MQL4 and MQL5 Programming Articles
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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Developing a Multi-Currency Expert Advisor (Part 29): Improving the Conveyor
We are going to improve the usability of the automated optimization conveyor: we will explore the process from creating an optimization project to testing the final EA. For clarity, let us walk through the entire process step by step creating the final EA, while stopping to make any desired corrections.
Websockets for MetaTrader 5: Asynchronous client connections with the Windows API
This article details the development of a custom dynamically linked library designed to facilitate asynchronous websocket client connections for MetaTrader programs.
Filtering by History
The article describes the usage of virtual trading as an integral part of trade opening filter.
Price Action Analysis Toolkit Development (Part 37): Sentiment Tilt Meter
Market sentiment is one of the most overlooked yet powerful forces influencing price movement. While most traders rely on lagging indicators or guesswork, the Sentiment Tilt Meter (STM) EA transforms raw market data into clear, visual guidance, showing whether the market is leaning bullish, bearish, or staying neutral in real-time. This makes it easier to confirm trades, avoid false entries, and time market participation more effectively.
Combine Fundamental And Technical Analysis Strategies in MQL5 For Beginners
In this article, we will discuss how to integrate trend following and fundamental principles seamlessly into one Expert Advisors to build a strategy that is more robust. This article will demonstrate how easy it is for anyone to get up and running building customized trading algorithms using MQL5.
Automated Choice of Brokerage Company for an Efficient Operation of Expert Advisors
It is not a secret that for an efficient operation of Expert Advisors we need to find a suitable brokerage company. This article describes a system approach to this search. You will get acquainted with the process of creating a program with dll for working with different terminals.
Price Action Analysis Toolkit Development (Part 37): Sentiment Tilt Meter
Market sentiment is one of the most overlooked yet powerful forces influencing price movement. While most traders rely on lagging indicators or guesswork, the Sentiment Tilt Meter (STM) EA transforms raw market data into clear, visual guidance, showing whether the market is leaning bullish, bearish, or staying neutral in real-time. This makes it easier to confirm trades, avoid false entries, and time market participation more effectively.
Moving to MQL5 Algo Forge (Part 3): Using External Repositories in Your Own Projects
Let's explore how you can start integrating external code from any repository in the MQL5 Algo Forge storage into your own project. In this article, we finally turn to this promising, yet more complex, task: how to practically connect and use libraries from third-party repositories within MQL5 Algo Forge.
The Power of MetaTrader 5: From Step-by-Step Debugging to EX5 Protection in a Unified Environment
This article examines a comprehensive approach to developing trading algorithms: from project setup and logic debugging to protecting the finished product. We will explore MetaEditor's built-in tools, including step-by-step debugging using real ticks, performance profiling, and direct integration with C++ DLLs to speed up calculations. The article also explains how to protect intellectual property using MQL5 Cloud Protector. The application of the described techniques will transform Expert Advisor development from a chaotic search for solutions into a systematic process, significantly reducing the time required to develop a strategy.
Larry Williams Market Secrets (Part 10): Automating Smash Day Reversal Patterns
We implement Larry Williams’ Smash Day reversal patterns in MQL5 by building a rule-based Expert Advisor with dynamic risk management, breakout confirmation logic, and one trade at a time execution. Readers can backtest, reproduce, and study parameter effects using the MetaTrader 5 Strategy Tester and the provided source.
Building a Correlation-Aware Multi-EA Portfolio Scorer in MQL5
Most algo traders optimize Expert Advisors individually but never measure how they behave together on a single account. Correlated strategies amplify drawdowns instead of reducing them, and coverage gaps leave portfolios blind during entire trading sessions. This article builds a complete portfolio scorer in MQL5 that reads daily P&L from backtest CSV files, computes a full Pearson correlation matrix, maps trading activity by hour and weekday, evaluates asset class diversity, and outputs a composite grade from A+ to F. All source code is included; no external libraries are required.
Interview with Alexander Topchylo (ATC 2010)
Alexander Topchylo (Better) is the winner of the Automated Trading Championship 2007. Alexander is an expert in neural networks - his Expert Advisor based on a neural network was on top of best EAs of year 2007. In this interview Alexander tells us about his life after the Championships, his own business and new algorithms for trading systems.
Custom Indicator: Plotting Partial Entry, Exit and Reversal Deals for Netting Accounts
In this article, we will look at a non-standard way of creating an indicator in MQL5. Instead of focusing on a trend or chart pattern, our goal will be to manage our own positions, including partial entries and exits. We will make extensive use of dynamic matrices and some trading functions related to trade history and open positions to indicate on the chart where these trades were made.
