Use iBars(); function to assign the bars count for the "BarsTotal_OnTick" variable at live chart. This variable is updated on every tick.
- Don't try to use any price (or indicator) or server related functions in OnInit (or on load or in OnTimer before you've received a tick), as there may be no connection/chart yet:
- Terminal starts.
- Indicators/EAs are loaded. Static and globally declared variables are initialized. (Do not depend on a specific order.)
- OnInit is called.
- For indicators OnCalculate is called with any existing history.
- Human may have to enter password, connection to server begins.
- New history is received, OnCalculate called again.
- A new tick is received, OnCalculate/OnTick is called. Now TickValue, TimeCurrent, account information and prices are valid.
-
Unlike indicators, EAs are not reloaded on chart change, so you must reinitialize them, if necessary.
external static variable - MQL4 programming forum #2 (2013)
- Don't try to use any price (or indicator) or server related functions in OnInit (or on load or in OnTimer before you've received a tick), as there may be no connection/chart yet:
-
You can't know when a candle closes. Only when a new tick arrives that starts a new bar is the old bar closed, and that tick could arrive almost at the end of a bar's duration.
For a new bar test, Bars is unreliable (a refresh/reconnect can change number of bars on chart), volume is unreliable (miss ticks), Price is unreliable (duplicate prices and The == operand. - MQL4 programming forum.) Always use time.
MT4: New candle - MQL4 programming forum #3 (2014)
MT5: Accessing variables - MQL4 programming forum #3 (2022)I disagree with making a new bar function, because it can only be called once per tick (second call returns false). A variable can be tested multiple times.
Running EA once at the start of each bar - MQL4 programming forum (2011)
![MQL5 - Language of trade strategies built-in the MetaTrader 5 client terminal](https://c.mql5.com/i/registerlandings/logo-2.png)
- Free trading apps
- Over 8,000 signals for copying
- Economic news for exploring financial markets
You agree to website policy and terms of use
A Code block to detect A "New Candle/Bar" using bars history (very effective way):
If you only want to execute your code blocks "only once per bar" it's important to check if there is new bar arrived or not.
Author: Hapu Arachchilage Tharindu Lakmal