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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Exploring options for creating multicolored candlesticks

Exploring options for creating multicolored candlesticks

In this article I will address the possibilities of creating customized indicators with candlesticks, pointing out their advantages and disadvantages.
Graphical Interfaces VI: the Checkbox Control, the Edit Control and their Mixed Types (Chapter 1)
Graphical Interfaces VI: the Checkbox Control, the Edit Control and their Mixed Types (Chapter 1)

Graphical Interfaces VI: the Checkbox Control, the Edit Control and their Mixed Types (Chapter 1)

This article is the beginning of the sixth part of the series dedicated to the development of the library for creating graphical interfaces in the MetaTrader terminals. In the first chapter, we are going to discuss the checkbox control, the edit control and their mixed types.
Synchronization of Expert Advisors, Scripts and Indicators
Synchronization of Expert Advisors, Scripts and Indicators

Synchronization of Expert Advisors, Scripts and Indicators

The article considers the necessity and general principles of developing a bundled program that would contain both an Expert Advisor, a script and an indicator.
Selection and navigation utility in MQL5 and MQL4: Adding auto search for patterns and displaying detected symbols
Selection and navigation utility in MQL5 and MQL4: Adding auto search for patterns and displaying detected symbols

Selection and navigation utility in MQL5 and MQL4: Adding auto search for patterns and displaying detected symbols

In this article, we continue expanding the features of the utility for collecting and navigating through symbols. This time, we will create new tabs displaying only the symbols that satisfy some of the necessary parameters and find out how to easily add custom tabs with the necessary sorting rules.
Bi-Directional Trading and Hedging of Positions in MetaTrader 5 Using the HedgeTerminal API, Part 2
Bi-Directional Trading and Hedging of Positions in MetaTrader 5 Using the HedgeTerminal API, Part 2

Bi-Directional Trading and Hedging of Positions in MetaTrader 5 Using the HedgeTerminal API, Part 2

This article describes a new approach to hedging of positions and draws the line in the debates between users of MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 about this matter. It is a continuation of the first part: "Bi-Directional Trading and Hedging of Positions in MetaTrader 5 Using the HedgeTerminal Panel, Part 1". In the second part, we discuss integration of custom Expert Advisors with HedgeTerminalAPI, which is a special visualization library designed for bi-directional trading in a comfortable software environment providing tools for convenient position management.
Using Layouts and Containers for GUI Controls: The CBox Class
Using Layouts and Containers for GUI Controls: The CBox Class

Using Layouts and Containers for GUI Controls: The CBox Class

This article presents an alternative method of GUI creation based on layouts and containers, using one layout manager — the CBox class. The CBox class is an auxiliary control that acts as a container for essential controls in a GUI panel. It can make designing graphical panels easier, and in some cases, reduce coding time.
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The RSI Deep Three Move Trading Technique

The RSI Deep Three Move Trading Technique

Presenting the RSI Deep Three Move Trading Technique in MetaTrader 5. This article is based on a new series of studies that showcase a few trading techniques based on the RSI, a technical analysis indicator used to measure the strength and momentum of a security, such as a stock, currency, or commodity.
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The correct way to choose an Expert Advisor from the Market

The correct way to choose an Expert Advisor from the Market

In this article, we will consider some of the essential points you should pay attention to when purchasing an Expert Advisor. We will also look for ways to increase profit, to spend money wisely, and to earn from this spending. Also, after reading the article, you will see that it is possible to earn even using simple and free products.
Money Management Revisited
Money Management Revisited

Money Management Revisited

The article deals with some issues arising when traders apply various money management systems to Forex trading. Experimental data obtained from performing trading deals using different money management (MM) methods is also described.
Social Trading. Can a profitable signal be made even better?
Social Trading. Can a profitable signal be made even better?

Social Trading. Can a profitable signal be made even better?

