new indicator debugging

[michelino]

hello everybody,

I have some troublein debugging new indicators.

1- the indicator is plotted correctly on historical data but it changes completely when receiving new data. the indicator is simply an exponential moving variance. it seems it starts reading tick by tick instead of using the correct timeframe

2- simlarly during debug the indicator (another one) is plotted correctly, whenever i switch timeframe (ex M1 to H1) the windows colses suddenly without any message, and if i run it outside debugging the plotting is completely different and out fo range.

is there any way to debug at runtime? something like  a print or log of variables value during execution on new data

thanks 

 

p.s. should I attach any code?  

[Simon Gniadkowski]

michelino:

hello everybody,

is there any way to debug at runtime? something like  a print or log of variables value during execution on new data

You can add Print() statements to print variables wherever you wish,  bear in mind this can fill the log up pretty fast . . .

You can post your code but if you do please use the SRC button to do so . . .  How to use the   SRC   button. 

[Uwe Goetzke]

An indicator receives every tick, so you have to check for new bars in the indicator. See here for example: https://www.mql5.com/en/articles/37

   //---- calculation of starting index first of the main loop
   if(prev_calculated==0) // check for the first start of the indicator
      first=MAPeriod-1+begin; // start index for all the bars
   else first=prev_calculated-1; // start index for the new bars

So it is essential to return the number of consumed bars at the end of the indicator.

return(rates_total);

Regards, Uwe

[michelino]

Thanks guys for the quick answers.

I'm going to post the code, it's very short and simple but I cannot understand where is the problem. I'm going to post a screenshot of what's happening

thanks again 

[Alain Verleyen]

michelino:

Thanks guys for the quick answers.

I'm going to post the code, it's very short and simple but I cannot understand where is the problem. I'm going to post a screenshot of what's happening

thanks again 

Post your code if you need help. One indicator at a time is better.

[michelino]

sorry. something went wrong in posting the code. I'm doing it again

//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//|                                                      EMSIGMA.mq5 |
//|                        Copyright 2013, MetaQuotes Software Corp. |
//|                                              http://www.mql5.com |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
#property copyright "Copyright 2013, MetaQuotes Software Corp."
#property link      "http://www.mql5.com"
#property version   "1.00"
#property indicator_separate_window
#property indicator_buffers 2
#property indicator_plots   2
//--- plot EMSIGMA
#property indicator_label1  "EMSIGMA"
#property indicator_type1   DRAW_LINE
#property indicator_color1  clrRed
#property indicator_style1  STYLE_SOLID
#property indicator_width1  2
#property indicator_label2  "AVGEMSIGMA"
#property indicator_type2   DRAW_LINE
#property indicator_color2  clrBlueViolet
#property indicator_style2  STYLE_SOLID
#property indicator_width2  1
//--- input parameters
input int      period=20;
input int      spostamento=0;
//--- indicator buffers
double         EMSIGMABuffer[];
double         avgEMSIGMABuffer[]; //long term ema of EMSIGMA
double         emaBuff;
double alpha = 2.0/(period+1.0);
double oalpha = 1.0-alpha;
double emvar = 0;
double ema = 0;
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//| Custom indicator initialization function                         |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
int OnInit()
  {
//--- indicator buffers mapping
   SetIndexBuffer(0,EMSIGMABuffer,INDICATOR_DATA);
   SetIndexBuffer(1,avgEMSIGMABuffer,INDICATOR_DATA);
   //--- sets first bar from what index will be drawn
   PlotIndexSetInteger(0,PLOT_DRAW_BEGIN,2*period-2);
//--- sets indicator shift
   PlotIndexSetInteger(0,PLOT_SHIFT,spostamento);
//--- name for indicator label
   IndicatorSetString(INDICATOR_SHORTNAME,"EMSIGMA("+string(period)+")");
//--- name for index label
   PlotIndexSetString(0,PLOT_LABEL,"EMSIMGA("+string(period)+")");
//--- initialization done
//---
   return(INIT_SUCCEEDED);
  }
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//| Custom indicator iteration function                              |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
int OnCalculate(const int rates_total,
                const int prev_calculated,
                const int begin,
                const double &price[])
  {
//---

if(rates_total<2*period-2)
      return(0);
 double a;
 double aux;
int i;
int start;
   if(prev_calculated==0) {
      start=period-1+begin;
      ema = price[begin];
      emvar = 0.0;
      EMSIGMABuffer[0] = 0.0;
      avgEMSIGMABuffer[0] = 0.0;
      emaBuff = emvar;
   } else {
      start=prev_calculated-1;
   }
   for(i=start;i<rates_total;i++) {
         a = 2.0/(i+1.0);
         ema = ema*oalpha+price[i]*alpha;
         aux = ema-price[i];
         emvar = emvar*oalpha + alpha*aux*aux;
         EMSIGMABuffer[i] = MathSqrt(emvar);
         emaBuff = emaBuff*(1.0-a) + EMSIGMABuffer[i]*a;
         avgEMSIGMABuffer[i] = emaBuff;
   }
//--- return value of prev_calculated for next call
   return(rates_total);
  }
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+

