MQL4 Reference Common Functions

Common Functions

General-purpose functions not included into any specialized group are listed here.

Function	Action
Alert	Displays a message in a separate window
CheckPointer	Returns the type of the object pointer
Comment	Outputs a comment in the left top corner of the chart
CryptEncode	Transforms the data from array with the specified method
CryptDecode	Performs the inverse transformation of the data from array
DebugBreak	Program breakpoint in debugging
ExpertRemove	Stops Expert Advisor and unloads it from the chart
GetPointer	Returns the object pointer
GetTickCount	Returns the number of milliseconds that have elapsed since the system was started
GetMicrosecondCount	Returns the number of microseconds that have elapsed since the start of MQL4-program
MessageBox	Creates, displays a message box and manages it
PeriodSeconds	Returns the number of seconds in the period
PlaySound	Plays a sound file
Print	Displays a message in the log
PrintFormat	Formats and prints the sets of symbols and values in a log file in accordance with a preset format
ResetLastError	Sets the value of a predetermined variable _LastError to zero
ResourceCreate	Creates an image resource based on a data set
ResourceFree	Deletes dynamically created resource (freeing the memory allocated for it)
ResourceReadImage	Reads data from the graphical resource created by ResourceCreate() function or saved in EX4 file during compilation
ResourceSave	Saves a resource into the specified file
SendFTP	Sends a file at the address specified in the settings window of the "FTP" tab
SendMail	Sends an email at the address specified in the settings window of the "Email" tab
SendNotification	Sends push notifications to mobile terminals, whose MetaQuotes ID are specified in the "Notifications" tab
Sleep	Suspends execution of the current Expert Advisor or script within a specified interval
TerminalClose	Commands the terminal to complete operation
TesterStatistics	It returns the value of a specified statistic calculated based on testing results
TranslateKey	Returns a Unicode character by a virtual key code
WebRequest	Sends HTTP request to the specified server
ZeroMemory	Resets a variable passed to it by reference. The variable can be of any type, except for classes and structures that have constructors.

What's new in MQL5

In MQL5, the SendFTP, SendMail and SendNotification functions are moved to the new extended Network functions section. Now programs can exchange data with remote servers included in the list of allowed IP addresses. This means that MQL5 EAs are able to establish secure connections between processes using the TCP/IP protocol without using third-party DLLs.

VolumeAlert