Client terminal options
Hi folks!
Today we are going to explore the customized options of the MetaTrader client. You can access these options by clicking Tools menu then choose Options (Or you can hit the hotkey CTRL+O) to get the Options window showed in figure 1.
Figure 1 - Options window
As you can notice in figure 1 the Options windows divided to tabs, each tab has a set of options belongs to one of MetaTrader aspects.
We will study today each tab in details.
Server tab:
In this tab you set the broker server related settings (Figure 1):
Server field: Type here the broker IP address and the connection port separated by ":" sign. Or you can type the domain name of the broker server.
For example:
InterbankFX-Demo - Interbank FX, LLC (Domain name)
217.74.32.254:1950 (IP:Port)
Login field: Type here your login number (The number you have got the first time you opened a demo account).
Password field: Type here your password.
Change button: Click this button to change you passwords (Master or Investor passwords) Figure 2.
Figure 2 - Change your passwords
Data center auto configuration option: Check this option if you want MetaTrader to automatically set the IP Address of Data Center (See later). When you enable this option the Data Center field and Test button will be disabled.
Data Center field: Type here the Data Center server and port you want you manually set. Data Center is the server where the MetaTrader gets the quotations, news and history data. And through the Data Center the MetaTrader sends your orders and receives the response. If you put a wrong Data Center the MetaTrader will not operate at all. (We will dedicate the Data Center installation and operating several articles in this site).
Test button: Click this button to test your Data Center server.
Enable proxy server option: Click this option if you want to connect to the MetaTrader server through a proxy server. Enabling this option will enable the Proxy… button.
Note: Proxy server is a protected connection to the internet (Firewalls) installed in your machine and you have to set MetaTrader to use your proxy settings in order to be able to connect to the internet.
Proxy… button: Clicking this button will open the proxy settings window (Figure 3) where you can set MetaTrader to use your proxy settings.
Note: In the Proxy settings window you need to set all of the followings:
Server and port.
Proxy type (Socks, Socks5 and HTTP proxy).
User name and Password.
Figure 3 - Proxy settings
Keep personal settings and data at startup option: Enable this option and MetaTrader will not prompt you every time it runs asking you for your login data.
Enable DDE server option: Click this option if you want to enable the MetaTrader DDE server which enables you to get real time quotations from MetaTrader.
Note: DDE stands for Dynamic Data Exchange. DDE enables two running applications to share the same data.
The program who we capture the data from called "DDE server”. And the program who captures the data from server called "DDE client".
Enable news option: Click this option if you want MetaTrader to query the Data Center to obtain server news.
Charts tab:
In this tab you set the parameters and setting of the MetaTrader chart which will be shared by all the charts (Figure 4):
Figure 4 - Charts tab
Show Trade Levels option: Check this option if you want MetaTrader to draw the trade positions lines (Figure 5). Those lines include the Opened order, Pending orders, StopLoss and TakeProfit levels.
Figure 5 - Positions lines
Show OHLC option: Enable this option if you want MetaTrader to show OHLC (Open, High, Low and Close values) line of the current bar. It will draw them in the upper left corner of the chart (Figure 5) beside the currency pair name and the period of the chart.
Example: EURUSD,H4 1.2099 1.2106 1.2099 1.2106
Show ask line option: Enable this option if you want MetaTrader to draw the ask (price) line (The red line in figure 6).
Figure 6 - Ask line
Show Period Separator option: Enable this option if you want MetaTrader to show the period separator (Horizontal dots line showed in Figure 7).
Figure 7 - Period Separator
Color Print option: click this option if you want to enable color printing of the chart (To print the chart, go to File menu and choose Print or click CTRL+P).
Figure 8 shows the chart in Black-White mode and Figure 9 shows the chart in Colored mode.
Figure 8 and 9 - Chart colors printing modes
Save deleted Chart for reopen option: Enable this option if you want MetaTrader to save Deleted chart template and restore them in startup. Deleted chart template can be opened by going to File menu and choose Open Deleted.
Max bars in history field: Type (or choose from the drop down list) here the maximum number of bars you want MetaTrader to store in the history database. This data used in Strategy tester and the larger number of bars the good result you get.
Max bars in chart filed: Type (or choose from the drop down list) here the number maximum number of bars you want MetaTrader to draw in the chart. These bars are important for your indicators to work properly.
