Very Specific Question re: Order Error Checking in MT4 | Forex Factory

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Very Specific Question re: Order Error Checking in MT4

  • #1
  • First Post: Edited 4:51am Sep 23, 2019 4:41am | Edited 4:51am
This is a very specific MT4 coding question regarding live error checking and also testing.

The two code examples below are the same except one example uses (!buyticket) instead of (buyticket<0)

The code with if (buyticket<0) is used on OrderSend and is on a live account and working well and quickly executes opening buy/sell orders without a problem.

However in testing mode it hangs the tester and stops testing after only a few passes and 4 or 5 seconds with a message saying all other passes were insignificant. But if the OrderSend code is checked with (!buyticket) instead of (buyticket<0), it tests all available passes.

My understanding is that OrderSend returns the ticket number or -1, so the (buyticket<0) is used, but the tester hangs with this code. So I alter it during tests with if (!buyticket) which is normally the error checking code for OrderModify which returns false if there is an error, which is boolean thus (!buyticket). But OrderSend does not return a boolean value.

Can someone explain why the tester hangs with if (sellticket<0) ?

Code normally used in live EA mode...

Inserted Code
void MarketBuy() {
buyticket = OrderSend(EASymbolTrendAgg101NAS,OP_BUY,LotsOptimized(),Ask,Slip,0,0,"",0,0,Blue);
if (buyticket<0) {MarketBuy(); Print (">>> BUY ORDER NOT EXECUTED !!! OPENING BUY ORDER RE-SUBMITTED >>>");}
else MarketSell();}
 
void MarketSell() {
sellticket = OrderSend(EASymbolTrendAgg101NAS,OP_SELL,LotsOptimized(),Bid,Slip,0,0,"",0,Red);
if (sellticket<0) {MarketSell(); Print (">>> SELL ORDER NOT EXECUTED !!! OPENING SELL ORDER RE-SUBMITTED >>>");}
else ConfirmSLTP();
return;}

Code altered for testing mode only...

Inserted Code
void MarketBuy() {
buyticket = OrderSend(EASymbolTrendAgg101NAS,OP_BUY,LotsOptimized(),Ask,Slip,0,0,"",0,0,Blue);
if (!buyticket) {MarketBuy(); Print (">>> BUY ORDER NOT EXECUTED !!! OPENING BUY ORDER RE-SUBMITTED >>>");}
else MarketSell();}
 
void MarketSell() {
sellticket = OrderSend(EASymbolTrendAgg101NAS,OP_SELL,LotsOptimized(),Bid,Slip,0,0,"",0,Red);
if (!sellticket) {MarketSell(); Print (">>> SELL ORDER NOT EXECUTED !!! OPENING SELL ORDER RE-SUBMITTED >>>");}
else ConfirmSLTP();
return;}

Incidentally, I used the 2nd example of if (!sellticket) on live trading and sometimes the second order, the sell order doesn't get executed and doesn't produce the error message either, but with the standard if (sellticket<0) it works fine. My confusion and question is why does the tester not like if (sellticket<0) when testing?
  • #2
  • Sep 23, 2019 5:19am Sep 23, 2019 5:19am
So I checked the error log file and it seems it it could be hanging on the maximum dd reached optimization parameter in the tester. It's stopping the passes with a "critical error" with a "stack overflow".

I will decrease the lot factor sizing and increase initial deposit on test to see if this eliminates the critical error. I thought I had trapped any lot sizing issues in the MM code but will need to retest.
  • #3
  • Edited 7:02am Sep 23, 2019 6:25am | Edited 7:02am
Quoting Pipologist
So I checked the error log file and it seems it it could be hanging on the maximum dd reached optimization parameter in the tester. It's stopping the passes with a "critical error" with a "stack overflow". I will decrease the lot factor sizing and increase initial deposit on test to see if this eliminates the critical error. I thought I had trapped any lot sizing issues in the MM code but will need to retest.
Just curious, why not use if(sellticket==-1), would this give the same problem? Also why use if(!sellticket), which is the same as if(sellticket!=1)? It might cause problems with the tickets in the tester which start at 1.
  • #4
  • Sep 23, 2019 7:29am Sep 23, 2019 7:29am
Quoting Pipologist
This is a very specific MT4 coding question regarding live error checking and also testing. The two code examples below are the same except one example uses (!buyticket) instead of (buyticket<0) The code with if (buyticket<0) is used on OrderSend and is on a live account and working well and quickly executes opening buy/sell orders without a problem. However in testing mode it hangs the tester and stops testing after only a few passes and 4 or 5 seconds with a message saying all other passes were insignificant. But if the OrderSend code is checked...
OrderSend() isn't boolean so you can't use !buyticket ... In all cases the returned value is either the ticket or -1 if it fails to send the order.

I personally use the below to check if it succeed:

Inserted Code
if(!OrderSelect(ticket,SELECT_BY_TICKET,MODE_TRADES))
MT4/MT5 EAs/Indicators/Alerts coder
  • #5
  • Sep 23, 2019 11:08am Sep 23, 2019 11:08am
Quoting Beerrun
{quote} Just curious, why not use if(sellticket==-1), would this give the same problem? Also why use if(!sellticket), which is the same as if(sellticket!=1)? It might cause problems with the tickets in the tester which start at 1.
if(sellticket==-1) gives the same problem when testing
  • #6
  • Last Post: Oct 7, 2019 2:53am Oct 7, 2019 2:53am
For whatever reason, it could be my code, it terminates testing early without going through remaining passes if standard error checking via order select or checking for -1 is used while testing. Therefore, I've resolved to just comment out the error checking during testing and then place it back into the code before I load the ea for demo or live real trading. It's not a big deal, other than I've spent the whole week checking it while testing new EAs and it's just forced me to fine tune the EA and notice other un-related untrapped errors that showed up in live trading.
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