MQL4 and MQL5 Programming Articles

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Study the MQL5 language for programming trading strategies in numerous published articles mostly written by you - the community members. The articles are grouped into categories to help you quicker find answers to any questions related to programming: Integration, Tester, Trading Strategies, etc.

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Population optimization algorithms: Saplings Sowing and Growing up (SSG)

Population optimization algorithms: Saplings Sowing and Growing up (SSG)

Saplings Sowing and Growing up (SSG) algorithm is inspired by one of the most resilient organisms on the planet demonstrating outstanding capability for survival in a wide variety of conditions.
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DoEasy. Controls (Part 24): Hint auxiliary WinForms object

DoEasy. Controls (Part 24): Hint auxiliary WinForms object

In this article, I will revise the logic of specifying the base and main objects for all WinForms library objects, develop a new Hint base object and several of its derived classes to indicate the possible direction of moving the separator.
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How to build and optimize a volatility-based trading system (Chaikin Volatility - CHV)

How to build and optimize a volatility-based trading system (Chaikin Volatility - CHV)

In this article, we will provide another volatility-based indicator named Chaikin Volatility. We will understand how to build a custom indicator after identifying how it can be used and constructed. We will share some simple strategies that can be used and then test them to understand which one can be better.
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Multilayer perceptron and backpropagation algorithm (Part 3): Integration with the Strategy Tester - Overview (I).

Multilayer perceptron and backpropagation algorithm (Part 3): Integration with the Strategy Tester - Overview (I).

The multilayer perceptron is an evolution of the simple perceptron which can solve non-linear separable problems. Together with the backpropagation algorithm, this neural network can be effectively trained. In Part 3 of the Multilayer Perceptron and Backpropagation series, we'll see how to integrate this technique into the Strategy Tester. This integration will allow the use of complex data analysis aimed at making better decisions to optimize your trading strategies. In this article, we will discuss the advantages and problems of this technique.
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How to create a simple Multi-Currency Expert Advisor using MQL5 (Part 7): ZigZag with Awesome Oscillator Indicators Signal

How to create a simple Multi-Currency Expert Advisor using MQL5 (Part 7): ZigZag with Awesome Oscillator Indicators Signal

The multi-currency expert advisor in this article is an expert advisor or automated trading that uses ZigZag indicator which are filtered with the Awesome Oscillator or filter each other's signals.
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Category Theory in MQL5 (Part 18): Naturality Square

Category Theory in MQL5 (Part 18): Naturality Square

This article continues our series into category theory by introducing natural transformations, a key pillar within the subject. We look at the seemingly complex definition, then delve into examples and applications with this series’ ‘bread and butter’; volatility forecasting.
Interview with Valery Mazurenko (ATC 2011)
Interview with Valery Mazurenko (ATC 2011)

Interview with Valery Mazurenko (ATC 2011)

The task of writing an Expert Advisor trading on multiple currency pairs is complex both in terms of finding suitable strategies and from the technological side. But if the goal is set clear, nothing is impossible then. It was four times already that Vitaly Mazurenko (notused) submitted his multi-currency Expert Advisor. It seems, he has managed to find the right way this time.
Interview with Berron Parker (ATC 2010)
Interview with Berron Parker (ATC 2010)

Interview with Berron Parker (ATC 2010)

During the first week of the Championship Berron's Expert Advisor has been on the top position. He now tells us about his experience of EA development and difficulties of moving to MQL5. Berron says his EA is set up to work in a trend market, but can be weak in other market conditions. However, he is hopeful that his robot will show good results in this competition.
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Category Theory in MQL5 (Part 2)

Category Theory in MQL5 (Part 2)

Category Theory is a diverse and expanding branch of Mathematics which as of yet is relatively uncovered in the MQL5 community. These series of articles look to introduce and examine some of its concepts with the overall goal of establishing an open library that attracts comments and discussion while hopefully furthering the use of this remarkable field in Traders' strategy development.
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Neural networks made easy (Part 48): Methods for reducing overestimation of Q-function values

Neural networks made easy (Part 48): Methods for reducing overestimation of Q-function values

