Comments on: New method to achieve 90% modeling quality in MT4’s strategy tester http://alansforexblog.com/2008/04/16/new-method-to-achieve-90-modeling-quality-in-mt4s-strategy-tester/ An adventure in currency trading Sat, 31 Jul 2010 16:57:48 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: MT4 Backtesting | Alan's Forex Blog http://alansforexblog.com/2008/04/16/new-method-to-achieve-90-modeling-quality-in-mt4s-strategy-tester/comment-page-1/#comment-1993 MT4 Backtesting | Alan's Forex Blog Sun, 17 Jan 2010 08:08:16 +0000 http://alansforexblog.com/2008/04/16/new-method-to-achieve-90-modeling-quality-in-mt4s-strategy-tester/#comment-1993 [...] Here is a visual tutorial (aka HOWTO) on how to run optimizations and backtests with MetaTrader 4 (MT4). This is but one method of backtesting! There is another method that you can use but which involved downloading backtesting data NOT from your broker but from MetaQuotes (the makers of MetaTrader 4 - MT4) directly. For a guide on how to use this other method please see this post of mine instead. [...] [...] Here is a visual tutorial (aka HOWTO) on how to run optimizations and backtests with MetaTrader 4 (MT4). This is but one method of backtesting! There is another method that you can use but which involved downloading backtesting data NOT from your broker but from MetaQuotes (the makers of MetaTrader 4 – MT4) directly. For a guide on how to use this other method please see this post of mine instead. [...]

]]> By: admin http://alansforexblog.com/2008/04/16/new-method-to-achieve-90-modeling-quality-in-mt4s-strategy-tester/comment-page-1/#comment-1920 admin Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:27:05 +0000 http://alansforexblog.com/2008/04/16/new-method-to-achieve-90-modeling-quality-in-mt4s-strategy-tester/#comment-1920 Yes it does but the strategy tester uses only the current or last market price. One problem with this is say you're running your backtest on Friday or over the weekend, well, the strategy tester is going to use Friday's closing day spread which in many cases can be much higher than the usual spread a broker may offer. Bottom line is the MT4 strategy tester powerfull as it may be is still limited. Hopefully MT5 will improve this situation. Alternatively what you can do is get tick-by-tick data and import it into the MT4 strategy tester. This is a whole new ball game though and I may write an article soon on how to do that. Happy trading bucho. Btw, stop by the Forex Nirvana forum where you can pose similar questions. http://www.forexnirvana.com Yes it does but the strategy tester uses only the current or last market price.

One problem with this is say you’re running your backtest on Friday or over the weekend, well, the strategy tester is going to use Friday’s closing day spread which in many cases can be much higher than the usual spread a broker may offer.

Bottom line is the MT4 strategy tester powerfull as it may be is still limited.

Hopefully MT5 will improve this situation.

Alternatively what you can do is get tick-by-tick data and import it into the MT4 strategy tester. This is a whole new ball game though and I may write an article soon on how to do that.

Happy trading bucho.

Btw, stop by the Forex Nirvana forum where you can pose similar questions.

http://www.forexnirvana.com

]]> By: bucho http://alansforexblog.com/2008/04/16/new-method-to-achieve-90-modeling-quality-in-mt4s-strategy-tester/comment-page-1/#comment-1914 bucho Sat, 21 Nov 2009 13:47:08 +0000 http://alansforexblog.com/2008/04/16/new-method-to-achieve-90-modeling-quality-in-mt4s-strategy-tester/#comment-1914 Hi! What is with a spread, is it involve in history data? Bucho Hi!

What is with a spread, is it involve in history data?

Bucho

]]> By: admin http://alansforexblog.com/2008/04/16/new-method-to-achieve-90-modeling-quality-in-mt4s-strategy-tester/comment-page-1/#comment-1407 admin Sun, 14 Jun 2009 05:10:33 +0000 http://alansforexblog.com/2008/04/16/new-method-to-achieve-90-modeling-quality-in-mt4s-strategy-tester/#comment-1407 Yes Sir it is. Yes Sir it is.

]]> By: seanmcgu http://alansforexblog.com/2008/04/16/new-method-to-achieve-90-modeling-quality-in-mt4s-strategy-tester/comment-page-1/#comment-1406 seanmcgu Sun, 14 Jun 2009 03:47:58 +0000 http://alansforexblog.com/2008/04/16/new-method-to-achieve-90-modeling-quality-in-mt4s-strategy-tester/#comment-1406 (Edit) ...That's YOUR forum?... (Edit) …That’s YOUR forum?…

]]> By: seanmcgu http://alansforexblog.com/2008/04/16/new-method-to-achieve-90-modeling-quality-in-mt4s-strategy-tester/comment-page-1/#comment-1405 seanmcgu Sun, 14 Jun 2009 03:46:46 +0000 http://alansforexblog.com/2008/04/16/new-method-to-achieve-90-modeling-quality-in-mt4s-strategy-tester/#comment-1405 Hold it. That's forum? Lol. Thanks for the invite. I've been avidly reading the Euro-Blaster thread there for at least a week now and became a member. Really nice site. Well done! Hope to see you there. .....Sean Hold it. That’s forum? Lol. Thanks for the invite. I’ve been avidly reading the Euro-Blaster thread there for at least a week now and became a member. Really nice site. Well done! Hope to see you there.

