IS3230 Mini Project 

Sem A, 2021/22 

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IS3230 Group Project Specifications 

A. Introduction ‐ Stock Trend Analysis Tool 

In stock market, trading is very risky. However, technical analysis, which is a way of predicting 

future stock trends with historical trading data will provide investors good tool to reduce the 

risk. Good analysis tool will convert market data to signals, help investors make decisions like 

when to buy/sell, how much to buy/sell, at what price to buy/sell. Further, it will lead to 

optimization algorithms for machine learning in designing stock market products. In this 

project, we will use java to create a simple program to help finding out different patterns in 

any given stock. The program would help you do a preliminary analysis of the historical 

performance of a stock using various patterns. 

B. Requirements 

1) Data source: 

You are given a csv file hsbc.csv which was downloaded from finance.yahoo.com and contains 

historical trading price of HSBC. 

You need save the data with file path: C:\data\. 

You need write a class with main function with name: IS3230_Session_GroupNo.java 

If you are in tutorial session L01 and group 2, then your java program containing the main 

method must be named as: IS3230_L01_Group2.java. (Note that you need have more than 

one class in this project to meet our programming requirement.) 

2) Analysis Requirements: 

You need write another program StockAnalyser.java which will read the stock price data and 

has a method hammer() and threeWhiteSoldiers() to identify the following pattern with date 

range specified by user: 

1. 

Hammer (a 1-day patter) 

2. 

Three White Soldiers (a 3‐day pattern) 

The class diagram of StockAnalyser is provided in which variable data was not fully defined. 

3) Program Requirements: 

When the program is running, the users need specify the start date and end date for the 

analysis range in a dialog box, in the format of yyyy‐mm‐dd, e.g. 2017‐09‐01 meaning 1st of IS3230 Mini Project 

Sem A, 2021/22 

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September 2017. Result would be printed on the screen after analysis is done. Error 

messages will be printed if something goes wrong, for example, the start date is after the 

end date, or the start/end date is not within the given source file date coverage. The sample 

interaction is as illustrated in the following screenshots for your reference: 

1. 

User runs the main program with the specified date, for example: 

2. 

The user choose the pattern to analyze: 

3. User types the number that represents the pattern he/she wants to analyze either in a 

dialog box or using Scanner class. In the following example, the user wants to analyze the 

Hammer pattern and partial results are listed as: 

The program analyzes the data in the given date range and the selected pattern, and displays 

the transaction date that the pattern is found. For a multi‐day pattern, the last day of the 

pattern should be displayed (i.e. the pattern confirmation date). The program should repeat 

step 2 to allow user to try another pattern during this period or choose to exit the program. 

D. Submissions and Demonstration 

Submissions: 

 Submit your work (java programs and a short report) to the project submission link of our 

course site on Canvas on or before Nov. 21st. 

Late Penalty: 

Late submission for 1 day or less: your respective project score x 25%; late 

submission more than 3 day would not be accepted. 

Note: All work submitted would be checked for plagiarism. If found, the source team (all 

members) and the team who commits plagiarism (all members) would get 0 mark for this 

project. 

E. Weighting IS3230 Mini Project 

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 20%: a working program, well‐developed, good use of programming techniques, e.g. data 

formats, methods, loops, decision structures, files, classes, exceptions, error messages etc. 

 5%: 

 

a short report (no more than 3 pages, not including the cover page) with your 

pattern assumptions, brief coding logic, exceptions handled and testing results for 

the dates 2018-02-01 to 2019-03-31 for the two patterns 

 

Code demonstration in tutorial WK13 

F. Hints / Points to Note 

1. Try to divide a big problem into smaller sub‐problems and solve the sub‐problems one by 

one, e.g. using classes and functions to separate big problems into smaller sub‐problems. The 

better you divide big problems into smaller ones and coordinate among solutions, the easier 

it will be to complete this project. So, planning and communicating would be key skills of 

success. 

2. Start early, plan with the whole team, divide the work among members, merge and test 

bit by bit. 

3. You may need to make reasonable assumptions, e.g. what ratio should be the hammer 

body vs the hammer lower shadow etc.. Assumptions might be asked by tutor in the 

program demonstration. (Cite your reference resources in your interim report.) 

References: 

a. http://stockcharts.com/school/doku.php?id=chart_school:chart_analysis#candlestick_charts 

b. http://www.swing‐trade‐stocks.com/candlestick‐patterns.html 

c. http://www.investopedia.com/terms/g/goldencross.asp 

d. http://www.investopedia.com/terms/m/movingaverage.asp