iBands

The function returns the handle of the Bollinger Bands® indicator.

int  iBands(
   string              symbol,            // symbol name
   ENUM_TIMEFRAMES     period,            // period
   int                 bands_period,      // period for average line calculation
   int                 bands_shift,       // horizontal shift of the indicator
   double              deviation,         // number of standard deviations
   ENUM_APPLIED_PRICE  applied_price      // type of price or handle
   );

Parameters

symbol

[in] The symbol name of the security, the data of which should be used to calculate the indicator. The NULL value means the current symbol.

period

[in] The value of the period can be one of the ENUM_TIMEFRAMES values, 0 means the current timeframe.

bands_period

[in]  The averaging period of the main line of the indicator.

bands_shift

[in] The shift the indicator relative to the price chart.

deviation

[in]  Deviation from the main line.

applied_price

[in]  The price used. Can be any of the price constants ENUM_APPLIED_PRICE or a handle of another indicator.

Return Value

Returns the handle of a specified technical indicator,  in case of failure returns INVALID_HANDLE. The computer memory can be freed from an indicator that is no more utilized, using the IndicatorRelease() function, to which the indicator handle is passed.

Note

The buffer numbers are the following: 0 - BASE_LINE, 1 - UPPER_BAND, 2 - LOWER_BAND

Example:

//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//|                                                  Demo_iBands.mq5 |
//|                        Copyright 2011, MetaQuotes Software Corp. |
//|                                             https://www.mql5.com |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
#property copyright "Copyright 2000-2024, MetaQuotes Ltd."
#property link      "https://www.mql5.com"
#property version   "1.00"
#property description "The indicator demonstrates how to obtain data"
#property description "of indicator buffers for the iBands technical indicator."
#property description "A symbol and timeframe used for calculation of the indicator,"
#property description "are set by the symbol and period parameters."
#property description "The method of creation of the handle is set through the 'type' parameter (function type)."
 
