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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MQL5 Market Results for Q1 2013
MQL5 Market Results for Q1 2013

MQL5 Market Results for Q1 2013

Since its founding, the store of trading robots and technical indicators MQL5 Market has already attracted more than 250 developers who have published 580 products. The first quarter of 2013 has turned out to be quite successful for some MQL5 Market sellers who have managed to make handsome profit by selling their products.
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Risk manager for algorithmic trading

Risk manager for algorithmic trading

The objectives of this article are to prove the necessity of using a risk manager and to implement the principles of controlled risk in algorithmic trading in a separate class, so that everyone can verify the effectiveness of the risk standardization approach in intraday trading and investing in financial markets. In this article, we will create a risk manager class for algorithmic trading. This is a logical continuation of the previous article in which we discussed the creation of a risk manager for manual trading.
MQL5 Market Turns One Year Old
MQL5 Market Turns One Year Old

MQL5 Market Turns One Year Old

One year has passed since the launch of sales in MQL5 Market. It was a year of hard work, which turned the new service into the largest store of trading robots and technical indicators for MetaTrader 5 platform.
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Risk Management (Part 1): Fundamentals for Building a Risk Management Class

Risk Management (Part 1): Fundamentals for Building a Risk Management Class

In this article, we'll cover the basics of risk management in trading and learn how to create your first functions for calculating the appropriate lot size for a trade, as well as a stop-loss. Additionally, we will go into detail about how these features work, explaining each step. Our goal is to provide a clear understanding of how to apply these concepts in automated trading. Finally, we will put everything into practice by creating a simple script with an include file.
Testing Visualization: Functionality Enhancement
Testing Visualization: Functionality Enhancement

Testing Visualization: Functionality Enhancement

The article describes software that can make strategy testing highly similar to the real trading.
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Trading with the MQL5 Economic Calendar (Part 2): Creating a News Dashboard Panel

Trading with the MQL5 Economic Calendar (Part 2): Creating a News Dashboard Panel

In this article, we create a practical news dashboard panel using the MQL5 Economic Calendar to enhance our trading strategy. We begin by designing the layout, focusing on key elements like event names, importance, and timing, before moving into the setup within MQL5. Finally, we implement a filtering system to display only the most relevant news, giving traders quick access to impactful economic events.
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Modified Grid-Hedge EA in MQL5 (Part IV): Optimizing Simple Grid Strategy (I)

Modified Grid-Hedge EA in MQL5 (Part IV): Optimizing Simple Grid Strategy (I)

In this fourth part, we revisit the Simple Hedge and Simple Grid Expert Advisors (EAs) developed earlier. Our focus shifts to refining the Simple Grid EA through mathematical analysis and a brute force approach, aiming for optimal strategy usage. This article delves deep into the mathematical optimization of the strategy, setting the stage for future exploration of coding-based optimization in later installments.
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Formulating Dynamic Multi-Pair EA (Part 3): Mean Reversion and Momentum Strategies

Formulating Dynamic Multi-Pair EA (Part 3): Mean Reversion and Momentum Strategies

In this article, we will explore the third part of our journey in formulating a Dynamic Multi-Pair Expert Advisor (EA), focusing specifically on integrating Mean Reversion and Momentum trading strategies. We will break down how to detect and act on price deviations from the mean (Z-score), and how to measure momentum across multiple forex pairs to determine trade direction.
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High frequency arbitrage trading system in Python using MetaTrader 5

High frequency arbitrage trading system in Python using MetaTrader 5

In this article, we will create an arbitration system that remains legal in the eyes of brokers, creates thousands of synthetic prices on the Forex market, analyzes them, and successfully trades for profit.
Andrey Voitenko (avoitenko): "Developers benefit from the ideas that they code? Nonsense!"
Andrey Voitenko (avoitenko): "Developers benefit from the ideas that they code? Nonsense!"

Andrey Voitenko (avoitenko): "Developers benefit from the ideas that they code? Nonsense!"