Most subscribers choose a trade signal by the beauty of the balance curve and by the number of subscribers. This is why many today's providers care of beautiful statistics rather than of real signal quality, often playing with lot sizes and artificially reducing the balance curve to an ideal appearance. This paper deals with the reliability criteria and the methods a provider may use to enhance its signal quality. An exemplary analysis of a specific signal history is presented, as well as methods that would help a provider to make it more profitable and less risky.
MQL5 Cookbook: Writing the History of Deals to a File and Creating Balance Charts for Each Symbol in Excel
MQL5 Cookbook: Writing the History of Deals to a File and Creating Balance Charts for Each Symbol in Excel

MQL5 Cookbook: Writing the History of Deals to a File and Creating Balance Charts for Each Symbol in Excel

When communicating in various forums, I often used examples of my test results displayed as screenshots of Microsoft Excel charts. I have many times been asked to explain how such charts can be created. Finally, I now have some time to explain it all in this article.
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CatBoost machine learning algorithm from Yandex with no Python or R knowledge required

CatBoost machine learning algorithm from Yandex with no Python or R knowledge required

The article provides the code and the description of the main stages of the machine learning process using a specific example. To obtain the model, you do not need Python or R knowledge. Furthermore, basic MQL5 knowledge is enough — this is exactly my level. Therefore, I hope that the article will serve as a good tutorial for a broad audience, assisting those interested in evaluating machine learning capabilities and in implementing them in their programs.
Forex Trading ABC
Forex Trading ABC

Forex Trading ABC

Working on financial markets represents, first of all, trade operations. We all, starting from the very childhood, have an intuitive idea of what is to buy and to sell. But Forex trading is still something special. This article deals with the ideas necessary to explain some terms. We will also consider the MQL 4 functions that correspond with those terms.
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Creating an EA that works automatically (Part 02): Getting started with the code

Creating an EA that works automatically (Part 02): Getting started with the code

Today we'll see how to create an Expert Advisor that simply and safely works in automatic mode. In the previous article, we discussed the first steps that anyone needs to understand before proceeding to creating an Expert Advisor that trades automatically. We considered the concepts and the structure.
Testing Expert Advisors on Non-Standard Time Frames
Testing Expert Advisors on Non-Standard Time Frames

Testing Expert Advisors on Non-Standard Time Frames

It's not just simple; it's super simple. Testing Expert Advisors on non-standard time frames is possible! All we need to do is to replace standard time frame data with non-standard time frame data. Furthermore, we can even test Expert Advisors that use data from several non-standard time frames.
Cross-Platform Expert Advisor: Reuse of Components from the MQL5 Standard Library
Cross-Platform Expert Advisor: Reuse of Components from the MQL5 Standard Library

Cross-Platform Expert Advisor: Reuse of Components from the MQL5 Standard Library

There exists some components in the MQL5 Standard Library that may prove to be useful in the MQL4 version of cross-platform expert advisors. This article deals with a method of making certain components of the MQL5 Standard Library compatible with the MQL4 compiler.
Graphical interfaces X: Advanced management of lists and tables. Code optimization (build 7)
Graphical interfaces X: Advanced management of lists and tables. Code optimization (build 7)

Graphical interfaces X: Advanced management of lists and tables. Code optimization (build 7)

The library code needs to be optimized: it should be more regularized, which is — more readable and comprehensible for studying. In addition, we will continue to develop the controls created previously: lists, tables and scrollbars.
Universal Expert Advisor: Trading in a Group and Managing a Portfolio of Strategies (Part 4)
Universal Expert Advisor: Trading in a Group and Managing a Portfolio of Strategies (Part 4)

Universal Expert Advisor: Trading in a Group and Managing a Portfolio of Strategies (Part 4)

In the last part of the series of articles about the CStrategy trading engine, we will consider simultaneous operation of multiple trading algorithms, will learn to load strategies from XML files, and will present a simple panel for selecting Expert Advisors from a single executable module, and managing their trading modes.
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Can Heiken-Ashi Combined With Moving Averages Provide Good Signals Together?

Can Heiken-Ashi Combined With Moving Averages Provide Good Signals Together?

