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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Automating Market Memory Zones Indicator: Where Price is Likely to Return

Automating Market Memory Zones Indicator: Where Price is Likely to Return

This article turns Market Memory Zones from a chart-only concept into a complete MQL5 Expert Advisor. It automates Displacement, Structure Transition (CHoCH), and Liquidity Sweep zones using ATR- and candle-structure filters, applies lower-timeframe confirmation, and enforces risk-based position sizing with dynamic SL and structure-based TP. You will get the code architecture for detection, entries, trade management, and visualization, plus a brief backtest review.
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Data Science and Machine Learning (Part 17): Money in the Trees? The Art and Science of Random Forests in Forex Trading

Data Science and Machine Learning (Part 17): Money in the Trees? The Art and Science of Random Forests in Forex Trading

Discover the secrets of algorithmic alchemy as we guide you through the blend of artistry and precision in decoding financial landscapes. Unearth how Random Forests transform data into predictive prowess, offering a unique perspective on navigating the complex terrain of stock markets. Join us on this journey into the heart of financial wizardry, where we demystify the role of Random Forests in shaping market destiny and unlocking the doors to lucrative opportunities
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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.
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Price Action Analysis Toolkit Development (Part 40): Market DNA Passport

Price Action Analysis Toolkit Development (Part 40): Market DNA Passport

This article explores the unique identity of each currency pair through the lens of its historical price action. Inspired by the concept of genetic DNA, which encodes the distinct blueprint of every living being, we apply a similar framework to the markets, treating price action as the “DNA” of each pair. By breaking down structural behaviors such as volatility, swings, retracements, spikes, and session characteristics, the tool reveals the underlying profile that distinguishes one pair from another. This approach provides more profound insight into market behavior and equips traders with a structured way to align strategies with the natural tendencies of each instrument.
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Neural Networks in Trading: Hierarchical Vector Transformer (HiVT)

Neural Networks in Trading: Hierarchical Vector Transformer (HiVT)

We invite you to get acquainted with the Hierarchical Vector Transformer (HiVT) method, which was developed for fast and accurate forecasting of multimodal time series.
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Building a Candlestick Trend Constraint Model (Part 10): Strategic Golden and Death Cross (EA)

Building a Candlestick Trend Constraint Model (Part 10): Strategic Golden and Death Cross (EA)

Did you know that the Golden Cross and Death Cross strategies, based on moving average crossovers, are some of the most reliable indicators for identifying long-term market trends? A Golden Cross signals a bullish trend when a shorter moving average crosses above a longer one, while a Death Cross indicates a bearish trend when the shorter average moves below. Despite their simplicity and effectiveness, manually applying these strategies often leads to missed opportunities or delayed trades.
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Mastering Kagi Charts in MQL5 (Part I): Creating the Indicator

Mastering Kagi Charts in MQL5 (Part I): Creating the Indicator

Learn how to build a complete Kagi Chart engine in MQL5—constructing price reversals, generating dynamic line segments, and updating Kagi structures in real time. This first part teaches you how to render Kagi charts directly on MetaTrader 5, giving traders a clear view of trend shifts and market strength while preparing for automated Kagi-based trading logic in Part 2.
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Risk Management (Part 3): Building the Main Class for Risk Management

Risk Management (Part 3): Building the Main Class for Risk Management

In this article, we will begin creating a core risk management class that will be key to controlling risks in the system. We will focus on building the foundations, defining the basic structures, variables and functions. In addition, we will implement the necessary methods for setting maximum profit and loss values, thereby laying the foundation for risk management.
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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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Neural Networks Made Easy (Part 94): Optimizing the Input Sequence

Neural Networks Made Easy (Part 94): Optimizing the Input Sequence

When working with time series, we always use the source data in their historical sequence. But is this the best option? There is an opinion that changing the sequence of the input data will improve the efficiency of the trained models. In this article I invite you to get acquainted with one of the methods for optimizing the input sequence.
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Building A Candlestick Trend Constraint Model (Part 8): Expert Advisor Development (II)

Building A Candlestick Trend Constraint Model (Part 8): Expert Advisor Development (II)

Think about an independent Expert Advisor. Previously, we discussed an indicator-based Expert Advisor that also partnered with an independent script for drawing risk and reward geometry. Today, we will discuss the architecture of an MQL5 Expert Advisor, that integrates, all the features in one program.
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From Novice to Expert: Mastering Detailed Trading Reports with Reporting EA

