The software is just a tool in the hands of the trader. Back testing is far from reality. No one would start an EA and let it run for 10 years without touching it or changing the settings. Would it keep working every time MetaQuotes changes the code? The real results are a combination of the trader and his tools. Not the tools alone.
You can use a hammer to build a house but, you can also use one to tear it down. It all depends on who's hand it's in and what talent and knowledge they possess. No one knows what the market is going to do in the future and how you are going to react (FEARS AND WORRIES) to it. Any success or failure of the account solely rests on YOU not on the software. Only YOU can JUDGE FOR YOU.
Stop relying on fictitious scenarios from back testing. It's only by live trading on a real account will you see the result and then only in hindsight will you know what you SHOULD have done.
I wish you the best in making your decision.
Let us know in 10 years how it went.... PipPip...Jimdandy
Jimdandy your right and your points are constructive but in addition to your points i know inasmuch as hammer processes a work which the handler is directly involve. but in cases of ea developers you can not do without back testing otherwise you look like a carpenter without hammer,as bad and far from reality as back testing yet developer can not do without them. a good performing software must show you a sign of good return on back testing then the rest battle lies on your brokers platform structures.
- now i back tested 10yrs which i found the result some what good,but the rest of the question is on the forward testing (which am already trading now) whether the result will characterize the past performance. now you made a point when you say "No one would start an EA and let it run for 10 years without touching it or changing the settings". yes your right but my question is.is it reasonable to optimize an ea for a better performance as far as 10yrs
- or is 2yrs back test reasonable to judge the good sense of filling good hoping for future performance?
- what i mean is since backtesting is one of the fictitious tool of developer traders is it reasonable to back test as far as 10yrs or is it reasonable to only settle to only 3,2,1yrs back testing result.
- because i noticed that some ea may perform excellent in 1,2,3yrs but fail woefully in in long term testing less say 5yrs.like i say every developer need back testing for a sense of filling good why they look up for a better performance in the future. no developer would like to see his ea perform less expected in back testing.so to some sense of reason how many years is reasonable to back test eas. thanks
Unfortunately, some ea won't even make it past 3 months with good performance when doing forward testing. Market always changing and ea need to be adjusted every time. No such thing one setting could cover all. EA works really well if the market is trending enough but when the market is sideways, pray that it works too. Mostly got killed when the market is sideways. Especially when there are sudden spikes.
deysmacro your right but should in case everything goes on fine is it good to back test an ea up to 10yrs or 1,2,3yrs. see why i think that long term ea back testing really make sense is the fact that it will meet several unfavorable conditions and still trade up the roof like the on i posted 10yrs back testing. at list that confidence is really appealing don't you think so. because no matter how market conditions changes past actions will always repeat.

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i back tested this ea ("LONG TERM EA PERFORMANCE") in long term data ticks like 10yrs and got excellent result,then i back tested again on short term ,like 1yrs performance but the result was not good as long term performance,it was consolidating up to one year in short term back testing.
now another ea ("SHORT TERM EA PERFORMANCE"), now this ea performed well on short term like 1year but fail woefully in long term test of 10yrs or 5yrs
now my question is if you were me which result will allow to go LIVE TRADING?. please think before suggesting as professionals!