In the previous article, we introduced the DDPG method, which allows training models in a continuous action space. However, like other Q-learning methods, DDPG is prone to overestimating Q-function values. This problem often results in training an agent with a suboptimal strategy. In this article, we will look at some approaches to overcome the mentioned issue.
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Brute force approach to patterns search (Part V): Fresh angle

Brute force approach to patterns search (Part V): Fresh angle

In this article, I will show a completely different approach to algorithmic trading I ended up with after quite a long time. Of course, all this has to do with my brute force program, which has undergone a number of changes that allow it to solve several problems simultaneously. Nevertheless, the article has turned out to be more general and as simple as possible, which is why it is also suitable for those who know nothing about brute force.
Interview with Igor Korepin (ATC 2011)
Interview with Igor Korepin (ATC 2011)

Interview with Igor Korepin (ATC 2011)

Appearance of the Expert Advisor cs2011 by Igor Korepin (Xupypr) at the very top of the Automated Trading Championship 2011 was really impressive - its balance was almost twice that of the EA featured on the second place. However, despite such a sound breakaway, the Expert Advisor could not stay long on the first line. Igor frankly said that he relied much on a lucky start of his trading robot in the competition. We'll see if luck helps this simple EA to take the lead in the ATC 2011 race again.
Interview with Andrey Bobryashov (ATC 2011)
Interview with Andrey Bobryashov (ATC 2011)

Interview with Andrey Bobryashov (ATC 2011)

Since the first Automated Trading Championship we have seen plenty of trading robots in our TOP-10 created with the use of various methods. Excellent results were shown both by the Exper Advisors based on standard indicators, and complicated analytical complexes with weekly automatic optimization of their own parameters.
Interview with Boris Odintsov (ATC 2010)
Interview with Boris Odintsov (ATC 2010)

Interview with Boris Odintsov (ATC 2010)

Boris Odintsov is one of the most impressive participants of the Championship who managed to go beyond $100,000 on the third week of the competition. Boris explains the rapid rise of his expert Advisor as a favorable combination of circumstances. In this interview he tells about what is important in trading, and what market would be unfavorable for his EA.
Interview with Antonio Morillas (ATC 2011)
Interview with Antonio Morillas (ATC 2011)

Interview with Antonio Morillas (ATC 2011)

Antonio Morillas from Spain (sallirom, by the way - it is reversed surname!) was first who doubled his starting balance from the beginning of the Championship and thus attracted our attention. His trading strategy is extremely risky. We decided to talk to Antonio about risk and luck as these are part and parcel of Automated Trading Championship.
Interview with Vitaly Antonov (ATC 2011)
Interview with Vitaly Antonov (ATC 2011)

Interview with Vitaly Antonov (ATC 2011)

It was only this summer that Vitaly Antonov (beast) has learned about the upcoming Automated Trading Championship and got to know MetaTrader 5 terminal. Time was running out, besides, Vitaly was a newcomer. So, he randomly chose GBPUSD currency pair to develop his trading system. And the choice turned out to be successful. It would have been impossible to use other symbols with the strategy.
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Integrating ML models with the Strategy Tester (Part 3): Managing CSV files (II)

Integrating ML models with the Strategy Tester (Part 3): Managing CSV files (II)

This material provides a complete guide to creating a class in MQL5 for efficient management of CSV files. We will see the implementation of methods for opening, writing, reading, and transforming data. We will also consider how to use them to store and access information. In addition, we will discuss the limitations and the most important aspects of using such a class. This article ca be a valuable resource for those who want to learn how to process CSV files in MQL5.
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Neural networks made easy (Part 73): AutoBots for predicting price movements

Neural networks made easy (Part 73): AutoBots for predicting price movements

We continue to discuss algorithms for training trajectory prediction models. In this article, we will get acquainted with a method called "AutoBots".
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Data Science and Machine Learning (Part 19): Supercharge Your AI models with AdaBoost

Data Science and Machine Learning (Part 19): Supercharge Your AI models with AdaBoost

AdaBoost, a powerful boosting algorithm designed to elevate the performance of your AI models. AdaBoost, short for Adaptive Boosting, is a sophisticated ensemble learning technique that seamlessly integrates weak learners, enhancing their collective predictive strength.
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Developing an MQTT client for MetaTrader 5: a TDD approach

