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Can't get EA to short

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Hello everyone,

So I've been reading the mql4 book I've tried my hand at customising the basic EA code that's in there.

I've got it working with different entry/exit signal but I can't seem to get it to short. I've put alerts in every stage of the EA but still can't figure out where the problem is.

Any help would be greatly appreciated! Learning how to program can be quite frustrating at times!

Here's the code:

//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//|                                                      BasicEA.mq4 |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
#property version   "1.00"
#property strict

extern double Lots       =0.1;     // Strictly set amount of lots
extern double Prots      =0.07;    // Percent of free margin
 
bool Work=true;                    // EA will work.
string Symb;                       // Security name
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//| Expert initialization function                                   |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
int OnInit()
  {
//---
   
//---
   return(INIT_SUCCEEDED);
  }
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//| Expert deinitialization function                                 |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
void OnDeinit(const int reason)
  {
//---
   
  }
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//| Expert tick function                                             |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
int Ticket;
double Lot;
int Total;
int Tip = -1;
double Lts;
double Min_Lot;
double Step;
double Free;
double One_Lot;
double Price;
double SL;
double TP;
void OnTick()
  {
double ATR = iATR(NULL, 0, 20, 0);
bool Ans = false;
bool Cls_B = false;
bool Cls_S = false;
bool Opn_B = false;
bool Opn_S = false;
//--------------------------------------------------------------- 3 --
   // Preliminary processing
   if(Bars < 100)                       // Not enough bars
     {
      Alert("Not enough bars in the window. EA doesn't work.");
      return;                                   // Exit start()
     }
   if(Work==false)                              // Critical error
     {
      Alert("Critical error. EA doesn't work.");
      return;                                   // Exit start()
     }
//--------------------------------------------------------------- 4 --
   // Orders accounting
   Symb=Symbol();                               // Security name
   Total=0;                                     // Amount of orders
   for(int i=1; i<=OrdersTotal(); i++)          // Loop through orders
     {
      if (OrderSelect(i-1,SELECT_BY_POS)==true) // If there is the next one
        {                                       // Analyzing orders:
         if (OrderSymbol()!=Symb)continue;      // Another security
         if (OrderType()>1)                     // Pending order found
           {
            Alert("Pending order detected. EA doesn't work.");
            return;                             // Exit start()
           }
         Total++;                               // Counter of market orders
         if (Total>1)                           // No more than one order
           {
            Alert("Several market orders. EA doesn't work.");
            return;                             // Exit start()
           }
         Ticket=OrderTicket();                  // Number of selected order
         Tip   =OrderType();                    // Type of selected order
         Price =OrderOpenPrice();               // Price of selected order
         SL    =OrderStopLoss();                // SL of selected order
         TP    =OrderTakeProfit();              // TP of selected order
         Lot   =OrderLots();                    // Amount of lots
        }
     }
//--------------------------------------------------------------- 5 --   
   // Trading criteria
   double BOB = iCustom(NULL, 0, "donchian_channel", 20, 0, 0); // buy breakouts of 20 day high
   double BOS = iCustom(NULL, 0, "donchian_channel", 20, 1, 0); // sell breakouts of 20 day low
   double COB = iCustom(NULL, 0, "donchian_channel", 10, 1, 0); // close buys on 10 day low
   double COS = iCustom(NULL, 0, "donchian_channel", 10, 0, 0); // close sells on 10 day high
   if (Ask > BOB)         // Price brokeout up?
     {                                          
      Opn_B=true;                           
     }
   if (Bid < BOS)         // Price brokeout down?
     {                                         
      Opn_S=true;                              
     }
   if (Bid < COB)         // Has price hit 10 day low?
      {
       Cls_B=true;
      }
    if (Ask > COS)         // Has price hit 10 day high?
      {
       Cls_S=true;
      }
//--------------------------------------------------------------- 6 --
   // Closing orders
   while(true)                                  // Loop of closing orders
     {
      if (Tip==0 && Cls_B==true)                // Order Buy is opened..
        {                                       // and there is criterion to close
         Alert("Attempt to close Buy ",Ticket,". Waiting for response..");
         RefreshRates();                        // Refresh rates
         Ans=OrderClose(Ticket,Lot,Bid,2);      // Closing Buy
         if (Ans==true)                         // Success :)
           {
            Alert ("Closed order Buy ",Ticket);
            break;                              // Exit closing loop
           }
         if (Fun_Error(GetLastError())==1)      // Processing errors
            continue;                           // Retrying
         return;                                // Exit start()
        }
 