A Ukrainian developer Andrey Voitenko (avoitenko) is an active participant of the "Jobs" service at mql5.com, helping traders from all over the world to implement their ideas. Last year Andrey's Expert Advisor was on the fourth place in the Automated Trading Championship 2010, being slightly behind the bronze winner. This time we are discussing the Jobs service with Andrey.
Graphics in DoEasy library (Part 85): Graphical object collection - adding newly created objects
Graphics in DoEasy library (Part 85): Graphical object collection - adding newly created objects

Graphics in DoEasy library (Part 85): Graphical object collection - adding newly created objects

In this article, I will complete the development of the descendant classes of the abstract graphical object class and start implementing the ability to store these objects in the collection class. In particular, I will create the functionality for adding newly created standard graphical objects to the collection class.
Visual Testing of the Profitability of Indicators and Alerts
Visual Testing of the Profitability of Indicators and Alerts

Visual Testing of the Profitability of Indicators and Alerts

What indicator of trading alerts or just the methods of their calculating to use is usually decided when testing EAs using these alerts. However, it is not always possible/necessary/reasonable to write an EA for each indicator. You can promptly calculate the profitability of trading on the alerts from other indicators, using a special indicator that collects their alerts itself and draws a picture of ideal trading with them. It can help you both make a visual estimate of the results obtained and quickly choose most optimal parameters.
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Price Action Analysis Toolkit Development (Part 7): Signal Pulse EA

Price Action Analysis Toolkit Development (Part 7): Signal Pulse EA

Unlock the potential of multi-timeframe analysis with 'Signal Pulse,' an MQL5 Expert Advisor that integrates Bollinger Bands and the Stochastic Oscillator to deliver accurate, high-probability trading signals. Discover how to implement this strategy and effectively visualize buy and sell opportunities using custom arrows. Ideal for traders seeking to enhance their judgment through automated analysis across multiple timeframes.
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How to build and optimize a volume-based trading system (Chaikin Money Flow - CMF)

How to build and optimize a volume-based trading system (Chaikin Money Flow - CMF)

In this article, we will provide a volume-based indicator, Chaikin Money Flow (CMF) after identifying how it can be constructed, calculated, and used. We will understand how to build a custom indicator. We will share some simple strategies that can be used and then test them to understand which one is better.
Expert System 'Commentator'. Practical Use of Embedded Indicators in an MQL4 Program
Expert System 'Commentator'. Practical Use of Embedded Indicators in an MQL4 Program

Expert System 'Commentator'. Practical Use of Embedded Indicators in an MQL4 Program

The article describes the use of technical indicators in programming on MQL4.
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From Novice to Expert: Trading the RSI with Market Structure Awareness

From Novice to Expert: Trading the RSI with Market Structure Awareness

In this article, we will explore practical techniques for trading the Relative Strength Index (RSI) oscillator with market structure. Our focus will be on channel price action patterns, how they are typically traded, and how MQL5 can be leveraged to enhance this process. By the end, you will have a rule-based, automated channel-trading system designed to capture trend continuation opportunities with greater precision and consistency.
Who Is Who in MQL5.community?
Who Is Who in MQL5.community?

Who Is Who in MQL5.community?

The MQL5.com website remembers all of you quite well! How many of your threads are epic, how popular your articles are and how often your programs in the Code Base are downloaded – this is only a small part of what is remembered at MQL5.com. Your achievements are available in your profile, but what about the overall picture? In this article we will show the general picture of all MQL5.community members achievements.
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Master MQL5 from Beginner to Pro (Part VI): Basics of Developing Expert Advisors

Master MQL5 from Beginner to Pro (Part VI): Basics of Developing Expert Advisors

This article continues the series for beginners. Here we will discuss the basic principles of developing Expert Advisors (EAs). We will create two EAs: the first one will trade without indicators, using pending orders, and the second one will be based on the standard MA indicator, opening deals at the current price. Here I assume that you are no longer a complete beginner and have a relatively good command of the material from the previous articles.
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Automating Trading Strategies in MQL5 (Part 27): Creating a Price Action Crab Harmonic Pattern with Visual Feedback

Automating Trading Strategies in MQL5 (Part 27): Creating a Price Action Crab Harmonic Pattern with Visual Feedback

In this article, we develop a Crab Harmonic Pattern system in MQL5 that identifies bullish and bearish Crab harmonic patterns using pivot points and Fibonacci ratios, triggering trades with precise entry, stop loss, and take-profit levels. We incorporate visual feedback through chart objects like triangles and trendlines to display the XABCD pattern structure and trade levels.
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Building a Trading System (Part 3): Determining Minimum Risk Levels for Realistic Profit Targets

Building a Trading System (Part 3): Determining Minimum Risk Levels for Realistic Profit Targets

Every trader's ultimate goal is profitability, which is why many set specific profit targets to achieve within a defined trading period. In this article, we will use Monte Carlo simulations to determine the optimal risk percentage per trade needed to meet trading objectives. The results will help traders assess whether their profit targets are realistic or overly ambitious. Finally, we will discuss which parameters can be adjusted to establish a practical risk percentage per trade that aligns with trading goals.
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Neural networks made easy (Part 55): Contrastive intrinsic control (CIC)

