start and stop times for indicators | Forex Factory

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start and stop times for indicators

  • #1
  • First Post: Oct 2, 2010 7:36am Oct 2, 2010 7:36am
I have several indicators that alert and i want to recode them all so that on a chart by chart basis i can only have an alert trigger between certain times (ex: GBP pairs during London, JPY during Asian, or just a few hours in between).

I want to enter the start and stop times in the chart input window.
I already have alert on/off switches built into most.

Please just give me the new lines of code and tell me which sections they get inserted.
I would assume they would all work the same with any indicator.

Thanks
  • #2
  • Oct 2, 2010 5:33pm Oct 2, 2010 5:33pm
I chopped this code down to the basics so it may not work "as is", but any problem is minor I'm sure. Just call IsTimeToTrade() whenever an alert is to be sent to see if the timing is OK.


PHP Code
extern int       HourFrom=5; // hour
extern int       HourTo=13; // hour - 24H


bool IsTimeToTrade()
{
   bool OK = true;
   if(Hour() < HourFrom)  OK = false;
   if((Hour() > HourTo)) OK = false;
   return(OK);
}
  • #3
  • Oct 2, 2010 7:30pm Oct 2, 2010 7:30pm
Quoting CodeMeister
I chopped this code down to the basics so it may not work "as is", but any problem is minor I'm sure. Just call IsTimeToTrade() whenever an alert is to be sent to see if the timing is OK.


PHP Code
extern int       HourFrom=5; // hour
extern int       HourTo=13; // hour - 24H
 
 
bool IsTimeToTrade()
{
   bool OK = true;
   if(Hour() < HourFrom)  OK = false;
   if((Hour() > HourTo)) OK = false;
   return(OK);
}
not sure where bool IsTimeToTrade() belongs.
The indicator I am trying this on first already has a bool sentence
First it runs thru UseAlert==true then it goes thru ==false (not reproduced below though).
Inserted Code
bool up=true;
   for(i=Bars; i>=0; i--)
     {
      current=ExtBuffer0[i];
      prev=ExtBuffer0[i+1];
 
      if (((current<0)&&(prev>0))||(current<0))   up= false;
 
      if (((current>0)&&(prev<0))||(current>0))   up= true;
     if(UseAlert == true )
 
      if(!up)
        {
         ExtBuffer2[i]=current;
         ExtBuffer1[i]=0.0;
        if (i==0 && prev != 2 && ExtBuffer1[i] == 0 && Bars>alertBar) {Alert("Scalping Hist Downcolor on ",Period()," ","min ",Symbol());alertBar = Bars;last = 2;}
        }
 
       else
         {
         ExtBuffer1[i]=current;
          ExtBuffer2[i]=0.0;
        if (i==0 && last != 1 && ExtBuffer2[i] == 0 && Bars>alertBar) {Alert("Scalping Hist Upcolor on ",Period()," ","min ",Symbol());alertBar = Bars;last = 1;}

I assume it needs to go somewhere in the UseAlert section to activate the hour selection only if UseAlert==true.
Also, will the hours work if it starts at 23 and ends at 8 or will that generate an error message since 8<23?
  • #4
  • Oct 2, 2010 8:05pm Oct 2, 2010 8:05pm
You can put the IsTimeToTrade() function anywhere before the start() function.

Yes, call it like this: if (IsTimeToTrade() && UseAlert == true ).

No it will not work with the example hour range you provided. I provided the basics, you can add the extra logic needed. Remember that the hours are broker's time not local.
  • #5
  • Oct 2, 2010 8:45pm Oct 2, 2010 8:45pm
Quoting CodeMeister
You can put the IsTimeToTrade() function anywhere before the start() function.

Yes, call it like this: if (IsTimeToTrade() && UseAlert == true ).

