MQL4 Command line compilation produces invalid EX4 (Solved) | Forex Factory

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MQL4 Command line compilation produces invalid EX4 (Solved)

  • #1
  • First Post: Aug 29, 2018 1:50pm Aug 29, 2018 1:50pm
Hey,

I'm using MT4 Build 1090 and MetaEditor V5 Build 1601. I need to automatically recompile some MT4 indicators every now and then. To do this, I wrote a little script which gets called periodically via Windows Task Planner:
Inserted Code
@echo off
C:\Program Files (x86)\SomeBrokerName\metaeditor.exe /compile:...\MetaQuotes\Terminal\...\MQL4\Indicators\MyIndicator.mq4" /log
This works fine so far. The log file output says it was compiled successfully, 0 warnings, 0 errors. However, when I try and put the Indicator on a chart, it happens every so often that it doesn't work. Instead the Experts tab shows an error:
Inserted Code
Cannot load "C:\...\AppData\Roaming\MetaQuotes\Terminal\...\MQL4\Indicators\MyIndicator.ex4"
So I have to recompile the Indicator again and then it works. Sometimes not, and I have to recompile again and again and again, until it works.

I already tried it on a different computer, different OS (Windows 7, Windows 10, ...). Same result. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

Do you have any idea whats wrong here and why it seems to produce an "invalid" EX4 file so often? Is there anything I can do to avoid this problem?

Thanks in advance.
  • #2
  • Aug 29, 2018 1:54pm Aug 29, 2018 1:54pm
Are you using include files? Also there's a new version for MT4 (terminal: build 1126, metaeditor:build 1861). You can download it here or create a demo account on the metaquotes demo server and it should update automatically.
  • #3
  • Aug 29, 2018 3:28pm Aug 29, 2018 3:28pm
Yes, I'm using include files. Does this cause problems?

I will try the new build. Thanks for the hint!
  • #4
  • Aug 29, 2018 3:41pm Aug 29, 2018 3:41pm
Quoting mw108
Yes, I'm using include files. Does this cause problems? I will try the new build. Thanks for the hint!
Yes. You have to specify the path to your include files.
Inserted Code
"C:\Program Files\TradingPlatform\metaeditor64.exe" /compile:"C:\Program Files\TradingPlatform\MQL5\Scripts" /include:"C:\Program Files\TradingPlatform 2\MQL5"
  • #5
  • Aug 29, 2018 3:49pm Aug 29, 2018 3:49pm
Hmm, I can try that. But wouldn't it cause a compilation error, if it cannot locate the include files?
  • #6
  • Aug 29, 2018 4:04pm Aug 29, 2018 4:04pm
Quoting mw108
Hmm, I can try that. But wouldn't it cause a compilation error, if it cannot locate the include files?
Yes, it should produce errors if it can't find the mqh file...
  • #7
  • Edited 8:58pm Aug 29, 2018 4:17pm | Edited 8:58pm
Im afraid you have mistakenly written initial static variable (in some cases).
so you have to compile it every time you need it to run.
Profit growth tells you the trader ability.
  • #8
  • Aug 29, 2018 4:25pm Aug 29, 2018 4:25pm
Quoting Nicholishen
{quote} Yes, it should produce errors if it can't find the mqh file...
Ok, but it doesn't. In the log file it says 0 warnings and 0 errors and it creates the "MyIndicator.ex4" file.

But the problem is that when I want to assign the Indicator to a Chart, it says "Cannot load ...\MyIndicator.ex4" and I have start the recompilation process again and again until it eventually works at some point.

Sometimes I have to recompile it 2-3 times until it works. Sometimes it works after the first time. This is what baffles me. It seems to produce an invalid EX4 file for whatever reasons.

Thats the log file:
Inserted Code
C:\Projects\2018\08\...\Compiler\Data\MyIndicator_123456_20180930.mq4 : information: Compiling 'MyIndicator_123456_20180930.mq4'
C:\Projects\2018\08\...\Compiler\Data\Include\MyIndicator.mqh : information: Including 'MyIndicator.mqh'
Result: 0 error(s), 0 warning(s), compile time: 207 msec

But when I put it on the chart:
Inserted Code
2018.08.29 23:22:58.074 cannot load 'C:\Users\...\AppData\Roaming\MetaQuotes\Terminal\...\MQL4\indicators\MyIndicator_123456_20180930.ex4'

Also just tried it with the latest MT4 and MetaEditor builds, same result. The error still exists.
  • #9
  • Aug 29, 2018 4:29pm Aug 29, 2018 4:29pm
Quoting voketexpert
you have mistakenly written initial static variable (in some cases).
What does that mean? I'm using some static variables, yes. But they are like this:

Inserted Code
void OnCalculate(...)
{
  static datetime _lastCheck = 0;
  datetime barTime = Time[0];
  if (barTime > _lastCheck)
  {
    _lastCheck = barTime;
    ...
  }
}

As I said: It often doesn't even load onto the chart. I have to recompile it a few times and then it works everytime.

Also the problem never occurs when I compile it manually in the MetaEditor. It seems only to happen when I compile it via command line.
  • #10
  • Aug 29, 2018 4:52pm Aug 29, 2018 4:52pm
Ok, I found the issue ...

The process is a bit more complex. The compilation happens on a different machine (Build Server). And after compilation I upload the file to a FTP server and download it here on my laptop. And it seems that during the FTP transfer sometimes something goes wrong. Don't know if it is the transfer mode (ASCII vs Binary), need to check it. I compared the hashes of the EX4 file I downloaded here and of the EX4 on the Build Server and they are different.

When I copy the EX4 file via RDP directly from the Build Server and use it here, it works, while the downloaded file doesn't ...

AAAARG!
  • #11
  • Last Post: Aug 29, 2018 6:40pm Aug 29, 2018 6:40pm
Quoting mw108
Ok, I found the issue ... The process is a bit more complex. The compilation happens on a different machine (Build Server). And after compilation I upload the file to a FTP server and download it here on my laptop. And it seems that during the FTP transfer sometimes something goes wrong. Don't know if it is the transfer mode (ASCII vs Binary), need to check it. I compared the hashes of the EX4 file I downloaded here and of the EX4 on the Build Server and they are different. When I copy the EX4 file via RDP directly...
It's much easier to run MT in portable mode out of a cloud sync folder. Check out my "Vanilla MT4" thread because there's a script included to automatically setup portable mode and cloning/symlinking terminals.
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