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MT4: Create Variables on the fly

  • #1
  • First Post: Edited 1:22am Sep 10, 2011 1:10am | Edited 1:22am
hi,

I wanted to kindly ask you if anyone knows if that is possible: maybe with some external code dll or Winapi stuff.

I mainly come from a hobby 'python' background which was slightly different so I'm not sure if my question sounds kind of silly

1.Question:
I read the MT4 doc (http://docs.mql4.com/basis/variables) and to my understanding of the doc it's not possible - but maybe there are some external workaround?

e.g.
Inserted Code
int _i = 0;
while (_i < 2) {
    //CREATE: variables on the fly appending _i at the end of the variable name.

    int      iAnything(_i) = 10;
    string    sAnything(_i)  = "Black";
    double   dBuf(_i)[];
}

//Should produce
#_1 = 0
int      iAnything0 = 10;
string   sAnything0  = "Black";
double   dBuf0[];
#_1 = 1
int      iAnything1 = 10;
string    sAnything1  = "Black";
double   dBuf1[];
#_1 = 2
int      iAnything2 = 10;
string    sAnything2  = "Black";
double   dBuf2[];
2. Question:

In case it is possible: how do I best access them from other functions.


I was also thinking maybe to use a array to assign the different variables to: but I guess it would not work for the double dBuf[];

Something along this lines:

e.g.
Inserted Code
int iVariabesOnTheFly[];
string sVariabesOnTheFly[];
int _i = 0;
while (_i < 2) {
    //CREATE: variables on the fly simulate using Arrays
    
    ArrayResize[iVariabesOnTheFly,_i + 1);
    ArrayResize[sVariabesOnTheFly,_i + 1);

    iVariabesOnTheFly[_i] = 10;
    sVariabesOnTheFly[_i] = "Black";

    [color=Blue]//double   dBuf(_i)[];  But for Arrays I don't know[/color]
}
__Thanks__ MJ
  • #2
  • Sep 10, 2011 4:14am Sep 10, 2011 4:14am
i can sorta see what you are trying to do. i'm not familiar with python, but i imagine it's designed to be flexible in ways that are beyond normal programming languages as well as whatever mql is regarded as.

the type of thing you are trying to do is along the lines of how you can make-up a global variable name of whatever you want dynamically.

this is purely a bullshit variable and actually isn't. it's merely 2 lists, one a list of string names and another list of doubles that are merely matched together per the position they are listed in their respective arrays. visually it's like having an excel column of names and a column of birthdays. they are distinct, but are regarded as matched due to being along the same row.

i'm sure you understand this anyway, so i'm probably rambling.

what you can do is emulate the same process that dynamic variables do. instead of hardcoding a variable name within mql that it resolves to some value, instead keep 2 arrays that match to each other via their index.

have one array an array of strings... these will be your 'variable names', and another array with matching values. create some functions to deal with creating and destroying these matching pairs of data, as well as a function that retrieves the 'name' you pass to it.

Inserted Code
string namearray[];
double doublearray[];
int arraysize;

function assaignpair(string name, double value) {
  search for an already existing name in the namearray...
  if found then simply replace the matching doublearray value
  if not found then resize both arrays to be one unit larger and assign the name and value vars to these newly created indexes
}

function destroypair(string name, double value) {
  just do a bland old search through all of namearray and when you come across a match replace this spot with the last namearray index value, as well as move the last doublearray index value into this spot, resize the arrays down one size.... simple.
}
why am i the only one replying to your threads? i'm probably wrong anyway, lol.
Congratulations ScalaFX for coming out of the closet!
  • #3
  • Sep 10, 2011 4:41am Sep 10, 2011 4:41am
Quoting nubcake
why am i the only one replying to your threads? i'm probably wrong anyway, lol.
Maybe you are the most knowledgeable or the kindest (No offence to all the other great guys out there.)


Anyway: the basic idea is something like this:

My basic intention is to use a config file for an indicator and create the needed Resources on the fly: but I'm not really sure if that is possible with MT4. (At least with my level of coding experience).

EXAMPLE scenario idea:
MA stucked above each other Alert: if MA1 > MA2 > MA3 ... Alert.

So in my indicator config file I want to be able to define how many such MAs are used:

e.g.1
NumMA = 2
MA1Period = 10
MA2Period = 20

e.g.2
NumMA = 16
MA1Period = 10
MA2Period = 20
........etc..



