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MT4 navigational tips and techniques

  • #841
  • Aug 10, 2014 7:57am Aug 10, 2014 7:57am
Quoting giovanni4000
{quote} Thank you Alifari. I can get the default (just 1 value) Lot now, but Is there another way to put "all" of lot from: "0.1 , 0.2 , .... 0.9" ?? I mean, i want to replace the 0.01 , 0.02, ... , 1.0, 2.0, .... from drop down menu. Just want to see: 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, .... 0.9 Sorry, i did not write it clear before .... Thanks
Check this thread with lots of order related scripts and ea, I think you will find what you are looking for.

http://www.forexfactory.com/showthread.php?t=193727
The purpose of knowledge is action, not knowledge
  • #842
  • Aug 11, 2014 12:08am Aug 11, 2014 12:08am
Quoting alifari
{quote} Check this thread with lots of order related scripts and ea, I think you will find what you are looking for. http://www.forexfactory.com/showthread.php?t=193727
Thanks alifari
  • #843
  • Edited 1:18pm Aug 22, 2014 1:03pm | Edited 1:18pm
Wow. Today I just found a solution to an MT4 behavior that has bugged me for a very long time. (Tested on build 670). Maybe some of you know this, but I was unaware.

This solution requires you have the source code to an indicator. (If you don't, there is a tedious solution described below, but perhaps you could ask that the .ex4 be re-compiled with the better "Solution" below).

Problem:
Suppose I have compiled the indicator and added it to a bunch of charts. But now, I've changed my mind about what I want the DEFAULT value of some external variable to be. If I change just the value, and re-compile, all of the old open charts still have the OLD value, even if I restart MT4.

The bothersome solution is to go through every chart, edit the indicator "Input" properties and push "Reset", then Ok the form. (Or delete and re-add the indicator). That updates to the new defaults. But if I have a lot of charts, on several different MT4 installations, this method is a big pain.

Solution:
What I discovered today is all I need to do is to make any change/addition/deletion to the name of any one external variable. The change to any one of them forces MT4 to update to the defaults of ALL of the external variables. The only drawback, which rarely applies to me, is if I have done an intentional override to some default value that I don't want to apply to every chart, only to one or just a few. If that's true, this solution is going to lose those overrides, so I'll need to redo those (few) changes.

My preference, just to be sure all defaults get updated with new versions, is to add a variable name where the name itself contains the version. Therefore when the version changes, I will edit the variable name, re-compile, and then all existing chart defaults will update all stale external values to the current default values. (Fyi, the changes took place immediately in the MT4 session tied to my MetaEditor; I didn't need to restart MT4).

extern string Version_v1_7 = "2014-Aug-22 by pips4life";

It doesn't matter whether this new external variable line is first or last or in between other external variables.

Bottom line: If you make any change/addition/deletion to the name of any one external variable, then your open charts will update to all the newest default values for all variables.
  • #844
  • Aug 22, 2014 6:22pm Aug 22, 2014 6:22pm
Quoting pips4life
extern string Version_v1_7 = "2014-Aug-22 by pips4life";
If you are coding on build 600+, you should use the new conventional language ... So in your example above, "input" is now used instead of"extern" ...
MT4/MT5 EAs/Indicators/Alerts coder
  • #845
  • Dec 10, 2014 3:33am Dec 10, 2014 3:33am
Hi MT4 experts,

I'm looking for code that can be called by an indicator that will query some Windows function that can tell me, at that very moment, whether or not the left-mouse button is being depressed and held down or not.

Why? Because I have indicators that look for objects, and when found, they do a lot of calculations and draw lots of objects, similar to a Volume Profile, if you will.

What's the big deal? Well when I actively move that object, I want my indy to skip the calculations and abort for a few seconds, and then try again with a new tick. If the object is being edited or moved by the user, I don't want to waste any CPU cycles on premature calculations. Far more of a problem, however, is that the CPU gets so completely tied up with my calculations, and it takes over the window, so that I *can't* continue to move my object to its final location. It gets especially crazy when lots of ticks are coming in quickly.

In build 670, there was a clever way I accomplished this. I had my code just write any property to the object, including a bogus property that made no sense. It didn't matter. What was true is that *if* the object was being moved or edited, live at that moment, then the Error Code would return "4202", which is that the object does not exist. Of course it did exist, but because of this error code, I knew it was being edited, so I skipped by calculations until a few seconds later. It worked great!

