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Comparison Operators Reference

Overview

Comparison operators are used in entry conditions to define relationships between indicators, prices, and values. x3Algo supports 5 primary comparison operators that enable sophisticated signal generation logic.

Operator Types

Static Comparison Operators

above - Greater than
below - Less than
equals - Equal to
greater_than_equal - Greater than or equal to
less_than_equal - Less than or equal to

Dynamic Comparison Operators

crosses_above - Crosses from below to above
crosses_below - Crosses from above to below

Static Comparison Operators

Above

Description: Checks if the left value is greater than the right value.

Syntax:

{
  "operator": "above",
  "value": 50
}

Visual Example:

Value
  │
80│     ●  Current value (above 50)
  │
60│
  │
50│ ─────────  Threshold
  │
40│
  │
20│
  └─────────────────────> Time

Use Cases:

1. Indicator Above Value:

{
  "type": "indicator_value",
  "indicator": "RSI",
  "period": 14,
  "operator": "above",
  "value": 70
}

Triggers when RSI is above 70 (overbought)

2. Price Above Indicator:

{
  "type": "price_indicator",
  "priceType": "close",
  "indicator": "SMA",
  "period": 200,
  "operator": "above"
}

Triggers when price is above 200 SMA (bullish trend)

3. Indicator Above Indicator:

{
  "type": "indicator_indicator",
  "indicator1": "EMA",
  "period1": 9,
  "indicator2": "EMA",
  "period2": 21,
  "operator": "above"
}

Triggers when 9 EMA is above 21 EMA (bullish alignment)

Below

Description: Checks if the left value is less than the right value.

Syntax:

{
  "operator": "below",
  "value": 30
}

Visual Example:

Value
  │
50│
  │
40│
  │
30│ ─────────  Threshold
  │
20│     ●  Current value (below 30)
  │
10│
  └─────────────────────> Time

Use Cases:

1. Indicator Below Value:

{
  "type": "indicator_value",
  "indicator": "RSI",
  "period": 14,
  "operator": "below",
  "value": 30
}

Triggers when RSI is below 30 (oversold)

2. Price Below Indicator:

{
  "type": "price_indicator",
  "priceType": "close",
  "indicator": "SMA",
  "period": 50,
  "operator": "below"
}

Triggers when price is below 50 SMA (bearish trend)

3. Indicator Below Indicator:

{
  "type": "indicator_indicator",
  "indicator1": "MACD",
  "indicator2": "MACD_Signal",
  "operator": "below"
}

Triggers when MACD is below signal line (bearish)

Equals

Description: Checks if the left value equals the right value (with small tolerance for floating-point comparison).

Syntax:

{
  "operator": "equals",
  "value": 0
}

Visual Example:

Value
  │
 2│
  │
 1│
  │
 0│ ─────●───  Current value equals threshold
  │
-1│
  │
-2│
  └─────────────────────> Time

Use Cases:

1. Indicator Equals Value:

{
  "type": "indicator_value",
  "indicator": "MACD",
  "operator": "equals",
  "value": 0
}

Triggers when MACD equals zero line

2. Stochastic Crossover at Level:

{
  "type": "indicator_value",
  "indicator": "Stochastic_K",
  "period": 14,
  "operator": "equals",
  "value": 50
}

Triggers when Stochastic K equals 50

Note: Due to floating-point precision, "equals" uses a small tolerance (±0.0001). For exact matches, consider using greater_than_equal and less_than_equal together.

Greater Than Equal

Description: Checks if the left value is greater than or equal to the right value.

Syntax:

{
  "operator": "greater_than_equal",
  "value": 50
}

Visual Example:

Value
  │
80│     ●  Current value (≥ 50)
  │
60│
  │
50│ ─────●───  Threshold (inclusive)
  │
40│
  │
20│
  └─────────────────────> Time

Use Cases:

1. Minimum Volume Requirement:

{
  "type": "indicator_value",
  "indicator": "Volume",
  "operator": "greater_than_equal",
  "value": 1000000
}

Triggers when volume is at least 1 million

2. ADX Trend Strength:

{
  "type": "indicator_value",
  "indicator": "ADX",
  "period": 14,
  "operator": "greater_than_equal",
  "value": 25
}

Triggers when ADX is 25 or higher (strong trend)

Less Than Equal

Description: Checks if the left value is less than or equal to the right value.

