MQL4 WindowExpertName() does not solve my problem

[Longsen Chen]

I'm writing a code to detect a chart that is running a specified EA. I know the EA name. In MQL5, I use ChartGetString(chart_id, CHART_EXPERT_NAME) to detect if a chart is running the specified EA. MQL4 does not have ChartGetString() but has WindowExpertName(). However, WindowExpertName() returns the caller's name, not the chart I'm detecting.

Anyone could help?

Thanks

[William Roeder]

Longsen Chen: MQL4 does not have ChartGetString() 

Yes it does (ChartGetString - Chart Operations - MQL4 Reference) just not useful to you.

What are you going to do differently depending on the result?

If you have the EA's code, have it create a Global Variable OnInit and remove it OnDeinit. Someting like «EA_NAME»_ «CHARTID».

You could also try creating a hard link between «DataFolder»/../templates/X.tpl and «DataFolder»/Files/X.tpl, call ChartSaveTemplate and then read the template looking for

<expert>
name=«EA_NAME»

[Longsen Chen]

Thank you for your reply.

Unfortunately I don't have EA code. So Global Variable wouldn't work.

I may forcily apply template to some chart. The template may contain target EA. My code knows each chart who runs the target EA. In this way I don't need to detect but know the charts in advance.

Thank you very much

[Alexander Martinez]

Assuming you know which chart the EA will be running on, you could also write a simple indicator, drop it in the chart with the EA, then have the indicator set a global variable with the chart ID.

[Longsen Chen]

I use ChartFirst and ChartNext to iterate all charts and detect each chart if it has the specific EA. The link below helps.

https://www.mql5.com/en/forum/225408/page2