator selection:
"| CANDIDATES SEARCH |". This is the first option after "NONE" (or "SAME AS C1" in the case of Continuation Slot).

You can select the "| CANDIDATES SEARCH |" option from any of the Indicator slots and more than one if it is necessary. The option is available on all 9 Indicator Slots, from ATR to MARKET.

This functionality is dependent on a "candidates" text file stored in "Your NNFX Algo Tester Folder/Candidates/". (The file "candidates.txt" is created automatically, you can use this file, duplicate it, or use multiple similar files simultaneously).
It is this file that should put the indicators and different settings that will be used during the backtests. Each line of the file should contain only one configuration following the format:
ID|Included Indicator or Custom Option|Indicators Parameters|Comment (optional)

ID is the indicator's indulgence and its configuration (can not have two indicators with equal ID).
Included Indicator or Custom Option: is the chosen option, you can indicate one of the indicators already included in the software (ASH, ASO, KIJUN-SEN, etc) or one of the custom options (TWO LINES CROSS, ONE LEVEL CROSS, TWO LEVEL CROSS, etc).
Indicators Parameters: depend on the indicator you choose. The configuration is exactly the same as it is used in the "Indicator Parameters" NNFX Algo Tester section. So for ASH the defaults parameters are: 0,9,1,4,0,3,3
If you use the ASH with the TWO LINES CROSS option the indicator parameters:
0,9,1,4,0,3,3;AbsoluteStrenghtHisto_v1;1,2
Comment (optional): can be added to the indicator configuration in the file just to identify the respective configuration, and facilitate the organization.

An example of the file content "candidates.txt" (download the file below) used for the CANDIDATES SEARCH:
0|Included Indicator or Custom Option|Indicators Parameters|Comment (optional)
1|ASH|1,10,1,4,0,3,3|configuration example
2|AROON UP DOWN||Used defaults settings
3|KIJUN-SEN|28,0|test for baseline
4|CMF|25;0|my volume indicator

At this point, and having the indicators you want to use with the respective settings described in your candidates file, you can start the CANDIDATES SEARCH.

Example: I decided that I want to use Kijun-Sen as Baseline and now you want to know which of my C1s indicators (ASH or AROON UP DOWN) best suits my Baseline and produces the best results.

1º Step: The ASH and AROON UP DOWN configuration was included in the candidates.txt file with ID 1 and 2 respectively. (See above).
2º Step: We selected the "| CANDIDATES SEARCH |" option for the C1 slot.
3º Step: In the "Indicators Parameters" in the C1 field, we must indicate the name of the candidates file we intend to use. In this case "candidates".
4º Step: In the "Candidates Search" NNFX Algo Tester section. We can select the indicators we intend to backtest using the columns Start, Step, and Stop.
In this case we intend to test the indicator with ID 1 (ASH) and 2 (AROON UP DOWN) so: Start=1, Step=1 and Stop=2.
We checked the box after that.
5º Step: Start optimization.

After the optimization is finished, you can see the results of each backtest (pass) in the Optimization Results tab at the bottom of the MT4 Strategy Tester window.

Some important notes:

• You can have more than one candidates files and use them at the same time for different indicator slots.
• You can use Optimization Inputs (INPUT_1, INPUT_2, INPUT_3, etc) in the candidates file indicator settings.
• The line with ID 0 is ignored so you can use whenever you want to make a comment in the file.
• Make sure you use the correct Indicator options only on compatible slots. For example you will get the 929 error if you try to use the ATR indicator in slot C1, or the TWO LINES CROSS for the Baseline slot.
• You can use the CANDIDATES SEARCH even without optimization, using the Value column of the "CANDIDATES SEARCH" NNFX Algo Tester section to select the indicator and configuration you want to use.