Symbol() Returns wrong value

[nesit]

My Broker uses (£) as its suffix for its symbols. When I export to MT4 and use the "MAP TO" to set to XXXXXX(£) at the end. When MT4 uses the data the EA call to Symbol() Returns XXXXXX(?) i.e. ? instead of £. I Get this mapping Brent Crude to UKOIL(£) and Nikkei 225 to JPN225(£).

Is this a bug ?

[tickstory]

Hi Nesit,

This may be due to Metatrader not being able to print out this character for technical reasons. From a Tickstory perspective, as long as you are getting 99.9% modelling quality for your back-test there should be no issue.

Hope this helps.

[nesit]

Hi

Hmmm. I'm not sure that to be the case. The reason for that is that, after downloading with MAP TO set to XXXXXX(£) and then go into the FXT Editor it returns XXXXXX(?) in the symbol. If I then change that in the FXT Edit to (£) and save it, then re-read it, it returns XXXXXX(?).

However, if I then change it to XXXXXX(@) then re-read it, I get back XXXXXX(@)...or with many other symbols it re-reads correctly.

My EA fails because the Symbol() value is not as expected. And for the sake of any doubt of my keyboard - if I save a £ in notepad and re-read it, I still see £.

Please can you check

Thanks

[tickstory]

Hi Nesit,

Could you please tell us what broker you are using so we can try replicate it? Is the function causing any issue with your back-testing and/or results or only the display of the name?

Thanks.

[nesit]

Hi,

The Broker is IG (IG.COM). It is severely affecting my backtesting, as my EA relies on the returned value of Symbol(). I'm currently unable to use it.

Kind Regards

[tickstory]

Hi Nesit,

We'll need a bit of time to investigate and get back to you.

Do you have access to the source code? If so, it should be easy to make an interim workaround.

Thanks.

[tickstory]

Hi Nesit, At update: Tried downloading the IG Markets (IG.COM) MT4 terminal but it does not have the symbols you mention. Perhaps if you could give us the MT4 Demo setup file we might be able to get the same environment as you? You would need to upload it to a Gmail drive or the link since the forum will not accept .exe attachments.

Otherwise, we could try copying some of you configuration & data files to analyze such as:

1) In the MT4 Data folder (go to File->Open Data Folder), browse to config and send us your *.srv file.
2) In the MT4 Data Folder, browse to history/IG-DEMO and send us your symbols.sel file.
3) In the MT4 Strategy Tester, select the "Open prices" modelling method and a symbol with the "pound" sign and then press back-test. After this, browse to the MT4 Data Folder and then go to tester/history and a file called <symbolname>_1.fxt will exist. If you can zip this file and package it with the rest of the files, this would be great.

Hopefully you have the original setup to save the extra work!

Thanks.

[nesit]

Hi,

I already tried to circumvent, but it is too complex and invasive. I'd rather not have to.

I don't believe the (£) suffix is specific to the symbols I mention. Pretty much all of their symbols are suffixed (£).

I don't have IG-DEMO, only IG-LIVE in the history folder, so I will send the symbols.sel for that, if that helps . I've used IG for years (although only recently with MT4).

Kind Regards
Neil

[tickstory]

Thanks for the info, Neil. We're currently reviewing, so please allow us some time to investigate and get back to you.

[nesit]

I was looking thru my registration emails from IG and came across "Your account

We have set up this account with a base currency of GBP."

It goes on to say that the base currency can be selectable by calling them (GBP is my home currency).

Perhaps that is a clue as to why you do not see the symbols suffixed by (£) ?

Kind Regards
Neil