InputResizer: edit EA/Indicator settings comfortably

IMPORTANT UPDATE:
Due to huge changes in MQL4 coming up with build 600 of MT4, the old code ceased to work.. reason: passing strings from/to DLLs doesn't work the old quick and dirty way anymore. I have modified the InputResizer to work with the current build, but I had to drop the infinite loop within the EA. The loop helped the IR to run smoothly, independent of incoming price feed ticks, but there were freeze issues.. MT4 sometimes locked up when calling a DLL from within a loop, and this became even worse with newer builds.

So if you want to use IR with recent builds, just download the recently posted InputResizer_600.mq4 to your MQL4\Indicators folder and attach the indi to a chart that receives frequent ticks (some JPY cross).. or even better, use a tick generator all the time, as I do.

For convenience I also attached the EA, but it doesn't have any advantage anymore since it depends on ticks just as the indi does.
For those still using builds 509 or older, please use the original versions. The _600 ones won't work because of unicode DLL calls.


Hi everybody

I'm starting this thread for a small utility I made upon request in this thread to be able to post fixes/updates in one place, if anybody finds it useful.

InputResizer is a workaround for one of many MT4 annoyances. Today's EAs are overloaded with settings. Blessing 3 has 118 lines of input, The Beast has 155. Some more advanced pivot indicators have dozens of them. Yet all our beloved MT4 offers is a tiny, non-resizable dialog box with a 8.5 line peephole. Majority of traders won't mind it, they set their settings once for ever and forget. But if you are one of them who test, optimize, evaluate or just play around with different settings on daily basis, perhaps you know how annoying the game with the micro-scrollbar really is.

InputResizer is a set-and-forget utility. Once you set it up, you've done with it. Attach it to one single chart and all those peephole windows you open, in all MT4 instances on your PC/VPS, become resizable.

There are two variants - indicator and EA, both doing the same thing. The advantage of using EA is clear; it runs in loop mode and doesn't depend on ticks. The indy does, so if you choose it for whatever reason, you will have to wait for a tick until the indy spots the window you have opened and manages it, so it's good to attach it to a chart (pair) that receives ticks frequently - EURJPY and GBPJPY are good choices.

The EA runs 24/7 and checks for windows every 300 msec so you will never have to wait. However, if you start your MT4 when the market is closed, you have to switch on the WeekendMode (see below).

There's one little disadvantage in using the EA. I recommend using this variant, but it occupies a chart you can't use for another EA. It's good if you place it on a dedicated chart (M1-W1, pair doesn't matter), minimize this chart and leave it there for good.


Note: If you open a window, it won't resize until you select the input tab!

Setup (if you use the EA version and want to change its settings while running (F7), switch to Monthly timeframe, change what you need and switch back to any lower TF):

http://i53.tinypic.com/mwdv82.gif

RememberSize, Individual ... ... etc ... initHeight:
Per default (set as above), InputResizer will place and resize every input window on its first appearance to coordinates (in pixels) specified. Then, if the input window (distinguished by EA/indicator name) re-appears (on any chart/platform), position/size at last window close will be applied.

If RememberSize = false, all windows will be opened with InitCustom (if true) coordinates, maximized if InitMaximized =true (InitMaximized overrides InitCustom), or at default position with peephole size if both InitCustom and InitMaximized are false.

If RememberSize = true, the above is applied only for the first time a window appears. Then, coordinates are stored at each window close and re-applied next time. Stored coordinates override InitCustom and InitMaximized.

If Individual = true, coordinates will be stored for every EA/indicator name separately. So your monster EA settings will always appear vertically stretched from top to bottom on the right side but your pivot indy inputs will fit into a 20-line box somewhere in the upper left corner. Obviously this setting is relevant only if RememberSize = true.

Note: Coordinates are stored in global variables; they are persistent until you delete them. You can do this anytime by pressing F3 and deleting all global variables starting with 'iRes'.

SleepTime: (EA only) time between scans in milliseconds; use a higher number if you're convinced it does eat your resources. Btw: it doesn't.

WeekendMode: (EA only) if set to true, no need to use a ticker to get it running. Better set it back to false during normal trading hours to prevent unexpected behavior.

Thanks to SteveHopwood for encouragement (Cheers ), Xaphod (his code told me there's something weird called Windows API in this world), and finally to faze for the original request.

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Alternatively, google 'ResizeEnable' - it's a windows freeware utility (dated 2003) resizing everything - including the buttons. Some screen estate gets wasted by larger-than-life controls but otherwise it works like charm! Thanks to Erebus for reminding

MaryJane,

Very nice!
Many thanks.

