Indicator -> EA: Backtesting for non-programmer & manual trader

How to add a second indicator


Step 1: Load the Indicator in DATFRA's Indi->EA Wizard

First, load the Indicator (as seen in my first post as seen in "STEP 2: Transform Indicator => Expert Advisor"). In this example, I use the RSI
Only load it, dont press "Create Expert Advisor".

Then go to the "Internals" Tab, where you can see the MQL Code for calling this EA (lower half of the image)
http://s1.directupload.net/images/140804/xerqovtc.png

Step 2: Paste the code into the Expert Advisor

For this example, lets re-use our initial EA, as its the most simple one (can be found here: http://pastebin.com/vgWN6zP2 , it's the one from the first post).
Now just paste the code from Step 1 into that EA's source. Afterwards, we can query the value of the RSI Indicator

http://s7.directupload.net/images/140804/gbgzkeg6.png


Step 3: Add an input variable for the new indicator

As we want to backtest the Indicator Setups with different Parameters, we need to add an input variable for the RSI Period, so we can later change it from within the backtester, to try different values.

So, we add an external variable to our EA:

http://s14.directupload.net/images/140804/orwb275a.png


Step 4: Add the RSI Filter to the EA's entry logic

Now, we want to use the RSI in the EA's trading decisions. In this example, we only want to enter LONG trades when the RSI is oversold (< 30) and enter SHORT trades when the RSI is overbought (>70).

For this, we first call the indicator and save it's value, and then we add a new IF filter:

http://s7.directupload.net/images/140804/2cnnc63x.png


Step 5: Done, backtest it!

NOTE: This is just an example, it is no valid trading strategy to combine a MACD-Histogram and an RSI in this way. If you backtest the EA, you see that it only trades very very rarely!!

Here is the full source of that example EA: http://pastebin.com/cHk9h6Cn

http://s1.directupload.net/images/140804/itxtoopt.png



-Darwin

Afterword:

The above EA enters a short trade when MACD histogram is < 0 and RSI is > 70.
But, as you see in the trade above, that is most likely the case when the MACD Histogram is already reversing towards Positive territories.

So, it would be better to enter a short trade when MACD is > 0 (hoping that it is already going towards negative territory) and RSI is > 70.
This is very easy, just change the greater-then and lower-then signs:

http://s7.directupload.net/images/140804/bv8azdck.png

-Darwin

Also just to inform you, dont go to gnuplot.exe and right click and properties and copy the location from there. The first time I did, its exe path was a wgnuplot.exe instead of gnuplot.exe, which is what you really want. My 2 cents.

In my Strat Tester, the EA generated from DATFRA doesn't work, it doesn't trade becasue I checked the Journal and it says that it cannot open the indicator's EX4 file...

Sorry, I totally forgot about this thread.. just have too much to do currently with the DATFRA fork for manual traders and my own psa research.

gnuplot.exe should be fine

You need to compile it first. Open the MQL Editor (press F4 in metatrader), and from there open the EA's source code and compile it.
If it complains about not finding include files, they are in DATFRA\ROOT_DIRECTORY\MQL4\.. (..\Include\datfra_utils.mqh for example, perhaps there are more files needed, too lazy to check)
DATFRA puts these files there after the first execution, it will promt you with a window before it does so. Click "yes" and wait for message that it is done.

-Darwin

Thank you so much for helping out non-coders like me with this.

Hope to see more tutorials on this. Thanks again!

Hello Darwin.
In your example above on MACD and RSI we can open orders for buy or sell. But how do we write the instruction to close say all buy order before a sell order is opened; or close all sell order before a buy? Thanks

Pardon me. I see that its already included in the code. I go it answered already. Thanks.

I am in Darwin.

I sure like to tweak things.

Shalom!

I cant install Datfra it gives error about gnuplot. I installed gnuplot also add txt file in bin dictory with gnuplot.exe path but still gives error. It says still gnuplot.exe cant find please install it first. Is there anyone has that problem ?