Ok, I'm trying to write a strategy that scalps swings. Sorry this is probably a really dumb question!!!! Is there code that once I scalp a long signal, then the strategy will only look for my short signal? The simple strategy I have will, for example, take a long signal. I'll get 4 or 5 ticks but it keeps taking long signals until the market swings and I lose. Then it starts taking short signals until it swings and goes back long. Ya'll remember I have just started looking and trying to build a strategy and I don't have a clue what I am doing. Gotta start somewhere!

Are you autotrading?

If so, I've run into this before, but the solutions have drawbacks.....

you can try

If marketposition(1) <> 1

That will ensure that if your last trade a positive position, it will not enter a long(positive) position. However, as you would expect, it comes at a price, because you lose some winners that you enjoy on longer trends in the same direction.

You can try to change your entry code to recognize the change in trend rather than the trend.

So instead of

if close > high[1] then.....

to look more like this....

if close > high[1] and close[1] > close[2] and close[2] < close[3]

You can expand outward from the pivot point as much as you'd like in series to reduce spurious pivot signals.....