MQL5 ReferenceGlobal Variables of the TerminalGlobalVariableTime

GlobalVariableTime

Returns the time when the global variable was last accessed.

datetime  GlobalVariableTime(
   string  name      // name
   );

Parameters

name

[in] Name of the global variable.

Return Value

The function returns time of last accessing the specified global variable. Addressing a variable for its value, for example using the GlobalVariableGet() and GlobalVariableCheck() functions, also modifies the time of last access. In order to obtain error details, call the GetLastError() function.

Note

Global variables exist in the client terminal during 4 weeks since they were called last. After that they are automatically deleted.

Example:

#property copyright "Copyright 2025, MetaQuotes Ltd."
#property link      "https://www.mql5.com"
#property version   "1.00"

#define   GV_NAME    "TestGlobalVariableTime"
#define   GV_TOTAL   5

//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//| Script program start function                                    |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
void OnStart()
  {
//--- delete the global variables of the client terminal with the GV_NAME prefix created for the test
   GlobalVariablesDeleteAll(GV_NAME);

//--- create client terminal global variables in the amount of GV_TOTAL
//--- with the GV_NAME prefix and the 5-second pause between the creation of each one
   for(int i=0; i<GV_TOTAL; i++)
     {
      string name=GV_NAME+"_"+(string)i;
      ulong value=GetMicrosecondCount();
      ResetLastError();
      datetime time=GlobalVariableSet(name, (double)value);
      if(time==0)
        {
         Print("GlobalVariableSet() failed. Error ", GetLastError());
         continue;
        }
      Sleep(5000);
      PrintFormat("GlobalVariableSet(%s, %.0f). Create time: %s", name, value, TimeToString(time,TIME_DATE|TIME_MINUTES|TIME_SECONDS));
     }

//--- wait a couple of seconds and print in the journal the time of creation of terminal global variables with the GV_NAME prefix
   Sleep(2000);
   Print("");
   GlobalVariableTimePrint("Creation time");

//--- wait a couple more seconds and print in the journal the time of the last access to the terminal global variables with the GV_NAME prefix
//--- we can see that the time of the last access to each variable is equal to the time of its creation
   Sleep(2000);
   Print("");
   GlobalVariableTimePrint("Last access time");

//--- now request the value of each of the created variables
   Print("");
   int total=GlobalVariablesTotal();
   for(int i=0; i<total; i++)
     {
      string name=GlobalVariableName(i);
      if(GetLastError()!=0)
        {
         PrintFormat("Error %d occurred while getting global variable name at index %d", GetLastError(), i);
         ResetLastError();
         continue;
        }
      if(StringFind(name, GV_NAME)==WRONG_VALUE)
         continue;

      double value=GlobalVariableGet(name);
      if(GetLastError()!=0)
        {
         PrintFormat("Error %d occurred while getting global variable value at index %d", GetLastError(), i);
         ResetLastError();
         continue;
        }
      PrintFormat("Value of global variable named \"%s\": %.0f", name, value);
     }

//--- wait a couple more seconds and print in the journal the time of the last access to the terminal global variables with the GV_NAME prefix
//--- we can see that the time of the last access to each variable is equal to the time of requesting its value
   Sleep(2000);
   Print("");
   GlobalVariableTimePrint("After getting value, the last access time");

//--- delete all the global variables of the client terminal with the GV_NAME prefix created for the test
   GlobalVariablesDeleteAll(GV_NAME);
   /*
   result:
   GlobalVariableSet(TestGlobalVariableTime_0, 3987). Create time: 2024.11.28 22:00:39
   GlobalVariableSet(TestGlobalVariableTime_1, 5012302). Create time: 2024.11.28 22:00:44
   GlobalVariableSet(TestGlobalVariableTime_2, 10034365). Create time: 2024.11.28 22:00:49
   GlobalVariableSet(TestGlobalVariableTime_3, 15045008). Create time: 2024.11.28 22:00:54
   GlobalVariableSet(TestGlobalVariableTime_4, 20060340). Create time: 2024.11.28 22:00:59

   Creation time of global variable named "TestGlobalVariableTime_0": 2024.11.28 22:00:39
   Creation time of global variable named "TestGlobalVariableTime_1": 2024.11.28 22:00:44
   Creation time of global variable named "TestGlobalVariableTime_2": 2024.11.28 22:00:49
   Creation time of global variable named "TestGlobalVariableTime_3": 2024.11.28 22:00:54
   Creation time of global variable named "TestGlobalVariableTime_4": 2024.11.28 22:00:59

   Last access time of global variable named "TestGlobalVariableTime_0": 2024.11.28 22:00:39
   Last access time of global variable named "TestGlobalVariableTime_1": 2024.11.28 22:00:44
   Last access time of global variable named "TestGlobalVariableTime_2": 2024.11.28 22:00:49
   Last access time of global variable named "TestGlobalVariableTime_3": 2024.11.28 22:00:54
   Last access time of global variable named "TestGlobalVariableTime_4": 2024.11.28 22:00:59

   Value of global variable named "TestGlobalVariableTime_0": 3987
   Value of global variable named "TestGlobalVariableTime_1": 5012302
   Value of global variable named "TestGlobalVariableTime_2": 10034365
   Value of global variable named "TestGlobalVariableTime_3": 15045008
   Value of global variable named "TestGlobalVariableTime_4": 20060340

   After getting value, the last access time of global variable named "TestGlobalVariableTime_0": 2024.11.28 22:01:08
   After getting value, the last access time of global variable named "TestGlobalVariableTime_1": 2024.11.28 22:01:08
   After getting value, the last access time of global variable named "TestGlobalVariableTime_2": 2024.11.28 22:01:08
   After getting value, the last access time of global variable named "TestGlobalVariableTime_3": 2024.11.28 22:01:08
   After getting value, the last access time of global variable named "TestGlobalVariableTime_4": 2024.11.28 22:01:08
   */
  }
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//| Prints to journal the time when the client terminal's            |
//| global variable was last accessed                                |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
void GlobalVariableTimePrint(const string reason)
  {
   int total=GlobalVariablesTotal();
   for(int i=0;i<total;i++)
     {
      string name=GlobalVariableName(i);
      if(GetLastError()!=0)
        {
         PrintFormat("Error %d occurred while getting global variable name at index %d", GetLastError(), i);
         ResetLastError();
         continue;
        }
      datetime time=GlobalVariableTime(name);
      if(GetLastError()!=0)
        {
         PrintFormat("Error %d occurred while getting global variable time at index %d", GetLastError(), i);
         ResetLastError();
         continue;
        }
      PrintFormat("%s of global variable named \"%s\": %s", reason, name, TimeToString(time,TIME_DATE|TIME_MINUTES|TIME_SECONDS));
     }
  }