MetaTrader Australia » Indicators

MetaTrader 5 – Migrating from MQL4 to MQL5

admin — Mon, 17 May 2010 23:13:16 +0000

This article is a quick guide to MQL4 language functions, it will help you to migrate your programs from MQL4 to MQL5. For each MQL4 function (except trading functions) the description and MQL5 implementation are presented, it allows you to reduce the conversion time significantly. For convenience, the MQL4 functions are divided into groups, similar to MQL4 Reference.

Introduction

Many developers have accumulated a lot of indicators and trading strategies written in MQL4. To use them in Metatrader 5, they should be converted to MQL5. It’s not so easy to rewrite all programs in MQL5. It would be much easier to convert them, if there were a translation-reference, and better with examples.

In this article I would like to suggest my version of a guide to migrate from MQL4 to MQL5.

Topics Covered

Chart Periods
Declaring Contants
Predefined Variables
Account Information
Array Functions
Checkup
Client Terminal
Common Functions
Conversion Functions
Custom Indicators
Date and Time Functions
File Functions
Global Variables
Mathematical Functions
Object Functions
String Functions
Technical Indicators
Timeseries Access
Chart Operations

Read the full article at http://www.mql5.com/en/articles/81

MetaTrader 5 – How to call indicators in MQL5

admin — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 02:46:24 +0000

In MQL5 there are several ways to call indicators, and they are mostly carried out using IndicatorCreate() and iCustom() functions. Moreover, these functions only return indicator handle, and further work on indicators is done through it. So what is a handle? How to deal with IndicatorCreate() and iCustom() functions? And how your expert will get indicator data? All these questions are covered in this article.

Creating a source file

To begin with our expert, let’s create it’s source file. We’ll do this pretty much as in the MetaEditor4 by calling the MQL5 Wizard from File -> New menu. On the first step select the Expert Advisor and press Next.

Read full article at http://www.mql5.com/en/articles/43

Applying One Indicator to Another – MetaTrader 5

admin — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 04:22:34 +0000

Let’s consider a task of improving an indicator, which is applied to values of another indicator. In this article we’ll continue to work with True Strength Index (TSI), which was created and considered in the previous article “MQL5: Create Your Own Indicator“.

Custom Indicator Based on Other Indicator’s Values

When writing an indicator that uses the short form of the OnCalculate() function call, you might miss the fact that an indicator can be calculated not only by price data, but also by data of some other indicator (no matter whether it is a built-in or custom one).

Let’s make a simple experiment: attach the built-in RSI indicator with standard settings to a chart, and drag the True_Strength_Index_ver2.mq5 custom indicator to the RSI indicator window. In the Parameters tab of the appeared window specify that the indicator should be applied to Previous Indicator’s Data (RSI(14)).

Continue to read the full article at http://www.mql5.com/en/articles/15

MetaTrader Tips – Chart Templates

admin — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 03:41:41 +0000

By using Chart Templates the chart background, bars colors, indicators and objects can be saved and used on other charts.

To do this, setup any chart as you wish: set colors, superpose objects, attach indicators, etc. Then select the “Charts -> Template -> Save Template…” menu and save the obtained template as default.tpl

Decorating Indicators – MetaTrader 4

admin — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 02:27:44 +0000

Introduction

What is an indicator? It is a tool intended for displaying a certain type of data. Usually it is information about the price series properties, exactly this type of indicators will be considered further.

Each indicator also has its own properties and characteristics: for example, the range of values, the overbuying/overselling zones, the line crossing, tops and bottoms… They are numerous and can be successively used together with the main indicator values. However, such properties are not always vivid. The reasons can be different – small size of the indicator window, lower concentration, etc.

The purpose of this article is to help you to improve the descriptive and informational value of indicators, as well as partial automation and facilitation of the code implementation process. I hope the code below will cause no difficulties both for professional developers and beginners.

The article is intended for those who have at least the starting level of MQL4 knowledge and can implement simple ideas and algorithms in a code, as well as knows about the structure of code storage in the terminal and can use the libraries (experts/libraries) and header files (experts/include).

