Zero Crossing MACD after 3 Bars

I am trying my 1st indicator and would appreciate some help from seasoned MQL coders.

The script below is derived form the sample MACD script and modified to place an UP arrow when the MACD has crossed the zero line after 3 consecutive bars above the zero line and likewise a DOWN arrow if the MACD crosses below the zero line with 3 consecutive bars below zero.

I am having problems - not getting any arrows showing up at all.

If you can see where I am going astray, this would be a great help.

Thanks

#property copyright "Copyright 2007, Systrader"
#property link "http://www...."
//---- indicator settings
#property indicator_separate_window
#property indicator_buffers 4
#property indicator_color1 Aqua
#property indicator_color2 Red
#property indicator_color3 Green
#property indicator_color4 Red
#property indicator_width1 2
//---- indicator parameters
extern int FastEMA=12;
extern int SlowEMA=26;
extern int SignalSMA=9;
//---- indicator buffers
double Macd[];
double Signal[];
//---- counter
int counter;
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//| Custom indicator initialization function |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
int init()
{
//---- drawing settings
SetIndexStyle(0,DRAW_HISTOGRAM);
SetIndexStyle(1,DRAW_LINE);
SetIndexArrow(2,233);
SetIndexArrow(3,234);
SetIndexDrawBegin(1,SignalSMA);
IndicatorDigits(Digits+1);
//---- indicator buffers mapping
SetIndexBuffer(0,Macd);
SetIndexBuffer(1,Signal);
//---- name for DataWindow and indicator subwindow label
IndicatorShortName("MACDZC("+FastEMA+","+SlowEMA+","+SignalSMA+")");
SetIndexLabel(0,"MACD");
SetIndexLabel(1,"Signal");
//---- initialization done
return(0);
}
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//| Moving Averages Convergence/Divergence |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
int start()
{
int limit;
int counted_bars=IndicatorCounted();
//---- last counted bar will be recounted
if(counted_bars>0) counted_bars--;
limit=Bars-counted_bars;
//---- macd counted in the 1-st buffer
for(int i=0; i<limit; i++)
Macd[i]=iMA(NULL,0,FastEMA,0,MODE_EMA,PRICE_CLOSE,i)-iMA(NULL,0,SlowEMA,0,MODE_EMA,PRICE_CLOSE,i);
//---- signal line counted in the 2-nd buffer
for(i=0; i<limit; i++)
Signal[i]=iMAOnArray(Macd,Bars,SignalSMA,0,MODE_SMA,i);

//---- Count if 3-bars of macd are above or below zero
counter=0;

// start at 3rd bar to allow checking of the 3 bars previous
for(int j=3; j<limit; j++)
{
if (Macd[j] < 0) counter--;
if (Macd[j] > 0) counter++;
}
// count if 3 bars have been seen above zero line
if (counter > 2) {
SetIndexStyle(2,DRAW_ARROW);
ObjectCreate("UpAlert", OBJ_ARROW, 0, High[j],0);
ObjectSet("UpAlert", OBJPROP_ARROWCODE, 74);
}
// count if 3 bars have been seen below zero line
if (counter < -2)
{
SetIndexStyle(3,DRAW_ARROW);
ObjectCreate("DnAlert", OBJ_ARROW, 0, Low[j],0);
ObjectSet("DnAlert", OBJPROP_ARROWCODE, 74);
}

//---- done
return(0);
}
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+

Hi Systrader

What I think you’ve done is confuse indicators and objects. If you’re going to plot the arrows as indicators, you need to define buffers – see the lines of code I’ve added in the attachment below, to achieve this (look for the “// -- added” comments). Once an array is linked to a buffer (by ‘SetIndexBuffer’), then simply populating the array will have the values plot on the chart. The ArrayInitialize ensures that the arrays start with EMPTY_VALUEs, which means that no arrow will be plotted for each such bar.

I assumed you wanted the arrows plotted as indicators, because you set “#property indicator_buffers 4”, presumably to accommodate them.

The way I’ve done it, the arrows are plotted in the MACD window, because of the “#property indicator_separate_window” statement. If you want to plot them in the price window, you would need to create a separate indicator with “#property indicator_chart_window”. There may be another way of doing this: I’m not an experienced MQL4 programmer.

If you want to create the arrows as objects instead of indicators, you need to create objects with unique names. Look at the ObjectCreate, ObjectSet and ObjectSetText statements in my Plot_News indicator, to get the idea.

Anyway, I hope this helps get you started.

Good luck
David

Hi David,

Wow .. this was a quick reply and thanks it works great .. just as I wanted.

You are right .. I have some confuison with objects but nothing that practice will not heal.

Many Thanks
Nat

Hi, Hanover

it's a great indicator of MACDZC. Thanks you very much!
could you update this MACDZC as below:

to place an UP arrow when the MACD has crossed the zero line after 1 consecutive bars above the zero line and likewise a DOWN arrow if the MACD crosses below the zero line with 1 consecutive bars below zero.

It's better to have choice, means 0,1 or 2 bars crossed the zero line and then show arrow etc.

Thank you very much in advance.

BR,
Thomas C

Hi, David

I have no knowledge about MT4 programming. I made a bit modification according to your code macdzc to macdzc_1, means zero crossing MACD after 1 bars. Could you check over it whether or not it's right?

Thanks for your great help.

Furthermore, I'd like to ask for your kind help to update this indicator showing on main chart, means only show up and down arrows on main chart if zero crossing MACD after 1 bars, like as MACD crossing on main chart I paste MACD Cross.mq4

I'm a Chinese, poor English. Any misunderstanding, contact me at anytime.

Thank you very much in advance.

Best wishes
Thomas Chen
Nov11,2011

Hi, David

Could you add a pop-up alert for macdzc_1, that will show the Price and Time when the MACD line crosses the zero line? If possible, update to MTF version

Thank you very much in anvancd.

Best wishes
Thomas C
Oct11,2011