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Plot News / Downloader version 4.00

  • #21
  • Oct 9, 2015 11:58am Oct 9, 2015 11:58am
Quoting hanover
{quote} Pedro, Thanks for your kind comments. Try the following (copy/paste it as one continuous line): <event> <title>n[T60]</title> <country>c[T3]</country> <date><![CDATA[d[D-M-Y]]]></date> <time><![CDATA[t[th:Ma]]]></time> <impact><![CDATA[i[T20]]]></impact> <forecast><![CDATA[f[T20]]]></forecast> <previous><![CDATA[p[T20]]]></previous> </event> That's the nearest I can get to the FF calendar's XML format, without making significant modifications to the software itself. I will include this format in the dropdown list, in the next release of...
That's so nice of you!
Anyway, another problem to solve is the order of the events. ForextFactory XML seems to put everything in alphabetical order, no matter if the Title is the information that comes first. Please, keep me updated, whenever the new version is published!
  • #22
  • Oct 10, 2015 5:54pm Oct 10, 2015 5:54pm
Quoting pedrosimao
{quote} That's so nice of you! Anyway, another problem to solve is the order of the events. ForextFactory XML seems to put everything in alphabetical order, no matter if the Title is the information that comes first. Please, keep me updated, whenever the new version is published!
You're correct, the software sorts the file alphabetically, starting with whatever characters it finds at the left of each line.

However, I've uploaded a new version, which only performs the sort if you either (1) specify an archive file, or (2) if you use the default output format in the dropdown list. This is necessary in each of these cases, for the Plot News 4-00 indicator to work correctly. But if you don't want the sort to occur, make sure that you leave the 'Archive filename' blank, and don't select the default output format (which you won't be doing, because you'll be using the XML output format, which I've included in the dropdown list in the new version). If the sort doesn't occur, then the events in the output file should be in the same order that they appear on the Forex Factory calendar, with one possible exception: events that are untimed (i.e. have something like 'Tentative' or 'All day' in the time column) receive a timestamp of 00:01 (one second after midnight). That's because it is necessary for all events to have a valid time value so that the Plot News 4-00 indicator knows which candle to plot them under on the MT4 chart.

Please note that the software's primary goal is to create news output that's suitable for (1) plotting on MT4 charts, and (2) an export to a third party product like Excel. It was never designed to deal with XML output. Hence the above is as near as I can get it. The software is free and is offered on a 'take it or leave it basis'.
  • #23
  • Oct 10, 2015 11:20pm Oct 10, 2015 11:20pm
Yet another case of high profile poster offering forex ancillary services.....so when are you planning to start writing a book about forex trading ?

Kindest rgds,

GS.
  • #24
  • Oct 12, 2015 3:27am Oct 12, 2015 3:27am
Quoting hanover
{quote} If the sort doesn't occur, then the events in the output file should be in the same order that they appear on the Forex Factory calendar, with one possible exception: events that are untimed (i.e. have something like 'Tentative' or 'All day' in the time column) receive a timestamp of 00:01 (one second after midnight).
That's excellent! Exactly what I needed. I will be now able to backtest my EAs that use News Filter! I am so happy!
I can use this website to format the XML file correctly: http://www.freeformatter.com/xml-formatter.html
But there is one last bug that need to be corrected: when there is no data for forecast or previous the software exports the results like this:
<forecast><![CDATA[]]></forecast> <previous><![CDATA[]]></previous>
But this is not how XML standard should be. Instead we should simply get this:
<forecast /><previous />
  • #25
  • Oct 12, 2015 5:30am Oct 12, 2015 5:30am
Hanover,
I am now trying to export my file, but I realized there is a 4h and 20 minutes difference from the time data exported from your software to the forexfactory xml.
Concerning the 4h it is not a big deal since I can manually adjust the GMT offset.
But I find no solution for the 20 minutes problem.
It is very strange that the exported data it is actually 20 minutes early than the real events.
Are there any solutions for that?
  • #26
  • Oct 12, 2015 5:52am Oct 12, 2015 5:52am
Actually I have just found out that the differences in minutes seem to be random...
Some events will vary in 20 minutes, other in 10, other in 30, other in 15 ...
When I export it to the CSV format I don't have such problems... it only occurs while trying to export in XML format.
So, there is still a bug to be corrected before trying to export to XML format.
  • #27
  • Oct 12, 2015 6:15am Oct 12, 2015 6:15am
Ok,
There is a bug, but I just found a way to convert it myself.
I go here:
http://www.freeformatter.com/csv-to-xml-converter.html
And use this template:

<event>
<title>##5##</title>
<country>##3##</country>
<date><![CDATA[##1##]]></date>
<time><![CDATA[##2##]]></time>
<impact><![CDATA[##4##]]></impact>
<forecast ><![CDATA[##6##]]></forecast>
<previous><![CDATA[##7##]]></previous>
</event>

