Alert Once per bar

I have an EA coded for alerts of 4 different types. I have it alerting me for certain conditions both prior to and during trade set ups.

My problem is the Alerts continuosly pop up all the while the condition is true. While this may wake me up at night, it also KEEPS me up at night. I'd really like it to alert only once per bar or better yet, stop alerting (just that message) after I cancel it.

If I set the "Disable Alerts Once hit" on the EA I get no further alerts and that's no good either as I need the pop ups to alert me to different conditions

I added some code I found at the MetaTrader forum at http://www.metatrader.info/node/173. I used this code almost identical, and placed it at the top of the EA before the init funcion. However, now I get NO alerts. Can anyone help?

Thanks Again for all your help.

Jerry

check your pm's. I responded to you request there.

Magnum,

Attached is the mq4 file for you to take a look at. You're welcomed to tear it apart if you like, but it seems to work fine except for the alerts. I'm using this to monitor the market for a trade set up, then alert me. At that point I decide whether to allow the EA to place a trade at the appopriate time based on my analysis of the alert.

There are four different alerts that I use each with its own set of variables. I beleive it would be pretty self explanatory for someone as knowledgeable as you are.

I truly appreciate your help with this!

ok, here are some things:

1. The ma calculation for different timeframes in mt4 doesn't work right. I know shocker right? Here is a code snippet to correct for this:

datetime TimeArray[];
double ma1array[500];
ArrayCopySeries(TimeArray,MODE_TIME,Symbol(),insert your time frame here);

for(i=0, y=0;i<500;i++)
{
if (Time[i]<TimeArray[y]) y++;
ma1array[i]=iMA(NULL,insert your time frame here,insert your ma value here,0,MODE_EMA,PRICE_CLOSE,y) ;

}

Then you can just access the correct value for i for your calculations.

2.verify that your iCustom commands are returning any values at all. Verify that all the letters have the correct case (uppercase for each letter in the filename that is uppercase). I have found a few cases where the command just doesn't return anything at all. If it doesn't and you have the mq4 file you can just re-create the calculations in your file. One other thing that has worked on occasion is to rename the file to something simple like mymaverage or something. Although not 100% sure I think it has something to do with file permissions in Windows.

3. verify that the iclose functions are returning the values you are expecting. I don't think there is anything wrong with it, just make sure.

4. MAN! You like working in long timeframes. LOL!

Hope these help out.

Magnum,

Again thanks for all your help. This brings up another question though. Do i need to insert that code before EVERY moving average calculation or is once enough say at init start ().

Yes I do like working with long time frames...that's were the real money is and one need only check every day or so...BUT you have to be there when it counts otherwise you miss the whole thing and have to way DAYS for the next set up...thus the alerts.

Thanks again...

Using your code snipet for MA's how can I get the EA to read no only the values on the open candle, but also the values from the most recently closed candle? You have a 'y' where I would normally place tne number of the counted bars (starting with zero). Can I still use the numbers (in this case starting with one)?

When I place the following code in the EA under local variables. I get two error repeated for each MA.
'i' - variable not defined; 'y' -variable not defined.

datetime TimeArray[];
double wkgrn[500];
ArrayCopySeries (TimeArray,MODE_TIME,Symbol(),PERIOD_W1);

//----get moving average values
for (i=0,y=0;1<500;i++)
{
if (Time[i] < TimeArray[y])y++;
wkgrn[i] = iMA(NULL,PERIOD_W1,5,0,MODE_EMA,PRICE_CLOSE,y);
}

This is almost exactly as you specified...just will all the variables I need. I don't get it!!

you just need to declare y and i.

int y;
int i;

Just before the for statement will work fine.

I think I found the issue. It was not with the multiple time frames I was asking the EA to monitor. I think somehow during the coding/compliing process something was corrupted in the ex4 file. I have pieces of identical code that worked as they should have, except when I applied the code from the file in question it didn't work.

I had to do a major rewrite. From a bare EA again, but I've completed it and used your suggestions. It works good now. I've never had trouble with getting the EA to read multiple time frames from one chart, but I took your suggestion anyway.

I also separated out the automated trading from the alerts. This has improved the alert system greatly. So I wrote just the trade entry/monitor/exit code into a separate file that operates on a separate platform.

So NOW...I think I finally have what I was looking for. The Alert EA sounds only ONE tone, and displays a pop up message. From there I usually have a 5-6 hour window to analyze the charts and make a go/no go entry decisions. From there I just apply the automated trade EA to the chart on the other platform (logged into the same account) and viola! I can get some sleep knowing if the entry signal comes at 4:00 am (which it usually does), I'll get the entry AND the sleep.

I greatly appreciate all your help and the time you took to read over my code. Please let me know if there is anything I can do for you...my e-mail is listed here please let me know.