Developing an MQTT client for MetaTrader 5: a TDD approach

This article reports the first attempts in the development of a native MQTT client for MQL5. MQTT is a Client Server publish/subscribe messaging transport protocol. It is lightweight, open, simple, and designed to be easy to implement. These characteristics make it ideal for use in many situations.
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DoEasy. Controls (Part 28): Bar styles in the ProgressBar control

DoEasy. Controls (Part 28): Bar styles in the ProgressBar control

In this article, I will develop display styles and description text for the progress bar of the ProgressBar control.
ATC Champions League: Interview with Roman Zamozhniy (ATC 2011)
ATC Champions League: Interview with Roman Zamozhniy (ATC 2011)

ATC Champions League: Interview with Roman Zamozhniy (ATC 2011)

This is the first interview in the "ATC Champions League" project. Roman Zamozhniy (Rich) from Ukraine was the winner of the first Automated Trading Championship in 2006. In addition, he is a regular participant of our Championships - he has not missed a single contest. In this interview, we talked about Roman's first place and tried to figure out what is necessary for successful participation.
ATC Champions League: Interview with Olexandr Topchylo (ATC 2011)
ATC Champions League: Interview with Olexandr Topchylo (ATC 2011)

ATC Champions League: Interview with Olexandr Topchylo (ATC 2011)

Interview with Olexandr Topchylo (Better) is the second publication within the "ATC Champions League" project. Having won the Automated Trading Championship 2007, this professional trader caught the attention of investors. Olexandr says that his first place in the ATC 2007 is one of the major events of his trading experience. However, later on this popularity helped him discover the biggest disappointment - it is so easy to lose investors after the first drawdown on an investor account.
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DoEasy. Controls (Part 22): SplitContainer. Changing the properties of the created object

DoEasy. Controls (Part 22): SplitContainer. Changing the properties of the created object

In the current article, I will implement the ability to change the properties and appearance of the newly created SplitContainer control.
Interview with Andrei Moraru (ATC 2011)
Interview with Andrei Moraru (ATC 2011)

Interview with Andrei Moraru (ATC 2011)

Ukrainian programmer Andrei Moraru (enivid) is an active participant of the Automated Trading Championship beginning from 2007. Andrei had already come in our view at that time and now we have decided to find out if there occured any changes in his attitude towards trading and selection of trading strategies for the past four years, and also to know about his new Expert Advisor.
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Introduction to MQL5 (Part 4): Mastering Structures, Classes, and Time Functions

Introduction to MQL5 (Part 4): Mastering Structures, Classes, and Time Functions

Unlock the secrets of MQL5 programming in our latest article! Delve into the essentials of structures, classes, and time functions, empowering your coding journey. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced developer, our guide simplifies complex concepts, providing valuable insights for mastering MQL5. Elevate your programming skills and stay ahead in the world of algorithmic trading!
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Category Theory in MQL5 (Part 7): Multi, Relative and Indexed Domains

Category Theory in MQL5 (Part 7): Multi, Relative and Indexed Domains

Category Theory is a diverse and expanding branch of Mathematics which is only recently getting some coverage in the MQL5 community. These series of articles look to explore and examine some of its concepts & axioms with the overall goal of establishing an open library that provides insight while also hopefully furthering the use of this remarkable field in Traders' strategy development.
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Neural networks made easy (Part 47): Continuous action space

Neural networks made easy (Part 47): Continuous action space

In this article, we expand the range of tasks of our agent. The training process will include some aspects of money and risk management, which are an integral part of any trading strategy.
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Developing a Replay System (Part 26): Expert Advisor project — C_Terminal class

Developing a Replay System (Part 26): Expert Advisor project — C_Terminal class

We can now start creating an Expert Advisor for use in the replay/simulation system. However, we need something improved, not a random solution. Despite this, we should not be intimidated by the initial complexity. It's important to start somewhere, otherwise we end up ruminating about the difficulty of a task without even trying to overcome it. That's what programming is all about: overcoming obstacles through learning, testing, and extensive research.
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Statistical Arbitrage with predictions

