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: Bird Swarm Algorithm (BSA)

Population optimization algorithms: Bird Swarm Algorithm (BSA)

The article explores the bird swarm-based algorithm (BSA) inspired by the collective flocking interactions of birds in nature. The different search strategies of individuals in BSA, including switching between flight, vigilance and foraging behavior, make this algorithm multifaceted. It uses the principles of bird flocking, communication, adaptability, leading and following to efficiently find optimal solutions.
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MQL5 Wizard Techniques you should know (Part 58): Reinforcement Learning (DDPG) with Moving Average and Stochastic Oscillator Patterns

MQL5 Wizard Techniques you should know (Part 58): Reinforcement Learning (DDPG) with Moving Average and Stochastic Oscillator Patterns

Moving Average and Stochastic Oscillator are very common indicators whose collective patterns we explored in the prior article, via a supervised learning network, to see which “patterns-would-stick”. We take our analyses from that article, a step further by considering the effects' reinforcement learning, when used with this trained network, would have on performance. Readers should note our testing is over a very limited time window. Nonetheless, we continue to harness the minimal coding requirements afforded by the MQL5 wizard in showcasing this.
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Neural networks made easy (Part 89): Frequency Enhanced Decomposition Transformer (FEDformer)

Neural networks made easy (Part 89): Frequency Enhanced Decomposition Transformer (FEDformer)

All the models we have considered so far analyze the state of the environment as a time sequence. However, the time series can also be represented in the form of frequency features. In this article, I introduce you to an algorithm that uses frequency components of a time sequence to predict future states.
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MQL5 Wizard Techniques you should know (Part 50): Awesome Oscillator

MQL5 Wizard Techniques you should know (Part 50): Awesome Oscillator

The Awesome Oscillator is another Bill Williams Indicator that is used to measure momentum. It can generate multiple signals, and therefore we review these on a pattern basis, as in prior articles, by capitalizing on the MQL5 wizard classes and assembly.
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MQL5 Wizard Techniques you should know (Part 49): Reinforcement Learning with Proximal Policy Optimization

MQL5 Wizard Techniques you should know (Part 49): Reinforcement Learning with Proximal Policy Optimization

Proximal Policy Optimization is another algorithm in reinforcement learning that updates the policy, often in network form, in very small incremental steps to ensure the model stability. We examine how this could be of use, as we have with previous articles, in a wizard assembled Expert Advisor.
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Developing a Replay System (Part 62): Playing the service (III)

Developing a Replay System (Part 62): Playing the service (III)

In this article, we will begin to address the issue of tick excess that can impact application performance when using real data. This excess often interferes with the correct timing required to construct a one-minute bar in the appropriate window.
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Portfolio Risk Model using Kelly Criterion and Monte Carlo Simulation

Portfolio Risk Model using Kelly Criterion and Monte Carlo Simulation

For decades, traders have been using the Kelly Criterion formula to determine the optimal proportion of capital to allocate to an investment or bet to maximize long-term growth while minimizing the risk of ruin. However, blindly following Kelly Criterion using the result of a single backtest is often dangerous for individual traders, as in live trading, trading edge diminishes over time, and past performance is no predictor of future result. In this article, I will present a realistic approach to applying the Kelly Criterion for one or more EA's risk allocation in MetaTrader 5, incorporating Monte Carlo simulation results from Python.
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Neural Network in Practice: Pseudoinverse (II)

Neural Network in Practice: Pseudoinverse (II)

Since these articles are educational in nature and are not intended to show the implementation of specific functionality, we will do things a little differently in this article. Instead of showing how to apply factorization to obtain the inverse of a matrix, we will focus on factorization of the pseudoinverse. The reason is that there is no point in showing how to get the general coefficient if we can do it in a special way. Even better, the reader can gain a deeper understanding of why things happen the way they do. So, let's now figure out why hardware is replacing software over time.
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Permuting price bars in MQL5

Permuting price bars in MQL5

In this article we present an algorithm for permuting price bars and detail how permutation tests can be used to recognize instances where strategy performance has been fabricated to deceive potential buyers of Expert Advisors.
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Developing a Replay System (Part 33): Order System (II)

Developing a Replay System (Part 33): Order System (II)

