When i save a chart template, does the platform also..

save the chart indicators or bundle them in the template?

CP,

Not sure what you mean by "bundle". The indicator name and its settings get saved. Below is an example of what is saved, and how. I attached 3 indys to the chart: Bollinger Bands, the custom Zigzag indy, and stochastic (which plots in a separate window). Then I saved the template. Here is the result (I've added the formatting and colors, for readability):

<window>
height=75
<indicator>

name=main

</indicator>
<indicator>

name=Bollinger Bands
period=20
shift=0
deviations=2
apply=0
color=6908265
style=0
weight=1
period_flags=0
show_data=1

</indicator>
<indicator>

name=Custom Indicator
<expert>
name=ZigZag
flags=339
window_num=0
<inputs>
ExtDepth=12
ExtDeviation=5
ExtBackstep=3
</inputs>
</expert>
shift_0=0
draw_0=1
color_0=255
style_0=0
weight_0=0
period_flags=0
show_data=1

</indicator>
</window>

<window>
height=18
<indicator>

name=Stochastic Oscillator
kperiod=5
dperiod=3
slowing=3
method=0
apply=0
color=11186720
style=0
weight=1
color2=255
style2=2
weight2=1
min=0.000000
max=100.000000
levels_color=12632256
levels_style=2
levels_weight=1
level_0=20.0000
level_1=80.0000
period_flags=0
show_data=1

</indicator>
</window>


If you search the ...../(MT4)/templates folder, you can find all of your saved templates. Load them into a text editor like Notepad, and you can see exactly what gets saved.

David

Thx Hanover. I thought the indicators should be saved too but i just tested it out with another computer of mine. I saved my template from my normal computer and opened the template on my second(back up) computer but only half of the indicators loaded. Does this mean i have to individually download all the indicators listed on the template to my second computer?

well if we have established that the indicators do not get saved INTO the templates, and they therefore aren't loading on a different computer... how do you expect the indicators to magically make their way onto the computer that doesn't already have them? leprechauns?

So they don't get saved? Sorry, i can't read code. If they don't get saved than i guess that answers my question.

Another question, how would i save my indicators directly? I looked in C:\Program Files (x86)\MetaTrader 4 at FOREX.com\experts\indicators folder and couldn't find my indicators. Are they saved somewhere else or are they automatically hidden?

hanover told you they aren't saved

the files, if you have created them yourself in metaeditor, are in a windows hidden folder

C:Users.....USERNAME......AppDataLocalVirtualStoreProgram Files (x86)

you really need to consider ripping your mt4 installation out of program files and sticking it elsewhere... google to see why.

Thx Nubcake, i found them. Why would they be placed there? Are they trying to frustrate me?

it's a vista / win 7 thing.

remember back to windows 3.1 and how programs would write ini files and so on all over the hard drive, in the windows folder even. vista and 7 are simply circumventing certain shithead program behavior such as this by dumping certain files into certain locations away from it's own main files.

self-preservation.

mt4 is ancient and not designed for vista onwards, and therefore gets treated like a red-headed step-child while you leave it in the program files directory. if you move it then a lot of problems are alleviated and windows will simply ignore mt4 and let it do it's thing.