Combinations of strategies may offer better opportunities. We can combine indicators or patterns together, or even better, indicators with patterns, so that we get an extra confirmation factor. Moving averages help us confirm and ride the trend. They are the most known technical indicators and this is because of their simplicity and their proven track record of adding value to analyses.
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Data Science and Machine Learning — Neural Network (Part 02): Feed forward NN Architectures Design

Data Science and Machine Learning — Neural Network (Part 02): Feed forward NN Architectures Design

There are minor things to cover on the feed-forward neural network before we are through, the design being one of them. Let's see how we can build and design a flexible neural network to our inputs, the number of hidden layers, and the nodes for each of the network.
Object-Oriented Approach to Building Multi-Timeframe and Multi-Currency Panels
Object-Oriented Approach to Building Multi-Timeframe and Multi-Currency Panels

Object-Oriented Approach to Building Multi-Timeframe and Multi-Currency Panels

This article describes how object-oriented programming can be used for creating multi-timeframe and multi-currency panels for MetaTrader 5. The main goal is to build a universal panel, which can be used for displaying many different kinds of data, such as prices, price changes, indicator values or custom buy/sell conditions without the need to modify the code of the panel itself.
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Data Science and Machine Learning — Neural Network (Part 01): Feed Forward Neural Network demystified

Data Science and Machine Learning — Neural Network (Part 01): Feed Forward Neural Network demystified

Many people love them but a few understand the whole operations behind Neural Networks. In this article I will try to explain everything that goes behind closed doors of a feed-forward multi-layer perception in plain English.
Naive Bayes classifier for signals of a set of indicators
Naive Bayes classifier for signals of a set of indicators

Naive Bayes classifier for signals of a set of indicators

The article analyzes the application of the Bayes' formula for increasing the reliability of trading systems by means of using signals from multiple independent indicators. Theoretical calculations are verified with a simple universal EA, configured to work with arbitrary indicators.
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Trade Events in MetaTrader 5

Trade Events in MetaTrader 5

A monitoring of the current state of a trade account implies controlling open positions and orders. Before a trade signal becomes a deal, it should be sent from the client terminal as a request to the trade server, where it will be placed in the order queue awaiting to be processed. Accepting of a request by the trade server, deleting it as it expires or conducting a deal on its basis - all those actions are followed by trade events; and the trade server informs the terminal about them.
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Risk and capital management using Expert Advisors

Risk and capital management using Expert Advisors

This article is about what you can not see in a backtest report, what you should expect using automated trading software, how to manage your money if you are using expert advisors, and how to cover a significant loss to remain in the trading activity when you are using automated procedures.
Interview with Dmitry Terentew (ATC 2012)
Interview with Dmitry Terentew (ATC 2012)

Interview with Dmitry Terentew (ATC 2012)

Is it really necessary to be a programmer to develop trading robots? Do we need to spend years monitoring price charts to be able to "feel" the market? All these issues have been discussed in our interview with Dmitry Terentew (SAFF), whose trading robot has been occupying the first page of the Championship from the very beginning.
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Neural networks made easy (Part 11): A take on GPT

Neural networks made easy (Part 11): A take on GPT

Perhaps one of the most advanced models among currently existing language neural networks is GPT-3, the maximal variant of which contains 175 billion parameters. Of course, we are not going to create such a monster on our home PCs. However, we can view which architectural solutions can be used in our work and how we can benefit from them.
Developing a cross-platform grider EA (part II): Range-based grid in trend direction
Developing a cross-platform grider EA (part II): Range-based grid in trend direction

Developing a cross-platform grider EA (part II): Range-based grid in trend direction

In this article, we will develop a grider EA for trading in a trend direction within a range. Thus, the EA is to be suited mostly for Forex and commodity markets. According to the tests, our grider showed profit since 2018. Unfortunately, this is not true for the period of 2014-2018.
The Player of Trading Based on Deal History
The Player of Trading Based on Deal History

The Player of Trading Based on Deal History

The player of trading. Only four words, no explanation is needed. Thoughts about a small box with buttons come to your mind. Press one button - it plays, move the lever - the playback speed changes. In reality, it is pretty similar. In this article, I want to show my development that plays trade history almost like it is in real time. The article covers some nuances of OOP, working with indicators and managing charts.
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Multiple indicators on one chart (Part 01): Understanding the concepts