View the full article at http://articles.mql4.com/838

Recipes for Neuronets

admin — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 04:06:47 +0000

Not so long ago – at the dawn of technical analysis when by far not all traders had computers – people appeared that tried to predict future prices using formulas and regularities invented by them. They were often called charlatans. Time went on, methods of information processing became more complicated, and now there can hardly be traders indifferent to technical analysis. Any beginning trader can easily utilize charts, various indicators, search for regularities.

The number of forex-traders grows daily. Together with that their requirements for market analyzing methods grow. One of such “relatively” new methods is the use of theoretically fuzzy logics and neural networks. We see that topics devoted to these questions are being actively discussed on various thematic forums. They do exist, and will go on existing. A human that entered the market will hardly ever leave it. While it is the challenge to one’s intelligence, brain and strength of will. That is why a trader never ceases to study something new and to use various approaches in practice.

In this article we will analyze basics of neuronet creation, will learn about the notion of Kohonen neural net and will talk a little about methods of trading optimization. This article is first of all intended for traders who are only at their beginning in studying neuronets and principles of information processing.

To read the full article, please visit: http://articles.mql4.com/783

Analysis of 30 Indicators and Oscillators

admin — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 02:51:32 +0000

The abundance of indicators and oscillators developed nowadays inevitably leads to the problem of choosing the most efficient of them. Very often a beginning trader first facing this plenty of available analysis and forecasting tools starts testing them on history data and demo accounts. After that a set of conclusions is made about the efficiency and uselessness of this or that indicator in certain situations.

However such an estimation is not always objective because of the large number of parameters (symbol, chard period, volatility, etc.) and therefore the large amount of the analyzed information. More reliable conclusions about certain indicators and oscillators can be made after conducting their comparative analysis.

The program analyzes the following indicators and oscillators:

Acceleration/Deceleration — ??
Accumulation/Distribution – A/D
Alligator & Fractals
Gator Oscillator
Average Directional Movement Index – ADX
Average True Range – ATR
Awesome Oscillator
Bears Power
Bollinger Bands
Bulls Power
Commodity Channel Index
DeMarker
Envelopes
Force Index
Ichimoku Kinko Hyo (1)
Ichimoku Kinko Hyo (2)
Ichimoku Kinko Hyo (3)
Money Flow Index – MFI
Moving Average
MACD (1)
MACD (2)
Moving Average of Oscillator (??????????? MACD) (1)
Moving Average of Oscillator (??????????? MACD) (2)
Parabolic SAR
RSI
RVI
Standard Deviation
Stochastic Oscillator (1)
Stochastic Oscillator (2)
Williams Percent Range

To read the full article, please visit: http://articles.mql4.com/628

MetaTrader Tips – Favorites Group

admin — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 02:14:56 +0000

Frequently used indicators, scripts, experts and accounts can be added to the “Favorites” group to enable faster access.

To add indicators, scripts, experts or accounts, click with the right mouse button on the name of the indicator, script, expert or account and select “Add to favorites”.

The listed items will be then available in the “Favorites” tab of the “Navigator” window.

Source: http://www.metatraderglobal.com/470/metatrader-tips-favorites-group/

MetaTrader Tips – Attaching indicators, experts or scripts to charts using hotkeys

admin — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 02:55:22 +0000

Indicators, experts and/or scripts can be promptly attached to the chart if hotkeys are preliminarily set for them.

This can be very useful in the full-screen mode or to save time.

It is two simple steps to assign hotkeys;

Step 1: Select the “Set hotkey” option in the “Navigator” window context menu.

Step 2: Select any keys combinations you wish.

Custom Indicators in MQL5

admin — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 08:13:37 +0000

Finally we’ve got an opportunity to try the new trade terminal – MetaTrader 5. No doubt, it is noteworthy and has many new features as compared to its predecessor. The important advantages of this platform among others are:

Essentially modified language allowing now to use the object-oriented programming, still allowing to use the rich advantages of structural programming.
The code execution speed, which now is much faster than in MetaTrader 4.
Essential increase of possibilities for displaying the necessary information.

To view the full article, please visit: http://www.metatraderglobal.com/400/custom-indicators-in-mql5/