…..Sean

]]> By: admin http://alansforexblog.com/2008/04/16/new-method-to-achieve-90-modeling-quality-in-mt4s-strategy-tester/comment-page-1/#comment-1399 admin Sat, 13 Jun 2009 15:25:15 +0000 http://alansforexblog.com/2008/04/16/new-method-to-achieve-90-modeling-quality-in-mt4s-strategy-tester/#comment-1399 Excellent, glad it worked. Good luck and good trading to you too! Sean, btw, come join my Forex Nirvana forum at http://www.forexnirvana.com :) Excellent, glad it worked. Good luck and good trading to you too!

Sean, btw, come join my Forex Nirvana forum at http://www.forexnirvana.com :)

]]> By: seanmcgu http://alansforexblog.com/2008/04/16/new-method-to-achieve-90-modeling-quality-in-mt4s-strategy-tester/comment-page-1/#comment-1398 seanmcgu Sat, 13 Jun 2009 05:56:32 +0000 http://alansforexblog.com/2008/04/16/new-method-to-achieve-90-modeling-quality-in-mt4s-strategy-tester/#comment-1398 Thanks for your quick reply. Worked like a charm, except I did have to have some kind of demo account listed or it would refuse to give me access to the data that was downloaded (I checked and the data WAS in the History folder but when I double-clicked on the 1-min, 5-min, etc., in the History Center, nothing would ever appear on the right-hand side, not even if I tried to Import it. I then activated a Demo account (but did not bring up any charts) and poof!, the data was there.) From my main window, I then just hit CTRL-R to bring up the Strategy Tester. Thanks again and gl/gt. .....Sean Thanks for your quick reply. Worked like a charm, except I did have to have some kind of demo account listed or it would refuse to give me access to the data that was downloaded (I checked and the data WAS in the History folder but when I double-clicked on the 1-min, 5-min, etc., in the History Center, nothing would ever appear on the right-hand side, not even if I tried to Import it. I then activated a Demo account (but did not bring up any charts) and poof!, the data was there.)

From my main window, I then just hit CTRL-R to bring up the Strategy Tester.

Thanks again and gl/gt.

…..Sean

]]> By: admin http://alansforexblog.com/2008/04/16/new-method-to-achieve-90-modeling-quality-in-mt4s-strategy-tester/comment-page-1/#comment-1397 admin Fri, 12 Jun 2009 23:29:23 +0000 http://alansforexblog.com/2008/04/16/new-method-to-achieve-90-modeling-quality-in-mt4s-strategy-tester/#comment-1397 You don't really need the charts to do a backtest, but what you can do is leave the newly created demo account alone but do not open any charts! Then just follow the instructions in the above post and you should be all set to go. You don’t really need the charts to do a backtest, but what you can do is leave the newly created demo account alone but do not open any charts! Then just follow the instructions in the above post and you should be all set to go.

]]> By: seanmcgu http://alansforexblog.com/2008/04/16/new-method-to-achieve-90-modeling-quality-in-mt4s-strategy-tester/comment-page-1/#comment-1396 seanmcgu Fri, 12 Jun 2009 22:48:55 +0000 http://alansforexblog.com/2008/04/16/new-method-to-achieve-90-modeling-quality-in-mt4s-strategy-tester/#comment-1396 When I delete the Demo user account (per your previous post) and .hst files and reopen MT4, first of all, the "register" dialog boxes come up every time asking me to open a new account and if I select "Cancel" to these dialogs, in the chart area all that I see is "Waiting for update". And using F2 and downloading the data to finish properly but there's still no data, even after right-clicking and selecting "Refresh". How can I apply my EA to test if is there is no chart to apply it to? And how can I stop it from asking to create a new account everytime I open MT4? Sorry I seem so confused. Thanks, .....Sean When I delete the Demo user account (per your previous post) and .hst files and reopen MT4, first of all, the “register” dialog boxes come up every time asking me to open a new account and if I select “Cancel” to these dialogs, in the chart area all that I see is “Waiting for update”. And using F2 and downloading the data to finish properly but there’s still no data, even after right-clicking and selecting “Refresh”.

How can I apply my EA to test if is there is no chart to apply it to?

And how can I stop it from asking to create a new account everytime I open MT4?

Sorry I seem so confused. Thanks,

…..Sean

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