humaverages

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Author: Copyright � 2004, MetaQuotes Software Corp.
humaverages

This tool is a versatile technical analysis indicator designed to help traders visualize price trends on a chart. It calculates and displays different types of "Moving Averages," which are lines that smooth out price fluctuations to reveal the underlying direction of the market.

Core Functionality

The primary purpose of this script is to allow users to choose between four distinct mathematical methods for calculating these averages. Depending on your selection, the indicator will adjust how much weight it gives to recent price data versus older data:

  • Simple Moving Average (SMA): This is the standard method. It calculates the average price over a set number of bars by adding them all together and dividing by the total count. Every day in the period carries equal importance.
  • Exponential Moving Average (EMA): This method places a higher priority on the most recent prices. Because it reacts faster to sudden price changes, it is often preferred by traders who want to see immediate trend shifts.
  • Smoothed Moving Average (SMMA): This version provides an extra layer of smoothing compared to the SMA. It is designed to filter out "noise" even more effectively, making it useful for identifying long-term trends without being distracted by minor price spikes.
  • Linear Weighted Moving Average (LWMA): In this calculation, the most recent prices are given the highest weight, while the weights decrease linearly as you move further back in time. This creates a balanced middle ground between the Simple and Exponential methods.

Key Features and Customization

The script is built to be flexible, allowing users to tailor the visual output to their specific trading style:

  • Adjustable Period: You can define exactly how many past bars the indicator should look at (the "Period"). A higher number will result in a smoother, slower-moving line, while a lower number will make the line more responsive to current price action.
  • Visual Shift: The script includes a "Shift" parameter, which allows you to move the resulting line forward or backward on the chart visually without changing the underlying math.
  • Automated Labeling: The tool is smart enough to automatically identify which calculation method it is currently using and display that information in the chart's data window for easy reference.

Technical Behavior

When you apply this to a chart, the script scans the historical closing prices of the asset. It performs the selected mathematical calculation behind the scenes and draws a continuous red line on your screen. This helps traders identify "Support" and "Resistance" levels—areas where the price might struggle to move past—and helps determine whether the current market momentum is bullish (upward) or bearish (downward).

Miscellaneous
Implements a curve of type %1
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humaverages
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//|                                        Custom Moving Average.mq4 |
//|                      Copyright © 2004, MetaQuotes Software Corp. |
//|                                       http://www.metaquotes.net/ |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
#property copyright "Copyright © 2004, MetaQuotes Software Corp."
#property link      "http://www.metaquotes.net/"

#property indicator_chart_window
#property indicator_buffers 1
#property indicator_color1 Red
//---- indicator parameters
extern int MA_Period=13;
extern int MA_Shift=0;
extern int MA_Method=0;
//---- indicator buffers
double ExtMapBuffer[];
//----
int ExtCountedBars=0;
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//| Custom indicator initialization function                         |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
int init()
  {
   int    draw_begin;
   string short_name;
//---- drawing settings
   SetIndexStyle(0,DRAW_LINE);
   SetIndexShift(0,MA_Shift);
   IndicatorDigits(8);
   if(MA_Period<2) MA_Period=13;
   draw_begin=MA_Period-1;
//---- indicator short name
   switch(MA_Method)
     {
      case 1 : short_name="EMA(";  draw_begin=0; break;
      case 2 : short_name="SMMA("; break;
      case 3 : short_name="LWMA("; break;
      default :
         MA_Method=0;
         short_name="SMA(";
     }
   IndicatorShortName(short_name+MA_Period+")");
   SetIndexDrawBegin(0,draw_begin);
//---- indicator buffers mapping
   SetIndexBuffer(0,ExtMapBuffer);
//---- initialization done
   return(0);
  }
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//|                                                                  |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
int start()
  {
   if(Bars<=MA_Period) return(0);
   ExtCountedBars=IndicatorCounted();
//---- check for possible errors
   if (ExtCountedBars<0) return(-1);
//---- last counted bar will be recounted
   if (ExtCountedBars>0) ExtCountedBars--;
//----
   switch(MA_Method)
     {
      case 0 : sma();  break;
      case 1 : ema();  break;
      case 2 : smma(); break;
      case 3 : lwma();
     }
//---- done
   return(0);
  }
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//| Simple Moving Average                                            |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
void sma()
  {
   double sum=0;
   int    i,pos=Bars-ExtCountedBars-1;
//---- initial accumulation
   if(pos<MA_Period) pos=MA_Period;
   for(i=1;i<MA_Period;i++,pos--)
      sum+=Close[pos];
//---- main calculation loop
   while(pos>=0)
     {
      sum+=Close[pos];
      ExtMapBuffer[pos]=sum/MA_Period;
	   sum-=Close[pos+MA_Period-1];
 	   pos--;
     }
//---- zero initial bars
   if(ExtCountedBars<1)
      for(i=1;i<MA_Period;i++) ExtMapBuffer[Bars-i]=0;
  }
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//| Exponential Moving Average                                       |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
void ema()
  {
   double pr=2.0/(MA_Period+1);
   int    pos=Bars-2;
   if(ExtCountedBars>2) pos=Bars-ExtCountedBars-1;
//---- main calculation loop
   while(pos>=0)
     {
      if(pos==Bars-2) ExtMapBuffer[pos+1]=Close[pos+1];
      ExtMapBuffer[pos]=Close[pos]*pr+ExtMapBuffer[pos+1]*(1-pr);
 	   pos--;
     }
  }
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//| Smoothed Moving Average                                          |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
void smma()
  {
   double sum=0;
   int    i,k,pos=Bars-ExtCountedBars+1;
//---- main calculation loop
   pos=Bars-MA_Period;
   if(pos>Bars-ExtCountedBars) pos=Bars-ExtCountedBars;
   while(pos>=0)
     {
      if(pos==Bars-MA_Period)
        {
         //---- initial accumulation
         for(i=0,k=pos;i<MA_Period;i++,k++)
           {
            sum+=Close[k];
            //---- zero initial bars
            ExtMapBuffer[k]=0;
           }
        }
      else sum=ExtMapBuffer[pos+1]*(MA_Period-1)+Close[pos];
      ExtMapBuffer[pos]=sum/MA_Period;
 	   pos--;
     }
  }
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//| Linear Weighted Moving Average                                   |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
void lwma()
  {
   double sum=0.0,lsum=0.0;
   double price;
   int    i,weight=0,pos=Bars-ExtCountedBars-1;
//---- initial accumulation
   if(pos<MA_Period) pos=MA_Period;
   for(i=1;i<=MA_Period;i++,pos--)
     {
      price=Close[pos];
      sum+=price*i;
      lsum+=price;
      weight+=i;
     }
//---- main calculation loop
   pos++;
   i=pos+MA_Period;
   while(pos>=0)
     {
      ExtMapBuffer[pos]=sum/weight;
      if(pos==0) break;
      pos--;
      i--;
      price=Close[pos];
      sum=sum-lsum+price*MA_Period;
      lsum-=Close[i];
      lsum+=price;
     }
//---- zero initial bars
   if(ExtCountedBars<1)
      for(i=1;i<MA_Period;i++) ExtMapBuffer[Bars-i]=0;
  }
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+

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