But not so anymore in build 745. This undocumented behavior has changed. Whether or not I am live-editing an object or not, I can still forcibly edit that object's properties with my program... or, my program goes off and does a bunch of wasted calculations, because the user is still moving the object. Either way, I don't want to do that. I really want to detect whether an object is being live edited or moved... or it's not.


It occurred to me that when I'm moving an object, my left-mouse button is always being held down, so if I can detect that, I can take care of the buik of my needs.
Yeah, it won't help me when I actually bring up the Properties window on an object to make editing changes to it, but that is far less of a problem for me. The biggest problem is when I'm moving the object.

Anyone know the Windows function(s) that I need? If so, code examples would be great too, but I just need some hints at least.
  • #846
  • Edited 8:42am Dec 10, 2014 8:32am | Edited 8:42am
Quoting pips4life
Hi MT4 experts, I'm looking for code that can be called by an indicator that will query some Windows function that can tell me, at that very moment, whether or not the left-mouse button is being depressed and held down or not. Why? Because I have indicators that look for objects, and when found, they do a lot of calculations and draw lots of objects, similar to a Volume Profile, if you will. What's the big deal? Well when I actively move that object, I want my indy to skip the calculations and abort for a few seconds, and then try again with a new...
Have you checked if any of the MT4 API functions could be used for what you want?
For example, OnChartEvent():
Inserted Code
void OnChartEvent(const int id, const long &lparam, const double &dparam, const string &sparam) {
int iMouseX, iMouseY, iMouseBtn;
 
  //Do stuff when left mouse button is down
  if (id==CHARTEVENT_MOUSE_MOVE) {
  iMouseX=(int)lparam;
  iMouseY=(int)dparam;
  iMouseBtn=(int)StringToInteger(sparam);
  // Do Stuff
  }
}


For the win32 API you should look at the following functions.
Inserted Code
#import "user32.dll"
// Constants
#define VK_LBUTTON      0x01
// Functions
void     keybd_event(int bVk,int bScan,int dwFlags,int dwExtraInfo);
void     mouse_event(int dwFlags,int dx,int dy,int dwData,int dwExtraInfo);
short    GetKeyState(int nVirtKey);
bool     GetAsyncKeyState(int nVirtKey);
Google each function for more info and use examples on MSDN.
You probably want something like this:
Inserted Code
iLeftMouse=GetKeyState(VK_LBUTTON) & 0x80;
  • #847
  • Dec 10, 2014 10:39am Dec 10, 2014 10:39am
Quoting Xaphod
{quote} Have you checked if any of the MT4 API functions could be used for what you want? For example, OnChartEvent()...
Thanks Xaphod for responding. I hadn't yet tried that new function, but with my first attempt, it does not seem to solve my problem. The problem is with the sequence of events. (Fyi, I've proven that I can pass the information via a global program variable to the start() routine, so the concept ought to work).

For example, I tried this:
Inserted Code
#property copyright "Copyright 2014, MetaQuotes Software Corp."
#property link      "http://www.mql5.com"
#property version   "1.00"
#property strict
#property indicator_chart_window
 
bool chartObjectBusy = false;
bool chartEvent = false;
string objName = "AAA";
  
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//| Custom indicator iteration function                              |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
int start()
  {
 
   if (chartObjectBusy) Alert("start function detected chartObjectBusy=true");
  
   if (chartEvent) {Alert("A tick indicates that a chart event occurred"); chartEvent = false; }
  
   return(0);
  
  }
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
void OnChartEvent(const int id,         // Event ID
                  const long& lparam,   // Parameter of type long event
                  const double& dparam, // Parameter of type double event
                  const string& sparam  // Parameter of type string events
                 )
  {
     if (id==CHARTEVENT_OBJECT_DRAG && sparam == objName)
     {
        chartObjectBusy = true;
     }
     else chartObjectBusy = false;
    
    
     if (chartObjectBusy) Alert("BUSY OBJECT ",objName);
     else if (ObjectFind(objName) < 0) Alert("Please create an object named: ",objName);
     else Alert("Object ",objName," Not busy");
    
     //Uncomment below to prove that a chart event can pass info into the start() routine
     //chartEvent = true;
  }

To use the above, add it to a chart, and then click somewhere in the chart. It will tell you to create an object named 'AAA'. Do that (such as a trendline).

Now when you click&release anywhere, you see a "Not busy" popup. It is detecting mouse events so far.

Now try click&hold of the object, and move it around. Nothing happens yet. You are moving the object, and ideally, the shared variable "chartObjectBusy" should already be true, such that with any incoming ticks, the start() function should detect it and give you a popup message... but it doesn't.