Neural networks made easy (Part 55): Contrastive intrinsic control (CIC)

Contrastive training is an unsupervised method of training representation. Its goal is to train a model to highlight similarities and differences in data sets. In this article, we will talk about using contrastive training approaches to explore different Actor skills.
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Introduction to MQL5 (Part 3): Mastering the Core Elements of MQL5

Introduction to MQL5 (Part 3): Mastering the Core Elements of MQL5

Explore the fundamentals of MQL5 programming in this beginner-friendly article, where we demystify arrays, custom functions, preprocessors, and event handling, all explained with clarity making every line of code accessible. Join us in unlocking the power of MQL5 with a unique approach that ensures understanding at every step. This article sets the foundation for mastering MQL5, emphasizing the explanation of each line of code, and providing a distinct and enriching learning experience.
Interview with Mariusz Zarnowski (ATC 2012)
Interview with Mariusz Zarnowski (ATC 2012)

Interview with Mariusz Zarnowski (ATC 2012)

As December 28 is approaching, the list of leaders of the Automated Trading Championship 2012 is becoming clearer. With only two weeks to go until the end of the Championship, Mariusz Zarnowski (zrn) from Poland stands a good chance to be in the top three. His EA has already demonstrated how it can triple the initial deposit in just a couple of weeks.
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DoEasy. Controls (Part 18): Functionality for scrolling tabs in TabControl

DoEasy. Controls (Part 18): Functionality for scrolling tabs in TabControl

In this article, I will place header scrolling control buttons in TabControl WinForms object in case the header bar does not fit the size of the control. Besides, I will implement the shift of the header bar when clicking on the cropped tab header.
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Improve Your Trading Charts With Interactive GUI's in MQL5 (Part II): Movable GUI (II)

Improve Your Trading Charts With Interactive GUI's in MQL5 (Part II): Movable GUI (II)

Unlock the potential of dynamic data representation in your trading strategies and utilities with our in-depth guide to creating movable GUIs in MQL5. Delve into the fundamental principles of object-oriented programming and discover how to design and implement single or multiple movable GUIs on the same chart with ease and efficiency.
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Timeseries in DoEasy library (part 52): Cross-platform nature of multi-period multi-symbol  single-buffer standard indicators

Timeseries in DoEasy library (part 52): Cross-platform nature of multi-period multi-symbol single-buffer standard indicators

In the article, consider creation of multi-symbol multi-period standard indicator Accumulation/Distribution. Slightly improve library classes with respect to indicators so that, the programs developed for outdated platform MetaTrader 4 based on this library could work normally when switching over to MetaTrader 5.
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Gain An Edge Over Any Market (Part V): FRED EURUSD Alternative Data

Gain An Edge Over Any Market (Part V): FRED EURUSD Alternative Data

In today’s discussion, we used alternative Daily data from the St. Louis Federal Reserve on the Broad US-Dollar Index and a collection of other macroeconomic indicators to predict the EURUSD future exchange rate. Unfortunately, while the data appears to have almost perfect correlation, we failed to realize any material gains in our model accuracy, possibly suggesting to us that investors may be better off using ordinary market quotes instead.
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Neural Networks in Trading: A Multi-Agent System with Conceptual Reinforcement (Final Part)

Neural Networks in Trading: A Multi-Agent System with Conceptual Reinforcement (Final Part)

We continue to implement the approaches proposed by the authors of the FinCon framework. FinCon is a multi-agent system based on Large Language Models (LLMs). Today, we will implement the necessary modules and conduct comprehensive testing of the model on real historical data.
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Python, ONNX and MetaTrader 5: Creating a RandomForest model with RobustScaler and PolynomialFeatures data preprocessing

Python, ONNX and MetaTrader 5: Creating a RandomForest model with RobustScaler and PolynomialFeatures data preprocessing

In this article, we will create a random forest model in Python, train the model, and save it as an ONNX pipeline with data preprocessing. After that we will use the model in the MetaTrader 5 terminal.
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MetaTrader 5 Machine Learning Blueprint (Part 3): Trend-Scanning Labeling Method

MetaTrader 5 Machine Learning Blueprint (Part 3): Trend-Scanning Labeling Method

We have built a robust feature engineering pipeline using proper tick-based bars to eliminate data leakage and solved the critical problem of labeling with meta-labeled triple-barrier signals. This installment covers the advanced labeling technique, trend-scanning, for adaptive horizons. After covering the theory, an example shows how trend-scanning labels can be used with meta-labeling to improve on the classic moving average crossover strategy.
Fallacies, Part 2. Statistics Is a Pseudo-Science, or a Chronicle of Nosediving Bread And Butter
Fallacies, Part 2. Statistics Is a Pseudo-Science, or a Chronicle of Nosediving Bread And Butter

