ZigZag is NOT ZigZag!

[MKFXTrader]

MKFXTrader,
Good News.
I think I have put together what you wish for!

First tell me if you know how to test indicators in the strategy tester? Only in this way can you give me good feedback rapidly.

Note: I have not examined the trends texts code (upper left area) nor the Alert code. No point before the lines act right.

That's great Big Be. I knew you could do it.

Unfortunately, I've actually never used strategy tester nor ever run back test. I have only ever forward test.

[Big Be]

Follow these directions and you can learn this in about 10 minutes.

Open the Strategy Tester. (If you can't figure that out you have no business trading by computer.)

Strategy Tester.PNG

Adjust the window height if needed. (Double-click left border, or Click and drag.)

Under "Expert Advisor" choose "Moving Average".
Click on Expert Properties in the Strategy Tester.
Under "Inputs", set the MovingPeriod to 10,000. This keeps it out of the way.

EA Moving Average - Inputs.PNG

Ignore other settings. Click OK.

Set a chart for which you have data already (look at your charts). Ideally you want 1 Minute data available, especially if you just want to see if an indicator is behaving correctly. The smaller the Timeframe, the faster it will test.

Under "Model" I normally use "Every Tick", which is the slowest but most like real price action. One of the others may work for testing indicators, but I have not needed it.

Set a start date and end date within the Pair and Timeframe data you see on a chart.
Check "Use Date".
Check "Visual Mode".

For safety, set the year date in "Skip To" to like 2000.

"Optimization" should be NOT checked for this.

The slider to the right of "Visual Mode" should be at halfway or anywhere left of center.

Ignore other settings.

Click Start.
Click the >> button unless it shows ||. You are pausing it.

Put your indicator or template, or template then indicator, on the chart.

Move the slider right (click and drag). Try 31.
32 is fast. It may be too fast. 31 is about 100 times slower. What about 10 times slower? Sorry, this is Empty4. So we set it to 25-31 and use lower Timeframes. Or 32 with a higher Timeframe, like Daily.

Click the || to start it.
Observe.
Click >> to pause as needed.
============================

Note: The Strategy Tester will not give accurate prediction of how a real full time EA will do. It is good for checking if things are working right, comparisons, finding good settings, even practice trading.

[MKFXTrader]

Open the Strategy Tester. (If you can't figure that out you have no business trading by computer.)

I almost fell out of my chair.

I'll try and backtest over the weekend. Do you want to attach the new zigzag channel indi? Thanks Big Be.

Thanks for the laugh.

[Big Be]

This is close to what MKFXTrader wanted. See images in next post.

It is good but probably not perfect... Partly my limitations in coding and partly each decision will have examples where you wish it was different.

Also got the Trend text code useful. "Triangle trend" is when Price is between the two horizontal lines.

I set it up to plot and then keep the lines for a while... it's tricky because the initial plot (when you first start or re-initialize it) is somewhat separate code from the continuing (forward) plot, and you have to try to get them to agree. Could still be bugs too, though I didn't notice anything today.

The key question is, Does it work usefully most of the time?

I hope more than one of you tries it and gives feedback.

SETTINGS
Here is Coders Guru's explanation for the settings:
http://www.xpworx.com/download-free/Empty4 ... icator.php

BreakPips of 5 pips above/ below the trend line before the Alert signals is too big in lower Timeframes, though probably good for H4 and up, maybe H1.

I changed ExtBackstep to '1' as never could see an advantage to longer and it just slows it down.

I suggested ExtDeviation settings earlier (or you interpolate between what I suggested).
Page 1, second post, and page 3, fifth post.

Template: I set period to 9 for faster testing with still a realistic indicator display.
You also need installed the indicator from the first page.

[Big Be]

ZZChannel GBPUSDH1.png

ZZChannel GBPUSDMonthly.png

As chart goes forward, both channels can appear.

ZZChannel forward AUDUSDH4.png

[bourgenot]

MKFX Hello, I put your new indicator (ZigZag_Corrected_v3.2_HZ_Channels_w-alert_v3.1.mq4). It's Sunday FOREX is close, ok. But with your indicator, my system Takes 9 minutes to boot, and nothing appears on screen, unless your identity. I let you check with your account. Congratulations and thanks for your work, Respectfully. For myself i work with ATR, you can find me in manual session .. Have good time ..

[Big Be]

Sorry, you need installed the indicator from the first page.

[bourgenot]

OK, merci!

[Big Be]

It takes about 10 minutes to learn to use the Strategy Tester as above.

[Big Be]

The new version above will show nothing if there is not a recent higher low or lower high. Try another time frame or pair, or wait a while, or use the Strategy Tester.