Alert in the indicator. How to insert Alert and Arrow into your indicator?

Description

Alert: The most frequent queries in search engines and popular topics on forums often include the following phrases.

An alert on such topics can help you stay updated with the latest trends.

• “Alert indicator“
• “How do you add a sound signal to the indicator?“
• “Help me insert a sound signal into the indicator“
• “How to insert Alerts and Arrows“
• “How to send a message to email or phone when the signal comes from an indicator?“

In this article, I will describe in detail an easy way to add Alert, Mail, Push, and Arrow notifications to any indicator using additional code available at Expforex.

  

Foreword 

To correctly install Alerts in your indicator, you must have the open-source code of your indicator. 

The decompiled code is undesirable because, for beginners, the decompiled code provides minimal information. It’s hard to understand. 

You may also encounter problems with compilation after editing. 

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Beginning of Work to insert Alert

   First, you need to determine which indicator buffers provide specific signals, the purpose of creating an alert, and the conditions for determining the signal on the indicator. 

Important: Only external buffers defined at the beginning of the variable code can be displayed in indicators: 

#property indicator_buffers 1

However, the indicator can also contain hidden buffers, which are set in the init() function and declared as variables:

IndicatorBuffers(7): We only need the first buffers. 

If, for example, you have 1 external buffer, then look at the variable: 

SetIndexBuffer(0, SarBuffer);

• 0 is the first buffer
• 1 is the second buffer

These buffers or their names can be identified by hovering over a specific line of the indicator on the chart.

Value1 – This is the first buffer or 0 in the code’s indexing system.  

SetIndexBuffer(0, SarBuffer); // The name of the buffer we need  

If this is SarBuffer, then we will use it.

Furthermore, it’s a technical matter to determine how the signal will be triggered;

For example, if this is the intersection of the 0 line from the top (bottom) moving down (up), it will look like this:

SarBuffer[shift+1] >= 0 && SarBuffer[shift] < 0

Indicator crossing the current price or a bar, a bar breakout by the indicator, and so on:

SarBuffer[shift+1] >= Close[shift] && SarBuffer[shift] < Close[shift]

If this is the intersection of unique levels, indicators such as stochastics:

SarBuffer[shift+1] <= 75 && SarBuffer[shift] > 75;

SarBuffer[shift+1] >= 25 && SarBuffer[shift] < 25;

If there are already arrows in your indicator, then the following type of signal is also possible:

DnTrend[1] != EMPTY_VALUE && DnTrend[1] != 0 && UpTrend[2] != EMPTY_VALUE

In any case, you need to apply logic and creativity to record the signal correctly. If you encounter any difficulties, write to this thread, attach the indicator, show the lines on the chart, and describe in detail what you can’t do. Sending a message like “you need to insert an alert into the indicator” without explaining where and what to do, and without providing the indicator itself, is not helpful. 

Code “Alerts and arrows from www.expforex.com“

The next step of adding our alert to your indicator consists of several points:

STEP 1

Insert the following code at the beginning of the Expert Advisor before the OnCalculate ()  (start) function:

//+==+//+ www.expforex.com edit AlertArrow +//+==+
extern string Alerts="Alerts and arrows from www.expforex.com";
extern bool AlerT=true; // Issue an alert to the screen
extern bool Mail=true; // Send message
extern bool Push=true; // Send PUSH to phone
extern bool Arrow=true; // Put arrows on signals
extern int shift=1; // On which bar to count the signal 0 - on the current one, 1 - on the closed
int timeee;
// Internal variable
string nameInd;
void SetArrow(int cd, color cl, string nm="", datetime t1=0, double p1=0, int sz=3)
{
  if(nm=="")
    nm=DoubleToStr(Time[0], 0);
  if(t1 <= 0)
    t1=Time[0];
  if(p1 <= 0)
    p1=Bid;
  nameInd=WindowExpertName();
  int wind=WindowFind(nameInd);
  wind=0;
  if(ObjectFind(nm) < 0)
    ObjectCreate(nm, OBJ_ARROW, wind, 0, 0);
  ObjectSet(nm, OBJPROP_TIME1, t1);
  ObjectSet(nm, OBJPROP_PRICE1, p1);
  ObjectSet(nm, OBJPROP_ARROWCODE, cd);
  ObjectSet(nm, OBJPROP_COLOR, cl);
  ObjectSet(nm, OBJPROP_WIDTH, sz);
}

