Reading a value from an indicator

Hi folks,

As a learning programmer, I'm having difficulty finding the answer to a simple question. Perhaps someone here knows the answer.

I am creating a simple EA that watches for the value of a particular variable I set in a custom indicator I've written. In the custom indicator I set an integer variable named "levelThree" to either 0, 1 or 2, depending on the conditions being checked by the indicator.

I want the EA to check this variable, and if the variable is:
0, do nothing
1, issue an immediate SELL order at market price (Lot= 0.1)
2, issue an immediate BUY order at market price (Lot= 0.1)

Anyone know how to check that variable's value from within an EA?

Thanks very much,
Ed

Is that variable in the custom indi being sent to an external buffer?

Also, if you wrote that indi yourself, can't you just turn it into a function and have that function completely in the EA already?

All good questions, RR. Remember, I'm still learning mql (smile).

The variable in the indicator looks like this, in the indicator code:

extern int AlertLevel3=0; //0=none 1=low 2=high

Then I go through my logic, and when I hit my indicator buy or sell parameters, I change the value of AlertLevel3 to either a 1 or 2.

All I'd like the EA to do is pick up this value, so the EA can then go on and do its thing.

Thanks very much,
Ed

As a follow-up question, isn't there a way I can modify the indicator to be a self-contained EA?

Thanks again,
Ed

You'd need an external buffer, something like this:

SetIndexStyle(0,DRAW_ARROW);
SetIndexArrow(0,160);
SetIndexBuffer(0,ResBuffer2);
SetIndexEmptyValue(0,0.0);
SetIndexLabel(0,label1);

I'm not too good with indicator programming, and this is more or less all I can help with in this area.

As for modifying the indicator into an EA, it's as simple as transplanting the logic behind what changes the number from the indicator to an EA.