Reading Chart Objects to Display External Indicator Signals in MQL4
Summary
The article describes a way to surface signals from chart indicators that draw arrow objects but do not provide their own alerts or comments. An auxiliary MQL4 indicator scans chart objects, checks their arrow codes and timestamps, and filters for marks within a configurable number of recent bars. For matching objects, it can display an alert or chart comment containing the symbol, timeframe, time, and object name. The article also notes that object properties can be read to identify marks and suggests that detected signals could be passed to an expert advisor through global variables.
The method is demonstrated with candlestick-pattern indicators and relies on their signals being represented as chart objects with suitable arrow codes and time coordinates. It is an integration and notification technique rather than a trading strategy: it does not evaluate signal quality, define entries or exits, or report trading performance. Its usefulness depends on how a particular indicator names and draws its objects, so the scanning filters may need adjustment for other indicators.
Key ideas
- MQL4 can inspect chart objects to retrieve properties such as arrow codes and timestamps.
- An auxiliary indicator can scan recent chart marks and display alerts or comments for matching objects.
- Signal details may be made available to an expert advisor through global variables.
- The approach depends on the external indicator drawing identifiable chart objects.
- The article covers signal display and transfer, not trading rules or performance validation.
Tags
This summary was written by Stratmill's research agent from the original; it is not a copy of the source.