How to test expert advisors with 99.9% accuracy using Tickstory Lite

Hello, dear Forex traders. When testing expert advisors in the built-in strategy tester of the MetaTrader 4 platform, the modeling quality is no higher than 90%, because the history used to build all timeframes is based not on tick data, but on full one-minute candles. This can very seriously distort testing results if the advisor uses pipsing or scalping (that is, a take profit or stop of several points), or highly sensitive indicators are used, or there is simply a trailing stop. In addition, all historical data is downloaded by the MetaTrader 4 platform (at least with most brokers) from MetaQuotes company servers, which, unfortunately, differ slightly from the real ones.

We have already looked at a way to test with 99% quality using the Tick Data Suite program, but its downside is that it is paid, and the trial version works for only one week. Today we will look at the Tickstory Lite program, which does the same thing for free, helping to get reliable forex expert advisor tests with 99% modeling quality. After reading this article, that is in about 5 minutes, you will be able to test any expert advisors with 99,9% accuracy, and very easily and quickly.

The program is installed in the same way as any other program for Windows.

So, download the archive at the end of this review, unpack it, and install it.

After installation, the program will open. The program should be closed without regret, and started again as Administrator. The program looks like this:

At the top left of the program we see the tabs: File, Tools, Help, buttons under the menu (they duplicate some functions from the menu), then an advertising and social media block (you can ignore it), then in the left pane the source of tick data is written (DB Tick Dukascopy), in the right pane there is a list of currency pairs with parameters that will be shown when downloading tick data, and in the bottom pane the Journal, where the program will write its messages about what it is doing and what it has already done.

To begin, go into the main program settings File -> Settings.

In the Dukascopy Datasource tab, you need to specify a folder for storing the downloaded data. If you have the Dukascopy JForex trading platform, you can specify that program's folder to save space. If you use network storage with access through a web proxy, you can enter the proxy parameters, and if there is no proxy, leave the fields empty.

Go to the next tab, MT4 Settings.

Here you need to choose the MT4 folder into which Tickstory Lite will write the converted files for testing, and then testing will take place in that folder. It is best to put the terminal for testing in a separate folder; as you can see, my folder is called Alpari Test 3. When you specify the MT4 folder, the program itself finds the data folder path and the server name, but you can edit them if some special configuration is needed.

Select the required pair from the list in the right pane with the left mouse button

and start downloading tick data in one of two ways:

1) through the menu

2) by right-clicking on the required pair in the pair list field

You will get a menu where you need to choose the download range or use the buttons with suggested ranges (for the very lazy:)

After that, the download of tick data will begin

After the data has been downloaded, the inscription "Finish" appears, which translated into Russian means "Completed"

The downloaded quotes need to be converted into the MetaTrader format. To do this, select the "Export to MT4" item (or the alternative methods using the buttons below the menu, or by right-clicking on the pair with the downloaded history; in general, we will not talk any more about these duplicate methods, implying that these methods are already clear anyway).

and we get the following menu

In the "Export Data" tab you can choose:

Next, a very important tab is called

This tab suffered the most brutally from Russification, so let us examine the unclear items in more detail.

Commission settings section

0 - commission is charged in money
1 - commission is charged in points
2 - commission is charged in percent

0 - commission is charged in money
1 - commission is charged in points
2 - commission is charged in percent

0 - commission is charged per lot
1 - commission is charged per trade

Margin operation settings section

1 - when calculating free funds, both unrealized profit and loss on open positions in the current account are used
2 - only the profit value is used in the calculation; the current loss on open orders is not taken into account
3 - only the loss value is used in the calculation; the current profit on open orders is not taken into account

0 - calculation of the percentage ratio of margin collateral to funds;
1 - comparison of the free margin level with the absolute value

"Symbol properties" - settings for the selected currency pair

Section of parameters for the selected pair

Note: All these data correspond to the request identifiers of the function MarketInfo()

The question arises: is it possible not to enter all these data manually, but to automate the process somehow? Of course it is possible, because Tickstory Lite is an excellent program! The instructions are located right in the "Help" tab:

After you press the Extract button, then restart the terminal and find the TickstoryInfoExpert advisor

This advisor must be launched on any chart of any pair, and in the Experts tab in the terminal there will be a notification that the work is complete (if the advisor does not find some pairs in the terminal's Market Watch, it will also write about this in this tab)

The configuration file named Mt4.Alpari Limited.Server.mt4config will be located in the data directory folder MQL4->Files

Next, open again the section already familiar to us, "Metatrader Information," click the Load button, and load the file Mt4.Alpari Limited.Server.mt4config

Thus, we obtained information directly from the MT4 terminal.

Attention! The data for currency pairs contain information that existed at the moment the TickstoryInfoExpert advisor was running, and for testing it may need to be edited!

Thus, having filled in the required data for the currency pairs, we can already export the data to Metatrader (see above).

Also, the Tickstory Lite program has some other capabilities.

This brings us to the quote export settings window for a file with configurable parameters, which are quite understandable.

This item allows you to view the movement chart of the selected pair for a specified period and timeframe, for example:

This item allows you to view numerical data for the selected pair for a specified period and timeframe, for example:

This launches the MetaTrader terminal, into which we have already converted the quotes. Launching MetaTrader not directly, but through the Tickstory Lite program is very important, because during testing the quotes in MetaTrader are locked against being overwritten.

When testing with Tickstory Lite on 950-series MT4 builds, an error occurs: testing takes place with a zero spread. In order for testing to take place with the spread we need, it is necessary to:

1. Launch MT4 via Tickstory Lite

2. Set the desired spread value in the MT4 strategy tester

3. Select testing by control points

4. Start the test and stop it immediately

5. Select testing by control points

6. Start the test again

Now the testing takes place with the specified spread and 99,9% quality.

7. If you want to change the spread, repeat steps 2-6.

This section allows you to open the database of already converted FXT-format data and edit its parameters in exactly the same way as we did in the "Information about Metatrader" section. It looks something like this:

Tickstory Lite is an indispensable tool for any trader who uses trading robots in their work. The program makes it possible to get test results with 99.9% quality, has a simple interface, is reliable, and is absolutely free. Successful trading, colleagues!

Sincerely, Alexey aka Merlin TradeLikeaPro.ru