Are the .set files listing valid Symbol() names ?

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If so, has anyone manage to make a call / read to them. It's to populate all symbols available from a given broker... TIA
 
cameofx:
If so, has anyone manage to make a call / read to them. It's to populate all symbols available from a given broker... TIA
https://www.mql5.com/en/code/9102
 

Gordon, many thanks, you could have just ignore my post, bypassing the need to post 'that link' twice...

I admit when I said I never used it I also haven't read the code, I just downloaded it...:)

That idea of .set came up when I tried to open the stumble-open file of my created set. Didn't know SymbolsLib uses that...

always glad to have you 'on watch' ... ;)


PS : the SymbolsLib misspelled .set with .sel though, is .sel valid? I guess I need to actually try this now...:)

 
cameofx:

PS : the SymbolsLib misspelled .set with .sel though, is .sel valid?

No. It's the *.sel file which holds the symbol names...


p.s. what do u mean "you could have just ignore my post, bypassing the need to post 'that link' twice..."???

 
few days ago post ...I thought you remembered. thanks again.
 
cameofx:
few days ago post ...I thought you remembered. thanks again.
Oh, OK. No problem.
 

hmmm... I thought you & I were talking about the same thing.... yet again.

I re-read the SymbolLib explanation on codebase. The .sel (a binary type) is in history. While the .set - the one I meant - is in the symbolsets folder. The .set can be opened with code editor like notepad2, notepad++ (but not MetaEditor). It is clearly a text annotating symbols that exist on MarketWatch and saved as sets. separated by line-feed I think. Reading from this IMHO is much simpler (though less complete) then what is offered by SymboLib. Note that I still haven't have the time to test SymbolLib...

TIA for your further view Gordon..

 

cameofx wrote >>

(...) While the .set - the one I meant - is in the symbolsets folder.

Those are just Market Watch settings that u can save/load... Doesn't help u much, cause somebody has to actually show all symbols in Market Watch and save it to a set file. The sel file on the other hand has all the symbols for that broker regardless of what's on Market Watch (AFAIK). Additionally, it can be read with native file functions since it's in a folder accessible by them.


If u really want to read the set file then just go ahead. U would have to do it via WinAPI file functions, but it shouldn't be a problem.

 

"... cause somebody has to actually show all symbols in Market Watch and save it to a set file."

then indeed this is the way to go, since the SymbolLib states this shortcoming also (I actually quoted this from the previous topic I linked/mentioned) :

"....However, the information contained in the file symbols.sel may not be complete. Especially if the "Market Watch" window has no all listed financial instruments. Therefore, if you need a complete list of available symbols, provided by broker, then this method will not work. ..." - Third paragraph

 
cameofx:

"... cause somebody has to actually show all symbols in Market Watch and save it to a set file."

then indeed this is the way to go, since the SymbolLib states this shortcoming also (I actually quoted this from the previous topic I linked/mentioned) :

"....However, the information contained in the file symbols.sel may not be complete. Especially if the "Market Watch" window has no all listed financial instruments. Therefore, if you need a complete list of available symbols, provided by broker, then this method will not work. ..." - Third paragraph

I see... But the set file does not save itself. In both cases u need to have Market Watch show all symbols (or at least all symbols of interest). But whereas sel file is automatically updated, you would have to manually save the set file.
 
I guess I'll try both. WinAPI is still new territory for me. One question gordon, albeit unrelated, does via WinAPI meant we can read a file from virtually anywhere. say a removable disk or a network file?
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