How to Automatically Take Chart Screenshots on Trades with Mql4

To achieve this functionality, we need to create an Expert Advisor (EA) rather than a simple Script.

Why an EA?

• Scripts run once and terminate immediately. They cannot "wait" for a trade to open.
• Expert Advisors run continuously on every tick, allowing them to monitor the account state and trigger actions (like taking a screenshot) the moment a new order is detected.

MQL4 Expert Advisor: AutoScreenshot_OnTrade

This EA monitors the trade pool. When the number of open trades for the current symbol increases, it identifies the new order and saves a screenshot to your MQL4\Files folder.

//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//|                                       AutoScreenshot_OnTrade.mq4 |
//|                                     Copyright 2023, Quantitative |
//|                                             https://www.mql5.com |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
#property copyright "Copyright 2023, Quantitative"
#property link      "https://www.mql5.com"
#property version   "1.00"
#property strict

//--- Input Parameters
input int      ImageWidth  = 1366;       // Screenshot Width (pixels)
input int      ImageHeight = 768;        // Screenshot Height (pixels)
input string   FilePrefix  = "TradeShot"; // Filename Prefix

//--- Global Variables
int lastOrderCount = 0;

//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//| Expert initialization function                                   |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
int OnInit()
{
   // Initialize the order count so we don't take photos of existing trades on startup
   lastOrderCount = CountOrders();
   
   Print("AutoScreenshot EA Started. Monitoring for new trades on ", Symbol());
   return(INIT_SUCCEEDED);
}

//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//| Expert tick function                                             |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
void OnTick()
{
   // Get the current number of orders for this symbol
   int currentOrderCount = CountOrders();

   // Check if the number of orders has increased
   if(currentOrderCount > lastOrderCount)
   {
      // A new trade has been opened
      // We need to find the ticket number of the newest trade to name the file
      int lastTicket = GetLastOrderTicket();
      
      if(lastTicket > 0)
      {
         TakeScreenshot(lastTicket);
      }
   }

   // Update the tracker
   lastOrderCount = currentOrderCount;
}

//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//| Helper: Counts open trades for the current symbol only           |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
int CountOrders()
{
   int count = 0;
   for(int i = 0; i < OrdersTotal(); i++)
   {
      if(OrderSelect(i, SELECT_BY_POS, MODE_TRADES))
      {
         // Only count trades for the chart the EA is attached to
         if(OrderSymbol() == Symbol())
         {
            count++;
         }
      }
   }
   return(count);
}

//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//| Helper: Finds the ticket number of the most recently opened trade|
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
int GetLastOrderTicket()
{
   datetime lastTime = 0;
   int ticket = -1;

   for(int i = 0; i < OrdersTotal(); i++)
   {
      if(OrderSelect(i, SELECT_BY_POS, MODE_TRADES))
      {
         if(OrderSymbol() == Symbol())
         {
            // Find the order with the latest open time
            if(OrderOpenTime() > lastTime)
            {
               lastTime = OrderOpenTime();
               ticket = OrderTicket();
            }
         }
      }
   }
   return(ticket);
}

//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//| Helper: Captures the screen and saves as GIF                     |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
void TakeScreenshot(int ticket)
{
   // Construct a unique filename: Prefix_Symbol_Ticket_Time.gif
   string timeStr = TimeToString(TimeCurrent(), TIME_DATE|TIME_SECONDS);
   StringReplace(timeStr, ":", "-"); // Replace colons for valid filename
   StringReplace(timeStr, " ", "_"); // Replace spaces
   
   string filename = StringFormat("%s_%s_Ticket%d_%s.gif", 
                                  FilePrefix, 
                                  Symbol(), 
                                  ticket, 
                                  timeStr);

   // Take the screenshot
   // start_bar=0 (current), chart_scale=-1 (current), chart_mode=-1 (current)
   bool res = WindowScreenShot(filename, ImageWidth, ImageHeight, 0, -1, -1);

   if(res)
      Print("Screenshot saved: ", filename);
   else
      Print("Error saving screenshot. Error code: ", GetLastError());
}
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+

How to Install and Use

1. Copy the Code: Copy the code block above.
2. Open MetaEditor: In MT4, press F4 or click the "MetaEditor" button.
3. Create New File: Click New -> Expert Advisor (template) -> Next.
4. Name it: Name it AutoScreenshot and click Finish.
5. Paste: Delete everything in the new file and paste the code provided above.
6. Compile: Press F7 or click Compile. Ensure there are no errors in the "Errors" tab at the bottom.
7. Attach to Chart:
   • Go back to the main MT4 terminal.
   • Find AutoScreenshot in the Navigator window under Expert Advisors.
   • Drag and drop it onto the chart you want to monitor.
   • Important: Ensure "Allow live trading" is checked in the Common tab (though this EA doesn't trade, it requires permission to run logic).
8. Test: Open a trade manually on that chart. Check the Experts tab in the Terminal window for a confirmation message.

Where are the files saved?

The screenshots are saved in the MT4 Data Folder.

1. Go to File -> Open Data Folder.
2. Navigate to MQL4 -> Files.
3. You will see your GIF files there.

Key Features of the Code

• Symbol Specific: It filters orders using OrderSymbol() == Symbol(). It will only take a picture if a trade opens on the specific chart where the EA is running.
• Dynamic Naming: The filename includes the Symbol, Ticket Number, and Timestamp to prevent overwriting previous images.
• GIF Format: The WindowScreenShot function automatically detects the format based on the file extension provided (.gif).

Q&A

Q: Can I use this to capture screenshots for pending orders?
A: Yes. The OrdersTotal() function counts both market and pending orders. If you place a pending order, the count increases, and the EA will take a screenshot.

Q: Will this work if an automated EA opens the trade?
A: Yes. This utility monitors the account state. It does not matter if a human or another algorithm opened the trade; as long as the trade appears in the terminal list, the screenshot will trigger.

Q: Why did you use WindowScreenShot instead of ChartScreenShot?
A: WindowScreenShot is the older MQL4 standard function that is highly reliable for capturing the visual state of the current window. ChartScreenShot is the newer MQL5-style function available in updated MQL4, but WindowScreenShot is sufficient and simpler for this specific task.

Q: Does the chart need to be visible?
A: Yes. WindowScreenShot captures what is rendered. If the chart is minimized or covered, it might still capture the data, but it is best practice to keep the terminal open.