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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Market Simulation: Position View (VII)

Market Simulation: Position View (VII)

In this article, we'll start making some improvements to the position indicator so that we can interact with it and modify price lines or close a position directly through the position indicator. Before we move on to the implementation, there are a few things worth clarifying, especially for those who aren't familiar with this. The indicator cannot be used in any way to change anything on the trading server. This is because MetaTrader 5 has a security system in place that allows only Expert Advisors to modify orders and positions. No application other than an Expert Advisor can manipulate orders or positions.
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Neural Networks in Trading: From Transformers to Spiking Neurons (SpikingBrain)

Neural Networks in Trading: From Transformers to Spiking Neurons (SpikingBrain)

The SpikingBrain framework demonstrates a unique approach to data processing: neurons respond only to significant events, effectively filtering out noise. Its event-driven architecture reduces computational costs while preserving key information about price movements. Adaptive thresholds and the ability to use pre-trained modules ensure the model's flexibility and scalability.
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How to Create and Adapt an RL Agent with an LLM and Quantum Encoding for Algorithmic Trading in MQL5

How to Create and Adapt an RL Agent with an LLM and Quantum Encoding for Algorithmic Trading in MQL5

The article proposes a hybrid approach to algorithmic trading based on quantum encoding of market states, Double DQN with a prioritized experience replay buffer, and an LLM acting as a contextual EA. The SEAL methodology enables asynchronous continued training of the agent without halting trading. A lightweight Q-learning filter (USE/SKIP/REDUCE) controls signal execution at the meta-level. Practical details are provided on integrating the system with the MetaTrader 5 trading platform, along with a scheme for adapting it to market regime shifts.
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Implementing an LLM Agent with SQL Memory in MetaTrader 5

Implementing an LLM Agent with SQL Memory in MetaTrader 5

An LLM agent with SQL memory in MetaTrader 5 — an architecture that eliminates the main limitation of traditional LLM Expert Advisors (EAs): the loss of context between queries. Each agent decision is recorded in SQLite along with the market conditions at the time of the signal — RSI, MA alignment, volatility — and after the position is closed, the outcome is written to the database. When the next request comes in, the agent reviews its own history — similar past RSI conditions and the last three agent decisions — and only then analyzes the current market. The result is a system that remembers its errors between restarts and adapts its behavior based on accumulated statistics, rather than starting from scratch with each new bar.
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Neural Networks in Trading: Adaptive Periodic Segmentation (Conclusion)

Neural Networks in Trading: Adaptive Periodic Segmentation (Conclusion)

We invite you to dive into the exciting world of LightGTS — a lightweight yet powerful framework for time-series forecasting, where adaptive convolution and RoPE encoding are combined with innovative attention mechanisms. In our article, you will find a detailed description of all components — from creating patches to the complex mixture of experts in the decoder — ready for integration into MQL5 projects. Discover how LightGTS takes automated trading to a whole new level!
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Neural Networks in Trading: The Adaptive Graph Diffusion Model (Attention Module)

Neural Networks in Trading: The Adaptive Graph Diffusion Model (Attention Module)

In this article, we will take a detailed look at the practical implementation of the key components of the SAGDFN framework. We will show how sparse attention and the selection of significant neighbors are organized for time series forecasting. The approaches presented strike a balance between forecast accuracy and computational efficiency.
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Automating Classic Market Methods in MQL5 (Part 9): Linda Bradford Raschke's 3/10 Oscillator System

Automating Classic Market Methods in MQL5 (Part 9): Linda Bradford Raschke's 3/10 Oscillator System

The article implements two swing setups in MQL5: Anti, which enters on the first 3/10 oscillator pullback after a signal line zero confirmation with price confirmation, and Holy Grail, which enters on the first pullback to the 20 EMA in a strong rising ADX trend. A single EA runs two independent state machines with precise entry and exit rules, ATR-based stops, and state recovery. You get runnable code and traceable logging.
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Deterministic Dendritic Cell Algorithm (dDCA)

Deterministic Dendritic Cell Algorithm (dDCA)

The article presents an adaptation of the Deterministic Dendritic Cell Algorithm (dDCA) for continuous optimization problems. The algorithm, inspired by the immune system's Danger Theory, uses a signal accumulation mechanism to automatically balance exploration and exploitation within the search space.
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Market Simulation: Position View (VIII)

