Article challenge : DXY indicator how to

 
Creating a custom indicator that uses multiple symbols and timeframes in MQL4 is ridiculously hard to fake,  maybe impossible to actually do.  I've got a challenge for you to show off your mastery of MQL4  by creating a useless custom indicator and describing your approach to solving the problems associated with not only getting data not shown in the current chart,  but also scaling the indicator to the current chart. The only restrictions are that all of the code must be shown, no dll imports  without  posting the code to create the dll, and the indicator must be written in MQL4 since brokers aren't generally offering  Metatrader 5.

I'd like an article showing how to create a custom indicator that makes calculations on multiple symbols and timeframes. One idea is to create an indicator that shows two lines representing the dollar index,  one calculated from daily bars,  one calculated from weekly bars. Setting  the chart timeframe to 1 weeks,  both lines would overlap and look like one line. Setting the chart timeframe to 1 days,  the weekly line would be flat for one week at a time (6 days),  and the daily line would move every day.  Setting the chart timeframe to  hours, the daily line would be flat for 24  bars,  the weekly  line would be flat for 144  bars. Of  course  the  broker might offer weekend bars, so the counts mentioned above can't be used exactly,  the actual start time of a new week and new day would need to correlate with the data points in each buffer.

Can you do it?  Can you create an example that others can follow and create their own custom indicators using multiple timeframes and symbols?  If you can't do it,  or determine that it's ridiculously complicated,  then write an article describing why and it'll be worth just as much as a successful implementation.

To enter this contest write your article and get it published for public view here. Once the moderators approve your article and anyone can read it,  post a summary of what the article is about and a link to it in a reply to this topic. I'll determine the winner around February 1, 2017 and declare to the world said winners mastery of MQL4!
 
Matthew Colter:
Creating a custom indicator that uses multiple symbols and timeframes in MQL4 is ridiculously hard to fake,  maybe impossible to actually do.  I've got a challenge for you to show off your mastery of MQL4  by creating a useless custom indicator and describing your approach to solving the problems associated with not only getting data not shown in the current chart,  but also scaling the indicator to the current chart. The only restrictions are that all of the code must be shown, no dll imports  without  posting the code to create the dll, and the indicator must be written in MQL4 since brokers aren't generally offering  Metatrader 5.

I'd like an article showing how to create a custom indicator that makes calculations on multiple symbols and timeframes. One idea is to create an indicator that shows two lines representing the dollar index,  one calculated from daily bars,  one calculated from weekly bars. Setting  the chart timeframe to 1 weeks,  both lines would overlap and look like one line. Setting the chart timeframe to 1 days,  the weekly line would be flat for one week at a time (6 days),  and the daily line would move every day.  Setting the chart timeframe to  hours, the daily line would be flat for 24  bars,  the weekly  line would be flat for 144  bars. Of  course  the  broker might offer weekend bars, so the counts mentioned above can't be used exactly,  the actual start time of a new week and new day would need to correlate with the data points in each buffer.

Can you do it?  Can you create an example that others can follow and create their own custom indicators using multiple timeframes and symbols?  If you can't do it,  or determine that it's ridiculously complicated,  then write an article describing why and it'll be worth just as much as a successful implementation.

To enter this contest write your article and get it published for public view here. Once the moderators approve your article and anyone can read it,  post a summary of what the article is about and a link to it in a reply to this topic. I'll determine the winner around February 1, 2017 and declare to the world said winners mastery of MQL4!

Just curious! Why would you consider this a "mastery of MQL4" and why is such an article a necessity?

There are plenty of existing indicators that implement multi-symbol & multi-time-frame and in a variety of ways, many of which are also to scale with the current chart. Also (in my opinion) it is not "ridiculously hard to fake". Obviously, it is more difficult than normal indicators but, but like everything in life, some extra work my be necessary. I would say that an average coder can accomplish it with some extra research and experimentation. He/she may need to dedicate some extra time and effort to getting it right, but it is no way "ridiculously" difficult to accomplish.

There is also plenty of discussions on the forum about the very subject and the problem areas as well as the solutions (for example, dealing with the data update delays and the usual 4066 and 4073 errors).

Besides, there are already several articles on the matter for both MQL4 and MQL5 and the current emphasis right now is more towards MQL5 and not MQL4.

 
Fernando Carreiro:

Just curious! Why would you consider this a "mastery of MQL4" and why is such an article a necessity?

There are plenty of existing indicators that implement multi-symbol & multi-time-frame and in a variety of ways, many of which are also to scale with the current chart. Also (in my opinion) it is not "ridiculously hard to fake". Obviously, it is more difficult than normal indicators but, but like everything in life, some extra work my be necessary. I would say that an average coder can accomplish it with some extra research and experimentation. He/she may need to dedicate some extra time and effort to getting it right, but it is no way "ridiculously" difficult to accomplish.

There is also plenty of discussions on the forum about the very subject and the problem areas as well as the solutions (for example, dealing with the data update delays and the usual 4066 and 4073 errors).

Besides, there are already several articles on the matter for both MQL4 and MQL5 and the current emphasis right now is more towards MQL5 and not MQL4.

This entry is disqualified.  Please read the requirements and try again!
 
Khalil Abokwaik:

Easier implementations:

  • Offline Chart
  • Indicator in sub-window

This entry is disqualified.  Please read the requirements and try again!
 
Matthew Colter:
This entry is disqualified.  Please read the requirements and try again!

It rather looks like you are attempting to have someone code you something for free (and disguising it as a competition, with no actual reward), instead of actually contemplating what I wrote!

Anyone wanting to write such an article can do so on their own terms and does not need your "baseless incentive" to do so!

Good luck!

 
Fernando Carreiro:

It rather looks like you are attempting to have someone code you something for free (and disguising it as a competition, with no actual reward), instead of actually contemplating what I wrote!

Anyone wanting to write such an article can do so on their own terms and does not need your "baseless incentive" to do so!

Good luck!

Hello troll,

I thank you for your insults and wonderfully  delightful persistence. If you would be so kind as to continue making invalid entries to my intellectual challenge I'm sure nobody will appreciate it,  but I will continue to respond with my most heartfelt :

This entry is disqualified.  Please read the requirements and enter again!

Sincerely,
Your  Hero