Tips & Tricks

In the following you'll find short code snippets for common tasks.

I. Trade Management

Change stops and profit targets of all open long trades with the current algo and asset

exitLong(0,NewStop);
exitLong(0,-NewTakeProfit);

If a trade is opened, close all other pending trades

if(NumOpenTotal > 0) 
  for(open_trades)
    if(TradeIsPending)
      exitTrade(ThisTrade);

Lock 80% profit of all winning trades

for(open_trades)
  if(TradeIsOpen && !TradeIsPool && TradeProfit > 0) {
    TradeTrailLock = 0.80; // 80% profit (minus trade costs)
    if(TradeIsShort)
      TradeTrailLimit = max(TradeTrailLimit,TradePriceClose);
    else
      TradeTrailLimit = min(TradeTrailLimit,TradePriceClose);
  }

Iceberg trade: split a large trade into 10 small trades, one every 30 seconds

for(OrderDelay = 0; OrderDelay < 10*30; OrderDelay += 30)
  enterLong(Lots/10);

Calculate the value of all open trades with the current asset

var valOpen()
{
  var val = 0;
  for(open_trades)
        if(strstr(Asset,PrevAsset) && TradeIsOpen)
      val += TradeProfit;
  return val;
}

Monitoring and modifying a certain trade

...
TRADE* MyTrade = enterlong();
...
ThisTrade = MyTrade; // connect trade variables to MyTrade
var MyResult = TradeProfit; // evaluate trade variables
...
exitTrade(MyTrade,0,TradeLots/2); // exit half the trade

Basket trading (creating an artificial asset from a 'basket' of real assets)

// generate a snythetic asset "USD" combined from the USD value of EUR, GBP, and AUD
var priceUSD()
{
  var p = 0;
  asset("GBP/USD"); p += price();
  asset("AUD/USD"); p += price();
  asset("EUR/USD"); p += price();
  return p;
}

// basket trade function with stop limit
int tradeUSD(var StopUSD)
{
  if((TradeIsLong && priceUSD() <= StopUSD) 
    or (TradeIsShort && priceUSD() >= StopUSD)) 
      return 1;   // exit the trade
  else return 0;  // continue the trade
}

// open a trade with the synthetic asset and a stop loss  
void enterLongUSD(var StopDistUSD)
{
  var StopUSD = priceUSD()-StopDistUSD;
  asset("GBP/USD"); enterLong(tradeUSD,StopUSD);
  asset("AUD/USD"); enterLong(tradeUSD,StopUSD);
  asset("EUR/USD"); enterLong(tradeUSD,StopUSD);
}

void enterShortUSD(var StopDistUSD)
{
  var StopUSD = priceUSD()+StopDistUSD;
  asset("GBP/USD"); enterShort(tradeUSD,StopUSD);
  asset("AUD/USD"); enterShort(tradeUSD,StopUSD);
  asset("EUR/USD"); enterShort(tradeUSD,StopUSD);
}
 
// plot a price curve of the synthetic asset
// (the plot command is linked to the last used asset -
// so "EUR/USD" must be selected in the scrollbox)
function run() 
{
  set(PLOTNOW);
  plot("USD",priceUSD(),0,RED);
}

II. Indicators & Signals

Generate an indicator with a different asset, time frame, and shift

//extended ATR function with individual asset and timeframe (in minutes)
var extATR(string symbol,int period,int length,int shift)
{
  ASSET* previous = g->asset; // store previous asset
  if(symbol) asset(symbol);   // set new asset
  if(period) TimeFrame = period/BarPeriod;
// create price series with the new asset / timeframe
  vars H = series(priceHigh()), 
    L = series(priceLow()),
    O = series(priceOpen()),
    C = series(priceClose());
  TimeFrame = 1; // set timeframe back
  g->asset = previous; // set asset back
  return ATR(O+shift,H+shift,L+shift,C+shift,length);
}

Calculate the weekend price change for gap trading

// use 1-hour bars, wait until Sunday Sunday 5pm ET, 
// then get the price change from Friday 5pm ET
if(dow() == SUNDAY && lhour(ET) == 5) { 
  int FridayBar = timeOffset(ET,SUNDAY-FRIDAY,5,0);
  var PriceChange = priceClose(0) - priceClose(FridayBar);
  ...
}

Use a series to check if something happened within the last n bars

// buy if Signal1 crossed over Signal2 within the last 7 bars
...
vars crosses = series(0); // generate a series and set it to 0
if(crossOver(Signal1,Signal2)
  crosses[0] = 1; // store the crossover in the series
if(Sum(crosses,7) > 0) // any crossover within last 7 bars?
  enterLong();
...

