OnTick
OnTick
The function is called in EAs when the NewTick event occurs to handle a new quote.
void OnTick(void);Return Value
No return value
Note
The NewTick event is generated only for EAs upon receiving a new tick for a symbol of the chart the EA is attached to. There is no point in defining the OnTick() function in a custom indicator or a script since a NewTick event is not generated for them.
The Tick event is generated only for EAs, but this does not mean that EAs have to feature the OnTick() function, since Timer, BookEvent and ChartEvent events are also generated for EAs in addition to NewTick.
All events are handled one after another in the order of their receipt. If the queue already contains the NewTick event or this event is in the processing stage, then the new NewTick event is not added to mql5 application queue.
The NewTick event is generated regardless of whether auto trading is enabled (AutoTrading button). Disabled auto trading means only a ban on sending trade requests from an EA. The EA operation is not stopped.
Disabling auto trading by pressing the AutoTrading button does not interrupt the current execution of the OnTick() function.
Example of the EA featuring its entire trading logic in the OnTick() function
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//| TradeByATR.mq5 |
//| Copyright 2018, MetaQuotes Software Corp. |
//| https://www.mql5.com |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
#property copyright "Copyright 2000-2024, MetaQuotes Ltd."
#property link "https://www.mql5.com"
#property version "1.00"
#property description "Sample EA trading in the \"explosive\" candle direction"
#property description "\"Explosive\" candle has the body size exceeding k*ATR"
#property description "The \"revers\" parameter reverses the signal direction"
input double lots=0.1; // volume in lots
input double kATR=3; // signal candle length in ATR
input int ATRperiod=20; // ATR indicator period
input int holdbars=8; // number of bars to hold position on
input int slippage=10; // allowable slippage
input bool revers=false; // reverse the signal?
input ulong EXPERT_MAGIC=0; // EA's MagicNumber
//--- for storing the ATR indicator handle
int atr_handle;
//--- here we will store the last ATR values and the candle body
double last_atr,last_body;
datetime lastbar_timeopen;
double trade_lot;
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//| Expert initialization function |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
int OnInit()
{
//--- initialize global variables
last_atr=0;
last_body=0;
//--- set the correct volume
double min_lot=SymbolInfoDouble(_Symbol,SYMBOL_VOLUME_MIN);
trade_lot=lots>min_lot? lots:min_lot;
//--- create ATR indicator handle
atr_handle=iATR(_Symbol,_Period,ATRperiod);
if(atr_handle==INVALID_HANDLE)
{
PrintFormat("%s: failed to create iATR, error code %d",__FUNCTION__,GetLastError());
return(INIT_FAILED);
}
//--- successful EA initialization
return(INIT_SUCCEEDED);
}
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//| Expert deinitialization function |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
void OnDeinit(const int reason)
{
//--- inform of the EA operation end code
Print(__FILE__,": Deinitialization reason code = ",reason);
}
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//| Expert tick function |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
void OnTick()
{
//--- trading signal
static int signal=0; // +1 means a buy signal, -1 means a sell signal
//--- check and close old positions opened more than 'holdbars' bars ago
ClosePositionsByBars(holdbars,slippage,EXPERT_MAGIC);
//--- check for a new bar
if(isNewBar())
{
//--- check for a signal presence
signal=CheckSignal();
}
//--- if a netting position is opened, skip the signal - wait till it closes
if(signal!=0 && PositionsTotal()>0 && (ENUM_ACCOUNT_MARGIN_MODE)AccountInfoInteger(ACCOUNT_MARGIN_MODE)==ACCOUNT_MARGIN_MODE_RETAIL_NETTING)
{
signal=0;
return; // exit the NewTick event handler and do not enter the market before a new bar appears
}
//--- for a hedging account, each position is held and closed separately
if(signal!=0)
{
//--- buy signal
if(signal>0)
{
PrintFormat("%s: Buy signal! Revers=%s",__FUNCTION__,string(revers));
if(Buy(trade_lot,slippage,EXPERT_MAGIC))
signal=0;
}
//--- sell signal
if(signal<0)
{
PrintFormat("%s: Sell signal! Revers=%s",__FUNCTION__,string(revers));
if(Sell(trade_lot,slippage,EXPERT_MAGIC))
signal=0;
}
}
//--- OnTick function end
}
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//| Check for a new trading signal |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
int CheckSignal()
{
//--- 0 means no signal
int res=0;
//--- get ATR value on a penultimate complete bar (the bar index is 2)
double atr_value[1];
if(CopyBuffer(atr_handle,0,2,1,atr_value)!=-1)
{
last_atr=atr_value[0];
//--- get data on the last closed bar to the MqlRates type array
MqlRates bar[1];
if(CopyRates(_Symbol,_Period,1,1,bar)!=-1)
{
//--- calculate the bar body size on the last complete bar
last_body=bar[0].close-bar[0].open;
//--- if the body of the last bar (with index 1) exceeds the previous ATR value (on the bar with index 2), a trading signal is received
if(MathAbs(last_body)>kATR*last_atr)
res=last_body>0?1:-1; // positive value for the upward candle
