Simple Indicator buffers question

[Nicholas Syiek]

Hello,

I am just getting started building indicators, and I am confused with indicator buffers. I understand that these are the values that are sent to the terminal and can be used by other indicators/expert advisors, but the documentation is confusing me. I am trying to create a very simple indicator that shows the total number of buys, sells, and open pips profit on a selected currency pair. I have all of the values computing correctly and alerting to me, but how can I make these values buffers? For example: I have numberOfBuysOpen, numberOfSellsOpen, and pipsProfit as variables that I'd like to be buffers.

Thanks for the help

[William Roeder]

1. Buffers are auto-sizing arrays. They usually result in lines or dots on the chart but not necessarily.
   
2. You can read an indicator's buffers via iCustom.
   
3. Create some non-displaying buffers, put your values in there. Since # of open orders is only valid currently, store that value in index zero.
   

[John Davis]

Nicholas Syiek:

Hello,

I am just getting started building indicators, and I am confused with indicator buffers. I understand that these are the values that are sent to the terminal and can be used by other indicators/expert advisors, but the documentation is confusing me. I am trying to create a very simple indicator that shows the total number of buys, sells, and open pips profit on a selected currency pair. I have all of the values computing correctly and alerting to me, but how can I make these values buffers? For example: I have numberOfBuysOpen, numberOfSellsOpen, and pipsProfit as variables that I'd like to be buffers.

Thanks for the help

First I will defer to whroeder1 he/she has the experience and the chops.

You could create arrays like 

double numberOfBuysOpen[], numberOfSellsOpen[], pipsProfit[];

Then later in your code just input the calculations for that value on the appropriate bar like

//+------------------------------------------------------------------+{
//---
   int limit=rates_total;
   if(prev_calculated==0)limit=rates_total-1;
   for(int i=limit-prev_calculated;i>0;i--)
     {
      	numberOfBuysOpen[i-1]=YourNumberOfBuyOpenFunction();
 	numberOfSellsOpen[i-1]=YourNumberOfSellsOpenFunction();
	pipsProfit[i-1]=YourPipsProfitFunction();
     }

//--- return value of prev_calculated for next call
   return(rates_total);
  }

Now you will have your values in the indicator buffer.