Scroll charts via script | Forex Factory

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Scroll charts via script

  • #1
  • First Post: Jul 4, 2008 7:07am Jul 4, 2008 7:07am
Hello,

I was looking for a way to automatically go through my trading history and open a chart for each trade, scroll it to the position of the trade entry and highlight the entry/exit. Then I could print the charts out for looking at.

I cant find any way to do this via pure mql (maybe Im wrong there though?) Maybe its possible to do it via importing the windows dlls and sending WM_SCROLL to the charts? but I dont know how to open the charts.....

Anyone think of a way I could do this ?
  • #2
  • Edited 3:33pm Jul 4, 2008 8:56am | Edited 3:33pm
Maybe: Open any chart manually. From a VB or other program (perhaps even vbs script) use SendKeys to change the chart. Send an "Enter" to give you the open dialog, Then send enough backspaces to clear it out, then send the pair "EURUSD,1" etc, Then "Enter" again. This gets the chart open. Then send "Page-Up" to scroll backwards. You will have to coordinate with an indicator to know when to stop scrolling backward. Then use more sendkeys to File...Print etc. If you can put this into a DLL then it might work a lot cleaner. I've heard this will not work in the new improved Vista. This would probably be much easier in ninja since you have all the functionality of C# to work with.

ps: Just found this link from somewhere else in this forum (don't remember where now, but Thanks to the poster):
http://www.metatrader.info/node/160
It shows how to call user32 for keyboard functions. May be easier than going from VB, or may give you some ideas.
  • #3
  • Jul 5, 2008 12:05pm Jul 5, 2008 12:05pm
Thanks Kenz987, thats the sort of thing I was thinking about for scrolling the chart, hadnt thought of using it to send keys like that. If I come up with anything decent Ill post it on here.
  • #4
  • Jul 5, 2008 3:16pm Jul 5, 2008 3:16pm
See my prior post for Frank above.
http://www.forexfactory.com/showthread.php?t=94603
I'm into api calls right now - didn't know all this was available inside MT. I think what you want to do can be done even easier than my prior post. I'll get back to you. Ken.
ps: Is there a keyboard command to get the Statement output to a text file?
  • #5
  • Jul 5, 2008 6:16pm Jul 5, 2008 6:16pm
dunno about the statement file, but you can definitely scroll charts programmatically.

Find the window handle using WindowHandle() and then issue either sendMessage or PostMessage calls to it, sending the key code for the cursor keys.

I think there actually is an example on the mql4.com forums.
  • #6
  • Jul 6, 2008 9:44am Jul 6, 2008 9:44am
Ive been thinking about htis since Ken posted about sending key strokes. It would be quite hard to know where to scroll the chart to, could probably be done but would be a bit complicated and messy I think....

However, it could be done quite easily using Kens idea and sending a spacebar to the chart and then a date string as key presses to get it to the opening bar of the trade from the history.

One problem is knowing what timeframe to set the chart to as I cant remember what timeframe I entered all my trades on... I think I would remember though if I flicked through a few timeframes, probably.

Heres a bit of pseudo code:

Inserted Code
Loop through closed trades:
   Create a datetime string for open time of trade;
   Open chart for Symbol();
   Send space + datetime string to chart;
   Somehow get arrows on the chart showing trade entry/exit;

Then manually mess around with timeframe to create a chart for printing out.
  • #7
  • Jul 6, 2008 10:24am Jul 6, 2008 10:24am
Yes Jack, progress is being made. I'm learning quite a lot about the user32 api and I have ideas for doing your scroll. This will take me some time, perhaps another weekend to test. Ken.
  • #8
  • Last Post: Jul 8, 2008 6:47am Jul 8, 2008 6:47am
Jack, would you be willing to have Excel control this?
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