From Novice to Expert: Mastering Detailed Trading Reports with Reporting EA

In this article, we delve into enhancing the details of trading reports and delivering the final document via email in PDF format. This marks a progression from our previous work, as we continue exploring how to harness the power of MQL5 and Python to generate and schedule trading reports in the most convenient and professional formats. Join us in this discussion to learn more about optimizing trading report generation within the MQL5 ecosystem.
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Market Profile indicator (Part 2): Optimization and rendering on canvas

Market Profile indicator (Part 2): Optimization and rendering on canvas

The article considers an optimized version of the Market Profile indicator, where rendering with multiple graphical objects is replaced with rendering on a canvas - an object of the CCanvas class.
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Using Deep Reinforcement Learning to Enhance Ilan Expert Advisor

Using Deep Reinforcement Learning to Enhance Ilan Expert Advisor

We revisit the Ilan grid Expert Advisor and integrate Q-learning in MQL5 to build an adaptive version for MetaTrader 5. The article shows how to define state features, discretize them for a Q-table, select actions with ε-greedy, and shape rewards for averaging and exits. You will implement saving/loading the Q-table, tune learning parameters, and test on EURUSD/AUDUSD in the Strategy Tester to evaluate stability and drawdown risks.
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GIT: What is it?

GIT: What is it?

In this article, I will introduce a very important tool for developers. If you are not familiar with GIT, read this article to get an idea of what it is and how to use it with MQL5.
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Data Science and ML (Part 27): Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) in MetaTrader 5 Trading Bots — Are They Worth It?

Data Science and ML (Part 27): Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) in MetaTrader 5 Trading Bots — Are They Worth It?

Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) are renowned for their prowess in detecting patterns in images and videos, with applications spanning diverse fields. In this article, we explore the potential of CNNs to identify valuable patterns in financial markets and generate effective trading signals for MetaTrader 5 trading bots. Let us discover how this deep machine learning technique can be leveraged for smarter trading decisions.
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Dingo Optimization Algorithm Modification (DOAm)

Dingo Optimization Algorithm Modification (DOAm)

The custom modification of the Dingo algorithm presented in the article has raised the bar for finding the best optimization algorithm. Are even better results possible?
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Implementing Practical Modules from Other Languages in MQL5 (Part 02): Building the REQUESTS Library, Inspired by Python

Implementing Practical Modules from Other Languages in MQL5 (Part 02): Building the REQUESTS Library, Inspired by Python

In this article, we implement a module similar to requests offered in Python to make it easier to send and receive web requests in MetaTrader 5 using MQL5.
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Building A Candlestick Trend Constraint Model (Part 7): Refining our model for EA development

Building A Candlestick Trend Constraint Model (Part 7): Refining our model for EA development

In this article, we will delve into the detailed preparation of our indicator for Expert Advisor (EA) development. Our discussion will encompass further refinements to the current version of the indicator to enhance its accuracy and functionality. Additionally, we will introduce new features that mark exit points, addressing a limitation of the previous version, which only identified entry points.
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MetaTrader 5 Machine Learning Blueprint (Part 10): Bet Sizing for Financial Machine Learning

MetaTrader 5 Machine Learning Blueprint (Part 10): Bet Sizing for Financial Machine Learning

Fixed fractions and raw probabilities misallocate risk under overlapping labels and induce overtrading. This article delivers four AFML-compliant sizers: probability-based (z-score → CDF, active-bet averaging, discretization), forecast-price (sigmoid/power with w calibration and limit price), budget-constrained (direction-only), and reserve (mixture-CDF via EF3M). You get a signed, bounded position series with documented conditions of use.
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Timeseries in DoEasy library (part 50): Multi-period multi-symbol standard indicators with a shift

Timeseries in DoEasy library (part 50): Multi-period multi-symbol standard indicators with a shift

In the article, let’s improve library methods for correct display of multi-symbol multi-period standard indicators, which lines are displayed on the current symbol chart with a shift set in the settings. As well, let’s put things in order in methods of work with standard indicators and remove the redundant code to the library area in the final indicator program.
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Simple solutions for handling indicators conveniently

Simple solutions for handling indicators conveniently

In this article, I will describe how to make a simple panel to change the indicator settings directly from the chart, and what changes need to be made to the indicator to connect the panel. This article is intended for novice MQL5 users.
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Developing Trading Strategy: Pseudo Pearson Correlation Approach

