Repaint Checker - find out whether an indicator repaints - expert for MetaTrader 5

Many indicators look perfect on history and fail live, because their values or signals change after the bar has closed. Repaint Checker tests any MT5 indicator and tells you whether it repaints, buffer by buffer, with example dates.

How it works

When each bar closes, the EA records the value that every buffer of the tested indicator shows at that moment, which is exactly what a trader would have seen live. At the end of the test (or continuously on a live chart) it reads the same bars again and compares them.

For each buffer it counts values that changed, signals that appeared late (empty when the bar closed, filled in later) and signals that vanished (shown when the bar closed, gone later). The verdict, NO REPAINTING FOUND or REPAINTS, is shown on a panel and in the journal with example dates, and a CSV report is written to the terminal Common\Files folder.

Inputs

Indicator to test: its path inside MQL5\Indicators, for example Examples\ZigZag; leave it empty for a demo on the built-in Fractals. Its inputs: comma-separated values, empty = the indicator defaults (each input group heading also counts as an input). Buffers to check: 0 = all, up to 32. Tolerance: relative change to ignore. Show the result panel. Write a CSV report.

Usage

Run the EA in the Strategy Tester on any symbol and timeframe for a few months of data; visual mode shows the panel. Any buffer reported as changed, late or vanished repaints. Some buffers hold internal values that may change; judge the buffers that draw lines or signals. The EA places no trades.

Examples: the built-in Fractals (the default demo) is reported as REPAINTS, because every fractal appears late: it is only confirmed two bars after the bar it is drawn on. The standard ZigZag (Examples\ZigZag) is also reported as REPAINTS, because its last leg is redrawn while the market moves. A non-repainting indicator shows no change on every buffer.