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Help with indi that works only on Fully Formed bars

  • #1
  • First Post: Edited 9:41am Mar 14, 2019 8:47am | Edited 9:41am
Hello. Still trying to work with MT4 indies, and there is a recurring problem I am noticing on all of my scripts, and I'm sure the fix is obvious and simple.

My desire is to create a script that will ONLY work on the most completed bars... I.e., essentially ignore that current bar where the current bar index ==0.

I have broken out the least amount of code that will reproduce this problem. The script is simple and is just to illustrate the problem and simply draws a dot if the most recent bar(index i+1) closes above the prior bar(index i+2). You can see here as I want to work on only formed bars, so I'm not using index 0.

Just some notes about the script...

My iterator is using index "i".

I am storing the time of the most recently formed bar in the var "LastTime".

My main loop where my code goes is "if(LastTime!=Time[i] && initialBarCnt>1)". Here "initialBarCnt" is a var that simply counts how many bars have been processed, and this loop is only entered once i have more than 2 bars, as my script looks at the bar1, and bar2 indexes.

You can replicate the issue likely by loading the indicator, and switching back and fourth through the timeframes. I.e., if you load it on a M15 chart, and switch to a M30, it will fail, producing this error:
Inserted Code
2019.03.14 08:44:58.666 FF_HelpWithScript EURUSD,H1: array out of range in 'FF_HelpWithScript.mq4' (42,18)

Can you help me fix this basic template, or show me what I am doing wrong? I'm sure it's something obvious I just don't understand yet?
Attached File(s)
File Type: mq4 FF_HelpWithScript.mq4   4 KB | 393 downloads
  • #2
  • Edited 7:35pm Mar 14, 2019 7:03pm | Edited 7:35pm
Quoting forrestang
Hello. Still trying to work with MT4 indies, and there is a recurring problem I am noticing on all of my scripts, and I'm sure the fix is obvious and simple. My desire is to create a script that will ONLY work on the most completed bars... I.e., essentially ignore that current bar where the current bar index ==0. I have broken out the least amount of code that will reproduce this problem. The script is simple and is just to illustrate the problem and simply draws a dot if the most recent bar(index i+1) closes above the prior bar(index i+2). You...
You used #property indicator_chart_window which means it would be an indicator and not a script.
On your line 42, the first iteration of the first run of your loop you will be trying to access more bars than are available. One fix is to remove bars from the initial lookback, another is to continue your loop based on i's position vs your lookback size.
Also, since you are looping through bars, by default each next i is a new bar. So your new bar check can be moved to the beginning of start.

Try this out
Attached File(s)
File Type: mq4 FF_HelpWithScript.mq4   2 KB | 317 downloads
  • #3
  • Mar 14, 2019 8:43pm Mar 14, 2019 8:43pm
Thanks for that help! That was driving me crazy.

It's also super helpful to give me two solutions for this problem. If I use the first suggestion you gave, which is just to remove bars from the initial lookback... do you think this is bad coding practice? I am only asking as I understand what is happening when I do that.

The 2nd solution you posted, I'm not quite sure I understand it... but I'm sure I can figure it out if I play around with it.

The other part about using "indicator_chart_window," I thought that was just what you put there to make it not create a sub-panel. I saw just looked it up on THIS page, and I guess there is a different memory allocation for scripts vs indicators.

If I know I won't be using any buffers, and will just be drawing various things on a chart, what should I add to my code to make it a script? Just delete that "indicator_chart_window?"
  • #4
  • Edited 7:03am Mar 15, 2019 5:21am | Edited 7:03am
Quoting forrestang
Thanks for that help! That was driving me crazy. It's also super helpful to give me two solutions for this problem. If I use the first suggestion you gave, which is just to remove bars from the initial lookback... do you think this is bad coding practice? I am only asking as I understand what is happening when I do that. The 2nd solution you posted, I'm not quite sure I understand it... but I'm sure I can figure it out if I play around with it. The other part about using "indicator_chart_window," I thought that was just what you put there to make...
The second solution is that when your max position lookback (i+2) is greater than the total number of bar positions (ex: (i+2)=101 and (Bars-1)=99) then you place a continue in the loop. The continue will skip the rest of the code in the loop and move on to the next loop iteration. If you open the file in the editor you will see where I used continue.

Scripts and experts run in their own threads and indicators run in the GUI thread. If you want to make it a script then remove the indicator chart window property, and change it to script_show_inputs to show the initial settings.
  • #5
  • Mar 15, 2019 9:01am Mar 15, 2019 9:01am
Quoting Beerrun
{quote} The second solution is that when your max position lookback (i+2) is greater than the total number of bar positions (ex: (i+2)=101 and (Bars-1)=99) then you place a continue in the loop....
Ah I see... I get it now.

Thanks for your help good sir!
  • #6
  • Last Post: Mar 15, 2019 9:21am Mar 15, 2019 9:21am
Quoting forrestang
{quote} Ah I see... I get it now. Thanks for your help good sir!
Youre welcome anything else I’m happy to help if I can
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