Market Simulation: Position View (VIII)

In the previous article, we considered how to implement a position indicator that allows you to close an open position directly from the chart by interacting with an object available on the chart. After completing and testing the first mechanism, we began making changes to ensure that take-profit and stop-loss levels could be removed for an open position. However, since the necessary changes required detailed explanations, in that same article I showed only the changes that needed to be made to the expert advisor; I still needed to show the changes that needed to be made to the position indicator.
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Creating a Cairo-Inspired Graphics Library for MetaTrader 5 (Part 1): Why the terminal needs its own 2D-renderer Contents

Creating a Cairo-Inspired Graphics Library for MetaTrader 5 (Part 1): Why the terminal needs its own 2D-renderer Contents

This article opens a step-by-step 2D graphics engine for MetaTrader. It standardizes ARGB colors and implements a reusable surface: a uint pixel buffer uploaded as a dynamic resource and shown via one OBJ_BITMAP_LABEL. You will draw rectangles and a vertical gradient, check real transparency, and learn an efficient update path with a single Flush call.
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From Basic to Intermediate: Object Events (II)

From Basic to Intermediate: Object Events (II)

In this article, we will look at how the last three types of events generated by an object work. Understanding this will be very interesting, because in the end we will do something that may seem crazy to many people, but it is entirely possible and produces a very surprising result.
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How to Use Finite Differences for Price Forecasting

How to Use Finite Differences for Price Forecasting

The article examines the practical application of finite differences in trading: types of differences, their relationship to price dynamics, and the binomial transform for noise filtering. The rules for encoding patterns based on difference levels and the application of these patterns to forecasting are described. This section presents naive, adaptive, and probabilistic approaches that help smooth time series, identify recurring patterns, and estimate future movements.
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A Reusable Breakeven Manager in MQL5 with Spread Compensation

A Reusable Breakeven Manager in MQL5 with Spread Compensation

A robust breakeven implementation for MQL5 is built around live spread sampling and correct pip-to-price conversion by symbol digits. CBreakevenManager moves SL to open_price ± spread ± buffer once a real‑pip activation threshold is reached and prevents duplicate modifications. A demo EA shows the behavioral difference versus a naive breakeven, and a script verifies core calculations.
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Real-Time Trade Event Logger to SQLite via MQL5 DLL Bridge

Real-Time Trade Event Logger to SQLite via MQL5 DLL Bridge

The article shows how to build an MQL5 EA that writes every deal to an SQLite database the moment it appears, using the built-in Database API as the SQLite bridge. It implements an event data model, a prepared INSERT workflow reused across calls, session-safe recovery after restarts, and deal detection via OnTrade(). You can open the resulting file with any SQLite client to run queries for analysis and reporting.
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Inside MetaEditor's AI Assistant: Writing, Repairing and Testing MQL5 with an Agent

Inside MetaEditor's AI Assistant: Writing, Repairing and Testing MQL5 with an Agent

We use the MetaTrader 5 AI Assistant to execute the full workflow end to end: create an EA from a natural‑language prompt, compile it, break and watch it self‑correct from compiler output, backtest it, and compare a controlled re‑run. The article details the underlying MCP extensions, configuration and safety limits, and how to connect external AI clients. Readers get a repeatable process for building and testing EAs inside the platform.
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Building a Type-Safe Event Bus in MQL5: Decoupling EA Components Without Global Variables

Building a Type-Safe Event Bus in MQL5: Decoupling EA Components Without Global Variables

A typed publish-subscribe event bus in MQL5 replaces global variables and direct cross-references. Using an abstract listener interface and an enum-indexed subscription table, a signal engine, order manager, and drawdown monitor communicate only through the bus, with no shared state. The article analyzes dispatch overhead, pointer validation, and recursive publish risks, helping you design decoupled, testable EAs.
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Developing a Quantitative Session Analysis Tool (Part 1): Building a Data-Driven View of Market Sessions

Developing a Quantitative Session Analysis Tool (Part 1): Building a Data-Driven View of Market Sessions

The article presents a session analysis workflow in MQL5 that standardizes sessions as structured data with timing, OHLC, range, net move, and the sequence of extremes. It measures how range builds at 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% of session duration. The chart shows session markers, a compact comparison panel, and an interactive inspector to review individual occurrences.
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Archimedes Optimization Algorithm (AOA)

