icustom for this simple indicator

Hi , hope someone can help here. I tried a simple solution of using globalvaribles to try and get 0,-1,1 values from this simple indicator which would be fine but i does not work? In the indicator data window it shows fine when you hover over candle but it only shows 0 in global variable even if it should say 1 or -1. If someone can work out why great that will be dandy.

I then tried to call the value using the icustom (not used it before) i thought it would be simple as there are no inputs and just 3 buffers but i could not get it to work either so if you can help it would be great. Below is the indicator code the indicator is called swingindicator

thank you

#property indicator_separate_window
#property indicator_minimum -1
#property indicator_maximum 1
#property indicator_buffers 3
#property indicator_color1 Red
#property indicator_color2 Lime
#property indicator_color3 SlateGray
extern color SPlow = Lime;
extern color SPhigh = Red;
extern color ZeroLine = SlateGray;
extern int MarkerWidth = 3;
//--- buffers
double ExtMapBuffer1[];
double ExtMapBuffer2[];
double ExtMapBuffer3[];
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//| Custom indicator initialization function |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
int init()
{
//---- indicators
SetIndexStyle(0,DRAW_HISTOGRAM,EMPTY,MarkerWidth,SPlow);
SetIndexBuffer(0,ExtMapBuffer1);
SetIndexStyle(1,DRAW_HISTOGRAM,EMPTY,MarkerWidth,SPhigh);
SetIndexBuffer(1,ExtMapBuffer2);
SetIndexStyle(2,DRAW_LINE,EMPTY,1,ZeroLine);
SetIndexBuffer(2,ExtMapBuffer3);
//----
return(0);
}
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//| Custom indicator deinitialization function |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
int deinit()
{
//----

//----
return(0);
}
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//| Custom indicator iteration function |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
int start()
{
int counted_bars=IndicatorCounted();
int i;
bool c1,c2,c3,c4,c5,c6,c7,c8,c9,c10,c11,c12,c13,c14,c15,c16,c17,c18;
//----
for(i=0;i<counted_bars;i++){

// detection of a standard SP High
c1 = High[i+2]>High[i];
c2 = High[i+2]>High[i+1];
c3 = High[i+2]>High[i+3];
c4 = High[i+2]>High[i+4];

// detection of a SP High with 2 equal middle highs
c5 = High[i+2]==High[i+3];
c6 = High[i+2]>High[i+0];
c7 = High[i+2]>High[i+1];
c8 = High[i+2]>High[i+4];
c9 = High[i+2]>High[i+5];

//detection of a standard SP Low
c10 = Low[i+2]<Low[i+0];
c11 = Low[i+2]<Low[i+1];
c12 = Low[i+2]<Low[i+3];
c13 = Low[i+2]<Low[i+4];

// detection of a SP Low with 2 equal middle lows
c14 = Low[i+2]==Low[i+3];
c15 = Low[i+2]<Low[i+0];
c16 = Low[i+2]<Low[i+1];
c17 = Low[i+2]<Low[i+4];
c18 = Low[i+2]<Low[i+5];

int a=0;
if(c1 && c2 && c3 && c4) a=+1;
if(a==0 && c5 && c6 && c7 && c8 && c9) a=+1;
if(a==0 && c10 && c11 && c12 && c13) a=-1;
if(a==0 && c14 && c15 && c16 && c17 && c18) a=-1;

if(a== -1)GlobalVariableSet(Symbol()+"SP",-1);
if(a== 1)GlobalVariableSet(Symbol()+"SP",1);
if(a== 0)GlobalVariableSet(Symbol()+"SP",0);

if(a== -1) ExtMapBuffer1[i]=-1;
if(a== -1) ExtMapBuffer1[i]=-1;
if(a== 1) ExtMapBuffer2[i]= 1;
if(a== 0) {
ExtMapBuffer2[i]=EMPTY_VALUE;
ExtMapBuffer1[i]=EMPTY_VALUE;
}
ExtMapBuffer3[i]=0;

}


//----
return(0);
}
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+

Not sure what you are trying to do,

GlobalVariableSet is for when you close a chart and then get it back when you reopen.

For global variable use String mMyVar = ""; before the init function.


then
if(a== -1)GlobalVariableSet(Symbol()+"SP",-1);
becomes
if(a == -1)
mMyVar = (Symbol() + " SP -1");

Hope that gives some help.

please learn to indent your code it makes it easier to read and more inclined to look at it.

Thank you but still not sure how i get the variable into the ea does

String mMyVar = "";

store the value as a global variable without having to use the set

thanks sorry for being dumb

Like I said not sure what you are trying to do.

It sets it as a global variable within the code for the indicator.

If you then want a different EA you would need to reference the indi from the EA using iCustom()

Not had time to study your code so cannot give the actual code for that at moment

In your EA try something like....

YourVar = iCustom(NULL, 0, "YourIndiName", Lime, Red, SlateGray, 3, ZZZ, 0)

Where ZZZ is the number of the buffer that you wish to reference.

reference for format ...
double iCustom( string symbol, int timeframe, string name, ..., int mode, int shift)


HTH

You have 4 inputs:
i=bar you want to read data for.
Any errors in the parameters for iCustom may make it fail silently. Make sure all parameters are present and correct.

Works a treat thank you

hey censura..... sometimes it's best just to code a signal into the ea itself rather than calling the signal via icustom or global variables....

rather than target "a" in your example, it might be better to target the buffers themselves..... and perhaps move the GlobalVariableSet outside the for(i=0;i<counted_bars;i++){ loop .....

my choice would be to use a simple function included in the ea and drop the indicator all together...... there are some drawbacks to using globalvariables.......h


brief example.....

hayseed

what most people dont know is if they call the iCostom() function it loads a second copy of the indicator (that is assuming that it is visible on the chart) the second copy is attached to the EA or script and runs within the trading thread this will slow down the EA as it has to run the indicator code at the time the call is made. This is also is the case with the built in indicators as well. If you call a few indicator it can add to the EAs run time. So if you have an indicator running on the chart and you call it from with in the EA you actually have two copies running, one on the main thread and one on the trade thread.

so if you code the indicator in side the EA it donot in most cases slow down the EA any more then to call the data with iCustom, as both ways it has to run the inidcator code with in the EA.

Using the global varible can save run time if you have the indicator running on the chart and it sends a value to a global and the ea reads the global it will not have to run the indicator code from within its own code and on the trade thread. If you have a number of indicator codes that use this way you can greatly reduce the EAs run time if it needs data from all of them.

But like you say they have built in problems, one big one is that you can only send them data of init type they will not take doubles or strings, two only one data point can be transmitted to one global, three other programs running on a different window can see them and change them, four they are saved between program runs and you can have your EA trigger an event if it reads that older data before its updated.

I have posted some code blocks of a different way of communicating between programs running within a given window where only the programs in that window can access them. This example only handles one bit of data of double type, I have others that can handle up to 6 bits of data at the same time and any data type including strings,

this has never been posted before you'll have to study it as it is writen in my useal style and may take time to understand.


Keit

In case any one is interested this is my newest code, it works with mouse clicks and the arrow keys on your keyboard.

Keit