Topic: Adding Protection by Time on BOT EAs? HELP!

Since there's a lot of users wanting to benefit further from the EAs they generate I wonder if it'd be possible to add a feature to be included in the editor so the extracted version expires on the date set by the user prior extraction, or any other possible way?

In the mean time and since my coding skills aren't too great I'd appreciate some help with writing a piece of code in order to achieve the above. I have successfully completed some other changes as necessary (for personal preferences of course) and I kinda liked getting into it, but here I am stuck.

In the current scenario I have found an example code but I get errors when I try compiling it. I think the main reason is because the coding language in BOT is different to all the examples I've found (maybe c vs c++, not sure). For example, there's a int start function instead of int OnInit. If those suppose to be identical I am not sure..

I got multiple types of errors like unexpected token, name expected, array required etc but I couldn't figure out how to fix it. I placed the code below (without the int start function) in int OnInit like in the picture attached.

int start()
{  
  string char[256]; int i;

  for (i = 0; i < 256; i++) char[i ] = CharToStr(i);

  // Date, until which the expert is allowed to work
  int LastAllowedDate = StrToTime(
  /* 2009.09.11 23:59:00 */ 
  char[50]+char[48]+char[48]+char[57]+char[46]+char[48]+char[57]+char[46]+char[49]+
  char[49]+char[32]+char[50]+char[51]+char[58]+char[53]+char[57]+char[58]+char[48]+char[48]

  ); 

  if (TimeCurrent() >= LastAllowedDate) 
  {
    Print("Demo period has expired " + TimeToStr(LastAllowedDate,TIME_DATE|TIME_SECONDS));
    return(1);
  }
  
  Print("You can work until "+ TimeToStr(LastAllowedDate,TIME_DATE|TIME_SECONDS));
}

I have tried different things, all give different types of errors.

I would appreciate any advice / recommendation.

Thanks in advance.

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Re: Adding Protection by Time on BOT EAs? HELP!

It may be simpler to use something like 'if date =  *****'  ' then do not proceed

To add this to the program may be counterproductive as people are reoptimizing regularly to keep their strategies trading.

This suggested feature might cause people a lot of problems as few would want their strategy to quit.

Just my opinion.

My 'secret' goal is to push EA Studio until I can net 3000 pips per day....

Re: Adding Protection by Time on BOT EAs? HELP!

Blaiserboy

Thank you very much for the input.

May I ask how often you personally reoptimise?

Best,
Stav

Re: Adding Protection by Time on BOT EAs? HELP!

Most of my strategies are on higher time frames with only a couple indicators, so they do not require much maintenance.

Every couple months I will have a look at performance to see if something needs to be done.

Recently I have started to work with some 15 minute charts, I have no idea what they will require in the way of upkeep.

I apologize for having no good reply to your question.

daveM

My 'secret' goal is to push EA Studio until I can net 3000 pips per day....

Re: Adding Protection by Time on BOT EAs? HELP!

Thank you for the info Dave.

Assuming you do have EAs trading binary options, I wanted to ask, if you would't mind, the following questions:

1. What is your data source of historic data
2. What is the data start, or a good period to look back from
3. When you say higher timeframe I suppose you mean 1H, 4H

I downloaded data from dukascopy and use those for a period of 2 years. Most of the EA I generated use the 5M TF

Your input is much appreciated

Stav

Re: Adding Protection by Time on BOT EAs? HELP!

I use 4 digit data from Instaforex MT5, some of the daily goes back to 1991, the rest I download 100,000 bars using the scripts that Popov has provided.

That may be unsatisfactory as it is 4 digit...  but it seems to work well for my purpose.

My strategies are daily and 4 hour, mainly, I find that the data points are much better for the higher time frames, I have little experience with 5 minute.

I run strategies on both MT4 and MT5, different ones on each.

My 'secret' goal is to push EA Studio until I can net 3000 pips per day....

Re: Adding Protection by Time on BOT EAs? HELP!

Thank you, that's helpful

I will probably look into higher timeframes soon as well, I do think that they are 'safer'

S

Re: Adding Protection by Time on BOT EAs? HELP!

