I think I found a bug in strategy tester

[mt4ski]

My saved input parameters changed themselves to an unknown version that breaks my EA. It rarely happens but it's at least the second time I notice this behaviour.

[mt4ski]

The parameters keep changing to different settings on their own.

[Alain Verleyen]

mt4ski:
The parameters keep changing to different settings on their own.

If you don't explain how to reproduce it, it's useless to report it.

[mt4ski]

Alain Verleyen:
how to reproduce it

Use MT4 normally and wait...

The developpers might have an idea. It's their job after all. It's not the answer you wanted but it's still worthwhile to be aware of a problem even when we don't know the mechanism yet.  

[Fernando Carreiro]

mt4ski: Use MT4 normally and wait... The developpers might have an idea. It's their job after all. It's not the answer you wanted but it's still worthwhile to be aware of a problem even we don't know the mechanism yet.  

Please explain yourself properly and in detail. Show some screenshots and log details to explain the problem so that it can be reproduced.

Otherwise, we have no idea what you are talking about.

[Pak Hong Poon]

what do you mean by "break your EA", in what way, mechanically? lol

[mt4ski]

Fernando Carreiro:

Please explain yourself properly and in detail. Show some screenshots and log details to explain the problem so that it can be reproduced.

Otherwise, we have no idea what you are talking about.

The strategy tester settings in Expert properties > Inputs are not suposed to change on their own. Normally they don't. I would test my EA for hours, modifying the code and the input parameters without issue until suddenly the EA stopped working. After investigating I discovered the reason was because several input parameters had changed the behaviour of the Expert Advisor, including disabling trading. This is all I can say. It could be a hacker for all I know. 

Pak Hong Poon:
what do you mean by "break your EA", in what way, mechanically? lol

Disabling trading and messing up all the input parameters

[mt4ski]

It's not the first time I make a post about this. Am I really the only one experiencing this?

https://www.mql5.com/en/forum/339996

[Alain Verleyen]

mt4ski:

It's not the first time I make a post about this. Am I really the only one experiencing this?

https://www.mql5.com/en/forum/339996

So you reported it more than one year ago, nothing has changed, but you are still thinking your post is useful. You should better listen people who knows how to have actual bugs fixed.

« Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. »  Sudden Death, Rita Mae Brown

[mt4ski]

Alain Verleyen:

So you reported it more than one year ago, nothing has changed, but you are still thinking your post is useful. You should better listen people who knows how to have actual bugs fixed.

« Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. »  Sudden Death, Rita Mae Brown

I didn't remember I had already posted about it. Nobody seemed interested by the issue either and you told me it was useluess to bother but okay I'm listening. Tell me what I should add, in case it can help.

I'm running Meta Trader 4 build 1340 (July 23 2021) on Windows 10 Home x64.

Anything else?

[Fernando Carreiro]

mt4ski: I didn't remember I had already posted about it. Nobody seemed intered by the issue either and you told me it was useluess to bother but okay I'm listening. Tell me what I should add, in case it can help. I'm running Meta Trader 4 build 1340 (July 23 2021) on Windows 10 Home x64. Anything else?

My personal opinion is that this is a P.I.C.N.I.C. case, where due to you not fully understanding things, leads you to believe that the parameters are changing and that it is a bug, when in fact they are probably resetting due to various valid situations.

When you change your code and recompile, and the changes to the parameters are no longer compatible with the cached settings, they will reset.

When you run a Optimisation and the select one of the passes by a double click, the parameters will change accordingly, but if there is compilation between these actions then the parameters will reset.

There are several other scenarios where cache parameters will reset or change due to various conditions.

So, in essence, I don't believe it to be a bug, but more of a case that you are not fully aware of how the Strategy Tester behaves in these situations.

If however you still believe it a bug, then you will have to create a very detailed step-by-step recipe that will reproduce the problem so that other users can test it and confirm the issue. If you are not able to do that, then it will be ignored as no one else seems to be having the same problem as you.