}
else
PrintFormat("%s: Failed to receive the last bar! Error",__FUNCTION__,GetLastError());
}
else
PrintFormat("%s: Failed to receive ATR indicator value! Error",__FUNCTION__,GetLastError());
//--- if reverse trading mode is enabled
res=revers?-res:res; // reverse the signal if necessary (return -1 instead of 1 and vice versa)
//--- return a trading signal value
return (res);
}
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//| Return 'true' when a new bar appears |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
bool isNewBar(const bool print_log=true)
{
static datetime bartime=0; // store open time of the current bar
//--- get open time of the zero bar
datetime currbar_time=iTime(_Symbol,_Period,0);
//--- if open time changes, a new bar has arrived
if(bartime!=currbar_time)
{
bartime=currbar_time;
lastbar_timeopen=bartime;
//--- display data on open time of a new bar in the log
if(print_log && !(MQLInfoInteger(MQL_OPTIMIZATION)||MQLInfoInteger(MQL_TESTER)))
{
//--- display a message with a new bar open time
PrintFormat("%s: new bar on %s %s opened at %s",__FUNCTION__,_Symbol,
StringSubstr(EnumToString(_Period),7),
TimeToString(TimeCurrent(),TIME_SECONDS));
//--- get data on the last tick
MqlTick last_tick;
if(!SymbolInfoTick(Symbol(),last_tick))
Print("SymbolInfoTick() failed, error = ",GetLastError());
//--- display the last tick time up to milliseconds
PrintFormat("Last tick was at %s.%03d",
TimeToString(last_tick.time,TIME_SECONDS),last_tick.time_msc%1000);
}
//--- we have a new bar
return (true);
}
//--- no new bar
return (false);
}
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//| Buy at a market price with a specified volume |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
bool Buy(double volume,ulong deviation=10,ulong magicnumber=0)
{
//--- buy at a market price
return (MarketOrder(ORDER_TYPE_BUY,volume,deviation,magicnumber));
}
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//| Sell at a market price with a specified volume |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
bool Sell(double volume,ulong deviation=10,ulong magicnumber=0)
{
//--- sell at a market price
return (MarketOrder(ORDER_TYPE_SELL,volume,deviation,magicnumber));
}
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//| Close positions by hold time in bars |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
void ClosePositionsByBars(int holdtimebars,ulong deviation=10,ulong magicnumber=0)
{
int total=PositionsTotal(); // number of open positions
//--- iterate over open positions
for(int i=total-1; i>=0; i--)
{
//--- position parameters
ulong position_ticket=PositionGetTicket(i); // position ticket
string position_symbol=PositionGetString(POSITION_SYMBOL); // symbol
ulong magic=PositionGetInteger(POSITION_MAGIC); // position MagicNumber
datetime position_open=(datetime)PositionGetInteger(POSITION_TIME); // position open time
int bars=iBarShift(_Symbol,PERIOD_CURRENT,position_open)+1; // how many bars ago a position was opened
//--- if a position's lifetime is already large, while MagicNumber and a symbol match
if(bars>holdtimebars && magic==magicnumber && position_symbol==_Symbol)
{
int digits=(int)SymbolInfoInteger(position_symbol,SYMBOL_DIGITS); // number of decimal places
double volume=PositionGetDouble(POSITION_VOLUME); // position volume
ENUM_POSITION_TYPE type=(ENUM_POSITION_TYPE)PositionGetInteger(POSITION_TYPE); // position type
string str_type=StringSubstr(EnumToString(type),14);
StringToLower(str_type); // lower the text case for correct message formatting
PrintFormat("Close position #%I64u %s %s %.2f",
position_ticket,position_symbol,str_type,volume);
//--- set an order type and sending a trade request
if(type==POSITION_TYPE_BUY)
MarketOrder(ORDER_TYPE_SELL,volume,deviation,magicnumber,position_ticket);
else
MarketOrder(ORDER_TYPE_BUY,volume,deviation,magicnumber,position_ticket);
}
}
}
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//| Prepare and send a trade request |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
bool MarketOrder(ENUM_ORDER_TYPE type,double volume,ulong slip,ulong magicnumber,ulong pos_ticket=0)
{
//--- declaring and initializing structures
MqlTradeRequest request={};
MqlTradeResult result={};
double price=SymbolInfoDouble(Symbol(),SYMBOL_BID);
if(type==ORDER_TYPE_BUY)
price=SymbolInfoDouble(Symbol(),SYMBOL_ASK);
//--- request parameters
request.action =TRADE_ACTION_DEAL; // trading operation type
request.position =pos_ticket; // position ticket if closing
request.symbol =Symbol(); // symbol
request.volume =volume; // volume
request.type =type; // order type
request.price =price; // trade price
request.deviation=slip; // allowable deviation from the price
request.magic =magicnumber; // order MagicNumber
//--- send a request
if(!OrderSend(request,result))
{
//--- display data on failure
PrintFormat("OrderSend %s %s %.2f at %.5f error %d",
request.symbol,EnumToString(type),volume,request.price,GetLastError());
return (false);
}
//--- inform of a successful operation
PrintFormat("retcode=%u deal=%I64u order=%I64u",result.retcode,result.deal,result.order);
return (true);
}See also
Event handling functions, Program running, Client terminal events, OnTimer, OnBookEvent, OnChartEvent
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