Multiple indicators on one chart (Part 01): Understanding the concepts

Today we will learn how to add multiple indicators running simultaneously on one chart, but without occupying a separate area on it. Many traders feel more confident if they monitor multiple indicators at a time (for example, RSI, STOCASTIC, MACD, ADX and some others), or in some cases even at different assets which an index is made of.
Synthetic Bars - A New Dimension to Displaying Graphical Information on Prices
Synthetic Bars - A New Dimension to Displaying Graphical Information on Prices

Synthetic Bars - A New Dimension to Displaying Graphical Information on Prices

The main drawback of traditional methods for displaying price information using bars and Japanese candlesticks is that they are bound to the time period. It was perhaps optimal at the time when these methods were created but today when the market movements are sometimes too rapid, prices displayed in a chart in this way do not contribute to a prompt response to the new movement. The proposed price chart display method does not have this drawback and provides a quite familiar layout.
Risk Evaluation in the Sequence of Deals with One Asset
Risk Evaluation in the Sequence of Deals with One Asset

Risk Evaluation in the Sequence of Deals with One Asset

This article describes the use of methods of the theory of probability and mathematical statistics in the analysis of trading systems.
Getting Rid of Self-Made DLLs
Getting Rid of Self-Made DLLs

Getting Rid of Self-Made DLLs

If MQL5 language functional is not enough for fulfilling tasks, an MQL5 programmer has to use additional tools. He\she has to pass to another programming language and create an intermediate DLL. MQL5 has the possibility to present various data types and transfer them to API but, unfortunately, MQL5 cannot solve the issue concerning data extraction from the accepted pointer. In this article we will dot all the "i"s and show simple mechanisms of exchanging and working with complex data types.
Library for easy and quick development of MetaTrader programs (part XVI): Symbol collection events
Library for easy and quick development of MetaTrader programs (part XVI): Symbol collection events

Library for easy and quick development of MetaTrader programs (part XVI): Symbol collection events

In this article, we will create a new base class of all library objects adding the event functionality to all its descendants and develop the class for tracking symbol collection events based on the new base class. We will also change account and account event classes for developing the new base object functionality.
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An Analysis of Why Expert Advisors Fail

An Analysis of Why Expert Advisors Fail

This article presents an analysis of currency data to better understand why expert advisors can have good performance in some regions of time and poor performance in other regions of time.
Principles of Exchange Pricing through the Example of Moscow Exchange's Derivatives Market
Principles of Exchange Pricing through the Example of Moscow Exchange's Derivatives Market

Principles of Exchange Pricing through the Example of Moscow Exchange's Derivatives Market

This article describes the theory of exchange pricing and clearing specifics of Moscow Exchange's Derivatives Market. This is a comprehensive article for beginners who want to get their first exchange experience on derivatives trading, as well as for experienced forex traders who are considering trading on a centralized exchange platform.
Universal Regression Model for Market Price Prediction
Universal Regression Model for Market Price Prediction

Universal Regression Model for Market Price Prediction

The market price is formed out of a stable balance between demand and supply which, in turn, depend on a variety of economic, political and psychological factors. Differences in nature as well as causes of influence of these factors make it difficult to directly consider all the components. This article sets forth an attempt to predict the market price on the basis of an elaborated regression model.
Statistical Carry Trade Strategy
Statistical Carry Trade Strategy

Statistical Carry Trade Strategy

An algorithm of statistical protection of open positive swap positions from unwanted price movements. This article features a variant of the carry trade protection strategy that allows to compensate for potential risk of the price movement in the direction opposite to that of the open position.
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Learn how to design a trading system by Awesome Oscillator

Learn how to design a trading system by Awesome Oscillator

In this new article in our series, we will learn about a new technical tool that may be useful in our trading. It is the Awesome Oscillator (AO) indicator. We will learn how to design a trading system by this indicator.
Graphical Interfaces X: Time control, List of checkboxes control and table sorting (build 6)
Graphical Interfaces X: Time control, List of checkboxes control and table sorting (build 6)

Graphical Interfaces X: Time control, List of checkboxes control and table sorting (build 6)

Development of the library for creating graphical interfaces continues. The Time and List of checkboxes controls will be covered this time. In addition, the CTable class now provides the ability to sort data in ascending or descending order.