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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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.
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.
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.
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.
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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.
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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.
Using the TesterWithdrawal() Function for Modeling the Withdrawals of Profit
Using the TesterWithdrawal() Function for Modeling the Withdrawals of Profit

Using the TesterWithdrawal() Function for Modeling the Withdrawals of Profit

This article describes the usage of the TesterWithDrawal() function for estimating risks in trade systems which imply the withdrawing of a certain part of assets during their operation. In addition, it describes the effect of this function on the algorithm of calculation of the drawdown of equity in the strategy tester. This function is useful when optimizing parameter of your Expert Advisors.
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.
Drawing Channels - Inside and Outside View
Drawing Channels - Inside and Outside View

Drawing Channels - Inside and Outside View

I guess it won't be an exaggeration, if I say the channels are the most popular tool for the analysis of market and making trade decisions after the moving averages. Without diving deeply into the mass of trade strategies that use channels and their components, we are going to discuss the mathematical basis and the practical implementation of an indicator, which draws a channel determined by three extremums on the screen of the client terminal.
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.
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Making charts more interesting: Adding a background

Making charts more interesting: Adding a background

Many workstations contain some representative image which shows something about the user. These images make the working environment more beautiful and exciting. Let's see how to make the charts more interesting by adding a background.
How to Secure Your Expert Advisor While Trading on the Moscow Exchange
How to Secure Your Expert Advisor While Trading on the Moscow Exchange

How to Secure Your Expert Advisor While Trading on the Moscow Exchange

The article delves into the trading methods ensuring the security of trading operations at the stock and low-liquidity markets through the example of Moscow Exchange's Derivatives Market. It brings practical approach to the trading theory described in the article "Principles of Exchange Pricing through the Example of Moscow Exchange's Derivatives Market".
Creating an Indicator with Graphical Control Options
Creating an Indicator with Graphical Control Options

Creating an Indicator with Graphical Control Options

Those who are familiar with market sentiments, know the MACD indicator (its full name is Moving Average Convergence/Divergence) - the powerful tool for analyzing the price movement, used by traders from the very first moments of appearance of the computer analysis methods. In this article we'll consider possible modifications of MACD and implement them in one indicator with the possibility to graphically switch between the modifications.
MQL Parsing by Means of MQL
MQL Parsing by Means of MQL

MQL Parsing by Means of MQL

The article describes a preprocessor, a scanner, and a parser to be used in parsing the MQL-based source codes. MQL implementation is attached.
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Learn how to deal with date and time in MQL5

Learn how to deal with date and time in MQL5

A new article about a new important topic which is dealing with date and time. As traders or programmers of trading tools, it is very crucial to understand how to deal with these two aspects date and time very well and effectively. So, I will share some important information about how we can deal with date and time to create effective trading tools smoothly and simply without any complicity as much as I can.
Applying OLAP in trading (part 2): Visualizing the interactive multidimensional data analysis results
Applying OLAP in trading (part 2): Visualizing the interactive multidimensional data analysis results

Applying OLAP in trading (part 2): Visualizing the interactive multidimensional data analysis results

In this article, we consider the creation of an interactive graphical interface for an MQL program, which is designed for the processing of account history and trading reports using OLAP techniques. To obtain a visual result, we will use maximizable and scalable windows, an adaptive layout of rubber controls and a new control for displaying diagrams. To provide the visualization functionality, we will implement a GUI with the selection of variables along coordinate axes, as well as with the selection of aggregate functions, diagram types and sorting options.
Graphic Expert Advisor: AutoGraf
Graphic Expert Advisor: AutoGraf

Graphic Expert Advisor: AutoGraf

The article shows the workability of graphics in creation of a convenient interface to manage trading.
MQL5 Cookbook: Processing of the TradeTransaction Event
MQL5 Cookbook: Processing of the TradeTransaction Event

MQL5 Cookbook: Processing of the TradeTransaction Event

This article considers capabilities of the MQL5 language from the point of view of the event-driven programming. The greatest advantage of this approach is that the program can receive information about phased implementation of a trade operation. The article also contains an example of receiving and processing information about ongoing trade operation using the TradeTransaction event handler. In my opinion, such an approach can be used for copying deals from one terminal to another.
Graphics in DoEasy library (Part 76): Form object and predefined color themes
Graphics in DoEasy library (Part 76): Form object and predefined color themes