Objects tab:
In this tab you set the parameters and setting of the MetaTrader graphical objects which will be shared by all the charts (Figure 10):
Figure 10 - Objects tab
Show properties after creation option: Enabling this option tells MetaTrader to prompt the objects Properties window (Figure 11) every time after you create an object.
Figure 11 - Objects Properties window
Select object after creation option: Enabling this option tells MetaTrader to select the object after its creation.
Select object by single mouse click option: Enable this option to use single mouse click (Instead of double click) to select an object on the chart.
Magnet sensitivity (in) pixels field: Set here the number of pixels of the objects magnet (warp) towards the nearest bar price.
Trade tab:
In this tab you set the Trade mostly used default values (Symbol, Lots and Deviation) (Figure 12):
Figure 13 - Trade tab
Symbol by default options: Set here the default value of used Symbol (Currency pair), you can choose one of three options:
1- Automatic: MetaTrader will automate choosing the symbol.
2- Last used: MetaTrader will use the last symbol you used.
3- Default: Clicking this option will enable a drop down list where you can set a default value for the used symbol.
Lots by default options: Set here the default value of used Lots, you can choose one of two options:
1- Last used: MetaTrader will use the last Lots value you used.
2- Default: Clicking this option will enable a drop down list where you can set a default value for the used Lots.
Deviation by default options: Set here the default value (in Pips) of used Deviation, you can choose one of two options:
1- Last used: MetaTrader will use the last deviation value you used.
2- Default: Clicking this option will enable a drop down list where you can set a default value for the used deviation.
Expert Advisors tab:
In this tab you set the options related to Expert advisors you (Figure 14):
Enable Expert Advisors option: Check this option to enable Expert advisors automating your trades. You can access the same option by click the Expert advisor button in the toolbar (Figure 15). Enabling this option will make the next two options selectable.
Disable Expert Advisors when the account has been changed option: Check this option if you want MetaTrader to disable Expert advisors automatically in the case of changing the account. This option is useful when you have a demo and a real account and you constantly switching between them. You have to enable the Enable Expert Advisors to use this option.
Disable profiles when the account has been changed option: Check this option if you want MetaTrader to disable using the current profile automatically in the case of changing the account. The same the above option this option is useful when you have a demo and a real account and you constantly switching between them. You have to enable the Enable Expert Advisors to use this option.
Allow live trading option: Enable this option if you want live trading and using Expert advisors.
Ask manual confirmation option: Enable this option and MetaTrader will prompt you for a confirmation every time to open order, modify order, stop order etc. You have to enable the Allow live trading option to use this option.
Allow Dll imports option: Checking this option will enable Expert advisors to use external functions reside in DLLs libraries. For instance you have to enable this option if you want to use MessageBoxA function which resides in user32.dll. It's a good idea to disable this option if you are using unknown expert advisors because someone can write a harmful code by accessing the critical functions of the Windows system (Even a virus).
Confirm Dll function calls option: Enable this option and MetaTrader will prompt you for a confirmation before using any imported DLL functions (Figure 16). You have to enable the Allow Dll imports option to use this option.
Figure 16 - Confirm Dll function call
#import "stdlib.ex4"
Email tab:
In this tab you set your email parameter which Expert advisors functions like SendMail will use to send you alert (Figure 17):
SMTP server field: Type here your SMTP server address.
SMTP login field: Type here your SMTP login name.
SMTP password field: Type here your SMTP password.
From field: Type here the name which will appear as email From when you receive the email alert.
To field: Type here the name which will appear as email To when you receive the email alert.
Test button: You can click this button to test your above configurations.
Publisher tab:
In this tab you set your FTP parameter which Expert advisors functions like SendFTP will use to send you alert (Figure 18):
Account field: Type here the number of your active account.
Refresh every (in) minutes list: Choose in minutes from the drop down list the periodicity of reporting sending.
FTP server field: Type here your FTP server address.
FTP path field: Type here the path of the folder in your FTP you want to send (save) the alerts to.
FTP login field: Type here the login name to your FTP.
FTP login field: Type here the password of your FTP login.
Passive mode option: Check this option to switch from standard to passive mode of FTP.
Test button: You can click this button to test your above configurations.
Events tab:
Check enable button to enable the sounds alerts in events. And double click the Ring image to enable/disable an alert for an event. To change the sound you can choose from drop down menu of installed .wav files or you can browse your computer to choose new .wav file for the event you want.
I hope you enjoyed the article.
Coders Guru