MQL5 Trading Tools (Part 32): Crosshair, Magnifier, and Measure Mode
In this article, we extend the Tools Palette with a precision crosshair for MQL5 charts: reticle tick marks, full-width and full-height lines with axis labels, and a circular magnifier that renders zoomed candles. A double-click measure mode adds anchor markers, a diagonal connector, and a floating label with bars, pips, and price difference. Implementation details include a crosshair manager, eleven canvas layers, Bresenham line drawing, and theme-aware behavior that hides near the sidebar and fly out.
Interview with Andrea Zani (ATC 2011)
On the eleventh week of the Automated Trading Championship, Andrea Zani (sbraer) got featured very close to the top five of the competition. It is on the sixth place with about 47,000 USD now. Andrea's Expert Advisor AZXY has made only one losing deal, which was at the very beginning of the Championship. Since then, its equity curve has been steadily growing.
Data Science and ML (Part 46): Stock Markets Forecasting Using N-BEATS in Python
N-BEATS is a revolutionary deep learning model designed for time series forecasting. It was released to surpass classical models for time series forecasting such as ARIMA, PROPHET, VAR, etc. In this article, we are going to discuss this model and use it in predicting the stock market.
A New Approach to Custom Criteria in Optimizations (Part 1): Examples of Activation Functions
The first of a series of articles looking at the mathematics of Custom Criteria with a specific focus on non-linear functions used in Neural Networks, MQL5 code for implementation and the use of targeted and correctional offsets.
From Novice to Expert: The Essential Journey Through MQL5 Trading
Unlock your potential! You're surrounded by opportunities. Discover 3 top secrets to kickstart your MQL5 journey or take it to the next level. Let's dive into discussion of tips and tricks for beginners and pros alike.
Formulating Dynamic Multi-Pair EA (Part 6): Adaptive Spread Sensitivity for High-Frequency Symbol Switching
In this part, we will focus on designing an intelligent execution layer that continuously monitors and evaluates real-time spread conditions across multiple symbols. The EA dynamically adapts its symbol selection by enabling or disabling trading based on spread efficiency rather than fixed rules. This approach allows high-frequency multi-pair systems to prioritize cost-effective symbols.
Tracking Account Dynamics: Balance, Equity, and Floating P/L Visualization in MQL5
Create a custom MT5 indicator that processes the entire deal history and plots starting balance, balance, equity, and floating P/L as continuous curves. It updates per bar, aggregates positions across symbols, and avoids external dependencies through local caching. Use it to inspect equity–balance divergence, realized vs. unrealized results, and the timing of risk deployment.
Across Neighbourhood Search (ANS)
The article reveals the potential of the ANS algorithm as an important step in the development of flexible and intelligent optimization methods that can take into account the specifics of the problem and the dynamics of the environment in the search space.
Risk-Based Trade Placement EA with On-Chart UI (Part 1): Designing the User Interface
Learn how to build a clean and professional on-chart control panel in MQL5 for a Risk-Based Trade Placement Expert Advisor. This step-by-step guide explains how to design a functional GUI that allows traders to input trade parameters, calculate lot size, and prepare for automated order placement.
Creating a Trading Administrator Panel in MQL5 (Part V): Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)
Today, we will discuss enhancing security for the Trading Administrator Panel currently under development. We will explore how to implement MQL5 in a new security strategy, integrating the Telegram API for two-factor authentication (2FA). This discussion will provide valuable insights into the application of MQL5 in reinforcing security measures. Additionally, we will examine the MathRand function, focusing on its functionality and how it can be effectively utilized within our security framework. Continue reading to discover more!
Developing an MQTT client for MetaTrader 5: a TDD approach — Part 3
This article is the third part of a series describing our development steps of a native MQL5 client for the MQTT protocol. In this part, we describe in detail how we are using Test-Driven Development to implement the Operational Behavior part of the CONNECT/CONNACK packet exchange. At the end of this step, our client MUST be able to behave appropriately when dealing with any of the possible server outcomes from a connection attempt.
Developing a Multi-Currency Advisor (Part 27): Component for Displaying Multi-Line Text
If there is a need to display text on a chart, we can use the Comment() function. But its capabilities are quite limited. Therefore, in this article, we will create our own component - a full-screen dialog window capable of displaying multi-line text with flexible font settings and scrolling support.
Building a Trading System (Part 5): Managing Gains Through Structured Trade Exits
For many traders, it's a familiar pain point: watching a trade come within a whisker of your profit target, only to reverse and hit your stop-loss. Or worse, seeing a trailing stop close you out at breakeven before the market surges toward your original target. This article focuses on using multiple entries at different Reward-to-Risk Ratios to systematically secure gains and reduce overall risk exposure.
Larry Williams Market Secrets (Part 12): Context Based Trading of Smash Day Reversals
This article shows how to automate Larry Williams Smash Day reversal patterns in MQL5 within a structured context. We implement an Expert Advisor that validates setups over a limited window, aligns entries with Supertrend-based trend direction and day-of-week filters, and supports entry on level cross or bar close. The code enforces one position at a time and risk-based or fixed sizing. Step-by-step development, backtesting procedure, and reproducible settings are provided.