Syntax:

{
  "operator": "less_than_equal",
  "value": 30
}

Visual Example:

Value
  │
50│
  │
40│
  │
30│ ─────●───  Threshold (inclusive)
  │
20│     ●  Current value (≤ 30)
  │
10│
  └─────────────────────> Time

Use Cases:

1. Maximum ATR Volatility:

{
  "type": "indicator_value",
  "indicator": "ATR",
  "period": 14,
  "operator": "less_than_equal",
  "value": 2.0
}

Triggers when ATR is 2.0 or lower (low volatility)

2. RSI Not Overbought:

{
  "type": "indicator_value",
  "indicator": "RSI",
  "period": 14,
  "operator": "less_than_equal",
  "value": 70
}

Triggers when RSI is 70 or lower

Dynamic Comparison Operators

Crosses Above

Description: Detects when a value crosses from below to above another value. Requires previous candle data for comparison.

Detection Algorithm:

Previous Candle: value1 &lt;= value2
Current Candle:  value1 > value2
Result: CROSS ABOVE detected

Syntax:

{
  "operator": "crosses_above"
}

Visual Example:

Value
  │
80│           ●  Current (crossed above)
  │          /
60│         /
  │        /
50│ ──────●────  Threshold
  │      /
40│     ●  Previous (was below)
  │
20│
  └─────────────────────> Time
     Prev  Current

Use Cases:

1. Moving Average Crossover (Golden Cross):

{
  "type": "indicator_indicator",
  "indicator1": "SMA",
  "period1": 50,
  "indicator2": "SMA",
  "period2": 200,
  "operator": "crosses_above"
}

Triggers when 50 SMA crosses above 200 SMA

2. MACD Signal Crossover:

{
  "type": "indicator_indicator",
  "indicator1": "MACD",
  "indicator2": "MACD_Signal",
  "operator": "crosses_above"
}

Triggers when MACD crosses above signal line

3. Price Crosses Above Moving Average:

{
  "type": "price_indicator",
  "priceType": "close",
  "indicator": "EMA",
  "period": 20,
  "operator": "crosses_above"
}

Triggers when price crosses above 20 EMA

4. RSI Crosses Above Oversold:

{
  "type": "indicator_value",
  "indicator": "RSI",
  "period": 14,
  "operator": "crosses_above",
  "value": 30
}

Triggers when RSI crosses above 30 (exiting oversold)

Important Notes:

Requires at least 2 candles of data (previous + current)
Only triggers on the exact candle where the cross occurs
Does not trigger if value was already above on previous candle

Crosses Below

Description: Detects when a value crosses from above to below another value. Requires previous candle data for comparison.

Detection Algorithm:

Previous Candle: value1 >= value2
Current Candle:  value1 < value2
Result: CROSS BELOW detected

Syntax:

{
  "operator": "crosses_below"
}

Visual Example:

Value
  │
80│     ●  Previous (was above)
  │      \
60│       \
  │        \
50│ ────────●──  Threshold
  │          \
40│           ●  Current (crossed below)
  │
20│
  └─────────────────────> Time
     Prev  Current

Use Cases:

1. Moving Average Crossover (Death Cross):

{
  "type": "indicator_indicator",
  "indicator1": "SMA",
  "period1": 50,
  "indicator2": "SMA",
  "period2": 200,
  "operator": "crosses_below"
}

Triggers when 50 SMA crosses below 200 SMA

2. MACD Signal Crossover:

{
  "type": "indicator_indicator",
  "indicator1": "MACD",
  "indicator2": "MACD_Signal",
  "operator": "crosses_below"
}

Triggers when MACD crosses below signal line

3. Price Crosses Below Moving Average:

{
  "type": "price_indicator",
  "priceType": "close",
  "indicator": "EMA",
  "period": 20,
  "operator": "crosses_below"
}

Triggers when price crosses below 20 EMA

4. RSI Crosses Below Overbought:

{
  "type": "indicator_value",
  "indicator": "RSI",
  "period": 14,
  "operator": "crosses_below",
  "value": 70
}

Triggers when RSI crosses below 70 (exiting overbought)

Important Notes:

Requires at least 2 candles of data (previous + current)
Only triggers on the exact candle where the cross occurs
Does not trigger if value was already below on previous candle

