EA calling Indicator (How? iCustom,Chart Object)

The common call from an indicator to put inside and to be use for an EA or expert advisor is the " iCustom " in order to execute buy or sell orders. Is that correct?

What if..... there's no iCustom?

For purposes of this Thread, we are going to learn, investigate, understand and get information from an indicator to be use in an EA or Expert Advisor.
You have the freedom to share and exchange ideas with this Thread.

I've got this from Orchard, his style or technique or the way he coded to call the indicator where iCustom is not available.

First, let's get to know with iCustom
Watch Video here ~ The Safe Way to Call Custom Indicators in MQL4 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aHKmgh2jGg)

Watch Video here ~ Write 2 MT4 Expert Advisors with iCustom (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PfIfGzSHak)
//pls. Don't forget to Subscribe, Share and Like.

Second, without iCustom
Watch Video here ~ Using Custom Indicator Chart Objects in an Expert (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FigEnnq977I)
//pls. Don't forget to Subscribe, Share and Like.

You may also not to try but to fully watch the video by Jim Dandy using iCustom with Buffer to get the value.
Watch Video here ~ Trouble Calling a Custom Indicator (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAbeFkullNI)
//pls. Don't forget to Subscribe, Share and Like.

If you have any ideas of your own, this Thread is freely open for you to share your knowledge and skills with us. Thank you.

" Our Gratitude to Our Heavenly Father, the Creator of Heaven and Earth, and All Things seen and unseen, for the gifts, the knowledge and skills pour unto us, that freely given. All these we offer our Thanks through His Beloved Son, Our Saviour (YHWH)."

Be blessed. Shalawam!

May you find this helpful and useful. Happy Trading...

hello coders, expert or not,
join us in the making on how to use indicator as our target to our ea. i believe you all coders are generous to contribute.
lets try to use this indicator as our target for our ea. you may create just simple ea with the use of this indicator, not complex. when your done, update us here in our thread so other new members will be able to absorb a bit of knowledge and information in using MQL4.

Thank you.

you may copy and paste codes below:

//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//| TMA+CG mladen NRP.mq4 |
//| mladen |
//| arrowse coded acording to idea presented by rajiv |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
#property copyright "rajivxxx"
#property link "[email protected]"

#property description "edited by eevviill"
#property description "no repaint"

#property indicator_chart_window
#property indicator_buffers 5
#property indicator_color1 C'20,30,30' //DimGray
#property indicator_color2 C'20,30,30' //Maroon
#property indicator_color3 C'20,30,30' //DarkBlue
#property indicator_color4 Red
#property indicator_color5 Blue
#property indicator_style1 STYLE_DOT

//
//
//
//
//

extern string TimeFrame = "current time frame";
extern int HalfLength = 56;
extern int Price = PRICE_WEIGHTED;
extern double BandsDeviations = 2.5; //1.618;
extern bool Interpolate = true;
extern bool alertsOn = false;
extern bool alertsOnCurrent = false;
extern bool alertsOnHighLow = false;
bool alertsMessage = false;
bool alertsSound = false;
bool alertsEmail = false;

//
//
//
//
//

double tmBuffer[];
double upBuffer[];
double dnBuffer[];
double wuBuffer[];
double wdBuffer[];
double upArrow[];
double dnArrow[];

//
//
//
//
//

string IndicatorFileName;
bool calculatingTma = false;
bool returningBars = false;
int timeFrame;

//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//| |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//
//
//
//

int init()
{
timeFrame = stringToTimeFrame(TimeFrame);
HalfLength = MathMax(HalfLength,1);
IndicatorBuffers(7);
SetIndexBuffer(0,tmBuffer); SetIndexDrawBegin(0,HalfLength);
SetIndexBuffer(1,upBuffer); SetIndexDrawBegin(1,HalfLength);
SetIndexBuffer(2,dnBuffer); SetIndexDrawBegin(2,HalfLength);
SetIndexBuffer(3,dnArrow); SetIndexStyle(3,DRAW_ARROW); SetIndexArrow(5,242);
SetIndexBuffer(4,upArrow); SetIndexStyle(4,DRAW_ARROW); SetIndexArrow(6,241);
SetIndexBuffer(5,wuBuffer);
SetIndexBuffer(6,wdBuffer);

if (TimeFrame=="calculateTma") { calculatingTma=true; return(0); }
if (TimeFrame=="returnBars") { returningBars=true; return(0); }