AFTER THAT I should read the config file into MT4 init() and produce all relevante variables.


e.g
in case I want to plot up to 8 MA.

Need the Buffer and buffer assignments and other stuff ect.

====


//MA1
double dBuMA1[];
SetIndexStyle(0, DRAW_LINE);
SetIndexBuffer(0, dBuMA1);

double HelperMA1[];
ArraySetAsSeries(HelperMA1, true);


//MA2
double dBuMA2[];
SetIndexStyle(0, DRAW_LINE);
SetIndexBuffer(0, dBuMA2);

double HelperMA2[];
ArraySetAsSeries(HelperMA2, true);


in start()
Calculate all MA
Check for Alert


====

if it does not work out: I have to define a fix number and just enable and disable them per config file
__Thanks__ MJ
  • #4
  • Sep 10, 2011 8:10am Sep 10, 2011 8:10am
Quoting M_j
Maybe you are the most knowledgeable or the kindest (No offence to all the other great guys out there.)
wrong on both counts. these questions just happen to be interesting, which is rare here.

Quote
Anyway: the basic idea is something like this:

My basic intention is to use a config file for an indicator and create the needed Resources on the fly: but I'm not really sure if that is possible with MT4. (At least with my level of coding experience).

EXAMPLE scenario idea:
MA stucked above each other Alert: if MA1 > MA2 > MA3 ... Alert.

So in my indicator config file I want to be able to define how many such MAs are used:

e.g.1
NumMA = 2
MA1Period = 10
MA2Period = 20

e.g.2
NumMA = 16
MA1Period = 10
MA2Period...
i might not be following... but why do you NEED to define how many are in your config file, and why do you NEED to name them?

if it was me, i'd just have a simple text file holding numbers line after line. hit end of file and you are obviously done. the numbers are the MA values. so just read in from the file line by line, increment an array storing the different required MA's values, repeat until EOF.

or, if it's a case of storing more than just MA lists and the file also includes other types of data, then you would simply do similarly to what you show in your example. you can specify MA = 6, then the following 6 lines are the MA values to be used... or if it lends itself to even further simplification then you could simply specify 6, then the 6 values. it all depends on how robust you want to make the config file, and this becomes a function of how complex you are trying to make things.

me... i'd probably just have a blank string extern in your indicator. manually populate this with something like "5,12,30,60,120" etc, and these being the MA's to be used. parse the string to extract the numbers and fill these values into an array that stores each value. the array therefore now holds the MA's to be used in the indicator... and if this happens to be more than the buffer limit allowed then you could simply show the 2 most relevant with the indicator only. on indicator deinit you can write this simple string to file as one line... obviously in your init you are therefore going to have a section that reads your config file, sets the extern string if the user has left it blank, and then from there you are back to the part where you parse the extern string to derive the MA values.

or i'm totally off-base.
Congratulations ScalaFX for coming out of the closet!
  • #5
  • Sep 10, 2011 8:31am Sep 10, 2011 8:31am
now that i think about it a bit more i can see where you might be headed.

maybe a more elegant solution is to simply have a 3 token string on each line in the file.... like

sma maname1 5
sma manamexyz 43
ema filter4 15
sma caaaake 21

in this way you don't need to know anything before you parse each line. you read the line, parse the text, and you now know what you are inputting, giving it a name that means something to you, and then supplying the actual value.

then you simply have 3 arrays. one holds the type (sma, ema, whatever... specified by a number and you would have constants defined so that in your mql you can simply use something like const_sma to check the type), the next holds the particular name given to it, and the final array holds the actual value.

in this way you could define mountains of inputs of different types. if there is a priority to the inputs then that would be the order in which they appear in your config.
Congratulations ScalaFX for coming out of the closet!
  • #6
  • Sep 10, 2011 8:37am Sep 10, 2011 8:37am
Quoting nubcake
or i'm totally off-base.
Not sure.

Maybe I'm also not expressing myself to clearly English being not my mother tongue.
But even if I use something like you wrote:

me... i'd probably just have a blank string extern in your indicator. manually populate this with something like "5,12,30,60,120" etc, and these being the MA's to be used.

It does not change too much: except the whole file processing.

As the program does not know in advance how many: MA's are used in the end: it still has to create that stuff on the fly.

e.g.
extern string "5,12,30,60,120"

It still have to create some of the Buffers on the fly: maybe it's not to bad for the Display buffer as MT4 only uses 8 I could d that by default:

But I use quite a number of additional Helper array:

e.g. parts from my 8 MA indi where I use at least 2 helper arrays per MA.