Developing Trading Strategy: Pseudo Pearson Correlation Approach

Generating new indicators from existing ones offers a powerful way to enhance trading analysis. By defining a mathematical function that integrates the outputs of existing indicators, traders can create hybrid indicators that consolidate multiple signals into a single, efficient tool. This article introduces a new indicator built from three oscillators using a modified version of the Pearson correlation function, which we call the Pseudo Pearson Correlation (PPC). The PPC indicator aims to quantify the dynamic relationship between oscillators and apply it within a practical trading strategy.
Creation of an Automated Trading System
Creation of an Automated Trading System

Creation of an Automated Trading System

You must admit that it sounds alluringly - you become a fortunate possessor of a program that can develop for you a profitable automated trading system (ATC) within a few minutes. All you need is to enter desirable inputs and press Enter. And - here you are, take your ATC tested and having positive expected payoff. Where thousands of people spend thousands of hours on developing that very unique ATC, which will "wine and dine", these statements soundб to put it mildly, very hollow. On the one hand, this really looks a little larger than life... However, to my mind, this problem can be solved.
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From "Best Pass" to Robust Solutions: Exploring the Optimization Surface in MetaTrader 5

From "Best Pass" to Robust Solutions: Exploring the Optimization Surface in MetaTrader 5

The article examines an engineering approach to optimizing an Expert Advisor in MetaTrader 5: from collecting custom metrics through Optimization Frames to parameter surface analysis. A simple event-driven EMA/RSI model demonstrates CSV export, smoothing, and local stability assessment in Python. The goal is to find stable areas of configurations and validate them with forward optimization for reliable implementation.
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Developing a Replay System (Part 78): New Chart Trade (V)

Developing a Replay System (Part 78): New Chart Trade (V)

In this article, we will look at how to implement part of the receiver code. Here we will implement an Expert Advisor to test and learn how the protocol interaction works. 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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MQL5 Wizard Techniques you should know (Part 75): Using Awesome Oscillator and the Envelopes

MQL5 Wizard Techniques you should know (Part 75): Using Awesome Oscillator and the Envelopes

The Awesome Oscillator by Bill Williams and the Envelopes Channel are a pairing that could be used complimentarily within an MQL5 Expert Advisor. We use the Awesome Oscillator for its ability to spot trends, while the envelopes channel is incorporated to define our support/resistance levels. In exploring this indicator pairing, we use the MQL5 wizard to build and test any potential these two may possess.
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Population optimization algorithms: Cuckoo Optimization Algorithm (COA)

Population optimization algorithms: Cuckoo Optimization Algorithm (COA)

The next algorithm I will consider is cuckoo search optimization using Levy flights. This is one of the latest optimization algorithms and a new leader in the leaderboard.
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Feature Engineering With Python And MQL5 (Part I): Forecasting Moving Averages For Long-Range AI Models

Feature Engineering With Python And MQL5 (Part I): Forecasting Moving Averages For Long-Range AI Models

The moving averages are by far the best indicators for our AI models to predict. However, we can improve our accuracy even further by carefully transforming our data. This article will demonstrate, how you can build AI Models capable of forecasting further into the future than you may currently be practicing without significant drops to your accuracy levels. It is truly remarkable, how useful the moving averages are.
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From Novice to Expert: Revealing the Candlestick Shadows (Wicks)

From Novice to Expert: Revealing the Candlestick Shadows (Wicks)

In this discussion, we take a step forward to uncover the underlying price action hidden within candlestick wicks. By integrating a wick visualization feature into the Market Periods Synchronizer, we enhance the tool with greater analytical depth and interactivity. This upgraded system allows traders to visualize higher-timeframe price rejections directly on lower-timeframe charts, revealing detailed structures that were once concealed within the shadows.
Ten Basic Errors of a Newcomer in Trading
Ten Basic Errors of a Newcomer in Trading

Ten Basic Errors of a Newcomer in Trading

There are ten basic errors of a newcomer intrading: trading at market opening, undue hurry in taking profit, adding of lots in a losing position, closing positions starting with the best one, revenge, the most preferable positions, trading by the principle of 'bought for ever', closing of a profitable strategic position on the first day, closing of a position when alerted to open an opposite position, doubts.
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Application of Nash's Game Theory with HMM Filtering in Trading

Application of Nash's Game Theory with HMM Filtering in Trading

This article delves into the application of John Nash's game theory, specifically the Nash Equilibrium, in trading. It discusses how traders can utilize Python scripts and MetaTrader 5 to identify and exploit market inefficiencies using Nash's principles. The article provides a step-by-step guide on implementing these strategies, including the use of Hidden Markov Models (HMM) and statistical analysis, to enhance trading performance.
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Automating Market Entropy Indicator: Trading System Based on Information Theory

