ChartFirst() not working in mql4?

[[Deleted]]

Hello

I'm trying to get a very basic ChartFirst() command working in mql4. But it always produces error 4211 - Chart Not Found.

There is a chart open in the trader. 3 charts open, in fact. My code simply says in OnInit():

Alert(ChartFirst());

Any idea why this is not returning a valid chart ID?

Thanks!

[Alain Verleyen]

2ndTime:

Hello

I'm trying to get a very basic ChartFirst() command working in mql4. But it always produces error 4211 - Chart Not Found.

There is a chart open in the trader. 3 charts open, in fact. My code simply says in OnInit():

Alert(ChartFirst());

Any idea why this is not returning a valid chart ID?

Thanks!

It is working for me. Build 628.

[[Deleted]]

OK, I'm using version 625. My understanding from the docs is that it should be working from 600+.

I must not be understanding something very basic to what it achieves / how to use it.

In metaTrader I have 4 charts open, of different timeframes. No scripts attached.

I want my EA, when it runs, to draw different graphical objects onto each (indicating positive trading signals unique to each timeframe).

This is a first for me, since I've previously run my EA's, then clicked 'Open chart' to open a single (testing) chart, from where objects plus trades (obviously) are visible. i.e. I've not before used already open charts for backtesting with my EAs.

Additionally I wish the backtested trades themselves to appear on these already opened charts.

(So I don't wish to click ' Open chart' at all to review the EA's tested behaviour) .

This is possible, right?

---

edit:

So to clarify, my code I mentioned in the first post actually returns '0' - but a GetLastError() call reveals that it is infact not a real result, but an error 4211. This is further proved by the fact that ChartNext(ChartFirst()) is also returning '0'.

[[Deleted]]

Attached is my very simple EA code that does nothing except attempt to report the IDs of 2 already open charts in MetaTrader, via the journal alerts.

Could anybody please test, and tell me why I'm getting errors, and no true IDs.

Thank you.

[[Deleted]]

//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//|                                                    FindChart.mq4 |
//|                        Copyright 2014, MetaQuotes Software Corp. |
//|                                              https://www.mql5.com |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
#property copyright "Copyright 2014, MetaQuotes Software Corp."
#property link      "https://www.mql5.com"
#property version   "1.00"
#property strict
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//| Expert initialization function                                   |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
int OnInit()
  {
//---
   Alert("FirstChart ID: "+ChartFirst());
   Alert("GetLastError: "+GetLastError());
   
   Alert("Ssecond Chart ID: "+ChartNext(ChartFirst()));
   Alert("GetLastError: "+GetLastError());
//---
   return(INIT_SUCCEEDED);
  }
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//| Expert deinitialization function                                 |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
void OnDeinit(const int reason)
  {
//---

  }
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//| Expert tick function                                             |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
void OnTick()
  {
//---
   
  }
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+

[Keith Watford]

I put that code in a script and it works fine.

Platform is build 625

[Alain Verleyen]

2ndTime:

Why are you searching for an error after CHartFirst ? There can't be an error, so don't use GetLastError(). ChartNext() return -1 when there is an error, so only check for GetLastError() when there is an error.

   long first=ChartFirst();
   Alert("FirstChart ID: "+first);

   long next=ChartNext(first);
   if(next==-1)
      Alert("ChartNext GetLastError: "+GetLastError());
   else
      Alert("Ssecond Chart ID: "+next);

[[Deleted]]

Thanks

Ok, I've found that by dragging the EA onto a chart, rather than running it from the strategy tester, I can reveal the chart IDs.

However I don't seem to be able to address these charts (using their IDs) from an EA in the strategy tester, without errors. This I will need to do, (will I not?) in order to backtest the strategies, and execute draw commands (objectCreate() etc) to the various charts.