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MT4 and the EA's

  • #1
  • First Post: Jul 9, 2013 1:15am Jul 9, 2013 1:15am
OK, I have other query's. I haven't done anything with EA's before and want to know a few basic things and try and get a handle on them.

1. Dont those programs ending in EX4 have to go into the Experts folder?
2. Dont those ending in mq4 go into the Indicator folder?
3. If the above is true then what does the following mean? "UniversalMACrossEA.mq4"
I open this in MetaEditor and find it's an EA !!??
4. Sometimes when I download an indicator it seems to have an EA attached automatically in the Indicator folder, why?
5. Some indicators ( ie *.mq4 ) wont work because they turn out to be EA's !!??
6. Is there a web page I can read about this stuff?

I am quite familiar with indicators and those that dont work I simply delete and ignore. Perhaps I need to treat some of these EA's the same way ?
Good Trading to All ---- fairwind
  • #2
  • Jul 9, 2013 1:30am Jul 9, 2013 1:30am
Quoting fairwind
OK, I have other query's. I haven't done anything with EA's before and want to know a few basic things and try and get a handle on them. 1. Dont those programs ending in EX4 have to go into the Experts folder? 2. Dont those ending in mq4 go into the Indicator folder? 3. If the above is true then what does the following mean? "UniversalMACrossEA.mq4" I open this in MetaEditor and find it's an EA !!?? 4. Sometimes when I download an indicator it seems to have an EA attached automatically in the Indicator folder, why? 5. Some indicators ( ie *.mq4...

MQL4 files are the source code
EX4 are the compiled MQL4 files
Indicators, Eas and scripts all have both types of files but if you have not coded them yourself, you may not have the MQL4 file.
You cannot tell by the file type if they are an EA, script or indicator, but you have to put them in the correct folders.
Please Do Not PM Me With Coding Enquiries
  • #3
  • Jul 9, 2013 1:56am Jul 9, 2013 1:56am
  •  FerruFx
  • Joined May 2007 | Status: MT4/MT5 EAs/Indicators/Alerts coder | 6,542 Posts | Online Now
Yes Gumrai is right.

Basically the .mq4 is the file used by the coder and the .ex4 is the compiled file used by the platform.
MT4/MT5 EAs/Indicators/Alerts coder
  • #4
  • Jul 9, 2013 2:16am Jul 9, 2013 2:16am
the ex4 file format is only used for decomiling and decompressing purposes.

the ex4 file format file should never be used for any other reason.

happy trading,

zero/.
contact zero 510-684-1114
  • #5
  • Jul 9, 2013 4:23am Jul 9, 2013 4:23am
  •  FerruFx
  • Joined May 2007 | Status: MT4/MT5 EAs/Indicators/Alerts coder | 6,542 Posts | Online Now
Quoting slam.dunk
the ex4 file format is only used for decomiling and decompressing purposes. the ex4 file format file should never be used for any other reason. happy trading, zero/.
If you don't have .ex4 file, you won't be able to apply indicators/EAs on your chart. The platform uses the .ex4 files ... not the .mq4
MT4/MT5 EAs/Indicators/Alerts coder
  • #6
  • Jul 9, 2013 4:47am Jul 9, 2013 4:47am
Quoting FerruFx
{quote} If you don't have .ex4 file, you won't be able to apply indicators/EAs on your chart. The platform uses the .ex4 files ... not the .mq4
this is a fully compliant union shop.

thank you.
contact zero 510-684-1114
  • #7
  • Jul 9, 2013 4:52am Jul 9, 2013 4:52am
  •  FerruFx
  • Joined May 2007 | Status: MT4/MT5 EAs/Indicators/Alerts coder | 6,542 Posts | Online Now
Quoting slam.dunk
{quote} that is what i said.
Sorry but reading again your post I can't see that ...

You said that the ex4 is only for decompiling/decompressing purpose.
MT4/MT5 EAs/Indicators/Alerts coder
  • #8
  • Jul 9, 2013 5:06am Jul 9, 2013 5:06am
Quoting FerruFx
{quote} Sorry but reading again your post I can't see that ... You said that the ex4 is only for decompiling/decompressing purpose.
so you understand about decompiling and decompressing of indicator files?

that is good.
contact zero 510-684-1114
  • #9
  • Jul 9, 2013 8:41am Jul 9, 2013 8:41am
This goes a long way to explain my confusion ....