IndicatorFileName = WindowExpertName();
return(0);
}
int deinit() { return(0); }

//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//| |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//
//
//
//
//

int start()
{
int counted_bars=IndicatorCounted();
int i,limit;

if(counted_bars<0) return(-1);
if(counted_bars>0) counted_bars--;
limit=MathMin(Bars-1,Bars-counted_bars+HalfLength);

if (returningBars) { tmBuffer[0] = limit; return(0); }
if (calculatingTma) { calculateTma(limit); return(0); }
if (timeFrame > Period()) limit = MathMax(limit,MathMin(Bars-1,iCustom(NULL,timeFrame,IndicatorFileName,"returnBars",0,0)*timeFrame/Period()));

//
//
//
//
//
if(limit<Bars-20) limit=1;
for(i = limit; i >= 0; i--)
{

int shift1 = iBarShift(NULL,timeFrame,Time[i]);
datetime time1 = iTime (NULL,timeFrame,shift1);

//
//
//
//
//

tmBuffer[i] = iCustom(NULL,timeFrame,IndicatorFileName,"calculateTma",HalfLength,Price,BandsDeviations,0,shift1);
upBuffer[i] = iCustom(NULL,timeFrame,IndicatorFileName,"calculateTma",HalfLength,Price,BandsDeviations,1,shift1);
dnBuffer[i] = iCustom(NULL,timeFrame,IndicatorFileName,"calculateTma",HalfLength,Price,BandsDeviations,2,shift1);

upArrow[i] = EMPTY_VALUE;
dnArrow[i] = EMPTY_VALUE;
if (High[i+1]>upBuffer[i+1] && Close[i+1]>Open[i+1] && Close[i]<Open[i]) upArrow[i] = High[i]+iATR(NULL,0,20,i);
if ( Low[i+1]<dnBuffer[i+1] && Close[i+1]<Open[i+1] && Close[i]>Open[i]) dnArrow[i] = High[i]-iATR(NULL,0,20,i);

if (timeFrame <= Period() || shift1==iBarShift(NULL,timeFrame,Time[i-1])) continue;
if (!Interpolate) continue;

//
//
//
//
//

for(int n = 1; i+n < Bars && Time[i+n] >= time1; n++) continue;
double factor = 1.0 / n;
for(int k = 1; k < n; k++)
{
tmBuffer[i+k] = k*factor*tmBuffer[i+n] + (1.0-k*factor)*tmBuffer[i];
upBuffer[i+k] = k*factor*upBuffer[i+n] + (1.0-k*factor)*upBuffer[i];
dnBuffer[i+k] = k*factor*dnBuffer[i+n] + (1.0-k*factor)*dnBuffer[i];
}
}

//
//
//
//
//

if (alertsOn)
{
if (alertsOnCurrent)
int forBar = 0;
else forBar = 1;
if (alertsOnHighLow)
{
if (High[forBar] > upBuffer[forBar] && High[forBar+1] < upBuffer[forBar+1]) doAlert("high penetrated upper bar");
if (Low[forBar] < dnBuffer[forBar] && Low[forBar+1] > dnBuffer[forBar+1]) doAlert("low penetrated lower bar");
}
else
{
if (Close[forBar] > upBuffer[forBar] && Close[forBar+1] < upBuffer[forBar+1]) doAlert("close penetrated upper bar");
if (Close[forBar] < dnBuffer[forBar] && Close[forBar+1] > dnBuffer[forBar+1]) doAlert("close penetrated lower bar");
}
}

return(0);
}

//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//| |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//
//
//
//
//

void calculateTma(int limit)
{
int i,j,k;
double FullLength = 2.0*HalfLength+1.0;