Use a loop to check if something happened within the last n bars

// buy if Signal1 crossed over Signal2 within the last 7 bars
...
int i;
for(i=0; i<7; i++)
  if(crossOver(Signal1+i,Signal2+i)) { // crossover, i bars ago?
    enterLong();
    break; // abort the loop
  }
...

Align a time frame to a certain event

// Return a timeframe aligned to Event == true
// f.i. TimeFrame = frameAlign(hour() == 0); aligns to midnight
int frameAlign(BOOL Event)
{
  vars Nums = series(0,-1); // 1-element static series for storing the bar counter
  if(!Event) {
    Nums[0]++;        // count skipped bars
    return 0;         // continue the frame
  } else {
    int Skipped = -Nums[0]; // start a new time frame
    Nums[0] = 0;      // reset the counter
    return Skipped;
  }
}

Shift a series into the future

// the future is unknown, therefore fill 
// all unknown elements with the current value
vars seriesShift(vars Data,int shift)
{
  if(shift >= 0) // shift series into the past
    return Data+shift;
  else { // shift series into the future
    int i;
    for(i = 1; i <= shift; i++)
      Data[i] = Data[0];
    return Data;
  }
}

Use a function or indicator from an external DLL

// Use the function "foo" from the DLL "bar.dll"
// Copy bar.dll into the Zorro folder
int foo(double v1,double v2); // foo prototype
API(foo,bar) // use foo from bar.dll
 
function run()
{
  ...
  int result = foo(1,2);
  ...
}

III. Auxiliary

Find out if you have a standard, mini, or micro lot account

// Click [Trade] with the script below
function run()
{
  asset("EUR/USD");
  if(Bar > 0) {
    if(LotAmount > 99999) 
      printf("\nI have a standard lot account!");
    else if(LotAmount > 9999) 
      printf("\nI have a mini lot account!");
    else 
      printf("\nI have a micro lot account!");
    quit();
  }
}

Download historic price data

// Click [Trade] for downloading/updating the latest "NZD/USD" price data
function main()
{
  NumYears = 6;     // download up to 6 years data 
  assetHistory("NZD/USD",1); // update the price history
}

Export historical price data to a .csv file

// Click [Test] for exporting price data to a .csv file in the Data folder
// The records are stored in the format: time, open, high, low, close 
// f.i. "31/12/12 00:00, 1.32205, 1.32341, 1.32157, 1.32278"
// Dependent on the locale, date and numbers might require a different format
function run()
{
  BarPeriod = 1440;
  StartDate = 2010;
  EndDate = 2020;
  LookBack = 0;

  string Row = strf(
    "%02i/%02i/%02i %02i:%02i,%.5f,%.5f,%.5f,%.5f\n",
    day(),month(),year()%100,hour(),minute(),
    priceO(),priceH(),priceL(),priceC());
  if(is(INITRUN))
    file_delete("Data\\export.csv");
  else
    file_append("Data\\export.csv",Row);
}

Export historical price data from MT4 to a .csv file

// MQL4 EA script. Run it in the Tester.
// The CSV file is stored in Terminals\Commom\Files.
int Handle;
int CurrentTime;