I think the higher time frames are less work to maintain......  I also think that unless a person is very skilled, the higher time frames pay as much, if not more than the fast time frames.

For me, personally, I have an income goal that I feel can be achieved more easily on the higher time frames..... and that is why I can afford to use a broker that is 4 digits.......

I simply do not have the energy to maintain a number of strategies trading the fast time frames.

Before I became a space cadet, I was a turtle.......... taking it slow and easy.........lol

I forgot to mention re higher time frames....... most of my strategies are generated..... and the generator processes my 240 minute data a lot faster than it would 5 minute...., I can include more market cycles and by letting it run for  quite a few hours I can get strategies that have some great metrics.... If using 5 minute data, 100,000 bars is slow and hard on the computer memory. and does not cover a long period of time.

This is all subjective, I am sure others think differently.

My 'secret' goal is to push EA Studio until I can net 3000 pips per day....

Re: Adding Protection by Time on BOT EAs? HELP!

I guess my criterion re time frame choice is based on something like it takes 240 5 minute bars to equate to one 240 minute bar... and the 5 minute bars can go all over the place enroute to the destination.

Simplistic thinking I guess.

My 'secret' goal is to push EA Studio until I can net 3000 pips per day....

Re: Adding Protection by Time on BOT EAs? HELP!

I am with you.

I suppose in higher timeframes the chances of trading the noise are reduced. Also, I suppose your average win in pips is higher than it'd be on the lower TF hence you can indeed use 4 digit data. In my case I am not that experienced with any of this, just using the generator with no knowledge or whatsoever of what the indicators can do /are for. Of course I have some knowledge but this is limited.

The lower TF have worked fine so far for me, with some very good results. However, in most cases the losses occurred due to volatility, which I suppose in higher TF's it doesn't have such an effect.

What is your take on OSS please? I keep thinking that the higher the better.. And also, I always look at SQN higher than 3-4, not sure how relevant it is in low TFs though as sometimes I get a crazy 12 or ever higher SQN but then in live markets the algo sucks..

Re: Adding Protection by Time on BOT EAs? HELP!

No matter what metrics we get in our testing..... it is a crap shoot in live trading. I use the 40 percent OOS and I like the SQN to be above 3........... but I have seen the 'best quality' strategies blow up, even with walk forward testing and Monte Carlo and many other lovely things.

For 'insurance' we need large numbers, like you may have 5 strategies for each currency pair on each time frame and monitor those carefully. If we rely on one thing. the risk can eat our account.

One day a trending strategy will look good and the next day it will look horrible....  I use the Donchian channel for about half my strategies... try to balance between trending and breakout...

I try to limit the number of indicators, especially oscillators as those are what gets hammered as the market changes faces....  those have to be watched closely and reoptimized often.

My 'secret' goal is to push EA Studio until I can net 3000 pips per day....

12 (edited by Stav 2017-01-10 23:50:26)

Re: Adding Protection by Time on BOT EAs? HELP!

Thank you for the comments

It's been good exchanging few messages

Especially getting advice from a long-registered member

S

Re: Adding Protection by Time on BOT EAs? HELP!

There are far brighter than me in this forum but they do not post that often..

You may be surprised that some trading professionals use this software.

My 'secret' goal is to push EA Studio until I can net 3000 pips per day....

Re: Adding Protection by Time on BOT EAs? HELP!

something I should have mentioned re Optimizer and Multi Charts

When you use Multi Charts.. the Optimizer uses the last settings that you optimized with.
So..... you can choose how the Multi Charts works by running the Optimizer with the settings you want.
Meaning that you can run Multi Charts a few times with different settings to see if there are some good results.
That may give you a better selection of strategies to work with.

The Optimizer is a great tool in that you can set different parameters using the settings and also the Control Panel settings can be adjusted.....

I have found some good strategies by playing with the settings and re optimizing or running Multi Charts with different settings.

I often run the generator overnight and then work with Multicharts and the Optimizer in the day time to see if there could be any gems.

I regard the generator as an idea builder......, maybe for combinations of indicators.... and then perhaps generate more of the ideas until I get something that will give me the  metrics I want for an eventual strategy.

My 'secret' goal is to push EA Studio until I can net 3000 pips per day....