Is Server Time = MT4 Platform Time?
-
Hi,
I am considering changing my day and time filters from GMT to Server.
I am currently using GMT so that my EA can be used by any user regardless of their brokers server times but the limitation is that market open according to GMT is at 9pm on a Sunday evening which means only 3 hours of market open can be controlled using GMT time (Sunday 9pm to 23:59pm).
My broker uses New York 5pm as its server time but it's platform time simply records 00:00 at market open on a Monday and finishes around 23:57pm on a Friday for market close.
So, while markets open at 8am in Sydney on Monday mornings, the platform records this as 00:00am - this is different to GMT, New York AND Sydney time...
So if I change my filter to look for Server time (instead of GMT), what will my EA do - will it match Platform time? That is, if I use Server time to disable trading on a Monday between 00:00am and 04:00am, will it stop trading between 00:00am and 04:00am Platform time or between 00:00am and 04:00am New York time... (which is where my brokers server is located)?
Regards,
Sam
-
I alway work with server time. It's always easier.
-
It would only be easier if all brokers used server time 00:00 at start of Monday Sydney session - can I be sure they all do?
What if I build my EA to not open any traders on Mondays during 00:00am to 04:00am at SERVER TIME (which will work for my broker) but then someone from Croatia decides to use my EA and his/her brokers SERVER TIME uses a different time method? Their EA won't block trades at market open but instead some hours later...
So, instead of stating that SERVER TIME is easier, please just confirm that SERVER TIME will always act in the same manner NO MATTER WHAT BROKER - that is, it will always use a common time, such as opening of markets in Sydney on a Monday morning (which in Sydney local time is either 7am or 8am depending on time of year; DLS) will be set to 00:00am for all MT4 platforms no matter which broker.
-
Server time is broker's time, it's like what their PC clock is showing. I don't think that all brokers around the world are using the same time
-
I think you'll find that it isn't exactly... my MT4 platform is hosted by ICM who's servers are in NY.
But, when I use SERVER TIME and test it, it actually identifies market open (21pm GMT, 8am local Syndey and 5pm NY) as 00:00am - so SERVER TIME should perhaps better be labeled PLATFORM TIME.
Here's the clearest I can get: when I set NO TRADES BETWEEN 00:00 and 01:00 on a Monday SERVER TIME, my EA does not open any trades between 8am - 9am Monday Sydney time (currently; 7am - 8am winter time and 9am-10am summer time) which corresponds exactly with my PLATFORM TIME of 00:00 to 01:00am (even the journal records it as 00:00 and 01:00am). Meanwhile, NY time is 17:00 to 18:00pm on a Sunday (always because ICM shift their server time between GMT +2/+3) and GMT is 21:00 to 22:00pm on a Sunday. So, while SERVER TIME 00:00 to 01:00am on Monday SHOULD mean no trades occur between 15:00 and 16:00pm on a Monday my local time, the EA is somehow being told that SERVER TIME is actually precisely PLATFORM TIME which always coincides exactly with MARKET OPEN time - that is, a SERVER TIME of 00:00am is always equivalent to PLATFORM TIME / CHART TIME of 00:00am.
Will SERVER TIME behave the same for all brokers (that is what I don't know...)?
-
Ok, it is the time of the candles for sure. But honestly, I don't know what time brokers use around the world. Time is strange. Even here in Europe there are debates to remove the change of time that currently happens 2 times in a year. Some countries do that, others don't... Yes, in fxDreema when you see "Server time", this is what TimeCurrent() returns, it is the time that you can see on the candles. Candles are downloaded from the broker's server, s that's why I call it Server time. In the documentation they have this:
TimeCurrent
Returns the last known server time, time of the last quote receipt for one of the symbols selected in the "Market Watch" window. In the OnTick() handler, this function returns the time of the received handled tick. In other cases (for example, call in handlers OnInit(), OnDeinit(), OnTimer() and so on) this is the time of the last quote receipt for any symbol available in the "Market Watch" window, the time shown in the title of this window. The time value is formed on a trade server and does not depend on the time settings on your computer. There are 2 variants of the function.
-
GMT is the same no matter where you are. Seems like a much better choice for automated trading and discussing things with others around the world.