PHP Code
//BLOCKSTART:==MA1
double          dArPastCalcMA1[];       /**< MA1: Array holding the calculated Past results.>*/
double          dArLiveCalcMA1[];       /**< MA1 :Array holding the calculated Live results + for easy access additional number of results defined in: iNumResults >*/
//BLOCKEND:==MA1
//BLOCKSTART:==MA2
double          dArPastCalcMA2[];       /**< MA2: Array holding the calculated Past results.>*/
double          dArLiveCalcMA2[];       /**< MA2 :Array holding the calculated Live results + for easy access additional number of results defined in: iNumResults >*/
//BLOCKEND:==MA2
//BLOCKSTART:==MA3
double          dArPastCalcMA3[];       /**< MA3: Array holding the calculated Past results.>*/
double          dArLiveCalcMA3[];       /**< MA3 :Array holding the calculated Live results + for easy access additional number of results defined in: iNumResults >*/
//BLOCKEND:==MA3
//BLOCKSTART:==MA4
double          dArPastCalcMA4[];       /**< MA4: Array holding the calculated Past results.>*/
double          dArLiveCalcMA4[];       /**< MA4 :Array holding the calculated Live results + for easy access additional number of results defined in: iNumResults >*/
//BLOCKEND:==MA4
//BLOCKSTART:==MA5
double          dArPastCalcMA5[];       /**< MA5: Array holding the calculated Past results.>*/
double          dArLiveCalcMA5[];       /**< MA5 :Array holding the calculated Live results + for easy access additional number of results defined in: iNumResults >*/
//BLOCKEND:==MA5
//BLOCKSTART:==MA6
double          dArPastCalcMA6[];       /**< MA6: Array holding the calculated Past results.>*/
double          dArLiveCalcMA6[];       /**< MA6 :Array holding the calculated Live results + for easy access additional number of results defined in: iNumResults >*/
//BLOCKEND:==MA6
//BLOCKSTART:==MA7
double          dArPastCalcMA7[];       /**< MA7: Array holding the calculated Past results.>*/
double          dArLiveCalcMA7[];       /**< MA7 :Array holding the calculated Live results + for easy access additional number of results defined in: iNumResults >*/
//BLOCKEND:==MA7
//BLOCKSTART:==MA8
double          dArPastCalcMA8[];       /**< MA8: Array holding the calculated Past results.>*/
double          dArLiveCalcMA8[];       /**< MA8 :Array holding the calculated Live results + for easy access additional number of results defined in: iNumResults >*/
//BLOCKEND:==MA8
And part of the init function
PHP Code
init() {

....
    //BLOCKSTART:==MA1
    ArraySetAsSeries(dArPastCalcMA1, true);
    ArraySetAsSeries(dArLiveCalcMA1, true);
    //BLOCKEND:==MA1
    //BLOCKSTART:==MA2
    ArraySetAsSeries(dArPastCalcMA2, true);
    ArraySetAsSeries(dArLiveCalcMA2, true);
    //BLOCKEND:==MA2
    //BLOCKSTART:==MA3
    ArraySetAsSeries(dArPastCalcMA3, true);
    ArraySetAsSeries(dArLiveCalcMA3, true);
    //BLOCKEND:==MA3
    //BLOCKSTART:==MA4
    ArraySetAsSeries(dArPastCalcMA4, true);
    ArraySetAsSeries(dArLiveCalcMA4, true);
    //BLOCKEND:==MA4
    //BLOCKSTART:==MA5
    ArraySetAsSeries(dArPastCalcMA5, true);
    ArraySetAsSeries(dArLiveCalcMA5, true);
    //BLOCKEND:==MA5
    //BLOCKSTART:==MA6
    ArraySetAsSeries(dArPastCalcMA6, true);
    ArraySetAsSeries(dArLiveCalcMA6, true);
    //BLOCKEND:==MA6
    //BLOCKSTART:==MA7
    ArraySetAsSeries(dArPastCalcMA7, true);
    ArraySetAsSeries(dArLiveCalcMA7, true);
    //BLOCKEND:==MA7
    //BLOCKSTART:==MA8
    ArraySetAsSeries(dArPastCalcMA8, true);
    ArraySetAsSeries(dArLiveCalcMA8, true);
    //BLOCKEND:==MA8
}
But maybe you are right and I was focusing to much on the present situation: I might be able to use one Helper array and work with index offsets ( I do that for some stuff) but I'm not sure how messy the whole things gets when I add 30+ Resources a mixture of MA, Stochastic, fractals MACD etc.. to produce a final Alert.