No it will not work with the example hour range you provided. I provided the basics, you can add the extra logic needed. Remember that the hours are broker's time not local.
This works it looks like, but the trouble is that I want the indicator to always print, but just alert within certain times.
Right now, market watch time is frozen at 21:00 of course since its closed. If I set From/To at 22/24 the indicator wont print, but 21/24 for times and it does print.
*********************************************************************
if (IsTimeToTrade() && UseAlert == true ) //replaced if(UseAlert==true)

if(!up)
{
ExtBuffer2[i]=current;
ExtBuffer1[i]=0.0;
if (i==0 && prev != 2 && ExtBuffer1[i] == 0 && Bars>alertBar) {Alert("v2Scalping Hist Downcolor on ",Period()," ","min ",Symbol());alertBar = Bars;last = 2;}
}

else
{
ExtBuffer1[i]=current;
ExtBuffer2[i]=0.0;
if (i==0 && last != 1 && ExtBuffer2[i] == 0 && Bars>alertBar) {Alert("v2Scalping Hist Upcolor on ",Period()," ","min ",Symbol());alertBar = Bars;last = 1;}
}
//****************************************************************************
if(UseAlert == false) etc.... if this is the case, the indicator shows on charts
  • #6
  • Oct 2, 2010 9:45pm Oct 2, 2010 9:45pm
I took out 'if(UseAlert == false)'
and replaced it with 'else' and now it works as far as i can tell until the market opens.
Thanks.
  • #7
  • Edited 5:06pm Oct 3, 2010 4:51pm | Edited 5:06pm
it is alerting only within my selected hours, but its doing it on everybar even though the color is still the same direction as the prior .

how do i make it test for being the different color or direction before alerting?
Edit:
Actually, I just tested the older version without your changes and it also alerts every bar (i only found the alert late Friday so I didnt know).
I'm posting the code
Inserted Code
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//|                                           fxfariz_scalpingM5.mq4 |
//|                                     fxfariz a.k.a warrior trader |
//|                                                [email="fxfariz@gmail,com"]fxfariz@gmail,com[/email] |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
#property copyright "fxfariz a.k.a warrior trader"
#property link      "[email="fxfariz@gmail,com"]fxfariz@gmail,com[/email]"
//***************************************
#property  indicator_separate_window
#property  indicator_buffers 3
#property  indicator_color2  Aqua
#property  indicator_color3  Red
#property indicator_style2 STYLE_SOLID
#property indicator_style3 STYLE_SOLID
#property indicator_width2 2
#property indicator_width3 2
extern int period=23;
extern bool UseAlert = false; //true; 
extern string note6 = " From 24 To 24 runs nonstop?";
extern int HourFrom = 21; //hour
extern int HourTo = 24; //hour - 24H
double         ExtBuffer0[];
double         ExtBuffer1[];
double         ExtBuffer2[];
double alertBar;
double last;
int init()
  {
   
   SetIndexStyle(0,DRAW_NONE);
   SetIndexStyle(1,DRAW_HISTOGRAM);
   SetIndexStyle(2,DRAW_HISTOGRAM);
   IndicatorDigits(Digits+1);
   SetIndexBuffer(0,ExtBuffer0);
   SetIndexBuffer(1,ExtBuffer1);
   SetIndexBuffer(2,ExtBuffer2);
   IndicatorShortName("v2Scalping Histogram w Alerts");
   SetIndexLabel(1,NULL);
   SetIndexLabel(2,NULL);
   return(0);
  }
//**********************************************
bool IsTimeToTrade()
{
   bool OK = true;
   if(Hour() < HourFrom)  OK = false;
   if((Hour() > HourTo)) OK = false;
   return(OK);
}  
//***********************************************
int start()
    {
   //int     period=10;
   int    limit;
   int    counted_bars=IndicatorCounted();
   double prev,current,old;
   double Value=0,Value1=0,Value2=0,Fish=0,Fish1=0,Fish2=0;
   double price;
   double MinL=0;
   double MaxH=0;  
   
   if(counted_bars>0) counted_bars--;
   limit=Bars-counted_bars;

   for(int i=0; i<Bars; i++)
    {
      MaxH = High[Highest(NULL,0,MODE_HIGH,period,i)];
      MinL = Low[Lowest(NULL,0,MODE_LOW,period,i)];
      price = (High[i]+Low[i])/2;
      
      if(MaxH-MinL == 0) Value = 0.33*2*(0-0.5) + 0.67*Value1; 
      else Value = 0.33*2*((price-MinL)/(MaxH-MinL)-0.5) + 0.67*Value1;     
      
