Need a hand coding an MA cross EA

I'm trying to learn how to code expert advisers so I got something simple to start with.

The idea is for the EA to open a long position when price crosses a MA from below.

Than, when price comes back down and crosses the MA from above the long position would be closed and a short will be open.

The idea seems simple and the code below seems to be right but nothing happens.

Could somebody point me where my mistake is?




extern double Lots = 0.01;
extern int Slippage = 7;
extern string comment = "MA_Template";
extern int MagicNumber = 0;
/////////////////////////////////////
int ThisBarTrade = 0;
int Position = 0;

int init() {
CalcPosition();
}

int start() {
double MA;


bool closed = false;
if ( ThisBarTrade != Bars) {
MA = iMA(NULL,0,5,0,0,0,0);

// Buy Condition
if ( MA >= Bid && Position <=0) {
CalcPosition();
if (Position < 0) {
if ( CloseSingleSell() == false) return (0); // failure but it may try again
}
if (OpenSingleBuy() == false) return (0); // failure to buy but it may try again
ThisBarTrade = Bars;
}
// Sell Condition
if ( MA <= Ask && Position >= 0) {
CalcPosition();
if(Position > 0) {
if(CloseSingleBuy()== false) return(0); // failure but it may try again
}
if (OpenSingleSell() == false) return (0); // failure to sell but it may try again
ThisBarTrade = Bars;
}
}
}
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+

void CalcPosition() {
Position = 0;
for (int i = 0; i < OrdersTotal(); i++) {
OrderSelect(i, SELECT_BY_POS, MODE_TRADES);
if( OrderSymbol() == Symbol() ) {
if (OrderType() == OP_BUY) Position += 1;
if (OrderType() == OP_SELL) Position -=1;
}
}
}

bool CloseSingleBuy() {
bool closed;
for (int i = 0; i < OrdersTotal(); i++) {
OrderSelect(i, SELECT_BY_POS, MODE_TRADES);
if(Symbol() == OrderSymbol() && MagicNumber == OrderMagicNumber()) {
if ( OrderType() == OP_BUY) {
while(!IsTradeAllowed()) Sleep(MathRand() / 10);
RefreshRates();
closed = OrderClose( OrderTicket(), OrderLots(), Bid, Slippage, White);
Print ("Attempting to CloseSingleBuy order # " + i + " " + Bid);
if (closed == -1) {
return(false);
} else {
return(true);
}
}
}
}
return (false);
}

bool CloseSingleSell() {
bool closed;
for (int i = 0; i < OrdersTotal(); i++) {
OrderSelect(i, SELECT_BY_POS, MODE_TRADES);
if(Symbol() == OrderSymbol() && MagicNumber == OrderMagicNumber() ) {
if ( OrderType() == OP_SELL) {
while(!IsTradeAllowed()) Sleep(MathRand() / 10);
RefreshRates();
closed = OrderClose( OrderTicket(), OrderLots(), Ask, Slippage, White);
Print ("Attempting to CloseSingleSell order # " + i + " " + Ask);
if (closed == -1) {
return(false);
} else {
return(true);
}
}
}
}
return (false);
}

bool OpenSingleBuy() {
if (Position != 0) return(false);
int ticket = -1;
while(!IsTradeAllowed()) Sleep(MathRand() / 10);
RefreshRates();
ticket = OrderSend( Symbol(), OP_BUY, Lots, Ask, Slippage, 0.0, 0.0, comment + " buy", MagicNumber, 0, Lime);
if (ticket <0) {
Print ("Failed to OpenSingleBuy, error # ", GetLastError());
return (false);
} else {
Print ("Successfully placed order with OpenSingleBuy");
return (true);
}
return (false);
}

bool OpenSingleSell() {
if (Position != 0) return(false);
int ticket = -1;
while(!IsTradeAllowed()) Sleep(MathRand() / 10);
RefreshRates();
ticket = OrderSend( Symbol(), OP_SELL, Lots, Bid, Slippage, 0.0, 0.0, comment + " sell", MagicNumber, 0, Lime);
if (ticket <0) {
Print ("Failed to OpenSingleSell, error # ", GetLastError());
return (false);
} else {
Print ("Successfully placed order with OpenSingleSell");
return (true);
}
return (false);
}

I'm trying something even simpler but still no success.