It makes the trick for me!
  • #28
  • Oct 12, 2015 6:33am Oct 12, 2015 6:33am
Anyway,
The time problem was not related to XML format, but to the template you did.
It should not be written t[th:Ma], but t[th:Ia] instead...
Thanks a lot for everything!
  • #29
  • Oct 12, 2015 9:14am Oct 12, 2015 9:14am
Quoting pedrosimao
Anyway, The time problem was not related to XML format, but to the template you did. It should not be written t[th:Ma], but t[th:Ia] instead... Thanks a lot for everything!
You're absolutely correct. Sorry about the bug; very careless of me.
Many thanks for pointing it out, and also for the link, which could be very useful to me in the future.
I will upload a new version to post #1, with the corrected NewsDownloader.fmt file.
  • #30
  • Oct 12, 2015 10:56am Oct 12, 2015 10:56am
Quoting hanover
{quote} I will upload a new version to post #1, with the corrected NewsDownloader.fmt file.
I can only thank you to everything you are doing.
I just have a last question for you. Is it possible to export only news of high impact to the CSV file? maybe by manipulating the template ?
  • #31
  • Oct 13, 2015 3:11pm Oct 13, 2015 3:11pm
Quoting pedrosimao
{quote} I can only thank you to everything you are doing. I just have a last question for you. Is it possible to export only news of high impact to the CSV file? maybe by manipulating the template ?
Currently this is not possible, except by channelling the export through the news indicator (but this won't help you, as it can't output XML format). I will look at adding some more filters in the next release, but it might be a while as I'm busy with other projects now.
  • #32
  • Oct 19, 2015 10:29am Oct 19, 2015 10:29am
Is there an MT5 version?
  • #33
  • Oct 19, 2015 1:06pm Oct 19, 2015 1:06pm
Quoting vifia
Is there an MT5 version?
No. Sorry.
  • #34
  • Oct 25, 2015 9:09pm Oct 25, 2015 9:09pm
Hi hanover,

Been meaning to send my congrats for the shiny new PLOT_NEWS version. Have been missing being able to look back at what caused what as this is a lot simpler that trying to do it on FF main page. Looks like MT4 is having a revival despite the competition, and believe it is the world's largest store of open source trading software. Let's hope FXCM doesn't try and steal all robots/indicators thu some kind of copyright machinations.
  • #35
  • Edited 4:55pm Oct 30, 2015 4:35pm | Edited 4:55pm
Hi Hanover,

I think I have followed the PDF instructions yet I am getting this message, "can't find news file".

Any ideas of what I am doing wrong?

Thank you

Dale
Attached Image
  • #36
  • Oct 30, 2015 7:17pm Oct 30, 2015 7:17pm
Quoting obob
{quote} The news file in the zip file is called allnews.csv that is what you type in proprties when you put indicator on the charts.
First you need to run the downloader: go to MT4, choose File..... Open Data Folder....... then folder MQL4..... Files....... (see screenshot 1). Run the NewsDownloader application and use the default settings. Click OK.

Then go back to MT4, attach the Plot News v4-00 indicator, and leave NewsInputFile as news.csv (see screenshot 2)
Again take the default settings, and you should see the news appear as shown in screenshot 2

If you want the fancy color settings (see the screenshot back in post #1), set ParameterFile to 2

NOTE: The allnews.csv file contains all 38,000+ news events dating back to 2007. If you try to load that into MT4, you'll probably freeze up MT4 as it will run out of memory!!
Attached Image(s) (click to enlarge)
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Click to Enlarge Name: PPI 083.png Size: 89 KB
  • #37
  • Oct 30, 2015 7:47pm Oct 30, 2015 7:47pm
Hi Hanover,

I saw that I did not install the files folder in the correct place, I have some news events showing now. Next I need to read the PDF and figure out how to display the past news events also

Thank you for such a fast reply.

Dale
Attached Image
  • #38
  • Oct 30, 2015 11:18pm Oct 30, 2015 11:18pm
Quoting Dale
Hi Hanover, I saw that I did not install the files folder in the correct place, I have some news events showing now. Next I need to read the PDF and figure out how to display the past news events also Thank you for such a fast reply. Dale {image}
Sorry, I missed your post. I was replying to obob but now it appears that his post has disappeared and yours has popped up in its place. Anyway, it sounds like you are OK now, but if you have any further questions, please feel welcome to ask and I'll do my best to answer them.
  • #39
  • Nov 5, 2015 9:22am Nov 5, 2015 9:22am
Hanover, fantastic work as always. Blows my mind the level of detail you go into with your implementations, thank you!

Would it be okay to make a (hopefully) simple request though? Would you mind copying the the Download News v4-00 script code into an EA that downloads the data from FF on every new candle? We can then set the frequency that we download news automatically by putting it onto a chart and selecting the time-frame of the chart or something similar. There is currently no way that I know of to call the script from an EA.

Huge thanks

M
  • #40
  • Edited 5:44pm Nov 5, 2015 5:25pm | Edited 5:44pm
Quoting mlewis
Hanover, fantastic work as always. Blows my mind the level of detail you go into with your implementations, thank you! Would it be okay to make a (hopefully) simple request though? Would you mind copying the the Download News v4-00 script code into an EA that downloads the data from FF on every new candle? We can then set the frequency that we download news automatically by putting it onto a chart and selecting the time-frame of the chart or something similar. There is currently no way that I know of to call the script from an EA. Huge thanks M
Thanks for your feedback.

Something like this was requested several years ago for one of the earlier Plot News versions. Forex Factory contacted me and asked me not to proceed with it, because there was no way of controlling the potential risk of overloading their servers (consider the possibility of several hundred users simultaneously running such an EA, with it downloading the calendar every time a new M1 candle forms).

However, maybe things have changed in the meantime. I've attached the source code for the Download News v4-00 script** to post #1, and will leave it to you to copy the ShellExecuteA code needed to call News Downloader.exe into your EA. I guess if you retain the EA for your own private use, then the risk of server overload is minimized. You could also take the precaution of contacting FF if you wanted to.

[** NOTE: this was written and compiled using MetaEditor build 509. You will also need the code libraries from either here (build 509 compatible) or here (build 600+ compatible; many thanks to pips4life for upgrading them).]
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