Timer in the Strategy Tester

[futures_track]

I'm clearly missing something because the timer is not beating appropriately for me in the ST.

Here's my test program:

//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//|                                                         test.mq5 |
//|                        Copyright 2017, MetaQuotes Software Corp. |
//|                                             https://www.mql5.com |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
#property copyright "Copyright 2017, MetaQuotes Software Corp."
#property link      "https://www.mql5.com"
#property version   "1.00"
 #include <Files\File.mqh>
#include <Files\FileTxt.mqh>

//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//| Expert initialization function                                   |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
int OnInit()
  {
//--- create timer
   EventSetTimer(60);
      
//---
   return(INIT_SUCCEEDED);
  }
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//| Expert deinitialization function                                 |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
void OnDeinit(const int reason)
  {
//--- destroy timer
   EventKillTimer();
   Print ("TT " + total_ticks);
   File.Close();
    
  }
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//| Expert tick function                                             |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
int total_ticks;
void OnTick()
  {
//---
  }

//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//| Timer function                                                   |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
 CFileTxt     File;
 void OnTimer()
  {
  total_ticks = total_ticks+1;
  MqlDateTime time_now;
  TimeToStruct(TimeCurrent(),time_now);
  
  int fh = File.Open("times.txt",FILE_COMMON|FILE_WRITE|FILE_READ|FILE_BIN,9);
  FileSeek(fh,0,SEEK_END);
  FileWriteString(fh, TimeCurrent() +"\r\n");    
  
  }
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+

..and here's a bit of the output (many beats at the same time and then missing beats at other times):

2017.03.20 05:42:59

2017.03.20 05:53:59

2017.03.20 05:54:59

2017.03.20 05:54:59

2017.03.20 05:54:59

2017.03.20 05:54:59

2017.03.20 05:54:59

2017.03.20 05:59:59

2017.03.20 05:59:59

2017.03.20 06:02:00

2017.03.20 06:02:59

2017.03.20 06:03:30

2017.03.20 06:03:30

2017.03.20 06:03:30

2017.03.20 06:03:30

Thank you.

[William Roeder]

futures_track: I'm clearly missing something because the timer is not beating appropriately for me in the ST.	Because timer is not supported in the ST. In backtest OnTimer() not performs (M. Ali) - MQL4 forum Chart Event For MT4 Backtester (Migel) - MQL4 forum

[futures_track]

whroeder1:

	Because timer is not supported in the ST. In backtest OnTimer() not performs (M. Ali) - MQL4 forum Chart Event For MT4 Backtester (Migel) - MQL4 forum

Sorry, I'm in MT5 and I think the timer is supposed to be supported:

https://www.mql5.com/en/docs/runtime/testing#ontimer

[Alain Verleyen]

whroeder1:

Could you please stop answering to mql5 topic with mql4 link.

Thank you.

[Alain Verleyen]

futures_track:

Sorry, I'm in MT5 and I think the timer is supposed to be supported:

https://www.mql5.com/en/docs/runtime/testing#ontimer

Yes it is.

You save TimeCurrent() which is the time of last tick from server(history). Your output is correct, what are you expecting ?

[futures_track]

Alain Verleyen:

Yes it is.

You save TimeCurrent() which is the time of last tick from server(history). Your output is correct, what are you expecting ?

Aha, yes, I was definitely missing something.  namely that TimeCurrent() is not the same as timeGMT().  

Thank you.