Importing Function (#import)

Functions are imported from compiled MQL4 modules (*.ex4 files) and from operating system modules (*.dll files). The module name is specified in the #import directive. For compiler to be able to correctly form the imported function call and organize proper transmission parameters, the full description of functions is needed. Function descriptions immediately follow the #import "module name" directive. New command #import (can be without parameters) completes the block of imported function descriptions.

#import "file_name"
    func1 define;
    func2 define;
    ...
    funcN define;
#import

Imported functions can have any names. Functions having the same names but from different modules can be imported at the same time. Imported functions can have names that coincide with the names of built-in functions. Operation of scope resolution defines which of the functions should be called.

The order of searching for a file specified after the #import keyword is described in Call of Imported Functions.

Since the imported functions are outside the compiled module, the compiler can not verify the validity of passed parameters. Therefore, to avoid run-time errors, one must accurately describe the composition and order of parameters passed to imported functions. Parameters passed to imported functions (both from EX4, and from the DLL-module) can have default values.

The following can't be used for parameters in imported functions:

pointers (*);
links to objects that contain dynamic arrays and/or pointers.

Classes, string arrays or complex objects that contain strings and/or dynamic arrays of any types cannot be passed as a parameter to functions imported from DLL.

Examples:

#import "user32.dll"
int    MessageBoxW(uint hWnd,string lpText,string lpCaption,uint uType);
#import "stdlib.ex4"
string ErrorDescription(int error_code);
int    RGB(int red_value,int green_value,int blue_value);
bool   CompareDoubles(double number1,double number2);
string DoubleToStrMorePrecision(double number,int precision);
string IntegerToHexString(int integer_number);
#import "ExpertSample.dll"
int    GetIntValue(int);
double GetDoubleValue(double);
string GetStringValue(string);
double GetArrayItemValue(double &arr[],int,int);
bool   SetArrayItemValue(double &arr[],int,int,double);
double GetRatesItemValue(double &rates[][6],int,int,int);
#import

To import functions during execution of a mql4 program, early binding is used. This means that the library is loaded during the loading of a program using its ex4 program.

It's not recommended to use a fully qualified name of the loadable module of type Drive:\Directory\FileName.Ext. MQL4 libraries are loaded from the terminal_dir\MQL4\Libraries folder.