// detect new bar for emulating run()
int isNewBar()
{
  if(CurrentTime != Time[0]){
    CurrentTime= Time[0];
    return(1);
  }
  return(0);
}

void OnInit()
{
  string Name = StringConcatenate("MT4_",Symbol(),".csv");
  Handle = FileOpen( Name,FILE_CSV|FILE_WRITE|FILE_COMMON, ',');
  if(Handle == INVALID_HANDLE)
    Print("Can't open ",Name,"!"); 
  CurrentTime = Time[0];
}

void OnTick() 
{
  if(isNewBar() && Handle != INVALID_HANDLE) {
    FileWrite(Handle,
      TimeToStr(Time[1],TIME_DATE),
      iOpen(Symbol(),Period(),1),
      iHigh(Symbol(),Period(),1),
      iLow(Symbol(),Period(),1),
      iClose(Symbol(),Period(),1));
  }
}

void OnDeinit()
{
  FileClose(Handle);
}

Print the description of a trade (like "[AUD/USD:CY:S1234]") in the log

void printTradeID()
{
  string ls = "L", bo = "[", bc = "]";
  if(TradeIsShort) ls = "S";
  if(TradeIsPhantom) { bo = "{"; bc = "}"; }
  printf("#\n%s%s:%s:%s%04i%s ",
    bo,TradeAsset,TradeAlgo,ls,TradeID%10000,bc);
}

Plot equity curves of single assets in a multi-asset strategy

char name[40]; // string of maximal 39 characters
strcpy(name,Asset);
strcat(name,":");
strcat(name,Algo);
var equity = EquityShort+EquityLong;
if(equity != 0) plot(name,equity,NEW|AVG,BLUE);

Set up strategy parameters from a .ini file at the start

function run()
{
  static var Parameter1 = 0, Parameter2 = 0;
  if(is(INITRUN)) { // read the parameters only in the first run
    string setup = file_content("Strategy\\mysetup.ini");
    Parameter1 = strvar(setup,"Parameter1");
    Parameter2 = strvar(setup,"Parameter2");
  }
}
 
// mysetup.ini is a plain text file that contains
// the parameter values in a format like this:
Parameter1 = 123
Parameter2 = 456

Check every minute in [Trade] mode if an .ini file was modified

var Parameter1 = 0, Parameter2 = 0;
 
function tock() // run once per minute
{
  static int LastDate = 0;
  if(LastDate && !Trade) return; // already updated
  int NewDate = file_date("Strategy\\mysetup.ini");
  if(LastDate < NewDate) {
    LastDate = NewDate; // file was modified: update new parameters
    string setup = file_content("Strategy\\mysetup.ini");
    Parameter1 = strvar(setup,"Parameter1");
    Parameter2 = strvar(setup,"Parameter2");
  }
}

IV. Get Rich Quick

90% win rate

function run()
{
  Stop = 10*ATR(100);
  TakeProfit = Stop/10;
// open new trade at random after last trade hit its target
  if(NumOpenTotal == 0) { 
    if(random() < 0)
      enterShort();
    else 
      enterLong();
  }
}

Martingale

function run()
{
  BarPeriod = 1440;
// set up equal stop and profit limits
  Stop = TakeProfit = ATR(100);
// double the stake after every loss
  Lots = pow(2,LossStreakTotal); // winning guaranteed...
// open new trade at random after last trade hit its target
  if(NumOpenTotal == 0) { 
    if(random() < 0)
      enterShort();
    else 
      enterLong();
  }
}

Grid Trading

// helper function for finding trades at a grid line
bool findTrade(var Price,var Grid,bool IsShort) 
{
  for(open_trades)
    if((TradeIsShort == IsShort)
      and between(TradeEntryLimit,Price-Grid/2,Price+Grid/2))
        return true;
  return false;
}
  
function run() 
{
  BarPeriod = 1440;
  Hedge = 2; 
  EntryTime = ExitTime = 500;  
  var Price;
  var Grid = 100*PIP; // grid spacing
  var Current = priceClose();
// place pending trades at 5 grid lines  
// above and below the current price
  for(Price = 0; Price < Current+5*Grid; Price += Grid) {
    if(Price < Current-5*Grid)
      continue;
    if(Price < Current and !findTrade(Price,Grid,true))
      enterShort(0,Price,0,Grid);      
    else if(Price > Current and !findTrade(Price,Grid,false))
      enterLong(0,Price,0,Grid);
  }
}

See also: