Why TimeCurrent() doesn't initialize my external date with current date time ?

[forexgenuine]

This drives me crazy:

//---- input parameters

extern datetime theDate=0;

int init()

{

//---- indicators

theDate = TimeCurrent();

When I drag and drop indicator it shows 1970.01.01 00:00 mql4 is illogical :(

[zzuegg]

because of that externals should never be used as usual variables, but instead as user input.

//z

[forexgenuine]

zzuegg:

because of that externals should never be used as usual variables, but instead as user input.

//z

So how does this prevent you to initiliaze it with some value ? Do I have to resort to an external script to change the source code just to do that simple stuff ? I thought MQL4 was powerfull.