//
//
//
//
//

for (i=limit; i>=0; i--)
{
double sum = (HalfLength+1)*iMA(NULL,0,1,0,MODE_SMA,Price,i);
double sumw = (HalfLength+1);
for(j=1, k=HalfLength; j<=HalfLength; j++, k--)
{
sum += k*iMA(NULL,0,1,0,MODE_SMA,Price,i+j);
sumw += k;

if (j<=i)
{
sum += k*iMA(NULL,0,1,0,MODE_SMA,Price,i-j);
sumw += k;
}
}
tmBuffer[i] = sum/sumw;

//
//
//
//
//

double diff = iMA(NULL,0,1,0,MODE_SMA,Price,i)-tmBuffer[i];
if (i> (Bars-HalfLength-1)) continue;
if (i==(Bars-HalfLength-1))
{
upBuffer[i] = tmBuffer[i];
dnBuffer[i] = tmBuffer[i];
if (diff>=0)
{
wuBuffer[i] = MathPow(diff,2);
wdBuffer[i] = 0;
}
else
{
wdBuffer[i] = MathPow(diff,2);
wuBuffer[i] = 0;
}
continue;
}

//
//
//
//
//

if(diff>=0)
{
wuBuffer[i] = (wuBuffer[i+1]*(FullLength-1)+MathPow(diff,2))/FullLength;
wdBuffer[i] = wdBuffer[i+1]*(FullLength-1)/FullLength;
}
else
{
wdBuffer[i] = (wdBuffer[i+1]*(FullLength-1)+MathPow(diff,2))/FullLength;
wuBuffer[i] = wuBuffer[i+1]*(FullLength-1)/FullLength;
}
upBuffer[i] = tmBuffer[i] + BandsDeviations*MathSqrt(wuBuffer[i]);
dnBuffer[i] = tmBuffer[i] - BandsDeviations*MathSqrt(wdBuffer[i]);
}
}



//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//| |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//
//
//
//
//

void doAlert(string doWhat)
{
static string previousAlert="";
static datetime previousTime;
string message;

//
//
//
//
//

if (previousAlert!=doWhat || previousTime!=Time[0])
{
previousAlert = doWhat;
previousTime = Time[0];

message= StringConcatenate(Symbol()," at ",TimeToStr(TimeLocal(),TIME_SECONDS)," THA : ",doWhat);
if (alertsMessage) Alert(message);
if (alertsEmail) SendMail(StringConcatenate(Symbol(),"TMA "),message);
if (alertsSound) PlaySound("alert2.wav");
}
}

//
//
//
//
//

int stringToTimeFrame(string tfs)
{
for(int l = StringLen(tfs)-1; l >= 0; l--)
{
int tchar = StringGetChar(tfs,l);
if((tchar > 96 && tchar < 123) || (tchar > 223 && tchar < 256))
tfs = StringSetChar(tfs, 1, tchar - 32);
else
if(tchar > -33 && tchar < 0)
tfs = StringSetChar(tfs, 1, tchar + 224);
}
int tf=0;
if (tfs=="M1" || tfs=="1") tf=PERIOD_M1;
if (tfs=="M5" || tfs=="5") tf=PERIOD_M5;
if (tfs=="M15"|| tfs=="15") tf=PERIOD_M15;
if (tfs=="M30"|| tfs=="30") tf=PERIOD_M30;
if (tfs=="H1" || tfs=="60") tf=PERIOD_H1;
if (tfs=="H4" || tfs=="240") tf=PERIOD_H4;
if (tfs=="D1" || tfs=="1440") tf=PERIOD_D1;
if (tfs=="W1" || tfs=="10080") tf=PERIOD_W1;
if (tfs=="MN" || tfs=="43200") tf=PERIOD_MN1;
if (tf==0 || tf<Period()) tf=Period();
return(tf);
}