Get iTime Automatically for Other Respective TF's Datetime

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Hi coders, please advise how to get the iTime automatically for other respective timeframe's datetime ? 


   datetime iTm=iTime(sym,PERIOD_M1,15); // Shift=15
   Print(TimeToStr(iTm));                // Output : 2025.02.14 18:57


Note that the above example of "PERIOD_M1" is not fixed, I may use other period for my purposes.

If the Print output is "2025.02.14 18:57", I should expect a set of codes to get me the following answers automatically for respective timeframes such as :-
M5 : 2025.02.14 18:55
M15 : 2025.02.14 18:45
M30 : 2025.02.14 18:30
H1 : 2025.02.14 18:00
H4 : 2025.02.14 16:00
D1 : 2025.02.14 00:00
W1 : 2025.02.09 00:00
MN : 2025.02.01 00:00

Thanks
  
int OnInit()
  {
   datetime time=iTime(_Symbol, PERIOD_M1, 2);
   Print(CandleStartTime(time, PERIOD_H1));   
   Print(CandleStartTime(time, PERIOD_M15));   
   Print(CandleStartTime(time, PERIOD_M30));   
   Print(CandleStartTime(time, PERIOD_M5));   
   return(INIT_SUCCEEDED);
  }

datetime CandleStartTime(datetime time, ENUM_TIMEFRAMES period)
{
   datetime candle_start_time= (int)(time/(PeriodSeconds(period)))*PeriodSeconds(period);
   return candle_start_time;
}
 
Yashar Seyyedin #:

Thanks Yashar. I found your solution is a little bit complicated for a beginner like me, anyway, highly appreciated.


After studying your codes, instead, I just created my own simple way. I know that the basic requirement of iTime must have the "shift" input. Therefore in order to get other TF's iTime, I must use iBarShift to get other TF's "shift" first. My solution / illustration would be as follows :-


   datetime iTm=iTime(sym,5,526);

   datetime M30Tm=iTime(sym,30,iBarShift(sym,30,iTm,true));     // if I want to get M30's iTime
   datetime H1Tm= iTime(sym,60,iBarShift(sym,60,iTm,true));     // if I want to get H1's iTime
   datetime H4Tm= iTime(sym,240,iBarShift(sym,240,iTm,true));   // if I want to get H4's iTime
   datetime D1Tm= iTime(sym,1440,iBarShift(sym,1440,iTm,true)); // if I want to get D1's iTime

   Print("M30Tm "+TimeToStr(M30Tm)+" /H1Tm "+TimeToStr(H1Tm)+" /H4Tm "+TimeToStr(H4Tm)+" /D1Tm "+TimeToStr(D1Tm));


Kindly correct me if I'm wrong, thanks

 
  • The code I posted above works for MT5. Sorry I wasn't aware this is MT4. A small change and it works in MT4 as well:

int OnInit()
  {
   datetime time=iTime(_Symbol, PERIOD_M1, 2);
   Print(TimeToStr(CandleStartTime(time, PERIOD_H1)));   
   Print(TimeToStr(CandleStartTime(time, PERIOD_M15)));   
   Print(TimeToStr(CandleStartTime(time, PERIOD_M30)));   
   Print(TimeToStr(CandleStartTime(time, PERIOD_M5)));   
   return(INIT_SUCCEEDED);
  }

datetime CandleStartTime(datetime time, ENUM_TIMEFRAMES period)
{
   datetime candle_start_time= (int)(time/(PeriodSeconds(period)))*PeriodSeconds(period);
   return candle_start_time;
}

  • Your solution works most of the times. However I do not suggest using iBarshift because: 
iBarShift

Returned value

Index of the bar which covers the specified time. If there is no bar for the specified time (history "gap"), the function will return -1 or the nearest bar index (depending on exact parameter).


exact=false

[in]  Return mode when the bar is not found (false - iBarShift returns the nearest, true - iBarShift returns -1).


  • Also applying iTime to other time frame than current chart is risky and you will need to check errors 4066 and 4073:

4066

ERR_HISTORY_WILL_UPDATED

Requested history data is in updating state

4067

ERR_TRADE_ERROR

Internal trade error

4068

ERR_RESOURCE_NOT_FOUND

Resource not found

4069

ERR_RESOURCE_NOT_SUPPORTED

Resource not supported

4070

ERR_RESOURCE_DUPLICATED

Duplicate resource

4071

ERR_INDICATOR_CANNOT_INIT

Custom indicator cannot initialize

4072

ERR_INDICATOR_CANNOT_LOAD

Cannot load custom indicator

4073

ERR_NO_HISTORY_DATA

No history data

 
Yashar Seyyedin #:
  • The code I posted above works for MT5. Sorry I wasn't aware this is MT4. A small change and it works in MT4 as well:

  • Your solution works most of the times. However I do not suggest using iBarshift because: 

  • Also applying iTime to other time frame than current chart is risky and you will need to check errors 4066 and 4073:

4066

ERR_HISTORY_WILL_UPDATED

Requested history data is in updating state

4067

ERR_TRADE_ERROR

Internal trade error

4068

ERR_RESOURCE_NOT_FOUND

Resource not found

4069

ERR_RESOURCE_NOT_SUPPORTED

Resource not supported

4070

ERR_RESOURCE_DUPLICATED

Duplicate resource

4071

ERR_INDICATOR_CANNOT_INIT

Custom indicator cannot initialize

4072

ERR_INDICATOR_CANNOT_LOAD

Cannot load custom indicator

4073

ERR_NO_HISTORY_DATA

No history data

Hi Yashar, thanks. What you pointed out is absolutely correct because iBarShift may give -1 value in certain time, such as BTCUSD may start at xx.xx.xx xx.05.xx ...


How about below codes to filter out the -1 value, finally to get a correct iBarShift number as follows :-


   datetime iTm=iTime(sym,5,526);

   int tTF=Period(); // Chart's TF

   int StrSf=iBarShift(sym,tTF,iTm,true);
   if(StrSf==-1) StrSf=iBarShift(sym,tTF,iTm,false)-1;

   datetime StrTm=iTime(sym,tTF,StrSf);

   Print("StartSf "+IntegerToString(StrSf)+" /StartTm "+TimeToStr(StrTm));


Again, kindly correct me if I'm wrong. Please advise, thanks

 
Chin Min Wan #:
   if(StrSf==-1) StrSf=iBarShift(sym,tTF,iTm,false)-1;

This may not do what you really expect... The closest existing bar could be anywhere. It all depends on the rest of the code you write and how they interact with this part.

 
Yashar Seyyedin #:

This may not do what you really expect... The closest existing bar could be anywhere on chart. It all depends on the rest of the code you write and how they interact with this part.

Anyway, thanks for everything, I'll study again.
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