Subject: EA attaches to multiple charts instead of one (default Moving Average EA issue) - page 2

[Fernando Carreiro]

@Michael Charles Schefe #: this response is confusing. EAs only work on the chart that it is attached to; just like indicators.The only exception to this rule is if the ea is coded to work differently. But the default eas are not coded to work on multiple charts/symbols.

@Tokyo dude #: I had a misunderstanding about how EAs are displayed in MT5 ... I didn’t realize this difference and assumed EAs would behave just like indicators ... and sorry for all the confusion I caused. 

I would like to clarify some of the confusion for all involved. An EA when attached to a chart, only appears on that chart and no other.

However, the "Expert List" (Alt-X), which is accessible from the context menu when right clicking on a chart, lists ALL experts, irrespective of which chart it is attached. This is why the "Expert List" also includes a column identifying the chart symbol and time-frame on which the EA was placed.

This is in contrast to the "Indicator List" (Ctrl-I) which ONLY lists Indicators of that the particular chart and no other, which is much more logical given that it is a context menu option.

It is this lack of proper design consistency by the MetaQuotes's developers, that is causing the confusion. So it is totally understandable that such misunderstandings and confusion was instilled.

[Tokyo dude]

Fernando and everyone else, thank you for the clear explanation:

*   An EA only functions on the chart it is attached to.

*   However, the Expert List (Alt+X) always displays all running EAs, regardless of which chart you open it from.

* That design difference confused me. I expected it to behave like an indicator, only appearing on the chart it belongs to.

Lesson learned: Sometimes the real bug isn't in the platform itself, but in our own assumptions!

Thanks again for your patience and help, and for laughing at my silly confusion. You saved me from chasing shadows for three days.

**Screenshot 1:** On the USDCHF chart, there is no EA icon in the top right corner. However, the *Expert List* option appears in the context menu.

**Screenshot 2:** Opening the *Expert List* reveals that the Moving Average EA is running on the EURUSD chart. From here, you can modify or delete it, even though you opened the list from an unrelated chart.