Automating Market Entropy Indicator: Trading System Based on Information Theory

This article presents an EA that automates the previously introduced Market Entropy methodology. It computes fast and slow entropy, momentum, and compression states, validates signals, and executes orders with SL/TP and optional position reversal. The result is a practical, configurable tool that applies information-theoretic signals without manual interpretation.
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Quick Integration of a Large Language Model into MetaTrader 5 (Part I): Building the Model

Quick Integration of a Large Language Model into MetaTrader 5 (Part I): Building the Model

The article explores the revolutionary integration of large language models (LLMs) with the MetaTrader 5 trading platform, where AI does not simply predict prices but makes autonomous trading decisions by analyzing market context much like an experienced trader. The author highlights a fundamental difference between LLMs and classical machine learning models such as CatBoost — the ability to engage in metacognition and self-reflection, which allows the system to learn from its own mistakes and improve its strategy.
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MQL5 Trading Tools (Part 4): Improving the Multi-Timeframe Scanner Dashboard with Dynamic Positioning and Toggle Features

MQL5 Trading Tools (Part 4): Improving the Multi-Timeframe Scanner Dashboard with Dynamic Positioning and Toggle Features

In this article, we upgrade the MQL5 Multi-Timeframe Scanner Dashboard with movable and toggle features. We enable dragging the dashboard and a minimize/maximize option for better screen use. We implement and test these enhancements for improved trading flexibility.
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Integrate Your Own LLM into EA (Part 5): Develop and Test Trading Strategy with LLMs(I)-Fine-tuning

Integrate Your Own LLM into EA (Part 5): Develop and Test Trading Strategy with LLMs(I)-Fine-tuning

With the rapid development of artificial intelligence today, language models (LLMs) are an important part of artificial intelligence, so we should think about how to integrate powerful LLMs into our algorithmic trading. For most people, it is difficult to fine-tune these powerful models according to their needs, deploy them locally, and then apply them to algorithmic trading. This series of articles will take a step-by-step approach to achieve this goal.
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MetaTrader 5 Machine Learning Blueprint (Part 11): Kelly Criterion, Prop Firm Integration, and CPCV Dynamic Backtesting

MetaTrader 5 Machine Learning Blueprint (Part 11): Kelly Criterion, Prop Firm Integration, and CPCV Dynamic Backtesting

The bet-sizing signal from Part 10 is concurrency-corrected but carries no payoff-ratio adjustment, no response to a hard drawdown budget, and no validation across combinatorial paths. This article covers three additions: a two-stage architecture in which a Kelly payoff multiplier is applied on top of get_signal, preserving the concurrency correction while incorporating win/loss asymmetry; a prop firm integration layer that calibrates the sigmoid w parameter continuously from the remaining drawdown budget under FundedNext Stellar 2-Step rules; and a CPCV backtest framework that simulates a fresh account state across all φ[N, k] paths, producing a Sharpe distribution and a PBO audit.
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Neural networks made easy (Part 44): Learning skills with dynamics in mind

Neural networks made easy (Part 44): Learning skills with dynamics in mind

In the previous article, we introduced the DIAYN method, which offers the algorithm for learning a variety of skills. The acquired skills can be used for various tasks. But such skills can be quite unpredictable, which can make them difficult to use. In this article, we will look at an algorithm for learning predictable skills.
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From Novice to Expert: Implementation of Fibonacci Strategies in Post-NFP Market Trading

From Novice to Expert: Implementation of Fibonacci Strategies in Post-NFP Market Trading

In financial markets, the laws of retracement remain among the most undeniable forces. It is a rule of thumb that price will always retrace—whether in large moves or even within the smallest tick patterns, which often appear as a zigzag. However, the retracement pattern itself is never fixed; it remains uncertain and subject to anticipation. This uncertainty explains why traders rely on multiple Fibonacci levels, each carrying a certain probability of influence. In this discussion, we introduce a refined strategy that applies Fibonacci techniques to address the challenges of trading shortly after major economic event announcements. By combining retracement principles with event-driven market behavior, we aim to uncover more reliable entry and exit opportunities. Join to explore the full discussion and see how Fibonacci can be adapted to post-event trading.
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Neural Networks in Trading: An Agent with Layered Memory (Final Part)

Neural Networks in Trading: An Agent with Layered Memory (Final Part)

We continue our work on creating the FinMem framework, which uses layered memory approaches that mimic human cognitive processes. This allows the model not only to effectively process complex financial data but also to adapt to new signals, significantly improving the accuracy and effectiveness of investment decisions in dynamically changing markets.