How to calculate the current bar MACD exponential histogram value for multiple time frames?

[robe070]

I'm writing a tool that will display whether the current MACD EMA histogram is less than or greater than 0, for TF other than the current TF.

I know I need to download history for the other TF.

MACD MA is calculated correctly.

Given I have the history, why does this code not calculate the signal correctly?

And I've arbitrarily chosen 120 bars. Is there a better value?

extern int    FastEMA         = 12;                // Fast EMA Period
extern int    SlowEMA         = 26;                // Slow EMA Period
extern int    SignalEMA       = 9;                 // Signal SMA Period

#define MACD_BARS 120         // Number of bars to consider in MACD

double MacdBuffer[MACD_BARS];
double SignalBuffer[MACD_BARS];

for( int idx = MACD_BARS-1; idx >= 0; idx-- ) {
     MacdBuffer[idx] = iMA( _Symbol, PERIOD_D1, FastEMA, 0, MODE_EMA, PRICE_CLOSE, idx ) -
                       iMA( _Symbol, PERIOD_D1, SlowEMA, 0, MODE_EMA, PRICE_CLOSE, idx );
}      
ExponentialMAOnBuffer( MACD_BARS, 0, 0, SignalEMA, MacdBuffer, SignalBuffer );
double MacdHist = MacdBuffer[0] - SignalBuffer[0];

[Shino Unada]

ArraySetAsSeries(MacdBuffer, false);
ArraySetAsSeries(SignalBuffer, false);

Using "ExponentialMAOnBuffer" will need to reverse the order of the arrays.

If you prefer the MT4 method, use "iMAOnArray".

[robe070]

Nagisa Unada:

Using "ExponentialMAOnBuffer" will need to reverse the order of the arrays.

I've worked out that I must use a dynamic array so that I can set it to be a time series. Then this works:

   double MacdBuffer[];
   double SignalBuffer[];

   ArraySetAsSeries( MacdBuffer, true);
   ArraySetAsSeries( SignalBuffer, true);
   
   ArrayResize( MacdBuffer, MACD_BARS);
   ArrayResize( SignalBuffer, MACD_BARS);
   
   for( int idx = MACD_BARS-1; idx >= 0; idx-- ) {
        MacdBuffer[idx] = iMA( _Symbol, PERIOD_D1, FastEMA, 0, MODE_EMA, PRICE_CLOSE, idx ) -
                            iMA( _Symbol, PERIOD_D1, SlowEMA, 0, MODE_EMA, PRICE_CLOSE, idx );
   }      
   ExponentialMAOnBuffer( MACD_BARS, 0, 0, SignalEMA, MacdBuffer, SignalBuffer );
   double MacdHist = MacdBuffer[0] - SignalBuffer[0];

And the order that I populate the MacdBuffer does not matter. 1st to last or last to first.

And the Signal becomes more accurate as you add more data points. MACD_BARS needs to be at least 9 to get anything at all. 40 to get some accuracy. 120 is quite accurate.

Lots of learning in this post. Thanks for your help.

[Shino Unada]

If you include "MovingAverages.mqh", the Moving Average calculation requires ArraySetAsSeries to be "false", but the Moving Average of calculated values calculation could be "true".

I was mistaken. However, I am glad that my answer seemed to be helpful.

"iMAOnArray" instead of "ExponentialMAOnBuffer" produces the same result.

//ExponentialMAOnBuffer( MACD_BARS, 0, 0, SignalEMA, MacdBuffer, SignalBuffer );
  SignalBuffer[0] = iMAOnArray(MacdBuffer, 0, SignalEMA, 0, MODE_EMA, 0);