//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//|                                                                  |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
void Expforex_AlertArrow(string text="", int arrowdir=0, bool history=false, int i=0)
{
  nameInd=WindowExpertName();
  int wind=WindowFind(nameInd);
  if(wind==-1)
    wind=0;
  ObjectCreate("Originalalert", OBJ_LABEL, wind, 0, 0);
  ObjectSetText("Originalalert", "Modification AlertArrow www.expforex.com", 10, "Arial Bold", Red);
  ObjectSet("Originalalert", OBJPROP_CORNER, 2);
  ObjectSet("Originalalert", OBJPROP_XDISTANCE, 200);
  ObjectSet("Originalalert", OBJPROP_YDISTANCE, 10);
  if(!history)
  {
    if(AlerT)
      Alert(text);
    if(Arrow)
      if(arrowdir==1)
        SetArrow(241, Blue, nameInd + DoubleToStr(Time[shift], 0), Time[shift], Low[shift]);
    if(Arrow)
      if(arrowdir==2)
        SetArrow(242, Red, nameInd + DoubleToStr(Time[shift], 0), Time[shift], High[shift]);
    if(!IsTesting())
      if(Mail)
        SendMail(text, text);
    if(!IsTesting())
      if(Push)
        SendNotification(text);
  }
  if(history)
  {
    if(Arrow)
      if(arrowdir==1)
        SetArrow(241, Blue, nameInd + DoubleToStr(Time[shift + i2], 0), Time[shift + i2], Low[shift + i2]);
    if(Arrow)
      if(arrowdir==2)
        SetArrow(242, Red, nameInd + DoubleToStr(Time[shift + i2], 0), Time[shift + i2], High[shift + i2]);
  }
}//+==+//+ www.expforex.com edit AlertArrow +//+==+

//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//|                                                                  |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
void OnDeinit(const int reason)
{
  for(int i=ObjectsTotal(); i>=0; i--)
  {
    if(StringFind(ObjectName(i), nameInd)!=-1)
      ObjectDelete(ObjectName(i));
  }
}
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+

STEP 2

 Before closing the OnCalculate () function, insert the following code:

return(rates_total); }

Paste the following code:

//+==+//+ www.expforex.com edit AlertArrow +//+==+

nameInd=WindowExpertName();

if(timeee != Time[0] && SarBuffer[shift+1] <= 75 && SarBuffer[shift] > 75)
{
  Expforex_AlertArrow(Symbol() + " " + Period() + nameInd + " UP", 1);
  timeee=Time[0];
}
if(timeee != Time[0] && SarBuffer[shift+1] >= 25 && SarBuffer[shift] < 25)
{
  Expforex_AlertArrow(Symbol() + " " + Period() + nameInd + " DN", 2);
  timeee=Time[0];
}//+==+//+ www.expforex.com edit AlertArrow +//+==+

STEP 3

This code will serve as our signal.

Naturally, you need to replace some code with your own. 

The following code serves as a signal for an alert:

1. Intersection of the 0 line from the top (bottom) moving down (up), it will look like this:

SarBuffer[shift+1] >= 0 && SarBuffer[shift] < 0

2. Indicator crossing the current price or a bar, a bar breakout by the indicator, and so on:

SarBuffer[shift+1] >= Close[shift] && SarBuffer[shift] < Close[shift]

3. If this is the intersection of unique levels, indicators such as stochastics:

SarBuffer[shift+1] <= 75 && SarBuffer[shift] > 75;

SarBuffer[shift+1] >= 25 && SarBuffer[shift] < 25;

After Use

To add a sound signal to the indicator, follow these steps:

• 1. Open the indicator’s settings.
• 2. Look for the “Alert” or “Arrows” section.
• 3. Select the option to add a sound alert.
• 4. Choose the sound file you want to use as the alert.
• 5. Save the changes.

By inserting a sound signal into the indicator, you can receive an audible notification when certain conditions are met, which can help you make better trading decisions.

If You Need Arrows on History, Then You Need to Do This:

After the above code, add the following:

//+==+//+ www.expforex.com edit AlertArrow +//+==+

//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//|                                                                  |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
if(counted_bars > 0)
   counted_bars--;
int limit2 = Bars - counted_bars;
for(int i2 = 0; i2 < limit2; i2++) {
    nameInd = WindowExpertName();
    if(SarBuffer[shift+1+i2] <= 75 && SarBuffer[shift+i2] > 75)
    {
        Expforex_AlertArrow(Symbol() + " " + Period() + nameInd + " UP" + i2, 1, true, i2);
    }
    if(SarBuffer[shift+1+i2] >= 25 && SarBuffer[shift+i2] < 25)
    {
        Expforex_AlertArrow(Symbol() + " " + Period() + nameInd + " DN" + i2, 2, true, i2);
    }
}
//+==+//+ www.expforex.com edit AlertArrow +//+==+

Examples

These examples are taken from the corresponding section of our forum. I modified the indicators according to the principles described above. 

Conclusions

In this article, I explained the process of creating signals for the indicator in the most detailed and understandable way.

The above code can be used without restrictions on any indicator. It is important not to change the author’s name when adding code to the indicator. 

If you liked this article and found this method of inserting signals useful, please leave your comments and rate the topics. 

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