Statistical Arbitrage with predictions

We will walk around statistical arbitrage, we will search with python for correlation and cointegration symbols, we will make an indicator for Pearson's coefficient and we will make an EA for trading statistical arbitrage with predictions done with python and ONNX models.
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Developing a trading Expert Advisor from scratch (Part 25): Providing system robustness (II)

Developing a trading Expert Advisor from scratch (Part 25): Providing system robustness (II)

In this article, we will make the final step towards the EA's performance. So, be prepared for a long read. To make our Expert Advisor reliable, we will first remove everything from the code that is not part of the trading system.
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Using optimization algorithms to configure EA parameters on the fly

Using optimization algorithms to configure EA parameters on the fly

The article discusses the practical aspects of using optimization algorithms to find the best EA parameters on the fly, as well as virtualization of trading operations and EA logic. The article can be used as an instruction for implementing optimization algorithms into an EA.
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Developing a Replay System (Part 32): Order System (I)

Developing a Replay System (Part 32): Order System (I)

Of all the things that we have developed so far, this system, as you will probably notice and eventually agree, is the most complex. Now we need to do something very simple: make our system simulate the operation of a trading server. This need to accurately implement the way the trading server operates seems like a no-brainer. At least in words. But we need to do this so that the everything is seamless and transparent for the user of the replay/simulation system.
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Developing a trading Expert Advisor from scratch (Part 26): Towards the future (I)

Developing a trading Expert Advisor from scratch (Part 26): Towards the future (I)

Today we will take our order system to the next level. But before that, we need to solve a few problems. Now we have some questions that are related to how we want to work and what things we do during the trading day.
Grouped File Operations
Grouped File Operations

Grouped File Operations

It is sometimes necessary to perform identical operations with a group of files. If you have a list of files included into a group, then it is no problem. However, if you need to make this list yourself, then a question arises: "How can I do this?" The article proposes doing this using functions FindFirstFile() and FindNextFile() included in kernel32.dll.
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Modified Grid-Hedge EA in MQL5 (Part II): Making a Simple Grid EA

Modified Grid-Hedge EA in MQL5 (Part II): Making a Simple Grid EA

In this article, we explored the classic grid strategy, detailing its automation using an Expert Advisor in MQL5 and analyzing initial backtest results. We highlighted the strategy's need for high holding capacity and outlined plans for optimizing key parameters like distance, takeProfit, and lot sizes in future installments. The series aims to enhance trading strategy efficiency and adaptability to different market conditions.
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Automated exchange grid trading using stop pending orders on Moscow Exchange (MOEX)

Automated exchange grid trading using stop pending orders on Moscow Exchange (MOEX)

The article considers the grid trading approach based on stop pending orders and implemented in an MQL5 Expert Advisor on the Moscow Exchange (MOEX). When trading in the market, one of the simplest strategies is a grid of orders designed to "catch" the market price.
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Neural networks made easy (Part 34): Fully Parameterized Quantile Function

Neural networks made easy (Part 34): Fully Parameterized Quantile Function

We continue studying distributed Q-learning algorithms. In previous articles, we have considered distributed and quantile Q-learning algorithms. In the first algorithm, we trained the probabilities of given ranges of values. In the second algorithm, we trained ranges with a given probability. In both of them, we used a priori knowledge of one distribution and trained another one. In this article, we will consider an algorithm which allows the model to train for both distributions.
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DoEasy. Controls (Part 16): TabControl WinForms object — several rows of tab headers, stretching headers to fit the container

DoEasy. Controls (Part 16): TabControl WinForms object — several rows of tab headers, stretching headers to fit the container

In this article, I will continue the development of TabControl and implement the arrangement of tab headers on all four sides of the control for all modes of setting the size of headers: Normal, Fixed and Fill To Right.
Idleness is the Stimulus to Progress. Semiautomatic Marking a Template
Idleness is the Stimulus to Progress. Semiautomatic Marking a Template

Idleness is the Stimulus to Progress. Semiautomatic Marking a Template

Among the dozens of examples of how to work with charts, there is a method of manual marking a template. Trend lines, channels, support/resistance levels, etc. are imposed in a chart. Surely, there are some special programs for this kind of work. Everyone decides on his/her own which method to use. In this article, I offer you for your consideration the methods of manual marking with subsequent automating some elements of the repeated routine actions.