HighWave

Single-bar extreme-indecision signal. A small body with very long shadows on both sides: price swung far up and far down yet finished near the open — trend conviction has evaporated.

Quick reference

Field	Value
Family	Candlestick Patterns
Input type	Candle
Output type	f64 — +1.0 detected (indecision), 0.0 otherwise
Output range	{0.0, +1.0}
Default parameters	none — HighWave::new()
Warmup period	1
Interpretation	Non-directional extreme indecision

Formula

range = high − low
long upper = high − max(open, close) >= 0.4 · range
long lower = min(open, close) − low  >= 0.4 · range

The two long-shadow conditions force the body below 0.2 · range, so no separate body test is needed. A non-directional flag (never −1.0) — a stronger indecision signal than the doji family because both shadows are very long. See crates/wickra-core/src/indicators/high_wave.rs.

Parameters

None. Constructed with HighWave::new().

Signed ±1 encoding

Indecision flag: +1.0 detected, 0.0 no pattern — one feature-matrix dimension (the +1.0 marks detection, not direction).

Inputs / Outputs

use wickra::{Indicator, HighWave, Candle};
// HighWave: Input = Candle, Output = f64
const _: fn(&mut HighWave, Candle) -> Option<f64> = <HighWave as Indicator>::update;

• Always emits a value. Never None; non-matching bars return 0.0.
• Node. update(open, high, low, close) → number; batch(open, high, low, close) → Array<number>.
• Python. update(candle) → float; batch(open, high, low, close) → 1-D numpy.ndarray (0.0 on no-match).

Warmup

warmup_period() == 1 — emits from the first candle (accessors_and_metadata).

Edge cases

• Short shadow on either side. A short upper or lower shadow yields 0.0 (short_upper_shadow_yields_zero, short_lower_shadow_yields_zero).
• Body too big. A large body yields 0.0 (big_body_yields_zero).
• Zero range. A flat bar yields 0.0 (zero_range_yields_zero).
• Reset. reset() clears the has-emitted flag (reset_clears_state).

Examples

Rust

use wickra::{Candle, Indicator, HighWave};

fn main() -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
    let mut t = HighWave::new();
    // Small body, very long shadows both sides.
    println!("{:?}", t.update(Candle::new(10.0, 12.0, 8.0, 10.3, 1.0, 0)?));
    Ok(())
}

Output:

Some(1.0)

range = 4.0, upper shadow ≈ 1.7, lower shadow 2.0 (both > 0.4·range) — a high-wave candle. This matches high_wave_is_plus_one.

Python

import numpy as np
import wickra as ta

print(ta.HighWave().batch(
    np.array([10.0]), np.array([12.0]), np.array([8.0]), np.array([10.3])))  # [1.]

Node

const ta = require('wickra');
const t = new ta.HighWave();
console.log(t.update(10, 12, 8, 10.3)); // 1

Streaming

use wickra::{Candle, Indicator, HighWave};

let mut t = HighWave::new();
let candle_stream: Vec<wickra::Candle> = Vec::new(); // your live OHLCV candle feed
for bar in candle_stream {
    if t.update(bar) == Some(1.0) { /* conviction gone — expect volatility/turn */ }
}

Interpretation

1. Volatility + indecision. Very long shadows both ways show a violent but ultimately undecided session — often a precursor to a sharp move or a turn.
2. Context decides direction. A non-directional flag; read the trend or the next bar for resolution.
3. Cluster signal. Several high-wave candles together mark a battleground / distribution zone.

Common pitfalls

• Reading +1.0 as bullish. It marks detection, not direction.
• Confusing with a long-legged doji. LongLeggedDoji requires a near-zero (doji) body; high-wave allows a small real body with even longer shadows.

References

• Steve Nison, Japanese Candlestick Charting Techniques (1991).

See also

• LongLeggedDoji — the doji-bodied cousin.
• SpinningTop — small body, moderate shadows.
• Indicators-Overview — the full taxonomy.