The only problem I've found so far is that if you subsequently try to edit an indicator's parameters, it (at least the EA version) locks up MT4.

David

Strange ... it would help me if I could reproduce the hang-up. I have tried it now with your Recent SR indicator, shuffled params for 5mins, confirmed, reopened, rechanged.. no problem on my W7 box. Will try it on a XP box tomorrow but there should be no difference. If you have the post#1 version (there were clear runtime bugs in the version I initially posted in the former thread), could you please switch the TF w/the EA to monthly and re-try? That puts the EA into tickmode so we would know it's a loopmode problem if it doesn't lockup there.. Thanks for feedback, very appreciated David. I'm sure I will fix this, i hope more ppl will report this so I can get on track with it.

This is fabulous MJ. Many, many thanks for doing it; InputResizer will become a must-have very quickly.

Here is one little wish from me. Is it possible to code automatic full-sizing of an input window as soon as we open it? I am a lazy tyke and the more that happens automatically, the happier I am.

Cheers.

MJ,

Tried it on a different br0ker MT4 (Vantage FX Trader MT4 build 392) and seems to work 100%. Strange.

I'm running Win XP Home SP2.

David

Thank you Very Much,
it was on my Xmas wishlist, (early pressy thank you)

Done, update in post #1 Glad you like it, really.

David, I tested on XP SP3 Pro (GoMarkets) and Win7 Ultimate (GoMarkets, FinFX, Oanda). Except Oanda (build 392) all are 402. Not a slightest glitch. A bit unhappy of this; this kind of bugs is really ugly.. you must know best.

I recently browsed the MetaQuotes forum and saw a quote by Rosh (chief developer over there).. he said he goes thru most important forums every day.. sometimes more than once per day... HEY ROSH!! DO YOU SEE IT!! DO SOMETHING!!

Hopefully MQ will make the st*pid windows resizable now so we can bin this thread np as they release new builds every week or so.

Fantastic. Works a treat. Cheers.

works great on Win 7 pro

I've had the same problem that I mentioned back in post #2 occur twice more. In both cases I wasn't able to get a screenshot, which is frustrating. I think it might have something to do with having had the indy on the 'Colors' tab when its settings were last edited. Then I attach the latest version of InputResizer EA on the same chart, and use the default parameter settings. Then I press Ctrl-I and edit the indy, I get a strange indicator parameter window that shows only 'chunks' of the each field, at which point MT4 locks up completely, and the only way I've found to close it is Task Manager's 'End Process'. I will keep trying different scenarios, in the hope of having an opportunity to capture a screenshot.

Attached is a screenshot of another interesting 'bug'. When dragging (resizing) the parameters window downward, the window went completely blank, and I obtained selected parameters (shown) by clicking randomly within the window. But then when I switched to a different app, and then back to MT4, all of the parameters magically returned. There is no lock up in this situation.

All of the above is happening on GO Markets MT4 build 402. I am running Win XP Home SP2. I have a number of other 'background' apps running, but I have no idea if or how they could be causing conflicts. I have also been trying various scenarios on Vantage FX MT4 build 392, and have yet to encounter either of these problems.

David,

there seems to be some problems of that sort with build 402. Take a look here and there. I have traced the run of the EA and there are really strange things going on.

First: if e.g. timeframe switched, the IsStopped() mql4 function returns true. It's a known (obviously undocumented) fact that while IsStopped() = true, calling any user32.dll function causes the MT4 to hang for a few seconds. That's fine, but I registered that IsStopped() apparently remains true after a TF change sometimes(!) in build 402. In one case I noticed it turned true and back to false for two seconds, without doing anything anywhere, without any reason. That's crazy.

Second: InputResizer changes attributes of the input window so Windows start to treat it as resizable. Hence arrows appear when you hover borders with mouse pointer, and the window actually resizes as we are used to. But the controls inside (buttons, tabs, the form) stay unresized at their original places:

http://i53.tinypic.com/dgpk0n.gif

The reason for that is MT4 calls the DWM (Desktop Window Manager) to plot and manage the window and passes its style as non-resizable. I can't patch the MT4 executable to change this tiny bit since it's packed (protected against reverse engineering the code) with Themida. And I don't know of any way of telling the DWM to do the unexpected since i'm not MT4 - the application that ordered the window. So there's only one way - once IR makes the window resizeable and applies init coordinates, it checks if the window was resized between ticks (indy) or sleep interval (EA), and if yes, then all the inner elements are moved/sized one-by-one as necessary, relative to new position/size.

Now, if IsStopped() becomes true, the EA has cca 2 seconds to complete its operation. That's ok if there are reasons for it to be true; the legitimate reasons are: TF switch, EA detachment, account change, own settings change. Maybe there are some others, but I can't imagine a legit reason for IsStopped() to become true while you have (some) input window open. But it simply happens. I guess the hang is caused by the EA calling the Windows API and forcedly being stopped by MT4 in the middle of something. Of course, I might be wrong.

The missing repaint (your pic) issue can happen sometimes; it's exactly as you describe. It's an innocent bug and I think we have to live with it. The content is correct, just not drawn. This is (again) caused by the fact the DWM doesn't care of our window. There's a function in code:

that takes care of repainting the content if we spot the coordinates changed. In previous version this was done if width or height changed, now we repaint even if just dragged. I tried to do this on every tick / pass, but it flickers badly.

For now, I removed all references to IsStopped() in the EA code. The drawback now is slow response on switching timeframes, but the EA should not lose focus with the API now. I recommend to attach the EA to a dedicated chart. It can reside in any running instance on your PC.

Update in post #1, please try out and let me know. I very appreciate your assistance. However, I see that's really out of sense to have this window hack implemented in (any) mql4 form.. I will code this utility as a native Win32 application, sitting in the system tray. And I guess all problems will be gone. Never done it, but hey, I need to learn it I want to code my own platform for testing in next yrs.

Thanks to all who like it!

Thanks for your very comprehensive reply. Makes me feel very humble.

Skimming through the code in the EA, you've apparently done an impressive amount of research to get this up and running. I'm especially interested in your comments about IsStopped(), as I've used it liberally in some of my own code, where I haven't noticed any problems, but then I rarely do anything as 'low level' as calling the Win API. The MetaQuotes doc about IsStopped() is characteristically skimpy.

I'll try the latest version that you've posted and report back.

Trial-and-error approach I usually make something work and then I start to learn why does it work . But I won't stop until I get it because of repeatability.

Generally, there's nothing wrong with IsStopped(), I just think the IsStopped() function or something with the API calls might be flawed in build #402 GoMarkets is using. Note that MQ releases numerically identical, but internally different builds recently (I know for sure this is true for #391, source: birt's tickdata conversion scripts). With FinFX #402, there's nothing weird with IsStopped() or the calls, as per my recent observation. Another interesting connection is some users claiming RenkoLiveChart_v3.2 (calls the API frequently) to freeze MT4 after #402 update.

But I might be completely wrong. Maybe someone who really hacks the mql4 + WinAPI combo would be laughing wildly observing my noobish code.

MaryJane
Great utilty, many thanks for your hard work and sharing
Ray

MaryJane.

A step closer to perfection of EA settings, GRACIAS!

U bent van harte welkom :-)

Important update in post #1:

1. no need to input localised control names,
2. more reliable operation,
3. ability to manage multiple open windows on different MT4 instances simultaneously,
4. fixed some issues with maximized windows,
5. tested on builds #218, 225, 229, 392, 402.

All who use this utility should upgrade to recent version.

Finally succeeded in capturing a screen dump of the lock-up problem (attached). Running the EA version with the default settings; Win XP Home SP2; Go Markets MT4 build 402.

Just in case I haven't already done so, I'll upgrade to the latest version, and see if that fixes the problem.......

Thanks for the pic. Strange. I'm using GoMarkets #402 every day (got an account with them) and didn't experience this yet. No feedback of that kind in the mql4 codebase either.

Last version I have posted (Jul 29) has big changes in addressing the window controls; it reacts not only to moving/resizing but also to switching tabs inside the box, problems with wrong sheet sizes and "lost" buttons (when clicking different tabs and resizing) seem to have gone. If you're using any version before that, there's a fair chance an upgrade will fix the problem. If not, then I really don't know what to do with it unless I'm able to replicate the crash.

Thanks for your reply - sorry, perhaps I should have been more clear that I wasn't seeking a fix, rather just giving a general heads up.

Anyway, have downloaded latest version from post #1 and haven't encountered a lock up yet. Fingers crossed.

I took it that way David ..anyway, your picture tells a story: note the chart window overlapping the dialog box caption. Normally, the rest of the terminal app can't be active as long as the input box is being active. It seems the box dies suddenly (caused by something the EA does or doesn't), MT4 gains control again but can't cope with the improper state left with the window manager. Again, I see a hope here for the last version to work. Thanks for the heads up! I hate unresolved issues. Keep the feedback pls.