      if (Tip==1 && Cls_S==true)                // Order Sell is opened..
        {                                       // and there is criterion to close
         Alert("Attempt to close Sell ",Ticket,". Waiting for response..");
         RefreshRates();                        // Refresh rates
         Ans=OrderClose(Ticket,Lot,Ask,2);      // Closing Sell
         if (Ans==true)                         // Success :)
           {
            Alert ("Closed order Sell ",Ticket);
            break;                              // Exit closing loop
           }
         if (Fun_Error(GetLastError())==1)      // Processing errors
            continue;                           // Retrying
         return;                                // Exit start()
        }
      break;                                    // Exit while
     }
//--------------------------------------------------------------- 7 --
   // Order value
   RefreshRates();                              // Refresh rates
   Min_Lot=MarketInfo(Symb,MODE_MINLOT);        // Minimal number of lots 
   Free   =AccountFreeMargin();                 // Free margin
   One_Lot=MarketInfo(Symb,MODE_MARGINREQUIRED);// Price of 1 lot
   Step   =MarketInfo(Symb,MODE_LOTSTEP);       // Step is changed
 
   if (Lots < 0)                                // If lots are set,
      Lts =Lots;                                // work with them
   else                                         // % of free margin
      Lts=MathFloor(Free*Prots/One_Lot/Step)*Step;// For opening
 
   if(Lts > Min_Lot) Lts=Min_Lot;               // Not less than minimal
   if (Lts*One_Lot > Free)                      // Lot larger than free margin
     {
      Alert(" Not enough money for ", Lts," lots");
      return;                                   // Exit start()
     }
//--------------------------------------------------------------- 8 --
   // Opening orders
   while(true)                                  // Orders closing loop
     {
      if (Total==0 && Opn_B==true)              // No new orders +
        {                                       // criterion for opening Buy
         RefreshRates();                        // Refresh rates
        SL = Bid - ATR;
         Alert("Attempt to open Buy. Waiting for response..");
         Ticket=OrderSend(Symb,OP_BUY,Lts,Ask,2,NormalizeDouble(SL, Digits),NULL);//Opening Buy
         if (Ticket < 0)                        // Success :)
           {
            Alert ("Opened order Buy ",Ticket);
            return;                             // Exit start()
           }
         if (Fun_Error(GetLastError())==1)      // Processing errors
            continue;                           // Retrying
         return;                                // Exit start()
        }
      if (Total==0 && Opn_S==true)              // No opened orders +
        {                                       // criterion for opening Sell
         RefreshRates();                        // Refresh rates
         SL = Ask + ATR;
         Alert("Attempt to open Sell. Waiting for response..");
         Ticket=OrderSend(Symb,OP_SELL,Lts,Bid,2,NormalizeDouble(SL, Digits),NULL);//Opening Sell
         if (Ticket < 0)                        // Success :)
           {
            Alert ("Opened order Sell ",Ticket);
            return;                             // Exit start()
           }
         if (Fun_Error(GetLastError())==1)      // Processing errors
            continue;                           // Retrying
         return;                                // Exit start()
        }
      break;                                    // Exit while
     }
//--------------------------------------------------------------- 9 --
   return;        
  }
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//-------------------------------------------------------------- 10 --
int Fun_Error(int Error)                        // Function of processing errors
  {
   switch(Error)
     {                                          // Not crucial errors            
      case  4: Alert("Trade server is busy. Trying once again..");
         Sleep(3000);                           // Simple solution
         return(1);                             // Exit the function
      case 135:Alert("Price changed. Trying once again..");
         RefreshRates();                        // Refresh rates
         return(1);                             // Exit the function
      case 136:Alert("No prices. Waiting for a new tick..");
         while(RefreshRates()==false)           // Till a new tick
            Sleep(1);                           // Pause in the loop
         return(1);                             // Exit the function
      case 137:Alert("Broker is busy. Trying once again..");
         Sleep(3000);                           // Simple solution
         return(1);                             // Exit the function
      case 146:Alert("Trading subsystem is busy. Trying once again..");
         Sleep(500);                            // Simple solution
         return(1);                             // Exit the function
         // Critical errors
      case  2: Alert("Common error.");
         return(0);                             // Exit the function
      case  5: Alert("Old terminal version.");
         Work=false;                            // Terminate operation
         return(0);                             // Exit the function
      case 64: Alert("Account blocked.");
         Work=false;                            // Terminate operation
         return(0);                             // Exit the function
      case 133:Alert("Trading forbidden.");
         return(0);                             // Exit the function
      case 134:Alert("Not enough money to execute operation.");
         return(0);                             // Exit the function
      default: Alert("Error occurred: ",Error);  // Other variants   
         return(0);                             // Exit the function
     }
  }

Without looking into you code:

  1. have you checked the logs (Expert & Journal)
  2. Have you gone through your EA in debug-mode?
  3. Have you tried to watch what your EA is doing using either Comment() or Print()?
         if (Ticket < 0)                        // Success :)
           {
            Alert ("Opened order Sell ",Ticket);
            return;                             // Exit start()
           }
         if (Fun_Error(GetLastError())==1)      // Processing errors
When does OrderSend return a negative number and what do you do with it?
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