Today we will continue to develop the order system. As you will see, we will be massively reusing what has already been shown in other articles. Nevertheless, you will receive a small reward in this article. First, we will develop a system that can be used with a real trading server, both from a demo account or from a real one. We will make extensive use of the MetaTrader 5 platform, which will provide us with all the necessary support from the beginning.
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Artificial Bee Hive Algorithm (ABHA): Theory and methods

Artificial Bee Hive Algorithm (ABHA): Theory and methods

In this article, we will consider the Artificial Bee Hive Algorithm (ABHA) developed in 2009. The algorithm is aimed at solving continuous optimization problems. We will look at how ABHA draws inspiration from the behavior of a bee colony, where each bee has a unique role that helps them find resources more efficiently.
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Neural Networks in Trading: Injection of Global Information into Independent Channels (InjectTST)

Neural Networks in Trading: Injection of Global Information into Independent Channels (InjectTST)

Most modern multimodal time series forecasting methods use the independent channels approach. This ignores the natural dependence of different channels of the same time series. Smart use of two approaches (independent and mixed channels) is the key to improving the performance of the models.
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Visualizing deals on a chart (Part 1): Selecting a period for analysis

Visualizing deals on a chart (Part 1): Selecting a period for analysis

Here we are going to develop a script from scratch that simplifies unloading print screens of deals for analyzing trading entries. All the necessary information on a single deal is to be conveniently displayed on one chart with the ability to draw different timeframes.
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Day Trading Larry Connors RSI2 Mean-Reversion Strategies

Day Trading Larry Connors RSI2 Mean-Reversion Strategies

Larry Connors is a renowned trader and author, best known for his work in quantitative trading and strategies like the 2-period RSI (RSI2), which helps identify short-term overbought and oversold market conditions. In this article, we’ll first explain the motivation behind our research, then recreate three of Connors’ most famous strategies in MQL5 and apply them to intraday trading of the S&P 500 index CFD.
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Creating a Trading Administrator Panel in MQL5 (Part IX): Code Organization (II): Modularization

Creating a Trading Administrator Panel in MQL5 (Part IX): Code Organization (II): Modularization

In this discussion, we take a step further in breaking down our MQL5 program into smaller, more manageable modules. These modular components will then be integrated into the main program, enhancing its organization and maintainability. This approach simplifies the structure of our main program and makes the individual components reusable in other Expert Advisors (EAs) and indicator developments. By adopting this modular design, we create a solid foundation for future enhancements, benefiting both our project and the broader developer community.
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Category Theory in MQL5 (Part 12): Orders

Category Theory in MQL5 (Part 12): Orders

This article which is part of a series that follows Category Theory implementation of Graphs in MQL5, delves in Orders. We examine how concepts of Order-Theory can support monoid sets in informing trade decisions by considering two major ordering types.
All about Automated Trading Championship: Interviews with the Participants'06
All about Automated Trading Championship: Interviews with the Participants'06

All about Automated Trading Championship: Interviews with the Participants'06

Interviews with the Participants of Automated Trading Championship 2006 demonstrated a great variety of views of automated trading and trading as a whole. You can see yourselves which ideas turned out to work better during the Championship and which of them could not pass the critical verification through a three-month long "test-drive" on a contest account.
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Data label for time series mining (Part 5):Apply and Test in EA Using Socket

Data label for time series mining (Part 5):Apply and Test in EA Using Socket

This series of articles introduces several time series labeling methods, which can create data that meets most artificial intelligence models, and targeted data labeling according to needs can make the trained artificial intelligence model more in line with the expected design, improve the accuracy of our model, and even help the model make a qualitative leap!
Method of Determining Errors in Code by Commenting
Method of Determining Errors in Code by Commenting

Method of Determining Errors in Code by Commenting

The article describes a method of searching the errors in the MQL4 code that is based on commenting. This method is found to be a useful one in case of problems occuring during the compilation caused by the errors in a reasonably large code.
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Neural networks made easy (Part 82): Ordinary Differential Equation models (NeuralODE)

Neural networks made easy (Part 82): Ordinary Differential Equation models (NeuralODE)

In this article, we will discuss another type of models that are aimed at studying the dynamics of the environmental state.
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From Basic to Intermediate: BREAK and CONTINUE Statements