Neural Networks in Trading: Dual-Attention-Based Trend Prediction Model
We continue the discussion about the use of piecewise linear representation of time series, which was started in the previous article. Today we will see how to combine this method with other approaches to time series analysis to improve the price trend prediction quality.
From Basic to Intermediate: Array (I)
This article is a transition between what has been discussed so far and a new stage of research. To understand this article, you need to read the previous ones. 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.
MetaTrader 5 Machine Learning Blueprint (Part 14): Transaction Cost Modeling for Triple-Barrier Labels in MQL5
The article replaces hardcoded cost assumptions in triple-barrier labeling with measured inputs. An MQL5 script captures spread distribution, swap rates, and symbol metadata from your broker, and a Python model converts them into a broker-calibrated min ret you can pass to get events. Labels then reflect the actual round-trip friction for your instrument and holding period.
Trading with the MQL5 Economic Calendar (Part 10): Draggable Dashboard and Interactive Hover Effects for Seamless News Navigation
In this article, we enhance the MQL5 Economic Calendar by introducing a draggable dashboard that allows us to reposition the interface for better chart visibility. We implement hover effects for buttons to improve interactivity and ensure seamless navigation with a dynamically positioned scrollbar.
MQL5 Trading Tools (Part 11): Correlation Matrix Dashboard (Pearson, Spearman, Kendall) with Heatmap and Standard Modes
In this article, we build a correlation matrix dashboard in MQL5 to compute asset relationships using Pearson, Spearman, and Kendall methods over a set timeframe and bars. The system offers standard mode with color thresholds and p-value stars, plus heatmap mode with gradient visuals for correlation strengths. It includes an interactive UI with timeframe selectors, mode toggles, and a dynamic legend for efficient analysis of symbol interdependencies.
From Novice to Expert: Adaptive Risk Management for Liquidity Strategies
In this article, we explore practical and robust risk management techniques specifically tailored for liquidity-based trading. You will learn how to protect positions during retests, handle false breakouts with confidence, and identify signs of potential level manipulation. By the end, you will have built an adaptive Expert Advisor capable of managing zone flips and executing strategic pending orders with integrated risk control.
Risk-Based Trade Placement EA with On-Chart UI (Part 2): Adding Interactivity and Logic
Learn how to build an interactive MQL5 Expert Advisor with an on-chart control panel. Know how to compute risk-based lot sizes and place trades directly from the chart.
Codex Pipelines, from Python to MQL5, for Indicator Selection: A Multi-Quarter Analysis of the XLF ETF with Machine Learning
We continue our look at how the selection of indicators can be pipelined when facing a ‘none-typical’ MetaTrader asset. MetaTrader 5 is primarily used to trade forex, and that is good given the liquidity on offer, however the case for trading outside of this ‘comfort-zone’, is growing bolder with not just the overnight rise of platforms like Robinhood, but also the relentless pursuit of an edge for most traders. We consider the XLF ETF for this article and also cap our revamped pipeline with a simple MLP.
How to Connect an LLM to an MQL5 Expert Advisor via a Python Server
The article examines three key obstacles to integrating LLMs with MetaTrader 5: the lack of direct access, strict rate limits, and API key security given the architectural limitations of MQL5. A configuration is proposed that uses a local Python server as a bridge between the Expert Advisor and OpenRouter. The article covers WebSocket and fallback to TCP, storing the key on the server, batch processing of multiple symbols, and constructing a technical prompt. Readers get a ready-made architecture that reduces latency and costs.
Creating an MQL5-Telegram Integrated Expert Advisor (Part 7): Command Analysis for Indicator Automation on Charts
In this article, we explore how to integrate Telegram commands with MQL5 to automate the addition of indicators on trading charts. We cover the process of parsing user commands, executing them in MQL5, and testing the system to ensure smooth indicator-based trading
Neural networks made easy (Part 60): Online Decision Transformer (ODT)
The last two articles were devoted to the Decision Transformer method, which models action sequences in the context of an autoregressive model of desired rewards. In this article, we will look at another optimization algorithm for this method.
Alexander Anufrenko: "A danger foreseen is half avoided" (ATC 2010)
The risky development of Alexander Anufrenko (Anufrenko321) had been featured among the top three of the Championship for three weeks. Having suffered a catastrophic Stop Loss last week, his Expert Advisor lost about $60,000, but now once again he is approaching the leaders. In this interview the author of this interesting EA is describing the operating principles and characteristics of his application.
Brain Storm Optimization algorithm (Part II): Multimodality
In the second part of the article, we will move on to the practical implementation of the BSO algorithm, conduct tests on test functions and compare the efficiency of BSO with other optimization methods.