Now release the object. Immediately you will see a "BUSY OBJECT" message, instantly followed by "Not busy".

So for an instant, it "worked", but the instant was upon the *release* of the held mouse button, rather than at the onset of holding the mouse button. Therefore, this function does not yet solve my problem.


Any further tips or ideas about using MT4 functions that may help? I've yet to try the Windows API functions you suggested, but thanks for that also, because those might work for me.

Thanks!
  • #848
  • Edited 1:50pm Dec 10, 2014 1:32pm | Edited 1:50pm
In true betaquotes fashion, the functions do not really do what one needs/expects them to do so you should read the function descriptions properly and be disappointed.

I do not know the current state but when trying to use it quite some time ago the CHARTEVENT_OBJECT_DRAG signaled only when the object was released. Practically useless as I wanted to update an object that was being dragged as it was being dragged.

What you have to do is - check if the mouse is moving / mouse button is clicked / mouse button is released / chart object dragged - and base your decisions on a suitable set and sequence of that. You can use either the win32 API or the MT4 API to do it.

edit:
To detect object moving one has to save their position and then check if the position of the object has changed.
  • #849
  • Dec 10, 2014 5:57pm Dec 10, 2014 5:57pm
Quoting Xaphod
I do not know the current state but when trying to use it quite some time ago the CHARTEVENT_OBJECT_DRAG signaled only when the object was released.
Yes I confirm. Tried it in the earlier 600+ ...
MT4/MT5 EAs/Indicators/Alerts coder
  • #850
  • Jan 12, 2015 4:28pm Jan 12, 2015 4:28pm
Hi, Does anybody know how to look through the currency pairs quicker than dragging and dropping from the market watch window to the chart? If there was one key you could press like arrow down to scroll through the currency pairs whilst keeping your current template that would be a great timesaver! Cheers
  • #851
  • Jan 12, 2015 6:13pm Jan 12, 2015 6:13pm
Quoting jmmoss
Hi, Does anybody know how to look through the currency pairs quicker than dragging and dropping from the market watch window to the chart? If there was one key you could press like arrow down to scroll through the currency pairs whilst keeping your current template that would be a great timesaver! Cheers
Set one pair per profile then switch between profiles with Ctrl+F5 / Shift+F5.
MT4/MT5 EAs/Indicators/Alerts coder
  • #852
  • Jan 16, 2015 6:24am Jan 16, 2015 6:24am
hi again

I just bought a new laptop. trying to download indicators to my alpari mt4 account. however, I get a message saying I do not have permission to download. also, administrator permission is required or something like that. furthermore when I select the folder to download the indi to, I click on alpari mt4, but it does not give me the ''indicators'' folder to download it to, the indicators folder seems to be missing.

can anyone help ? iam inept with computers.
  • #853
  • Edited 5:42am Jan 17, 2015 5:22am | Edited 5:42am
Quoting whatfx
hi again I just bought a new laptop. trying to download indicators to my alpari mt4 account. however, I get a message saying I do not have permission to download. also, administrator permission is required or something like that. furthermore when I select the folder to download the indi to, I click on alpari mt4, but it does not give me the ''indicators'' folder to download it to, the indicators folder seems to be missing. can anyone help ? iam inept with computers.
I think I know what your your problem is, Metaquotes have done major changes to Mt4 since after build 600,
so after that we can't add indicators and EA's as before. this has caused a lot of problems for everyone using Mt4 across the board,
many indicators and Ea's just stopped to work and a lot of hard work and investments into developing indicators and EA's was lost .
Thanks Metaquotes idiot programmers for that!

to add new indicators in the new Mt4 you go to "file" in the menu section, then "open data folder"
then you are in the root of the Mt4, then go inside MQL4 and finally indicators,
and drop them in there, after that you must restart Mt4,

if that doesn't help, then try to see if you can download from other sites, if that work, then the problem is with Alparis webpage.
btw! don't try to download them directly to your Mt4 indicator folder as that might also be the reason,
save them to desktop first, and then drop them in the indicator folder manually.
I trust you are using Windows Os? if you are using anything else then thats the problem.
Mt4 is built for Windows, trying to use Mt4 on a mac or linux and you will have problems for sure.
even tho I know it's possible, but only for power users

I hope that helps, cheers
Bulls are stupid Animals!especially when Im short!
  • #854
  • Jan 20, 2015 8:17am Jan 20, 2015 8:17am
Quoting roughtrader
{quote} I think I know what your your problem is, Metaquotes have done major changes to Mt4 since after build 600, so after that we can't add indicators and EA's as before. this has caused a lot of problems for everyone using Mt4 across the board, many indicators and Ea's just stopped to work and a lot of hard work and investments into developing indicators and EA's was lost . Thanks Metaquotes idiot programmers for that! to add new indicators in the new Mt4 you go to "file" in the menu section, then "open data folder" then you are in the root of...

thanks roughtrader. will try this tonight and get back to you.
  • #855
  • Jan 21, 2015 7:51am Jan 21, 2015 7:51am
Thanks, Roughtrader! This works.