Cross Detection Deep Dive

How Crosses Are Detected

The cross detection algorithm compares the relationship between two values across consecutive candles:

Crosses Above:

// Pseudocode
if (previousCandle.value1 &lt;= previousCandle.value2 && 
    currentCandle.value1 > currentCandle.value2) {
  return true; // Cross above detected
}

Crosses Below:

// Pseudocode
if (previousCandle.value1 >= previousCandle.value2 && 
    currentCandle.value1 < currentCandle.value2) {
  return true; // Cross below detected
}

Why Previous Candle Data Matters

Cross detection requires knowing the previous relationship to determine if a cross occurred:

Scenario 1: Valid Cross Above
Prev: value1 = 45, value2 = 50  (45 < 50) ✓ Was below
Curr: value1 = 55, value2 = 50  (55 > 50) ✓ Now above
Result: CROSS ABOVE ✓

Scenario 2: Already Above (No Cross)
Prev: value1 = 55, value2 = 50  (55 > 50) ✗ Already above
Curr: value1 = 60, value2 = 50  (60 > 50) ✓ Still above
Result: NO CROSS ✗

Scenario 3: Equal on Previous (Counts as Cross)
Prev: value1 = 50, value2 = 50  (50 = 50) ✓ Equal counts as "not above"
Curr: value1 = 55, value2 = 50  (55 > 50) ✓ Now above
Result: CROSS ABOVE ✓

Visual Cross Detection Examples

Example 1: EMA Crossover

EMA 9 vs EMA 21

Value
  │
110│              ●  EMA 9 (current)
  │             /│
105│            / │  ← CROSS ABOVE detected here
  │           /  │
100│ ─────────●──●─  EMA 21
  │         /
 95│        ●  EMA 9 (previous)
  │
  └─────────────────────> Time
        Prev  Current

Example 2: Price Crossing Moving Average

Price vs SMA 50

Value
  │
155│     ●  Price (previous)
  │      \
150│ ──────●────●─  SMA 50
  │         \   │
145│          \  │  ← CROSS BELOW detected here
  │           \ │
140│            ●  Price (current)
  │
  └─────────────────────> Time
        Prev  Current

Operator Combinations

Multiple Conditions with AND Logic

{
  "entryConditions": {
    "conditions": [
      {
        "type": "indicator_indicator",
        "indicator1": "EMA",
        "period1": 9,
        "indicator2": "EMA",
        "period2": 21,
        "operator": "crosses_above"
      },
      {
        "type": "indicator_value",
        "indicator": "RSI",
        "period": 14,
        "operator": "above",
        "value": 50
      },
      {
        "type": "indicator_value",
        "indicator": "Volume",
        "operator": "greater_than_equal",
        "value": 1000000
      }
    ],
    "logicalOperator": "AND"
  }
}

All three conditions must be true

Multiple Conditions with OR Logic

{
  "entryConditions": {
    "conditions": [
      {
        "type": "indicator_value",
        "indicator": "RSI",
        "period": 14,
        "operator": "below",
        "value": 30
      },
      {
        "type": "indicator_indicator",
        "indicator1": "MACD",
        "indicator2": "MACD_Signal",
        "operator": "crosses_above"
      }
    ],
    "logicalOperator": "OR"
  }
}

Either condition can trigger entry

Common Patterns

Trend Following with Crossover

{
  "entryConditions": {
    "positionType": "long",
    "conditions": [
      {
        "type": "indicator_indicator",
        "indicator1": "EMA",
        "period1": 12,
        "indicator2": "EMA",
        "period2": 26,
        "operator": "crosses_above"
      },
      {
        "type": "price_indicator",
        "priceType": "close",
        "indicator": "SMA",
        "period": 200,
        "operator": "above"
      }
    ],
    "logicalOperator": "AND"
  }
}

Mean Reversion with Oversold

{
  "entryConditions": {
    "positionType": "long",
    "conditions": [
      {
        "type": "indicator_value",
        "indicator": "RSI",
        "period": 14,
        "operator": "crosses_above",
        "value": 30
      },
      {
        "type": "price_indicator",
        "priceType": "close",
        "indicator": "Bollinger_Lower",
        "period": 20,
        "operator": "below"
      }
    ],
    "logicalOperator": "AND"
  }
}