#property indicator_chart_window
#property indicator_buffers 3
#property indicator_plots   3
//--- the Upper plot
#property indicator_label1  "Upper"
#property indicator_type1   DRAW_LINE
#property indicator_color1  clrMediumSeaGreen
#property indicator_style1  STYLE_SOLID
#property indicator_width1  1
//--- the Lower plot
#property indicator_label2  "Lower"
#property indicator_type2   DRAW_LINE
#property indicator_color2  clrMediumSeaGreen
#property indicator_style2  STYLE_SOLID
#property indicator_width2  1
//--- the Middle plot
#property indicator_label3  "Middle"
#property indicator_type3   DRAW_LINE
#property indicator_color3  clrMediumSeaGreen
#property indicator_style3  STYLE_SOLID
#property indicator_width3  1
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//| Enumeration of the methods of handle creation                    |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
enum Creation
  {
   Call_iBands,            // use iBands
   Call_IndicatorCreate    // use IndicatorCreate
  };
//--- input parameters
input Creation             type=Call_iBands;          // type of the function 
input int                  bands_period=20;           // period of moving average
input int                  bands_shift=0;             // shift
input double               deviation=2.0;             // number of standard deviations 
input ENUM_APPLIED_PRICE   applied_price=PRICE_CLOSE// type of price
input string               symbol=" ";                // symbol 
input ENUM_TIMEFRAMES      period=PERIOD_CURRENT;     // timeframe
//--- indicator buffers
double         UpperBuffer[];
double         LowerBuffer[];
double         MiddleBuffer[];
//--- variable for storing the handle of the iBands indicator
int    handle;
//--- variable for storing
string name=symbol;
//--- name of the indicator on a chart
string short_name;
//--- we will keep the number of values in the Bollinger Bands indicator
int    bars_calculated=0;
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//| Custom indicator initialization function                         |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
int OnInit()
  {
//--- assignment of arrays to indicator buffers
   SetIndexBuffer(0,UpperBuffer,INDICATOR_DATA);
   SetIndexBuffer(1,LowerBuffer,INDICATOR_DATA);
   SetIndexBuffer(2,MiddleBuffer,INDICATOR_DATA);
//--- set shift of each line
   PlotIndexSetInteger(0,PLOT_SHIFT,bands_shift);
   PlotIndexSetInteger(1,PLOT_SHIFT,bands_shift);      
   PlotIndexSetInteger(2,PLOT_SHIFT,bands_shift);      
//--- determine the symbol the indicator is drawn for
   name=symbol;
//--- delete spaces to the right and to the left
   StringTrimRight(name);
   StringTrimLeft(name);
//--- if it results in zero length of the 'name' string
   if(StringLen(name)==0)
     {
      //--- take the symbol of the chart the indicator is attached to
      name=_Symbol;
     }
//--- create handle of the indicator
   if(type==Call_iBands)
      handle=iBands(name,period,bands_period,bands_shift,deviation,applied_price);
   else
     {
      //--- fill the structure with parameters of the indicator
      MqlParam pars[4];
      //--- period of ma
      pars[0].type=TYPE_INT;
      pars[0].integer_value=bands_period;
      //--- shift
      pars[1].type=TYPE_INT;
      pars[1].integer_value=bands_shift;
      //--- number of standard deviation
      pars[2].type=TYPE_DOUBLE;
      pars[2].double_value=deviation;
      //--- type of price
      pars[3].type=TYPE_INT;
      pars[3].integer_value=applied_price;
      handle=IndicatorCreate(name,period,IND_BANDS,4,pars);
     }
//--- if the handle is not created
   if(handle==INVALID_HANDLE)
     {
      //--- tell about the failure and output the error code
      PrintFormat("Failed to create handle of the iBands indicator for the symbol %s/%s, error code %d",
                  name,
                  EnumToString(period),
                  GetLastError());
      //--- the indicator is stopped early
      return(INIT_FAILED);
     }
//--- show the symbol/timeframe the Bollinger Bands indicator is calculated for
   short_name=StringFormat("iBands(%s/%s, %d,%d,%G,%s)",name,EnumToString(period),
                           bands_period,bands_shift,deviation,EnumToString(applied_price));
   IndicatorSetString(INDICATOR_SHORTNAME,short_name);
//--- normal initialization of the indicator  
   return(INIT_SUCCEEDED);
  }
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//| Custom indicator iteration function                              |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
int OnCalculate(const int rates_total,
                const int prev_calculated,
                const datetime &time[],
                const double &open[],
                const double &high[],
                const double &low[],
                const double &close[],
                const long &tick_volume[],
                const long &volume[],
                const int &spread[])
  {
//--- number of values copied from the iBands indicator
   int values_to_copy;
//--- determine the number of values calculated in the indicator
   int calculated=BarsCalculated(handle);
   if(calculated<=0)
     {
      PrintFormat("BarsCalculated() returned %d, error code %d",calculated,GetLastError());
      return(0);
     }
//--- if it is the first start of calculation of the indicator or if the number of values in the iBands indicator changed
//---or if it is necessary to calculated the indicator for two or more bars (it means something has changed in the price history)
   if(prev_calculated==0 || calculated!=bars_calculated || rates_total>prev_calculated+1)
     {
      //--- if the size of indicator buffers is greater than the number of values in the iBands indicator for symbol/period, then we don't copy everything 
      //--- otherwise, we copy less than the size of indicator buffers
      if(calculated>rates_total) values_to_copy=rates_total;
      else                       values_to_copy=calculated;
     }
   else
     {
      //--- it means that it's not the first time of the indicator calculation, and since the last call of OnCalculate()
      //--- for calculation not more than one bar is added
      values_to_copy=(rates_total-prev_calculated)+1;
     }
//--- fill the array with values of the Bollinger Bands indicator
//--- if FillArraysFromBuffer returns false, it means the information is nor ready yet, quit operation
   if(!FillArraysFromBuffers(MiddleBuffer,UpperBuffer,LowerBuffer,bands_shift,handle,values_to_copy)) return(0);
//--- form the message
   string comm=StringFormat("%s ==>  Updated value in the indicator %s: %d",
                            TimeToString(TimeCurrent(),TIME_DATE|TIME_SECONDS),
                            short_name,
                            values_to_copy);
//--- display the service message on the chart
   Comment(comm);
//--- memorize the number of values in the Bollinger Bands indicator
   bars_calculated=calculated;
//--- return the prev_calculated value for the next call
   return(rates_total);
  }
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//| Filling indicator buffers from the iBands indicator              |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
bool FillArraysFromBuffers(double &base_values[],     // indicator buffer of the middle line of Bollinger Bands
                           double &upper_values[],    // indicator buffer of the upper border
                           double &lower_values[],    // indicator buffer of the lower border
                           int shift,                 // shift
                           int ind_handle,            // handle of the iBands indicator
                           int amount                 // number of copied values
                           )
  {
//--- reset error code
   ResetLastError();
//--- fill a part of the MiddleBuffer array with values from the indicator buffer that has 0 index
   if(CopyBuffer(ind_handle,0,-shift,amount,base_values)<0)
     {
      //--- if the copying fails, tell the error code
      PrintFormat("Failed to copy data from the iBands indicator, error code %d",GetLastError());
      //--- quit with zero result - it means that the indicator is considered as not calculated
      return(false);
     }
 
//--- fill a part of the UpperBuffer array with values from the indicator buffer that has index 1
   if(CopyBuffer(ind_handle,1,-shift,amount,upper_values)<0)
     {
      //--- if the copying fails, tell the error code
      PrintFormat("Failed to copy data from the iBands indicator, error code %d",GetLastError());
      //--- quit with zero result - it means that the indicator is considered as not calculated
      return(false);
     }
 
//--- fill a part of the LowerBuffer array with values from the indicator buffer that has index 2
   if(CopyBuffer(ind_handle,2,-shift,amount,lower_values)<0)
     {
      //--- if the copying fails, tell the error code
      PrintFormat("Failed to copy data from the iBands indicator, error code %d",GetLastError());
      //--- quit with zero result - it means that the indicator is considered as not calculated
      return(false);
     }
//--- everything is fine
   return(true);
  }
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//| Indicator deinitialization function                              |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
void OnDeinit(const int reason)
  {
   if(handle!=INVALID_HANDLE)
      IndicatorRelease(handle);
//--- clear the chart after deleting the indicator
   Comment("");
  }