MQL4 Expert Advisor isn't doing anything - mql4

Question

This bot is supposed to buy based on support and resistance, stop loss is based on support resistance of the moving averages. When I test it out it won't do anything trying. How do I debug this to do what I want it to do?
After viewing the code do you have any suggestions input or criticism?
I tried to comment the code the best I could to make sense.
#property strict
string BotName = "SRMATrader";
/********** SETTINGS *************/
extern int Magic = 8008;
string CandleColor;
int MaxCloseSpreadPips = 600;
int MaxTrades = 1; // was 10
int AcceptableSpread = 2;
double LotsToTrade = .2; // 0.1
double StopLoss = -3700; // 3800
double ProfitTarget = 20.00; // $280 at 2.0 trade size
int MaxOpenOrderDurationSeconds = (5 * 24 * 60 * 60); // 5 days was profitable
int TradeDelayTimeSeconds = 30; //(10 * 24 * 60 * 60); // 10 Days
int PendingOrderExpirationSeconds = (4 * 24 * 60 * 60); // 4 Days
datetime LastTradePlacedTimestamp = 0;
int OnInit()
{
return(INIT_SUCCEEDED);
}
void OnDeinit(const int reason)
{
}
// MAIN LOOP
void OnTick()
{
double CurrentPrice = MarketInfo(Symbol(), MODE_BID);
double CandleResistance = iMA(NULL, 0, 1, 0, MODE_SMA, PRICE_HIGH, 0);
double CandleSupport = iMA(NULL, 0, 1, 0, MODE_SMA, PRICE_LOW, 0);
// Should we place a trade?
if (GetTotalOpenTrades() < MaxTrades)
{
if ( (TimeCurrent() - LastTradePlacedTimestamp) > TradeDelayTimeSeconds )
{
// long
if ( CurrentPrice <= CandleSupport )
{
if (CandleColor == "Green")
{
PlacePendingOrder("Green", LotsToTrade, CandleSupport, PendingOrderExpirationSeconds);
LastTradePlacedTimestamp = TimeCurrent();
}
}
// short
if ( CurrentPrice >= CandleResistance)
{
if (CheckForTradeSetup() == "Red" )
{
PlacePendingOrder("Red", LotsToTrade, CandleResistance, PendingOrderExpirationSeconds);
LastTradePlacedTimestamp = TimeCurrent();
}
}
}
}
if (GetTotalOpenTrades() > 0)
{
CloseTradeAfterAge(MaxOpenOrderDurationSeconds);
CheckForOrderClose(ProfitTarget, StopLoss);
}
} // end OnTick()
string CheckForTradeSetup()
{
double CurrentPrice = MarketInfo(Symbol(), MODE_BID);
double CandleSupport = iMA(NULL, 0, 1, 0, MODE_SMA, PRICE_LOW, 0);
double CandleResistance = iMA(NULL, 0, 1, 0, MODE_SMA, PRICE_HIGH, 0);
if ( CurrentPrice <= CandleSupport )
{
CandleColor = "Green";
}
if ( CurrentPrice >= CandleResistance )
{
CandleColor = "Red";
}
return "no-setup";
}
void PlacePendingOrder(string Trade_Type, double Lots, double At_Price, int Expiration_Seconds)
{
int TicketResult = 0;
datetime Expiration_Time = (TimeCurrent() + Expiration_Seconds);
double Price = NormalizeDouble(At_Price, Digits);
if (Trade_Type == "Green")
{
if (Ask < At_Price) return;
double StopPrice = CalculateStopLossPrice(Price, Lots, StopLoss, Trade_Type);
TicketResult = OrderSend(Symbol(), OP_BUYLIMIT, Lots, Price, 10, StopPrice, 0, " Buy", Magic, Expiration_Time, clrGreen);
}
if (Trade_Type == "Red")
{
if (Bid > At_Price) return;
double StopPrice = CalculateStopLossPrice(Price, Lots, StopLoss, Trade_Type);
TicketResult = OrderSend(Symbol(),OP_SELLLIMIT, Lots, NormalizeDouble(At_Price, Digits), 10, StopPrice, 0, " Sell", Magic, Expiration_Time, clrRed);
}
if(TicketResult < 0)
{
Print("OrderSend failed with error #",GetLastError());
}
else
{
Print("OrderSend placed successfully");
}
}
double CalculateStopLossPrice(double OrderPrice, double TradeSize, double StopLossDollars, string PositionType)