"Indicators, Eas and scripts all have both types of files but if you have not coded them yourself, you may not have the MQL4 file. You cannot tell by the file type if they are an EA, script or indicator, but you have to put them in the correct folders."

Thanks Gumrai. So how do I tell/discover the difference between each of them?

I will leave the next lot for another day ....

"If you don't have .ex4 file, you won't be able to apply indicators/EAs on your chart. The platform uses the .ex4 files ... not the .mq4"

Thanks FerruFx

I think there is a book somewhere that teaches programming, isn't there? Any clues about where I can get a copy?
Good Trading to All ---- fairwind
  • #10
  • Edited 1:51pm Jul 9, 2013 1:00pm | Edited 1:51pm
Quoting fairwind
6. Is there a web page I can read about this stuff?

http://book.mql4.com

you can also search youtube.com for METATRADER PROGRAMMING TUTORIAL..

http://www.youtube.com/results?searc...mming+tutorial

that should keep you busy..
contact zero 510-684-1114
  • #11
  • Jul 9, 2013 1:04pm Jul 9, 2013 1:04pm
Quoting fairwind
So how do I tell/discover the difference between each of them?
indicators have one of these lines in the code (at the beginning):

#property indicator_chart_window
#property indicator_separate_window

libraries have this line:

#property library

EAs, scripts are not so easy to identify, these usually have some order management functions, for example OrderSend()
  • #12
  • Jul 9, 2013 1:12pm Jul 9, 2013 1:12pm
personally, i never did understand why metatrader has decided to put indicators into one subdirectory and then the trading bots(ea's) in another subdirectory and then scripts are an entirely different animal(i have never personally written or used a script, lol)..

the basic mt4 program types are: indicators and expertadvisors(ea's)..

1) indicators can make pretty graphs but can not process trade requests..

2) ea's can make trade calls but can not make pretty graphs.

oh my gawd, i will never understand why we could not have just made it as one file that goes in one subdirectory, but i am sure that metatrader probably had a very good reason, i am sure..

that is the basic differences between indicators and expertadvisors.

indicators are placed into the \EXPERTS\INDICATORS subdirectory.

expertadvisors(ea's) are placed into the \EXPERTS subdirectory.

happy coding.
contact zero 510-684-1114
  • #13
  • Jul 9, 2013 1:42pm Jul 9, 2013 1:42pm
Quoting slam.dunk
i will never understand why we could not have just made it as one file that goes in one subdirectory, but i am sure that metatrader probably had a very good reason, i am sure..
structure vs mess is a good reason, hopefully to everyone who has ever written a program.
  • #14
  • Jul 9, 2013 7:28pm Jul 9, 2013 7:28pm
OK, so my confusion can be put down to the Russian ( ?? ) creators of MT4/5. That's helpful, now I know who to bitch about, lol.

My thanks to szgy74 and slam.dunk for the extra info, the "book" URL and video's will take up the rest of my week or more likely the next couple of months!!

"that should keep you busy.." I'll say !!
Good Trading to All ---- fairwind
  • #15
  • Jul 9, 2013 9:30pm Jul 9, 2013 9:30pm
one really nice feature with metatarded is that we can attach a DLL to it.

this provides complete control over the computer to the computer engineer.

a dll is DYNAMIC LINK LIBRARY.

we can write a custom program in C language and then call these new functions from our metatrader EA.

to learn more, search google for: METATRADER DLL TUTORIAL
contact zero 510-684-1114
  • #16
  • Jul 9, 2013 10:23pm Jul 9, 2013 10:23pm
the first thing to do is to write your first indicator..

the basic structure of an indicator is:

int init()
{

}//end of init



int deinit()
{

}//end of deinit



int start()
{

if(MarketInfo("EURUSDct",MODE_BID)>1.29)
PlaySound("siren.wav");

}//end start
contact zero 510-684-1114
  • #17
  • Jul 10, 2013 1:20am Jul 10, 2013 1:20am
What is sometimes really annoying is that MT4 can not handle more than 512 experts, indicators, etc. in the directories.
When you have more than 512 the last ones simply don't appear in the terminal window.
  • #18
  • Last Post: Jul 10, 2013 1:57am Jul 10, 2013 1:57am
goto to www.mql4.com

there you will find all the documentation for the mql4 language, plus articles on creating indicators, ea's scripts etc, plus a forum dedicated to helping
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