From Basic to Intermediate: BREAK and CONTINUE Statements

In this article, we will look at how to use the RETURN, BREAK, and CONTINUE statements in a loop. Understanding what each of these statements does in the loop execution flow is very important for working with more complex applications. The content presented here is intended solely for educational purposes. Under no circumstances should the application be viewed for any purpose other than to learn and master the concepts presented.
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Combinatorially Symmetric Cross Validation In MQL5

Combinatorially Symmetric Cross Validation In MQL5

In this article we present the implementation of Combinatorially Symmetric Cross Validation in pure MQL5, to measure the degree to which a overfitting may occure after optimizing a strategy using the slow complete algorithm of the Strategy Tester.
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From Novice to Expert: Collaborative Debugging in MQL5

From Novice to Expert: Collaborative Debugging in MQL5

Problem-solving can establish a concise routine for mastering complex skills, such as programming in MQL5. This approach allows you to concentrate on solving problems while simultaneously developing your skills. The more problems you tackle, the more advanced expertise is transferred to your brain. Personally, I believe that debugging is the most effective way to master programming. Today, we will walk through the code-cleaning process and discuss the best techniques for transforming a messy program into a clean, functional one. Read through this article and uncover valuable insights.
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Developing an MQTT client for MetaTrader 5: a TDD approach — Part 2

Developing an MQTT client for MetaTrader 5: a TDD approach — Part 2

This article is part of a series describing our development steps of a native MQL5 client for the MQTT protocol. In this part we describe our code organization, the first header files and classes, and how we are writing our tests. This article also includes brief notes about the Test-Driven-Development practice and how we are applying it to this project.
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MQL5 Wizard Techniques you should know (Part 25): Multi-Timeframe Testing and Trading

MQL5 Wizard Techniques you should know (Part 25): Multi-Timeframe Testing and Trading

Strategies that are based on multiple time frames cannot be tested in wizard assembled Expert Advisors by default because of the MQL5 code architecture used in the assembly classes. We explore a possible work around this limitation for strategies that look to use multiple time frames in a case study with the quadratic moving average.
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Hybridization of population algorithms. Sequential and parallel structures

Hybridization of population algorithms. Sequential and parallel structures

Here we will dive into the world of hybridization of optimization algorithms by looking at three key types: strategy mixing, sequential and parallel hybridization. We will conduct a series of experiments combining and testing relevant optimization algorithms.
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Chemical reaction optimization (CRO) algorithm (Part I): Process chemistry in optimization

Chemical reaction optimization (CRO) algorithm (Part I): Process chemistry in optimization

In the first part of this article, we will dive into the world of chemical reactions and discover a new approach to optimization! Chemical reaction optimization (CRO) uses principles derived from the laws of thermodynamics to achieve efficient results. We will reveal the secrets of decomposition, synthesis and other chemical processes that became the basis of this innovative method.
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A Generic Optimization Formulation (GOF) to Implement Custom Max with Constraints

A Generic Optimization Formulation (GOF) to Implement Custom Max with Constraints

In this article we will present a way to implement optimization problems with multiple objectives and constraints when selecting "Custom Max" in the Setting tab of the MetaTrader 5 terminal. As an example, the optimization problem could be: Maximize Profit Factor, Net Profit, and Recovery Factor, such that the Draw Down is less than 10%, the number of consecutive losses is less than 5, and the number of trades per week is more than 5.
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HTTP and Connexus (Part 2): Understanding HTTP Architecture and Library Design

HTTP and Connexus (Part 2): Understanding HTTP Architecture and Library Design

This article explores the fundamentals of the HTTP protocol, covering the main methods (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE), status codes and the structure of URLs. In addition, it presents the beginning of the construction of the Conexus library with the CQueryParam and CURL classes, which facilitate the manipulation of URLs and query parameters in HTTP requests.
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Anarchic Society Optimization (ASO) algorithm

Anarchic Society Optimization (ASO) algorithm

In this article, we will get acquainted with the Anarchic Society Optimization (ASO) algorithm and discuss how an algorithm based on the irrational and adventurous behavior of participants in an anarchic society (an anomalous system of social interaction free from centralized power and various kinds of hierarchies) is able to explore the solution space and avoid the traps of local optimum. The article presents a unified ASO structure applicable to both continuous and discrete problems.
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Mastering Model Interpretation: Gaining Deeper Insight From Your Machine Learning Models