{
// Convert stop loss dollars to positive number
double CurrentSpread = MarketInfo(Symbol(), MODE_SPREAD);
Print("*** CurrentSpread: ", CurrentSpread);
double PipValue = (TradeSize * 10);
double StopLossPips = (StopLossDollars / PipValue);
double CandleSupport = iMA(NULL, 0, 1, 0, MODE_SMA, PRICE_LOW, 0);
double CandleResistance = iMA(NULL, 0, 1, 0, MODE_SMA, PRICE_HIGH, 0);
if (PositionType == "Green")
{
double StopLossPrice = CandleResistance;
}
if (PositionType == "Red")
{
double StopLossPrice = CandleSupport;
}
return 0.0;
}
void CloseAllTrades()
{
int CloseResult = 0;
for(int t=0; t<OrdersTotal(); t++)
{
if(OrderSelect(t, SELECT_BY_POS,MODE_TRADES))
{
if(OrderMagicNumber() != Magic) continue;
if(OrderSymbol() != Symbol()) continue;
if(OrderType() == OP_BUY) CloseResult = OrderClose(OrderTicket(), OrderLots(), Bid, MaxCloseSpreadPips, clrRed);
if(OrderType() == OP_SELL) CloseResult = OrderClose(OrderTicket(), OrderLots(), Ask, MaxCloseSpreadPips, clrGreen);
t--;
}
}
if(CloseResult < 0)
{
Print("OrderSend failed with error #", GetLastError());
}
else
{
Print("OrderSend placed successfully");
}
return;
}
int GetTotalOpenTrades()
{
int TotalTrades = 0;
for (int t=0; t<OrdersTotal(); t++)
{
if(OrderSelect(t, SELECT_BY_POS, MODE_TRADES))
{
if(OrderSymbol() != Symbol()) continue;
if(OrderMagicNumber() != Magic) continue;
if(OrderCloseTime() != 0) continue;
TotalTrades = (TotalTrades + 1);
}
}
return TotalTrades;
}
double GetTotalProfits()
{
double TotalProfits = 0.0;
for (int t=0; t<OrdersTotal(); t++)
{
if(OrderSelect(t, SELECT_BY_POS, MODE_TRADES))
{
if(OrderSymbol() != Symbol()) continue;
if(OrderMagicNumber() != Magic) continue;
if(OrderCloseTime() != 0) continue;
TotalProfits = (TotalProfits + OrderProfit());
}
}
return TotalProfits;
}
// Close all trades if we are at profit or loss
void CheckForOrderClose(double Target, double Stop)
{
// check for profit or loss
if (GetTotalProfits() > Target)
{
CloseAllTrades();
}
}
// Close if trade is more than (n) seconds old
string CloseTradeAfterAge(int MaxOpenTradeAgeSeconds)
{
for(int t=0; t < OrdersTotal(); t++)
{
if(OrderSelect(t, SELECT_BY_POS, MODE_TRADES))
{
if(OrderSymbol() != Symbol()) return "wrong symbol";
if(OrderMagicNumber() != Magic) return "magic number does not match";
if(OrderCloseTime() != 0) return "order already closed";
datetime OrderOpenTime = OrderOpenTime();
string Now = (TimeToStr(TimeCurrent(), TIME_DATE|TIME_SECONDS));
datetime NowTimeStamp = (StrToTime(Now));
if ((NowTimeStamp - OrderOpenTime) > MaxOpenTradeAgeSeconds) // 1 * 24 * 60 * 60
{
if ((OrderType() == 0) || (OrderType() == 1)) // Only close orders that are live (not limit ordes)
{
CloseAllTrades();
return "all trades closed";
}
}
}
}
return "trades not closed";
}

Answer 1

check and go over this piece of code until you are sure you understand the logic and make it working
//...
if (CandleColor == "Green") //this one is NULL
{
PlacePendingOrder("Green", LotsToTrade, CandleSupport, PendingOrderExpirationSeconds);
LastTradePlacedTimestamp = TimeCurrent();
}
}
// short
if ( CurrentPrice >= CandleResistance)
{
if (CheckForTradeSetup() == "Red" )//this fn() returns "no-setup"
//....
so edit the CheckForTradeSetup() function and call it before checking the colors, and also comparing two strings is a very bad idea because it is too slow. +1/0/-1 or enums or even colors (==int) is preferred