The main differences between SW Parallel Count and SW Phase Count
Close is a bar’s closing price; High and Low are its extremes. initial sequence is the initial sequence to 9; count of qualifying bars is the further count of qualifying bars. In both tools, the exact preset determines initiation, cancellation and completion checks.
SW Parallel Count’s earlier starting point does not mean it must always finish sooner. Subsequent price tests can delay its 13. In the example below, SW Phase Count completes before SW Parallel Count · I.
| Question | SW Phase Count | SW Parallel Count |
|---|---|---|
| Initial sequence | A consecutive initial sequence count to 9. | Also uses an initial sequence to 9. |
| Bars considered for the next count | The standard count of qualifying bars develops from initial-stage completion. | Once the initial stage completes, history is checked from its first bar. |
| Qualification | A basic Close vs High/Low comparison two bars back, plus the selected preset’s checks. | Combined Close, High/Low and price-progress checks under the selected version. |
| The date of a 13 | Determined by SW Phase Count rules. | Determined by its own rules; it can differ from SW Phase Count. |
The same bars, a different calculation
Within this window SW Phase Count completed a 13 on 24 June, whereas SW Parallel Count · I completed on 5 July. The underlying price chart is the same: the counting rules changed, rather than the quotes or time scale.
This example does not establish that either study is always earlier. Keep the symbol, interval, history and snapshot date consistent, and check the exact SW Parallel Count version. Agreement between two labels does not, by itself, measure the probability of a reversal.
When do the early numbers become known?
Checking history from the initial sequence’s first bar begins only after that sequence completes at 9. A second-count number may sit before the 9 on a historical chart, but that does not mean it was already known on that earlier date. Incomplete initial runs of 1–8 bars do not start the second count.
Distinguish the bar date assigned to a number from the time when initial-stage completion made that number confirmable. When reviewing history as it became available, find the confirmed 9 first, then assess the further count known at that point. A label’s historical position alone does not make it an advance signal.
Practice: check your understanding on one chart
Keep the symbol, timeframe and loaded history identical. Enable the two counts separately and list their 13 dates. Explain a mismatch through rule differences rather than mark colours or an assumed error in the other tool.
What the completed observation should contain
Different 13 dates can follow different rules; comparison requires the same source history.
Primary sources
Sources explain the mechanics and limitations; the editorial examples use invented numbers rather than market quotations.
Your next practical step
Open the linked help page, repeat the steps on one instrument, and record the symbol, timeframe, profile and observation date so that the result can be checked again.
Open the first-chart instructions ↗