The Instrument output will be the name of the exchange-listed instrument selected by the user (selected by double-clicking on the block).

Operations

• The Instrument Block can be declared as a User Defined Variable.
• The Instrument Block can also be declared as an Order Instrument Variable. Any algorithm containing an Order Instrument Variable will be recognized as an Order Ticket Algorithm (OTA) which is executable directly from an MD Trader window. In addition, will be the respective instrument shown on the ladder.

Example. Right-click on the Instrument Block and select one of the two available variable types: User Defined or Order Instrument

Double-Click Edit Window

Double-click on the block to bring up an edit window:

• Selecting an Instrument: Specify the exchange, type, and the ticker of the desired instrument to locate and select an instrument.

• Rolling Instrument: Checking this option will enable the Instrument Block to "roll" contract months as they expire. When this option is checked, a sub-menu will be expanded,requiring the user to specify three inputs:

  1. Product: The user must specify a Product. If an Instrument was already selected prior to checking this option, the Product of the selected Instrument will be used as the input.
  2. Contract #: The user must specify the contract month which will be used by the Instrument Block currently. The user must specify the index number of the desired contract month, relative to the current date. When the current contract month expires, the Instrument Block will automatically use the next month in the specified roll list.
  3. Roll # days prior to expiration: The user must specify how many days prior to expiration that the contract will be rolled.
  4. Months To Use: The user must specify the contract months to be included in the roll. This section will display all the contract months pertaining to the product selected, and the user may check the months that they wish to include.

     Example. Rolling Instrument