The goal is to make the EA buy when the 1SMA and the 15SMA have the same value ( cross) but it is still not doing it.

Any help will be really appreciated.






//Declaration
double _Moving_Avarage;
double _Moving_Avarage_2;
bool _Compare;
bool _buy;

int start(){

//Level 1
_Moving_Avarage = iMA(Symbol(),0,15,0,0,0,0);
_Moving_Avarage_2 = iMA(Symbol(),0,1,0,0,0,0);
_Compare = 0 == 0;

//Level 2
if(_Compare && !__isExist(0))_buy = OrderSend(Symbol(),0,0.1,MarketInfo(Symbol(),MODE_ASK),100,200,0,"",__STRATEGY_MAGIC + 0)>=0;
return(0);
}

//Services
bool __selectOrderByMagic(int __magic){for(int __i=0;__i<OrdersTotal();__i++){if(OrderSelect(__i,SELECT_BY_POS,MODE_TRADES)&&OrderMagicNumber()==__STRATEGY_MAGIC+__magic)return(true);}return(false);}
bool __isExist(int __magic){return(__selectOrderByMagic(__magic));}

1) They almost never have the same value.

To detect a cross, you look for the previous bar to have the fast value above the slow value, and the current bar the fast value below the slow value (for short entries).

2) There are existing examples out there. Use them.

Hey RR thanks for the info.


My original idea was to find the exact moment when PRICE crosses a SMA. I'm using the 1SMA as a proxy because I don't know how to define the current price in a bar.

If you don't mind answering me. Why do we see (visually) the cross on the screen but the EA doesn't "see" it. Is there a price "range" I can define that would emulate more or less what I see in real time?

Thanks

What the EA sees are a set of numbers.

How do you translate a visual pattern to a set of numbers?

Post code using code tags and you'll likely get more help.
[CODE ][/CODE ]

I have not looked through your code as it has been un-formatted by the editor. However, here is an example of what you could do:

Exactly, thats why I'm having a hard time with the code.

I was under the impression that for metatrader to paint an MA crossing another or crossing price the numbers should be the same at the moment of the cross.

Si if " iMA " is sending a coordinate to X and Y axis to be painted, and the bar is being painted in function of the price in the same time and X,Y coordenates in my head " iMA " and " Bid " or " Ask ( or iMA and iMA in the case of MA cross) " should have the same value in this precise moment.

But I guess it does not work this way.

It's very rare for two different MAs to have the exact same value.

So you check relative MA movement.

Thanks for the input.

I messed up the whole thread when I mentioned the words MA CROSS.

My original point was to find a code that would find the value of a MA and the Bid or Ask price being painted in the bar.

Than I would have a order triggered at the exact tick the MA and the bar intersect each other.

I started using 2 MAs one of them set at 1 just as a proxy for the above explanation because I don't know what code gives price in real time.

So when 2 MA cross. How does metatrader paint the pixels in the screen.

When the pixels with numbers for colors etc are generated to be painted.

Somewhere the same coordinates X,Y ( numbers) are generated. The numbers should match at a given time otherwise the MAs would never cross. Right?

Maybe it's time you read this: book.mql4.com

LOL! I'm sorry RR I don't want to bother you. I'm slowly but surely reading the tutorials.

I'm probably messing up because of a preconception of how things SHOULD work instead of how they ACTUALLY work.


Thanks anyways!

Ah, my bad.

Anyway, there are complications you will have to take into consideration. If you are working on a tick by tick basis, the price will sometimes flip back and forth on either side of the MA causing your EA to open and close a lot of positions. You will need a buffer of some kind to handle that.

The EA is called on every tick.
Bid and Ask are the current prices for the tick being processed.
Bid for the current tick = Close[0] of the bar.
The data calculated by iMA() with index 0 is the current MA value.

Well, after thinking a little I believe that to achieve my goal the AE should get data from M1 MA.

So If I want a signal generated when price crosses lets say the 10SMA on the 1 hour chart.

I will have to code something about a M1, 600SMA.

The MA will not match perfectly a 1 hour 10SMA but at least I will have data from the last M1 bar which is just 1 minute behind instead of 60 minutes behind.

I guess I will have to try this and see if it looks like more real time.

Again thanks for all help folks!

Some of your comments suggest relative inexperience with programming in general.