Breakout with Volume

{
  "entryConditions": {
    "positionType": "long",
    "conditions": [
      {
        "type": "price_indicator",
        "priceType": "close",
        "indicator": "SMA",
        "period": 20,
        "operator": "crosses_above"
      },
      {
        "type": "indicator_value",
        "indicator": "Volume",
        "operator": "greater_than_equal",
        "value": 1500000
      }
    ],
    "logicalOperator": "AND"
  }
}

Best Practices

1. Use Appropriate Operators for Context

Trend identification: Use above/below for sustained conditions
Entry signals: Use crosses_above/crosses_below for precise timing
Filters: Use greater_than_equal/less_than_equal for thresholds

2. Combine Static and Dynamic Operators

{
  "conditions": [
    {
      "operator": "crosses_above"  // Dynamic: precise entry
    },
    {
      "operator": "above"  // Static: trend filter
    }
  ]
}

3. Add Confirmation with Multiple Operators

Don't rely on a single cross - add filters:

{
  "conditions": [
    {
      "type": "indicator_indicator",
      "indicator1": "MACD",
      "indicator2": "MACD_Signal",
      "operator": "crosses_above"
    },
    {
      "type": "indicator_value",
      "indicator": "MACD",
      "operator": "above",
      "value": 0
    }
  ],
  "logicalOperator": "AND"
}

4. Use Confirmation Candles with Crosses

{
  "entryConditions": {
    "conditions": [...],
    "confirmationCandles": 1
  }
}

5. Consider Timeframe

Lower timeframes (1m-5m): More crosses, more noise
Higher timeframes (1h-1d): Fewer crosses, more reliable

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Using crosses without filters - Always add trend or momentum filters
Confusing above with crosses_above - above is continuous, crosses_above is momentary
No confirmation - Use confirmation candles to reduce false signals
Ignoring previous candle requirement - Crosses need historical data
Too many cross conditions - Multiple crosses rarely align, use static operators for filters

Operator Quick Reference

Operator	Symbol	Use Case	Example
above	>	Sustained condition	RSI > 70
below	<	Sustained condition	RSI < 30
equals	=	Exact match	MACD = 0
greater_than_equal	≥	Minimum threshold	Volume ≥ 1M
less_than_equal	≤	Maximum threshold	ATR ≤ 2.0
crosses_above	↗	Bullish crossover	EMA 9 crosses above EMA 21
crosses_below	↘	Bearish crossover	MACD crosses below signal

Overview​

Operator Types​

Static Comparison Operators​

Dynamic Comparison Operators​

Static Comparison Operators​

Above​

Below​

Equals​

Greater Than Equal​

Less Than Equal​

Dynamic Comparison Operators​

Crosses Above​

Crosses Below​

Cross Detection Deep Dive​

How Crosses Are Detected​

Why Previous Candle Data Matters​

Visual Cross Detection Examples​

Operator Combinations​

Multiple Conditions with AND Logic​

Multiple Conditions with OR Logic​

Common Patterns​

Trend Following with Crossover​

Mean Reversion with Oversold​

Breakout with Volume​

Best Practices​

1. Use Appropriate Operators for Context​

2. Combine Static and Dynamic Operators​

3. Add Confirmation with Multiple Operators​

4. Use Confirmation Candles with Crosses​

5. Consider Timeframe​

Common Mistakes to Avoid​

Operator Quick Reference​

Related Topics​

Overview

Operator Types

Static Comparison Operators

Dynamic Comparison Operators

Static Comparison Operators

Above

Below

Equals

Greater Than Equal

Less Than Equal

Dynamic Comparison Operators

Crosses Above

Crosses Below

Cross Detection Deep Dive

How Crosses Are Detected

Why Previous Candle Data Matters

Visual Cross Detection Examples

Operator Combinations

Multiple Conditions with AND Logic

Multiple Conditions with OR Logic

Common Patterns

Trend Following with Crossover

Mean Reversion with Oversold

Breakout with Volume

Best Practices

1. Use Appropriate Operators for Context

2. Combine Static and Dynamic Operators

3. Add Confirmation with Multiple Operators

4. Use Confirmation Candles with Crosses

5. Consider Timeframe

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Operator Quick Reference

Related Topics