Graphics in DoEasy library (Part 76): Form object and predefined color themes

In this article, I will describe the concept of building various library GUI design themes, create the Form object, which is a descendant of the graphical element class object, and prepare data for creating shadows of the library graphical objects, as well as for further development of the functionality.
Horizontal diagrams on MеtaTrader 5 charts
Horizontal diagrams on MеtaTrader 5 charts

Horizontal diagrams on MеtaTrader 5 charts

Horizontal diagrams are not a common occurrence on the terminal charts but they can still be of use in a number of tasks, for example when developing indicators displaying volume or price distribution for a certain period, when creating various market depth versions, etc. The article considers constructing and managing horizontal diagrams as arrays of graphical primitives.
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Take a few lessons from Prop Firms (Part 1) — An introduction

Take a few lessons from Prop Firms (Part 1) — An introduction

In this introductory article, I address a few of the lessons one can take from the challenge rules that proprietary trading firms implement. This is especially relevant for beginners and those who struggle to find their footing in this world of trading. The subsequent article will address the code implementation.
MQL5 Cookbook: Developing a Multi-Currency Expert Advisor with Unlimited Number of Parameters
MQL5 Cookbook: Developing a Multi-Currency Expert Advisor with Unlimited Number of Parameters

MQL5 Cookbook: Developing a Multi-Currency Expert Advisor with Unlimited Number of Parameters

In this article, we will create a pattern that uses a single set of parameters for optimization of a trading system, while allowing for unlimited number of parameters. The list of symbols will be created in a standard text file (*.txt). Input parameters for each symbol will also be stored in files. This way we will be able to circumvent the restriction of the terminal on the number of input parameters of an Expert Advisor.
Graphical Interfaces VII: The Tabs Control (Chapter 2)
Graphical Interfaces VII: The Tabs Control (Chapter 2)

Graphical Interfaces VII: The Tabs Control (Chapter 2)

The first chapter of seventh part introduced three classes of controls for creating tables: text label table (CLabelsTable), edit box table (CTable) and rendered table (CCanvasTable). In this article (chapter two) we are going to consider the Tabs control.
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Neural networks made easy (Part 12): Dropout

Neural networks made easy (Part 12): Dropout

As the next step in studying neural networks, I suggest considering the methods of increasing convergence during neural network training. There are several such methods. In this article we will consider one of them entitled Dropout.
Interview with Irina Korobeinikova (irishka.rf)
Interview with Irina Korobeinikova (irishka.rf)

Interview with Irina Korobeinikova (irishka.rf)

Having a female member on the MQL5.community is rare. This interview was inspired by a one of a kind case. Irina Korobeinikova (irishka.rf) is a fifteen-year-old programmer from Izhevsk. She is currently the only girl who actively participates in the "Jobs" service and is featured on the Top Developers list.
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Price Action Analysis Toolkit Development (Part 33): Candle Range Theory Tool

Price Action Analysis Toolkit Development (Part 33): Candle Range Theory Tool

Upgrade your market reading with the Candle-Range Theory suite for MetaTrader 5, a fully MQL5-native solution that converts raw price bars into real-time volatility intelligence. The lightweight CRangePattern library benchmarks each candle’s true range against an adaptive ATR and classifies it the instant it closes; the CRT Indicator then projects those classifications on your chart as crisp, color-coded rectangles and arrows that reveal tightening consolidations, explosive breakouts, and full-range engulfment the moment they occur.
Testing patterns that arise when trading currency pair baskets. Part II
Testing patterns that arise when trading currency pair baskets. Part II

Testing patterns that arise when trading currency pair baskets. Part II

We continue testing the patterns and trying the methods described in the articles about trading currency pair baskets. Let's consider in practice, whether it is possible to use the patterns of the combined WPR graph crossing the moving average. If the answer is yes, we should consider the appropriate usage methods.
Extending Strategy Builder Functionality
Extending Strategy Builder Functionality

Extending Strategy Builder Functionality

In the previous two articles, we discussed the application of Merrill patterns to various data types. An application was developed to test the presented ideas. In this article, we will continue working with the Strategy Builder, to improve its efficiency and to implement new features and capabilities.
Visualizing trading strategy optimization in MetaTrader 5
Visualizing trading strategy optimization in MetaTrader 5

Visualizing trading strategy optimization in MetaTrader 5

The article implements an MQL application with a graphical interface for extended visualization of the optimization process. The graphical interface applies the last version of EasyAndFast library. Many users may ask why they need graphical interfaces in MQL applications. This article demonstrates one of multiple cases where they can be useful for traders.
Graphical Interfaces II: The Main Menu Element (Chapter 4)
Graphical Interfaces II: The Main Menu Element (Chapter 4)