Mastering Model Interpretation: Gaining Deeper Insight From Your Machine Learning Models

Machine Learning is a complex and rewarding field for anyone of any experience. In this article we dive deep into the inner mechanisms powering the models you build, we explore the intricate world of features,predictions and impactful decisions unravelling the complexities and gaining a firm grasp of model interpretation. Learn the art of navigating tradeoffs , enhancing predictions, ranking feature importance all while ensuring robust decision making. This essential read helps you clock more performance from your machine learning models and extract more value for employing machine learning methodologies.
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Neural Networks in Trading: Point Cloud Analysis (PointNet)

Neural Networks in Trading: Point Cloud Analysis (PointNet)

Direct point cloud analysis avoids unnecessary data growth and improves the performance of models in classification and segmentation tasks. Such approaches demonstrate high performance and robustness to perturbations in the original data.
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Population optimization algorithms: Spiral Dynamics Optimization (SDO) algorithm

Population optimization algorithms: Spiral Dynamics Optimization (SDO) algorithm

The article presents an optimization algorithm based on the patterns of constructing spiral trajectories in nature, such as mollusk shells - the spiral dynamics optimization (SDO) algorithm. I have thoroughly revised and modified the algorithm proposed by the authors. The article will consider the necessity of these changes.
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Population optimization algorithms: Boids Algorithm

Population optimization algorithms: Boids Algorithm

The article considers Boids algorithm based on unique examples of animal flocking behavior. In turn, the Boids algorithm serves as the basis for the creation of the whole class of algorithms united under the name "Swarm Intelligence".
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MQL5 Wizard Techniques you should know (Part 41): Deep-Q-Networks

MQL5 Wizard Techniques you should know (Part 41): Deep-Q-Networks

The Deep-Q-Network is a reinforcement learning algorithm that engages neural networks in projecting the next Q-value and ideal action during the training process of a machine learning module. We have already considered an alternative reinforcement learning algorithm, Q-Learning. This article therefore presents another example of how an MLP trained with reinforcement learning, can be used within a custom signal class.
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MQL5 Wizard Techniques you should know (Part 56): Bill Williams Fractals

MQL5 Wizard Techniques you should know (Part 56): Bill Williams Fractals

The Fractals by Bill Williams is a potent indicator that is easy to overlook when one initially spots it on a price chart. It appears too busy and probably not incisive enough. We aim to draw away this curtain on this indicator by examining what its various patterns could accomplish when examined with forward walk tests on all, with wizard assembled Expert Advisor.
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MQL5 Wizard Techniques you should know (Part 36): Q-Learning with Markov Chains

MQL5 Wizard Techniques you should know (Part 36): Q-Learning with Markov Chains

Reinforcement Learning is one of the three main tenets in machine learning, alongside supervised learning and unsupervised learning. It is therefore concerned with optimal control, or learning the best long-term policy that will best suit the objective function. It is with this back-drop, that we explore its possible role in informing the learning-process to an MLP of a wizard assembled Expert Advisor.
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Requesting in Connexus (Part 6): Creating an HTTP Request and Response

Requesting in Connexus (Part 6): Creating an HTTP Request and Response

In this sixth article of the Connexus library series, we will focus on a complete HTTP request, covering each component that makes up a request. We will create a class that represents the request as a whole, which will help us bring together the previously created classes.
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Neural Network in Practice: Least Squares

Neural Network in Practice: Least Squares

In this article, we'll look at a few ideas, including how mathematical formulas are more complex in appearance than when implemented in code. In addition, we will consider how to set up a chart quadrant, as well as one interesting problem that may arise in your MQL5 code. Although, to be honest, I still don't quite understand how to explain it. Anyway, I'll show you how to fix it in code.
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Feature Engineering With Python And MQL5 (Part II): Angle Of Price

Feature Engineering With Python And MQL5 (Part II): Angle Of Price

There are many posts in the MQL5 Forum asking for help calculating the slope of price changes. This article will demonstrate one possible way of calculating the angle formed by the changes in price in any market you wish to trade. Additionally, we will answer if engineering this new feature is worth the extra effort and time invested. We will explore if the slope of the price can improve any of our AI model's accuracy when forecasting the USDZAR pair on the M1.