[Alain Verleyen]

michelino:

sorry. something went wrong in posting the code. I'm doing it again

Your indicator use previous value to calculated current value, for example : 

emaBuff = emaBuff*(1.0-a) + EMSIGMABuffer[i]*a;

But as ugo58 said you, OnCalculate is called on each tick, so your value are recalculated on each tick. For historical data, on the first call, this is not a problem.

[michelino]

angevoyageur:

Your indicator use previous value to calculated current value, for example : 

But as ugo58 said you, OnCalculate is called on each tick, so your value are recalculated on each tick. For historical data, on the first call, this is not a problem.

so I should use somenthing like this:

iMA(_Symbol,0,1,0,MODE_SMA,_AppliedPrice);

instead of reading from price[i] ?

[Alain Verleyen]

michelino:

so I should use somenthing like this:

instead of reading from price[i] ?

Why ? That has nothing to do with the problem. The issue isn't about the price but about your calculation algorithm :

   for(i=start;i<rates_total;i++) {
         a = 2.0/(i+1.0);
         ema = ema*oalpha+price[i]*alpha;
         aux = ema-price[i];
         emvar = emvar*oalpha + alpha*aux*aux;
         EMSIGMABuffer[i] = MathSqrt(emvar);
         emaBuff = emaBuff*(1.0-a) + EMSIGMABuffer[i]*a;
         avgEMSIGMABuffer[i] = emaBuff;
   }

This loop is run on EACH TICK, but some of your calculation is expected to be run for EACH BAR. ema, emvar and emabuff variables are all computed based on previous value of the variable. If there are 50 ticks on the last bar, the loop will be run 50 times for the same bar (same value of i). What is your starting value of ema, emvar, emabuff ? The values of the previous tick, but it must be the values of the previous bar.

[michelino]

angevoyageur:

Why ? That has nothing to do with the problem. The issue isn't about the price but about your calculation algorithm :

This loop is run on EACH TICK, but some of your calculation is expected to be run for EACH BAR. ema, emvar and emabuff variables are all computed based on previous value of the variable. If there are 50 ticks on the last bar, the loop will be run 50 times for the same bar (same value of i). What is your starting value of ema, emvar, emabuff ? The values of the previous tick, but it must be the values of the previous bar.

sorry but now i'm a bit confused...

how can i get the price of the last bar? 

why it behaves differently on historicla data? 

I understand that onCalculate is run on each tick and not on each bar. 

reading the documentation i find this:

int OnCalculate(
                const int rates_total,    // number of available bars in history at the current tick
                const int prev_calculated,// number of bars, calculated at previous tick
                const int begin,          // index of the first bar
                const double &price[]     // price array for the calculation
                )

 and this:

int OnCalculate (const int rates_total,      // size of the price[] array
                 const int prev_calculated,  // bars handled on a previous call
                 const int begin,            // where the significant data start from
                 const double& price[]       // array to calculate
   );

 is not clear whether price is an array of bars or ticks

reading other indicators some uses iMA ( MACD) some other uses ExponentialMAOnBuffer, since I don't need a full history of EMA I would use just a variable  (double ema, double emvar) to save memory

how would you write these 6 lines to have the indicator working properly?

I'm asking this because an example is often the best way to undertsand how things works 

thanks a lot for your help 

[Alain Verleyen]

michelino:

sorry but now i'm a bit confused...

how can i get the price of the last bar? 

why it behaves differently on historicla data? 

I understand that onCalculate is run on each tick and not on each bar. 

reading the documentation i find this:

 and this:

 is not clear whether price is an array of bars or ticks

reading other indicators some uses iMA ( MACD) some other uses ExponentialMAOnBuffer, since I don't need a full history of EMA I would use just a variable  (double ema, double emvar) to save memory

how would you write these 6 lines to have the indicator working properly?

I'm asking this because an example is often the best way to undertsand how things works 

thanks a lot for your help 

The price is not a problem, the array provided with OnCalculate gives you price for each bar.

As I explained in my previous, and I can't be more clear than that, you have rewrite your calculations. Do you understood what I explained in this post ? You don't have to save all ema values, but at least this of the last bar.