Graphical Interfaces II: The Main Menu Element (Chapter 4)

This is the final chapter of the second part of the series about graphical interfaces. Here, we are going to consider the creation of the main menu. The development of this control and setting up handlers of the library classes for correct reaction to the user's actions will be demonstrated here. We will also discuss how to attach context menus to the items of the main menu. Adding to that, we will mention blocking currently inactive elements.
The Magic of Filtration
The Magic of Filtration

The Magic of Filtration

Most of the automated trading systems developers use some form of trading signals filtration. In this article, we explore the creation and implementation of bandpass and discrete filters for Expert Advisors, to improve the characteristics of the automated trading system.
Cross-Platform Expert Advisor: Stops
Cross-Platform Expert Advisor: Stops

Cross-Platform Expert Advisor: Stops

This article discusses an implementation of stop levels in an expert advisor in order to make it compatible with the two platforms MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5.
Creating and Publishing of Trade Reports and SMS Notification
Creating and Publishing of Trade Reports and SMS Notification

Creating and Publishing of Trade Reports and SMS Notification

Traders don't always have ability and desire to seat at the trading terminal for hours. Especially, if trading system is more or less formalized and can automatically identify some of the market states. This article describes how to generate a report of trade results (using Expert Advisor, Indicator or Script) as HTML-file and upload it via FTP to WWW-server. We will also consider sending notification of trade events as SMS to mobile phone.
Price Forecasting Using Neural Networks
Price Forecasting Using Neural Networks

Price Forecasting Using Neural Networks

Many traders speak about neural networks, but what they are and what they really can is known to few people. This article sheds some light on the world of artificial intelligence. It describes, how to prepare correctly the data for the network. Here you will also find an example of forecasting using means of the program Matlab.
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Deep Learning Forecast and ordering with Python and MetaTrader5 python package and ONNX model file

Deep Learning Forecast and ordering with Python and MetaTrader5 python package and ONNX model file

The project involves using Python for deep learning-based forecasting in financial markets. We will explore the intricacies of testing the model's performance using key metrics such as Mean Absolute Error (MAE), Mean Squared Error (MSE), and R-squared (R2) and we will learn how to wrap everything into an executable. We will also make a ONNX model file with its EA.
MQL5 Cookbook: Handling Typical Chart Events
MQL5 Cookbook: Handling Typical Chart Events

MQL5 Cookbook: Handling Typical Chart Events

This article considers typical chart events and includes examples of their processing. We will focus on mouse events, keystrokes, creation/modification/removal of a graphical object, mouse click on a chart and on a graphical object, moving a graphical object with a mouse, finish editing of text in a text field, as well as on chart modification events. A sample of an MQL5 program is provided for each type of event considered.
LifeHack for trader: four backtests are better than one
LifeHack for trader: four backtests are better than one

LifeHack for trader: four backtests are better than one

Before the first single test, every trader faces the same question — "Which of the four modes to use?" Each of the provided modes has its advantages and features, so we will do it the easy way - run all four modes at once with a single button! The article shows how to use the Win API and a little magic to see all four testing chart at the same time.
MQL5 Cookbook: ОСО Orders
MQL5 Cookbook: ОСО Orders

MQL5 Cookbook: ОСО Orders

Any trader's trading activity involves various mechanisms and interrelationships including relations among orders. This article suggests a solution of OCO orders processing. Standard library classes are extensively involved, as well as new data types are created herein.
Video: Simple automated trading – How to create a simple Expert Advisor with MQL5
Video: Simple automated trading – How to create a simple Expert Advisor with MQL5

Video: Simple automated trading – How to create a simple Expert Advisor with MQL5

The majority of students in my courses felt that MQL5 was really difficult to understand. In addition to this, they were searching for a straightforward method to automate a few processes. Find out how to begin working with MQL5 right now by reading the information contained in this article. Even if you have never done any form of programming before. And even in the event that you are unable to comprehend the previous illustrations that you have observed.
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Neural networks made easy (Part 8): Attention mechanisms

Neural networks made easy (Part 8): Attention mechanisms

In previous articles, we have already tested various options for organizing neural networks. We also considered convolutional networks borrowed from image processing algorithms. In this article, I suggest considering Attention Mechanisms, the appearance of which gave impetus to the development of language models.