*** PLEASE SEARCH BEFORE POSTING ***

 

This message is directed especially to new members.


Recently I'm finding myself (and noticing some of the other programmers) answering the same questions time after time after time.


It is quite clear that many new members post their questions without searching the forum or using the documentation.


Some of the repeated questions are:

- I'm getting Error 130

- How do I make my EA just do 1 order per day

- My loop to close orders isn't working reliably

- How do I know if an order is closed

- How do I use magic numbers

- How do I pass data between EAs or persist data when my EA shuts down

- How do I protect my EA from prying eyes (and decompilers)


This forum is cluttered at the best of times.


Please use the SEARCH facility.


Please consult the Documentation here:

https://docs.mql4.com//


Thanks,

CB

 

Not that I am knocking your request, I do my best to search before asking, but sometimes the key words I use for the searching does not reflect the results I am looking for, or maybe I am trying to do something that is different than what the search results give me.

What I think could help here is better documentation for the most popular questions that are annoying to the old timers here. Like an FAQ or something like that.

It would help a lot more if there were examples of the code in some of the search results, and in a language that can be understood. Another helpful idea is that the code example is based on a scenario, for example, I want to limit my orders on my EA, so the conversation about not only the code, but how and why the code works the way it does would help to find it in a search where it is related to the scenario of how to limit orders on my EA.

So many times I have asked for help and it seems like a get this short blunt answer that does not explain the code snippet. Bottom line, the better the documentation when helping someone, the better the search results for the help needed.

 
cloudbreaker wrote >>

This message is directed especially to new members.

Recently I'm finding myself (and noticing some of the other programmers) answering the same questions time after time after time.

It is quite clear that many new members post their questions without searching the forum or using the documentation.

Some of the repeated questions are:

- I'm getting Error 130

- How do I make my EA just do 1 order per day

- My loop to close orders isn't working reliably

- How do I know if an order is closed

- How do I use magic numbers

- How do I pass data between EAs or persist data when my EA shuts down

- How do I protect my EA from prying eyes (and decompilers)

This forum is cluttered at the best of times.

Please use the SEARCH facility.

Please consult the Documentation here:

https://docs.mql4.com//

Thanks,

CB

One more thing, if it is getting irritating, take a break from it and remember, we are all here to learn something.

 
cloudbreaker wrote >>

This message is directed especially to new members.

Recently I'm finding myself (and noticing some of the other programmers) answering the same questions time after time after time.

It is quite clear that many new members post their questions without searching the forum or using the documentation.....

I'll second all that - the forum is... different from a year ago somehow..

This post should be a sticky

-BB-

 
LEHayes wrote >>

One more thing, if it is getting irritating, take a break from it and remember, we are all here to learn something.

I believe we have lost some long-time supporters who did.. take a break - and never came back!

-BB-

 
BarrowBoy wrote >>

I believe we have lost some long-time supporters who did.. take a break - and never came back!

-BB-

You know, this forum is NOT actually a forum is it?

Has no structure BUT linear.

Again, that is not forum, that is just a top page of nn subj lines that all too soon scroll into oblivion!

Only way to keep one's post up top is by editing it so that gets to top of page for a few mins more...

The 'site' is nothing more than an archive imo, and it's search functionality is stone age. Use GOOGLE instead to search this or any other site for that matter. With bit of effort, the search/targeted info can be drilled down to.. most times ;)

LEHayes has valid points. Namely the documentation like so much of documentation over the years is terrible. And excuse our .ru masters, the language 'issue' is seen all over the damn place.

CB is spot on, however I'll bet that his upbringing/environment and life paths travelled have given him the ability to T.H.I.N.K and also be self-reliant. These skills are sadly lacking in many. I suspect is pure laziness and also the simple fact that many in this world do not have the benefit of having had an envirionment/upbringing that lends itself to such required [imo] qualities as CB and others easily identified on this site, have.

Please also remember what this environment is. Money making. aka, the fear, greed stuff. People come here not even knowing what programming or whatever, is about.

What they do most certainly have are EYES. They see the charts, they see those massive trends/swings! They move the crosshairs tool from A to B and they go mad with lust for those points!

It ALL looks so damn simple... after all, I can SEE it on the charts. Zoom... here they are on this site asking the 'usual' predictable questions or "I want/need" just this simple xyz...

Or they find a source and then start doing totally uninformed changes which look nothing like possible given centuries...

Then the maddening [and enevitable] questions start. Want, want, want... They cannot give back because they know zilch about computing beyond turning on the pc power...

So, people unfortunately get annoyed at this. ergo, we start yet another of these 'soon to scroll off the bottom' threads...

.

ok... I'm no saint nor am I particularly clever but I would like to think I in some small measure, share what CB and 'those others' so often ablely demonstrate that they have... hahaah made of "The Right Stuff" springs to mind! (being all 'moon' tastic here :)

My answer to the frustrations has been to attempt a more understanding demeanour. Attempting to be more polite and bloody well just get on with it, should I choose to offer my pityfull help - and for sure I get it wrong on many occasions. The depth of knowledge displayed on this forum rea: computing and trading, is indeed exciting but also maddening cuz I'll never achieve even a small part. Not now - too late. I tread water, not swim anymore.

.

I saw recently a few posts from some new? visitor. W.O.W.... such positive help. Either they have masses of time or they are just having that 'Right Stuff' in spade full's.

I was inspired and humbled at the same time. I hate being angry, sore headed and rude, even if I perceive my rudeness as acceptably polite...

But as said, no saint am I but I'll keep on tryin nevertheless :o)

.

Sending +ve Light to all and wishing that ALL seekers of Financial Independance achieve such... but, the journey there is also relevant, yes?

ME :o)

 
fbj:

[...] and it's search functionality is stone age.

You're completely wrong: the official and correct view is that the search engine is "excellent". <g>

 

Oh... ok. Guess my googling is superfluous! [not]

Please... poss to have stay of execution? :>

edit

thanx link. man... .ru always have their one viewpoint, for 10yrs I been lurking around MT, has never varied. Jeeeze - maybe they are correct?

 

Y'all probably (hopefully?) see me becoming a bit more tolerant as time goes on. Getting older, more mellow. Taking more Coca Cola from glass bottles and less Leffe Blonde.


I will continue to try my best to help those who appear willing to make the effort to learn and to help themselves. I really do get a buzz from the guys who want to learn, especially when they make obvious progress.


I do feel almost guilty saying this, for the following reasons:

- I'm far from complete as a programmer - although I do pay a lot of attention to good architecture. Whilst I worked as an assembly language programmer in the initial stages of my career, I spent most of my time as a network designer and enterprise architect. And I've been away from IT for some time now.

- I'm even further from being a knowledgable trader. This line of work, after all, is just a part time thing for me, having offered a friend (due to the economic situation slowing my normal job) to get back into programming and construct all of the automation for his company - in which I now have a share.


So, apologies if I lose the plot from time to time with certain individuals, although they're staying put, right where they are, in my little mental black book :-)


CB

 

Well... hey! that's cool. Yet no way wanna completely loose that edge CB! Is just that constant stream of water, ya know? - the edges can become softened BUT the core, the center - is diamond hard ... (I'll wager ;)

Plots were meant to have revisions, yes? All part of the eventual production :)

 
jjc:

You're completely wrong: the official and correct view is that the search engine is "excellent". <g>


I find the search engine actually quite good.

For eg, I can never remember all those functions and their parameters, and when the search results are returned according to the category (on the left), I can zoom in on Documentation or whatever else I was looking for at the time. Nor do I have any issues in just doing a general search and Google doesn't really add any more value in searching this site.  

And no, I'm not Russian.