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Hi,

this is my first post here,

i am after a little advise,

i wish to do some backtesting of a strategy i have in mind, is using this mql to write an advisor the best way to do it, or should i be looking in a different direction?

thanks in advance

geoff

 

Hi,

Coding your strategy and then do some backtesting will certainly give you a good idea.

Some restriction : this depends on the comèplexity of your strategy. With MT4, you can only backtest your Expert Advisor on one asset at a time. So if you strategy is using more than one currencies pair (i.e. an hedging system) you won't be able to backtest it. Same problem with the use of multi time frame: only one time frame data are available for each run of the backtester.

But if your strategy is too complex to use the backtester, you can still do some forward testing: let your EA run and collect the statistics you need for your decision.

The whole thing depends on your strategy and what do you really need when you say backtesting it (time of backtesting you need, ...)

Hope it helps

 
geoffrod:

Hi,

this is my first post here,

i am after a little advise,

i wish to do some backtesting of a strategy i have in mind, is using this mql to write an advisor the best way to do it, or should i be looking in a different direction?

thanks in advance

geoff

if (bAutomatedTradingRequired == true)

 {

   if (sYou != "programmer")

    fnPayAProgrammer();

   else

    fnUseMQL4();

 }

else

 fnUseMSExcel;

 
cloudbreaker wrote >>

if fnUseMQL4();

And always set

EA.Property.WorksLikeACharm=true;
EA.Property.AllowOrderErrors=false;

-BB-

 
Jacques366 wrote >>

Hi,

Coding your strategy and then do some backtesting will certainly give you a good idea.

Some restriction : this depends on the comèplexity of your strategy. With MT4, you can only backtest your Expert Advisor on one asset at a time. So if you strategy is using more than one currencies pair (i.e. an hedging system) you won't be able to backtest it. Same problem with the use of multi time frame: only one time frame data are available for each run of the backtester.

But if your strategy is too complex to use the backtester, you can still do some forward testing: let your EA run and collect the statistics you need for your decision.

The whole thing depends on your strategy and what do you really need when you say backtesting it (time of backtesting you need, ...)

Hope it helps

Hi Jacques366,

Thankyou very much for your constructive comments, they are appreciated.

i dont see the strategy as being overly complex, but hey what do i know i am a beginner, it can be tested on a single currency pair, and on a single timeframe as that is how it would be traded.

the idea(strategy) visually when i look at charts looks like a good idea, that may need a little refining, but i wanted the backtesting to speed up testing and re-testing when refinements are made.

i need to be able to set a certain time range for trading to take place

i need to be able to compare the last bar to the previous bar to meet certain criteria,

if that is correct then the high and low of the last bar are compared to a predetermined level, this decides if the trade will be long or short.

trade parameters are calculated using last bar data

when trade is executed, a certain level of profit needs to be achieved before a predetermined amount of the trade is removed and the stop is moved to the entry point andit is set to be a trailing stop using a M.A. as the trailing level.

does this sound to complex???

thanks again for your response.

cheers

Geoff

 
cloudbreaker wrote >>

if (bAutomatedTradingRequired == true)

{

if (sYou != "programmer")

fnPayAProgrammer();

else

fnUseMQL4();

}

else

fnUseMSExcel;

cloudbreaker,

i understand what you are saying.

i would rather try and learn how to program than get someone else to do it for me.

have been using excel to a certain extent but is getting messy

cheers

geoff

 
BarrowBoy wrote >>

And always set

-BB-

hey BB,

do you have a spare copy of those??????

hahahahahahahaa

cheers

Geoff

 
geoffrod:

Hi Jacques366,

Thankyou very much for your constructive comments, they are appreciated.

i dont see the strategy as being overly complex, but hey what do i know i am a beginner, it can be tested on a single currency pair, and on a single timeframe as that is how it would be traded.

the idea(strategy) visually when i look at charts looks like a good idea, that may need a little refining, but i wanted the backtesting to speed up testing and re-testing when refinements are made.

i need to be able to set a certain time range for trading to take place

i need to be able to compare the last bar to the previous bar to meet certain criteria,

if that is correct then the high and low of the last bar are compared to a predetermined level, this decides if the trade will be long or short.

trade parameters are calculated using last bar data

when trade is executed, a certain level of profit needs to be achieved before a predetermined amount of the trade is removed and the stop is moved to the entry point andit is set to be a trailing stop using a M.A. as the trailing level.

does this sound to complex???

thanks again for your response.

cheers

Geoff

Hi,

No it's not too complex, you will be able to do your testing on MT4.

 
Jacques366 wrote >>

Hi,

No it's not too complex, you will be able to do your testing on MT4.

great to hear

thanks

now i just have to learn how to do it

any sugestions where to start?

i learn best with examples, so i have been looking for tutorials that actually produce something not just talk about what things do.

?????????

cheers

geoff

 
geoffrod:

great to hear

thanks

now i just have to learn how to do it

any sugestions where to start?

i learn best with examples, so i have been looking for tutorials that actually produce something not just talk about what things do.

?????????

cheers

geoff

I suggest you take a couple of the sample MQ4 files that come with the platform and disect them using the documentation section on this site.

Once you've got a fair idea about their structure, then  make a few changes and see how you get on.

You could also try following this tutorial: http://www.metatrader.info/node/34

 
cloudbreaker wrote >>

I suggest you take a couple of the sample MQ4 files that come with the platform and disect them using the documentation section on this site.

Once you've got a fair idea about their structure, then make a few changes and see how you get on.

You could also try following this tutorial: http://www.metatrader.info/node/34

thanks again for the sugestions

i am in the process of doing just that now

cheers

geoff

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