Anyway I don't have to do it and hard code the maximum amount and than just enable/disable them: but it would be quite nice: I had something similar when I used a customary python trading program.
__Thanks__ MJ
  • #7
  • Sep 10, 2011 8:43am Sep 10, 2011 8:43am
Quoting nubcake
now that i think about it a bit more i can see where you might be headed.

maybe a more elegant solution is to simply have a 3 token string on each line in the file.... like

sma maname1 5
I don't really mind too much about the config file and reading in values.

I have started some pre-work like the file write/read stuff and I hope the parsing is not to bad in MT4.

But I'm wondering more how to best implement the other stuffs.
__Thanks__ MJ
  • #8
  • Sep 10, 2011 9:10am Sep 10, 2011 9:10am
For the config file I'm thinking along something like this: still in procress and I might end up with something completely different.

PHP Code
#===opSMA 1
sIndicatorName = opSMA_0.00.ex4
# To support multiple config files for the same indicator a own name must be set. Extention will be set internally to: .conf  (in case there are problems make sure the files have .conf extentions)
# if no sConfigFileName is set: it will ask to write out a default one: which can be use also as base for later adjustments.
# default config name:  Full indicatorname plus.conf extension.: e.g. opSMA_0.00.ex4.conf

#==========<<<<< COMMON SETTINGS >>>>>==========#
sConfigFileName = strategy1__opSMA_0.00__1
sExtUniquePrefix = 1-opSMA
bExShowIndicatorInfo = True
sExtGeneralFontType = Arial
#=== bExtStartDelay: USED
bExtStartDelay = false
#=== CALCULATION START/END == USED
iExtPastStartChartSHIFT = -1
iExtPastEndChartSHIFT = 0
bExtNoPastSHIFTUseTimeInstead = True
dtExtPastStartTIME = D'2011.08.24 12:00:00';
dtExtPastEndChartTIME = D'2011.08.24 13:00:00';
#=== DEBUG/Error/INFO RELATED ==
bExtDebugUsePrintScrollLines = true
bExtDebugAlertOnErr = true
bExtDebugAlertSoundOnErr = true
sExtErrInfSoundFileName = alert.wav
cExtInfErrObj = DarkViolet
#=== OTHER COMMON VARIABLES ==
#=0=PairDigits,1=PairDigits+1,8=8Digits
iExtCompPrecisionDigits=8

#==========<<<<< SPECIFIC VARIABLES >>>>>==========#
@@@SMA1
#__Info1__=0=Solid,1=Dash,2=Dot,3=DashDot,4=DashDotDot
iMA1Period = 10
iMA1LineStyle = 0
iMA1LineWidth = 1
cMA1Line = Black
@@@SMA1

@@@SMA2
#__Info1__=0=Solid,1=Dash,2=Dot,3=DashDot,4=DashDotDot
iMA2Period = 30
iMA2LineStyle = 0
iMA2LineWidth = 3
cMA2Line = DarkViolet
@@@SMA2

etc.. etc...

sIndicatorNameEnd = opSMA_0.00


#===opMACD 1
sIndicatorName = opMACD1_0.00.ex4
#==========<<<<< COMMON SETTINGS >>>>>==========#
#==========<<<<< SPECIFIC VARIABLES >>>>>==========#
........
sIndicatorNameEnd = opMACD1_0.00.ex4
__Thanks__ MJ
  • #9
  • Sep 10, 2011 9:18am Sep 10, 2011 9:18am
And probably read it into a 4 dim string array or something like that

PHP Code
IndicatorName | ResourceName | ResourceVariableName | Value

opSMA_0.00.ex4 | DEFAULT | sConfigFileName | strategy1__opSMA_0.00__1
opSMA_0.00.ex4 | DEFAULT | bExtStartDelay | true
...
# And the specific Resources
opSMA_0.00.ex4 | SMA1 | iMAPeriod | 10
__Thanks__ MJ
  • #10
  • Sep 10, 2011 9:27am Sep 10, 2011 9:27am
Quoting M_j
Not sure.

Maybe I'm also not expressing myself to clearly English being not my mother tongue.
But even if I use something like you wrote:

me... i'd probably just have a blank string extern in your indicator. manually populate this with something like "5,12,30,60,120" etc, and these being the MA's to be used.

It does not change too much: except the whole file processing.

As the program does not know in advance how many: MA's are used in the end: it still has to create that stuff on the fly.

e.g.
[color=Black]extern string...

i think you are over-complicating it, or over-thinking it.

you have 8 buffers total that you can use to draw on the chart or sub-window. so simply define 8 buffers with generic names.

how you then decide which 'input' to draw with each of the buffers depends on what you are trying to accomplish and what you need to see.

but in terms of being able to input an undefined amount of stuff in my mind it comes down to simply having dynamic arrays that you resize as needed, and if you, for whatever reason, need to know some arbitrary name you have given the input then you would also store that in a dynamic string array where the index of one array matches the string array name.

e.g.

SMAValueArray[];
SMANameArray[];

if in your config file you had :

sma name1 4
sma test 10
sma barney 21

you would read each line, see that the first token in the first line reads as 'sma' so you know to now focus on populating the sma arrays so you increase both SMAValueArray[] and SMANameArray[] by 1, you read the second token 'name1' and set the last SMANameArray[] position to 'name1', and then you read "4"... convert this string to an int, then assign the last SMAValueArray[] position to 4.

repeat for the next line, and the next, and so on until EOF.

if you wanted to be able to set alerts if price is above one sma but below another, then you could simply implement a fourth token in the input string

e.g.

sma test1 4 +
sma test2 13 -

whatever it is you use to specify, you can then still read from your list a token that says price needs to be above or below.

then you could even expand this idea even further and perhaps specify if one input is above or below another.... e.g.

add 3 more arrays

SMAReferenceArray[];
SMAConditionArray[];
SMAConditionReferenceArray[];

[input reference] [input type] [input name] [input value] [input test condition] [input test condition reference]

1 sma test1 4 + 2
2 sma test2 15
3 sma test3 12 - 1
4 sma test4 12 + BID

the first line gets a reference number of 1. it's an sma. it's called test1 (only useful for your own reference or when drawing on the chart etc). it's SMA period value is 4. it has the condition that the trigger should occur when it is above something. the something it needs to be above is input reference number 2.

then the second line has similar data, except no conditions that specify only when to trigger. it's considered to be triggered always.

then on the 3rd line you have another input but this one is set to approve the alert trigger if the SMA 12 is less than input 1 which is an SMA of 4

then on the 4th line an SMA period 12 needs to be greater than the current BID.

you would iterate through your arrays calculating the values of the SMA's in the arrays and store them in the SMAValueArray. you would then see if any condition needs to be met by checking the SMAConditionArray[]. if so, you would see what input reference you need to check against by reading SMAConditionReferenceArray[]... then finally you would iterate through your SMAReferenceArray[] until you found the match to SMAConditoinReferenceArray[], you would check that SMAValueArray[] index... and away you go.

this is actually getting a little complex and hard to describe properly in text.

but... even if you expand again into inputs other than SMA's it would still work. the condition checking against another reference simply requires iterating through all SMAReferenceArray[] items, and then EMAReferenceArray[] items, and then XYZReferenceArray[] items, and so on.... this part is a little bit on the hard-coded side, in that you can't just magically put in your text file than you want to be able to have a abcMA without you having written mql to be able to store that type of input and also deal with searching for a matching reference to it and so on.

and then, to come full-circle back to which buffers draw which inputs, you could have ANOTHER token that specifies which buffer to draw this input to. again iterate through all different input type arrays and if it has a buffer draw value between 1 and 8 then you draw to the specified buffer the value of that particular input type value array number.

or... i just lost the plot and went down a dark alley on my own.
Congratulations ScalaFX for coming out of the closet!
  • #11
  • Sep 10, 2011 9:30am Sep 10, 2011 9:30am
Quoting M_j
And probably read it into a 4 dim string array or something like that

PHP Code
IndicatorName | ResourceName | ResourceVariableName | Value

opSMA_0.00.ex4 | DEFAULT | sConfigFileName | strategy1__opSMA_0.00__1
opSMA_0.00.ex4 | DEFAULT | bExtStartDelay | true
...
# And the specific Resources
opSMA_0.00.ex4 | SMA1 | iMAPeriod | 10
yeah about that.... no such thing as multi-dimensional arrays in mql, just as there are no structs or typedef's etc.

