Different types of EA's - trying to learn

Probably a simple question but it has had me confused for a couple of months. Many of you will no doubt know what I'm discussing immediately, but I'm not there yet. I've come across two "types" of EA's.

The first one is the default from my IBFX platform. This begins with an EA file named "*.mq4" ... also has a corresponding file with the same named "*.ex4" . These both tend to be smaller than 10KB.

Then, the 2nd "type" of EA. These are Only in the EX4 file *.ex4, without a corresponding *.mq4 file. Further, this file is Over 150 KB in size, is "ghosted" on my platform and seems immune to opening.

Hoping someone (or a few someones) won't mind sheading some light on this.

Thanks, Pip Parade...

the ones that are lightly shaded mean that you only have the ex4 file and not the mq4 file. It is just a visual que that you cannot edit it.

MetaTrader uses the *.ex4 files for EA operation. The *.mq4 files contain the source code. When you compile the source code it creates the *.ex4 file. If you only have the *.ex4 file you can still run the EA with no problem but you can only adjust parameters that are in the properties box. You can not make changes to the actual code.

Experts are saved to the experts folder and indicators are saved to the indicators folder which is a sub-folder under the experts folder. I'm sure you already knew that but realize the same thing applies to both folders and the scripts folder. Each of them have *.ex4 files and *.mq4 files in them.

As far as the 150K file you see, what is the name of it? I don't have any EAs near that large.

I see I typed too slow.

Magnum & NVWine, Thank you both for your quick responses. I appreciate that.

The lightly shaded also doesn't "drag and drop" like the other. I've still managed to attach it but have done so thru mouse control and playing through those commands.

The shaded (& large) EA's I've been testing are from Trendchaser. They're actually 180+ KB in size. He posted here but seems to have largely left FF. You can find him at www .trendchaser.org . He has created a number of EA's that can generate some serious profit but seem to ultimately implode due to what appears to be an internal martingale hedge. I've had it open up perhaps as many as 800+ positions on a single pair while waiting for a profitable position.

You are correct (which you knew ... ) about the inability to edit the ghosted EA's. I've tried to "slow down" his EA and found myself locked out. If it is possible to slow the activity there, at least to my thinking, one may be able to cover large profitable moves on multiple pairs and control the potentially serious Draw Downs we've seen on demo accounts.

Any thoughts on slowing down an EA??? ... or other random musings

Thank you both for your input. ...

Pip Parade

Forget what I said about not having any EAs that size. My brain failed me. As far as trendchaser's EAs, most of them place one trade per bar when conditions are met, so moving to a higher time frame should slow down the number of trades. You can adjust the settings but it is hard to understand which ones to adjust and what the outcome would be. You might want to discuss it on his forum.

Thank you Nv... If you're familiar with his EA's, would you know how one moves to the higher time frame? Is this simply a case of the EA working off the time frame we're looking at or would that be one of the changable options in the EA? If it's the former then the "solution" would be to go to the 4-hr or D-1 windows and the EA (should) slow down, correct?

I have just increased the chart time frame to slow the number of trades the EA takes during certain market hours or conditions. I was not talking about the options in the EA. He has too many different EAs to discuss the EA settings here.

Hi Nv,

I agree that another thread/location would be better to explore the various settings he has ... not my interest at this time.

Looking to the specifics of the EA tools, I was curious about the process of changing the time. Some EA's have it coded in ... I Believe his are set so that you simply open the window you choose and the EA will run off of that one. Trying to test that on a demo right now ... but am open to input if you have any thoughts on this.