Arrows?Alerts

How is this done in mt4? I have programmed a line of code so that when a certain condition occurs then an Arrow appears, but the arrows appear for every bar until the opposite condition occurs. How can I make the arrow apply only to the first bar, when the condition initially occurs and not every subsequent bar? Secondly, can an audible alert be programmed for this Arrow and an e-mail alert?

Here is the Arrow code: SetIndexStyle(1,DRAW_ARROW);
SetIndexArrow(1,233);

Tx
Thatchman

To prevent continuous alerts, check the previous value of the buffer. If it's not set to EMPTY_VALUE, (I'm guessing you haven't modified the default value) then the alert/arrow have already been thrown and drawn respectively.

Tx for that. Ive tried "SetIndexBuffer(EMPTY_VALUE,AMAbuffer)" but that doesn't seem to work?

Thatchman

Sorry, you misunderstood.

You're using the buffer at index1 to draw the arrows right? I can't tell what it's called by the small amount of code you posted, but let's just assume you called it buffer1[];

Make sense?

Tesla

I appreciate your time with what might seem to some to be dumb questions, but I still get all arrows for my Long and short signals, when i only want the arrows to appear on the first bar when this occurs.

Tx in advance:

#property indicator_chart_window
#property indicator_buffers 5
#property indicator_color1 White
#property indicator_color2 Blue
#property indicator_color3 Red
#property indicator_color4 Green
#property indicator_color5 Yellow
#property indicator_width1 0
#property indicator_width2 0
#property indicator_width3 0
#property indicator_width4 0
#property indicator_width5 0
//---- input parameters
/*
***** Moving Average Types *****

3 = MODE_LWMA Linear weighted moving average.
*/
/*
***** Price Constant Types *****



3 = PRICE_LOW Low price.
*/
extern int MAPeriod=21;
extern int MAType=3;
extern int MAPriceConstant=2;
extern int MAShift=0;
//---- buffers
double IndicatorFlat[];
double IndicatorLong[];
double IndicatorShort[];
double IndicatorLongSignal[];
double IndicatorShortSignal[];
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//|
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
int init()
{
//---- indicators
SetIndexBuffer(1,IndicatorLong);
SetIndexStyle(1,IndicatorLongSignal);
SetIndexStyle(1,DRAW_ARROW,0);if (IndicatorLongSignal[1] == EMPTY_VALUE);
SetIndexArrow(1,233);
SetIndexBuffer(2,IndicatorShort);
SetIndexStyle(2,IndicatorShortSignal);if (IndicatorShortSignal[2] == EMPTY_VALUE);
SetIndexStyle(2,DRAW_ARROW,0);
SetIndexArrow(2,234);

SetIndexEmptyValue(0,NULL);
SetIndexEmptyValue(1,NULL);
SetIndexEmptyValue(2,NULL);
//----
return(0);
}
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//|
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
int deinit()
{
//----

//----
return(0);
}
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//|
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
int start()
{
int counted_bars=IndicatorCounted();

if(counted_bars<0) return(-1);
//---- last counted bar will be recounted
if(counted_bars>0) counted_bars--;
int limit=Bars-counted_bars;

//********************************************************************
//
//********************************************************************
for(int i=0; i<limit; i++)
{
double MovingAverage = iMA(NULL,0,MAPeriod,MAShift,MAType,MAPriceConstant,i);
double PreviousMovingAverage = iMA(NULL,0,MAPeriod,MAShift,MAType,MAPriceConstant,i+1);

IndicatorFlat[i]=MovingAverage;
IndicatorLong[i] =MovingAverage;
IndicatorShort[i]=MovingAverage;
if(MovingAverage>PreviousMovingAverage)
{
IndicatorShort[i]=NULL;

}
if(MovingAverage<PreviousMovingAverage)
{
IndicatorLong[i]=NULL;

}
}
//----

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

I'm pretty new at this too, so I could be wrong, but it looks to me like, with the semicolon after the if statement, it won't have effect.

I've wanted to learn to do this as well.

Good Point!

LOL - now I've got continous crosses for Long (even though 233 & 234 are arrows) and A solid Line for Short!

Methinks I have some more midnight oil to burn!

So you just want a blue arrow when the MA turns up and a red one when the MA turns down?

Correct.

I would like to add e-mail and audio alerts but I could probably manage that if I could get the arrows right!

That I can help you with.

/////

extern bool EmailAlert;
extern bool SoundON;

////

if (---conditions----)
{
Alert ("short setup on ",Symbol()," ",Period()," min");
if (EmailAlert == true) SendMail("Subject line","Short setup on " + (StringConcatenate(Symbol()," ",Period())));
if (SoundON == true) PlaySound ("alert2.wav");
}

Thanks, Tesla, you're great!

That alert coding is excellent, tx for that, I had most of it but you filled the gaps in. The question remains, how do you identify the first bar when a condition occurs so that the alerts/e-mails only occur on that bar and not every subsequent bar? Maybe you can't do this in mt4?

Ours is not to reason why...

I'm sure it can be done, I've seen indicators that do it. Did you try tesla's code?

It must be possible but i'm dammned if i can figure out how, mt4 may have it's limitations but I don't think this is one of them. The limitations are most likely somewhere within my coding ability!

Tesla's posts made sense, but didn't make any difference.

Have a great weekend!