all you get are 1 dim arrays of whatever length you like. so in this case you simply have to have 4 arrays that you relate to each other via their individual index positions and just consider them to be all a part of the one record... as per my previous examples.
Congratulations ScalaFX for coming out of the closet!
  • #12
  • Sep 10, 2011 9:35am Sep 10, 2011 9:35am
Quoting nubcake
this is actually getting a little complex and hard to describe properly in text.
No, I guess I follow you. I have to think this over a bit.
__Thanks__ MJ
  • #13
  • Sep 10, 2011 9:37am Sep 10, 2011 9:37am
nubcake:yeah about that.... no such thing as multi-dimensional arrays in mql, just as there are no structs or typedef's etc.

I think they have 4 dimensional support: http://docs.mql4.com/array
Arrays are allowed to be maximum four-dimensional. But I guess only with one type. Which is fine from readin it in from the config file as all is in string format.
But with storing the values etc.. like you posted I would need separate once
__Thanks__ MJ
  • #14
  • Sep 10, 2011 9:41am Sep 10, 2011 9:41am
Quoting M_j
nubcake:yeah about that.... no such thing as multi-dimensional arrays in mql, just as there are no structs or typedef's etc.

I think they have 4 dimensional support: http://docs.mql4.com/array
Arrays are allowed to be maximum four-dimensional. But I guess only with one type. Which is fine from readin it in from the config file as all is in string format.
But with storing the values etc.. like you posted I would need separate once


oops. you got me there. i've just gotten used to not bothering with multi-dimensional arrays in mql since it restricts you to only 4. it's easier, for me, to simply use 1 dim arrays that all relate to each other as though they were a multi dim array, or a 1 dim array storing a record (that's a delphi term, similar to or possibly equivalent to c's struct).
Congratulations ScalaFX for coming out of the closet!
  • #15
  • Sep 10, 2011 9:52am Sep 10, 2011 9:52am
M_j

this is an interesting topic.

If I am reading this right theres different ways to do this depending on the final results. Your variables on the fly... I've seen but mql is not capable to do this.

I have two different options I used and if I reading your post correctly then one of them may work for you.

One... works like a regular data file like MT's price data files that contain date, high, low, open, close, and volume. now this data can be of any data not just price it can cantain anything from dailly data on stoch. MAs MACD or custom studies. I created a custom index file similar to MT price data that contains daily data on currencies, but it is indexed in reverse that is; MT uses the 0 index as the current (last) data were I index the current as the last peice (highest index) of data and resize the array to store new data. Why do I do this? if you have a very intense code that takes time to calculate you donot need to redo it ever time you run your code. and you can also use this in any other software. think excel.
You do not need to know how much data that the file contains if you use the 0/0 row and col as headers and index numbers with 00 updated with the total when saving. you read is total and start the array size there then read into an array all the data points then use it with any other builtin series array MT has, but you must remember to access your array in reverse.

Two... This is what I call a signature file which is nothing more then a configure file containing anything and almost everything that is read into the program and saved back to the file when finished. This enables you to keep your setting current that is the last settings are reused, parts of the file are defaults that can not be changed and can not be over writen. all numbers can be handled easily strings can be handled too from the same file as numbers but you will need a string array to read them.


You can create these file as plain text or binary files and can even enscript them. you can even have the file contain both text and binary formats and only have part of the file inscripted. You can even create these files from within your code, that is, if your code needs a config file and one doesnot exist it simply creates it and fills it with the start up defaults.

You need a good handle on both files and arrays. cause and error may render the file junk.

keit










Quoting M_j
I don't really mind too much about the config file and reading in values.

I have started some pre-work like the file write/read stuff and I hope the parsing is not to bad in MT4.

But I'm wondering more how to best implement the other stuffs.
Trader Keit ... Methods Of A Dirt Road Mad Man....
  • #16
  • Sep 10, 2011 10:05am Sep 10, 2011 10:05am
Boy I must be really slow in typing 6 posts sence I started that last one


Quoting nubcake
yeah about that.... no such thing as multi-dimensional arra

ys in mql, just as there are no structs or typedef's etc.

all you get are 1 dim arrays of whatever length you like. so in this case you simply have to have 4 arrays that you relate to each other via their individual index positions and just consider them to be all a part of the one record... as per my previous examples.

I use multi dimensional arrays, theres no defind types but that too can be worked arround if your like work....


keit
Trader Keit ... Methods Of A Dirt Road Mad Man....
  • #17
  • Sep 10, 2011 10:16am Sep 10, 2011 10:16am
Quoting CockeyedCowboy
Boy I must be really slow in typing 6 posts sence I started that last one





I use multi dimensional arrays, theres no defind types but that too can be worked arround if your like work....


keit
you gotta type quick around me, else i'll type my stuff and your stuff while you are still busy finding the spacebar

as for creating struct / record type defines... i just use 1 dim arrays and match index to index between the different, but related, arrays.

it becomes a mindfuck when it'd be useful to have an array of nested structs / records, so if you do it some way other than matching different common arrays to each other then i'm all ears.
Congratulations ScalaFX for coming out of the closet!
  • #18
  • Sep 10, 2011 10:24am Sep 10, 2011 10:24am
Quoting CockeyedCowboy
M_j
this is an interesting topic.
CockeyedCowboy, thanks for the feedback.

I'm a bit unsure if I understand you correctly so if you don't mind just a couple of questions to clarify.

One... works like a regular data file like MT's price data files
You mean the History files?

that contain date, high, low, open, close, and volume. now this data can be of any data
Also different data types or only doubles ?

not just price it can cantain anything from dailly data on stoch. MAs MACD or custom studies.


I created a custom index file similar to MT price data:
How is such file created? Any more info?

that contains daily data on currencies, but it is indexed in reverse that is; MT uses the 0 index as the current (last) data were I index the current as the last peice (highest index) of data and resize the array to store new data.




Two... This is what I call a signature file which is nothing more then a configure file containing anything and almost everything that is read into the program and saved back to the file when finished. This enables you to keep your setting current that is the last settings are reused, parts of the file are defaults that can not be changed and can not be over writen. all numbers can be handled easily strings can be handled too from the same file as numbers but you will need a string array to read them.


You can create these file as plain text or binary files and can even enscript them. you can even have the file contain both text and binary formats and only have part of the file inscripted. You can even create these files from within your code, that is, if your code needs a config file and one does not exist it simply creates it and fills it with the start up defaults.

Yes, I was thinking of implementing this too.

You need a good handle on both files and arrays.

There are for sure smarter guys out there but I did use arrays too some extend and started to play around with files.

cause and error may render the file junk.if you use something like that a lot: do you still get often junk files or after the code is proper it works nicely.

Thank you a lot: this sound really interesting: if possible I would like to have more infos or kindly ask for some code or whatever - thanks a lot.
__Thanks__ MJ
  • #19
  • Sep 10, 2011 10:25am Sep 10, 2011 10:25am
nubcake

let me dig out a file and post it, I'll get one that has differerent file formats and parts enscripted and not. As far as a 'mindfuck' I'll have to google that sounds interesting.

My use of the english langage is very poor and can take me hours to write something that would take 5 minutes for some one else. that why I use pic a lot.

give me a few minutes to get a file from my other computer and post it.


keit



Quoting nubcake
you gotta type quick around me, else i'll type my stuff and your stuff while you are still busy finding the spacebar

as for creating struct / record type defines... i just use 1 dim arrays and match index to index between the different, but related, arrays.

it becomes a mindfuck when it'd be useful to have an array of nested structs / records, so if you do it some way other than matching different common arrays to each other then i'm all ears.
Trader Keit ... Methods Of A Dirt Road Mad Man....
  • #20
  • Sep 10, 2011 10:30am Sep 10, 2011 10:30am
Quoting M_j
CockeyedCowboy, thanks for the feedback.

I'm a bit unsure if I understand you correctly so if you don't mind just a couple of questions to clarify.
[color=Blue]
One... works like a regular data file like MT's price data files
You mean the History files?

that contain date, high, low, open, close, and volume. now this data can be of any data
Also different data types or only doubles ?

not just price it can cantain anything from dailly data on stoch. MAs MACD or custom studies....
i think what cowboy is suggesting is that if what you are doing becomes computationally slow to calculate bar after bar after bar... then it might be better to output the final value/s to a file and then each time you re-run your backtest it can simply load the pre-baked data file instead of constantly performing lots of slow calculations. or i could be wrong. it's 1.30am here and i lose focus easily.
Congratulations ScalaFX for coming out of the closet!
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