      Value=MathMin(MathMax(Value,-0.999),0.999); 
      
      if(1-Value == 0) ExtBuffer0[i]=0.5+0.5*Fish1;
      else ExtBuffer0[i]=0.5*MathLog((1+Value)/(1-Value))+0.5*Fish1;
      
      Value1=Value;
      Fish1=ExtBuffer0[i];
    }

   bool up=true;
   for(i=Bars; i>=0; i--)
     {
      current=ExtBuffer0[i];
      prev=ExtBuffer0[i+1];
           
      if (((current<0)&&(prev>0))||(current<0))   up= false;
    
      if (((current>0)&&(prev<0))||(current>0))   up= true;
    // if(UseAlert == true ) //*********************************************************************
    if (IsTimeToTrade() && UseAlert == true ) //replaced if(UseAlert==true)
    
      if(!up)
        {
         ExtBuffer2[i]=current;
         ExtBuffer1[i]=0.0;
        if (i==0 && prev != 2 && ExtBuffer1[i] == 0 && Bars>alertBar) {Alert("v2Scalping Hist Downcolor on ",Period()," ","min ",Symbol());alertBar = Bars;last = 2;}
        }
        
       else
         {
         ExtBuffer1[i]=current;
          ExtBuffer2[i]=0.0;
        if (i==0 && last != 1 && ExtBuffer2[i] == 0 && Bars>alertBar) {Alert("v2Scalping Hist Upcolor on ",Period()," ","min ",Symbol());alertBar = Bars;last = 1;}
          }
     //****************************************************************************
     // if(UseAlert == false) //*******************************************************************************
     else
      if(!up)
        {
         ExtBuffer2[i]=current;
         ExtBuffer1[i]=0.0;
        //if (i==0 && prev != 2 && ExtBuffer1[i] == 0 && Bars>alertBar) {Alert("Scalping Hist Downcolor on ",Period()," ","min ",Symbol());alertBar = Bars;last = 2;}
        }
        
       else
         {
         ExtBuffer1[i]=current;
          ExtBuffer2[i]=0.0;
        //if (i==0 && last != 1 && ExtBuffer2[i] == 0 && Bars>alertBar) {Alert("Scalping Hist Upcolor on ",Period()," ","min ",Symbol());alertBar = Bars;last = 1;}
          }
     //*****************************************************************************
     }
   return(0);
}
  • #8
  • Oct 3, 2010 5:16pm Oct 3, 2010 5:16pm
I think you are confused. My logic only applies to the active trading hours as per your original request. Any other problems are out of the realm of that request.

So if you are making a new request for help, my suggestion is have a Skip bars input value. The alert would only go off if the crossover was outside the period from the last alert to the Skip bars value. So if an alert went off on the 1H chart at 1400 and the Skip bars value was 6, another crossover alert wouldn't sound before 2000. Unfortunately, this means that a crossover between those hours would be missed. If you want a more sophisticated solution, you have to ask somebody else or devise it yourself.
  • #9
  • Last Post: Oct 3, 2010 5:19pm Oct 3, 2010 5:19pm
Quoting CodeMeister
I think you are confused. My logic only applies to the active trading hours as per your original request. Any other problems are out of the realm of that request.

So if you are making a new request for help, my suggestion is have a Skip bars input value. The alert would only go off if the crossover was outside the period from the last alert to the Skip bars value. So if an alert went off on the 1H chart at 1400 and the Skip bars value was 6, another crossover alert wouldn't sound before 2000. Unfortunately, this means that a crossover between...
i will need to look elsewhere, but i was saying the problem had nothing to do with your help or at least i added that after my edit notation.
thanks
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