Fallacies, Part 2. Statistics Is a Pseudo-Science, or a Chronicle of Nosediving Bread And Butter

Numerous attempts to apply statistical methods to the objective reality, i.e. to financial series, crash when met with the nonstationarity of processes, "fat tails" of accompanying probability distributions, and insufficient volume of financial data.In this publication I will try to refer not to the financial series as such, but to their subjective presentation - in this case, to the way a trader tries to halter the series, i.e. to the trading system. The eduction of statistical regularities of the trading results process is a rather enthralling task. In some cases quite true conclusions about the model of this process can be made, and these can be applied to the trading system.
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DoEasy. Controls (Part 9): Re-arranging WinForms object methods, RadioButton and Button controls

DoEasy. Controls (Part 9): Re-arranging WinForms object methods, RadioButton and Button controls

In this article, I will fix the names of WinForms object class methods and create Button and RadioButton WinForms objects.
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Data Science and Machine Learning (Part 15): SVM, A Must-Have Tool in Every Trader's Toolbox

Data Science and Machine Learning (Part 15): SVM, A Must-Have Tool in Every Trader's Toolbox

Discover the indispensable role of Support Vector Machines (SVM) in shaping the future of trading. This comprehensive guide explores how SVM can elevate your trading strategies, enhance decision-making, and unlock new opportunities in the financial markets. Dive into the world of SVM with real-world applications, step-by-step tutorials, and expert insights. Equip yourself with the essential tool that can help you navigate the complexities of modern trading. Elevate your trading game with SVM—a must-have for every trader's toolbox.
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Creating an MQL5-Telegram Integrated Expert Advisor (Part 3): Sending Chart Screenshots with Captions from MQL5 to Telegram

Creating an MQL5-Telegram Integrated Expert Advisor (Part 3): Sending Chart Screenshots with Captions from MQL5 to Telegram

In this article, we create an MQL5 Expert Advisor that encodes chart screenshots as image data and sends them to a Telegram chat via HTTP requests. By integrating photo encoding and transmission, we enhance the existing MQL5-Telegram system with visual trading insights directly within Telegram.
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Price Action Analysis Toolkit Development (Part 41): Building a Statistical Price-Level EA in MQL5

Price Action Analysis Toolkit Development (Part 41): Building a Statistical Price-Level EA in MQL5

Statistics has always been at the heart of financial analysis. By definition, statistics is the discipline that collects, analyzes, interprets, and presents data in meaningful ways. Now imagine applying that same framework to candlesticks—compressing raw price action into measurable insights. How helpful would it be to know, for a specific period of time, the central tendency, spread, and distribution of market behavior? In this article, we introduce exactly that approach, showing how statistical methods can transform candlestick data into clear, actionable signals.
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Experiments with neural networks (Part 3): Practical application

Experiments with neural networks (Part 3): Practical application

In this article series, I use experimentation and non-standard approaches to develop a profitable trading system and check whether neural networks can be of any help for traders. MetaTrader 5 is approached as a self-sufficient tool for using neural networks in trading.
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News Trading Made Easy (Part 2): Risk Management

News Trading Made Easy (Part 2): Risk Management

In this article, inheritance will be introduced into our previous and new code. A new database design will be implemented to provide efficiency. Additionally, a risk management class will be created to tackle volume calculations.
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Neural networks made easy (Part 33): Quantile regression in distributed Q-learning

Neural networks made easy (Part 33): Quantile regression in distributed Q-learning

We continue studying distributed Q-learning. Today we will look at this approach from the other side. We will consider the possibility of using quantile regression to solve price prediction tasks.
Expert Advisors Based on Popular Trading Systems and Alchemy of Trading Robot Optimization (Part  V)
Expert Advisors Based on Popular Trading Systems and Alchemy of Trading Robot Optimization (Part  V)

Expert Advisors Based on Popular Trading Systems and Alchemy of Trading Robot Optimization (Part V)

In this article the author offers ways to improve trading systems described in his previous articles. The article will be interesting for traders that already have some experience of writing Expert Advisors.
Graphics in DoEasy library (Part 92): Standard graphical object memory class. Object property change history
Graphics in DoEasy library (Part 92): Standard graphical object memory class. Object property change history

Graphics in DoEasy library (Part 92): Standard graphical object memory class. Object property change history

In the article, I will create the class of the standard graphical object memory allowing the object to save its states when its properties are modified. In turn, this allows retracting to the previous graphical object states.