In case it helps anyone else I'll expand a bit on my personal experience of trying to implement it. Having had a demo with Alpari for several years (though I trade mostly on IG), I had saved my small collection of indicators - most of them greatly overrated and unused for quite a while of course! - into a separate folder on the desktop when the Alpari demo closed last weekend.

I was dismayed to find that broker after broker was offering MT4 demos apparently without any possibility of loading existing custom indicators into them. MT4 help was useless of course. A chat person in Customer Services at FXPro suggested that I should Open the Data Folder and put my indicators there (nowhere specific within the DF), but she seemed to think I should have to cut and paste the source code for each indicator, one by one, into the DF, and then try to recompile each one.... I'm afraid I didn't take that suggestion, helpful as it was no doubt intended to be, any further!

But emboldened by your instructions, I lobbed my complete "custom" folder into the Experts subfolder in MQL (you'll recall that custom indicators used to go in .../experts/indicators in the lamented sensible program path of pre-600). This produced a complete list of them in the Navigator window, which was encouraging, but no action when "applying to a chart". The indicators' icons all wore fetching little blue hats, like the experts already loaded, so I concluded MT might be trying to read them as if they were experts not indicators. Delete my "custom" folder from there, reload it into .../MQL/indicators, rename it "custom indicators" so that I don't get totally lost, and BINGO! we have a complete folder-full of working custom indicators, just like I had before Alpari sadly sank. Similarly the one Expert I do use (TradeSimulator for testing possible tweaks to my usual strategy) works perfectly from its new home in ...MQL/experts.

Also, of course, if one wants to download an indicator from a thread on these forums as one used to do so easily, it's not much more difficult to drop it into ...MQL/indicators.

Using Windows 7, the Data Folder which opens is a standard Windows Explorer type of window, and you can safely exit the MT4 window itself, which of course frees up room on the desktop & makes the pasting into ...MQL/indicators much easier. IT IS DEFINITELY WORTH making a desktop shortcut to the Data Folder window for future use, as it does NOT live in the main MT folder and has a name consisting of about 100 random letters and numbers such as only our computers can dream up.

So thanks v.much for your help, Roughtrader! Hope these further snippets may help others similarly.

George H
  • #856
  • Jan 21, 2015 1:50pm Jan 21, 2015 1:50pm
You're just finding that out now?

https://www.cashbackforex.com/NewsAr...Build-600.aspx
It takes a lot for me to IGNORE you, but you can try.
  • #857
  • Jan 21, 2015 2:42pm Jan 21, 2015 2:42pm
Quoting FerruFx
{quote} If you are coding on build 600+, you should use the new conventional language ... So in your example above, "input" is now used instead of"extern" ...
Just a minor observation: input has not replaced extern because they do subtly different things.
You can modify an extern parameter on the fly, for example by using a button or edit box or simply within the code itself. You can't do this with an input.
  • #858
  • Jan 21, 2015 6:06pm Jan 21, 2015 6:06pm
Quoting honestknave
{quote} Just a minor observation: input has not replaced extern because they do subtly different things. You can modify an extern parameter on the fly, for example by using a button or edit box or simply within the code itself. You can't do this with an input.
Yes that's right that input variables can't be changed like extern ones are.
MT4/MT5 EAs/Indicators/Alerts coder
  • #859
  • Jan 23, 2015 6:52am Jan 23, 2015 6:52am
I have a question about Mt4, when I right click to set a limit order, it say 0.02 lot size, how can I change this? thanks for any help
Bulls are stupid Animals!especially when Im short!
  • #860
  • Jan 23, 2015 7:16am Jan 23, 2015 7:16am
Quoting roughtrader
I have a question about Mt4, when I right click to set a limit order, it say 0.02 lot size, how can I change this? thanks for any help
When you use the context menu to place a 'quick' pending order, it will take the lot size from whatever is set in the 1 click trading window.
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