Archimedes Optimization Algorithm (AOA)

The article examines the Archimedes Optimization Algorithm — a metaheuristic in which an agent is represented as a physical object with density, volume, and acceleration, and the search itself is reinterpreted as the tendency of bodies submerged in a fluid to reach equilibrium. The balance between exploration and exploitation is not dictated by an external schedule here, but rather stems from the physics of decaying turbulence. We will implement the algorithm in MQL5, test it on a standard test bench, and analyze where this approach works.
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Swing Extremes and Pullbacks (Part 5): Filtering Weak Swings Using Candle Imbalance

Swing Extremes and Pullbacks (Part 5): Filtering Weak Swings Using Candle Imbalance

This article implements an MQL5 Expert Advisor that scores each impulse leg behind a swing extreme with a 0–100 Candle Imbalance Score. The score combines four bounded components—body dominance, directional consistency, leg efficiency, and Fair Value Gap coverage—to filter weak swings before any pullback setup is armed. You will see enforced swing alternation, a state machine for first-clean-retest-only entries, and a three-mode trailing stop, enabling consistent setup selection and exit management.
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Implementing and Benchmarking Bag-of-SFA-Symbols (BOSS) Against Dynamic Time Warping (DTW)

Implementing and Benchmarking Bag-of-SFA-Symbols (BOSS) Against Dynamic Time Warping (DTW)

This article implements BOSS from scratch in MQL5 and applies it to regime classification: SFA turns windows into words, bags record word frequencies, and an ensemble over window lengths votes on labels. We cover the encoding steps, the BOSS distance, training with auto-generated regime labels, and practical parameters. A BTCUSD benchmark versus DTW shows higher macro accuracy on clean data and markedly faster inference.
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Path Signatures for Lead-Lag Detection

Path Signatures for Lead-Lag Detection

Build a level-2 path-signature engine in pure MQL5 to read the lead-lag ordering between two data streams without choosing a lag and without a linear model. The article delivers a reusable library, an indicator that plots the Levy‑area oscillator, and a simple rule‑based Expert Advisor. Code is cross‑checked against closed‑form cases, and the components are ready to plug into your projects.
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Neural Networks in Trading: A Cross-Domain Time Series Forecasting Framework (Conclusion)

Neural Networks in Trading: A Cross-Domain Time Series Forecasting Framework (Conclusion)

The article focuses on the practical implementation of the TimeFound model for time series forecasting. The key stages of implementing the framework's main approaches using MQL5 are examined.
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Beyond GARCH (Part VII): Monte Carlo Volatility Forecasting in MQL5

Beyond GARCH (Part VII): Monte Carlo Volatility Forecasting in MQL5

We implement the CMonteCarlo module that turns the fitted MMAR parameters into a volatility forecast via Monte Carlo. It runs N independent simulations over a chosen horizon and reports mean, median, standard deviation, and a percentile-based 95% confidence interval, with access to per-run values if needed. Adaptive cascade depth selects the minimal k such that b^k covers the horizon, keeping the run fast and consistent.
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From Basic to Intermediate: Object Events (I)

From Basic to Intermediate: Object Events (I)

In this article, we will look at three of the six events that MetaTrader 5 can generate when some change occurs to an object on the chart. These events are very useful from the standpoint of user interaction. This is because, without understanding these events, we would have to put in much more effort to maintain a specific chart configuration when trying to manage objects for particular purposes.
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CSV Data Analysis (Part 6): Multi-Broker Result Normalization and Cross-Platform CSV Reconciliation

CSV Data Analysis (Part 6): Multi-Broker Result Normalization and Cross-Platform CSV Reconciliation

This article presents a multi‑broker CSV normalization framework. An MQL5 include file enriches exports with broker metadata. A Python module resolves schema divergences — pip conventions, symbol aliases, time offsets, commission models, and currency denomination — producing a unified canonical dataset. Comparative visualizations of slippage distributions and net‑of‑cost performance enable reliable cross‑platform strategy analysis without silent data corruption.
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MQL5 Wizard Techniques you should know (Part 94): Using Reservoir Sampling and Linear Regression in a Custom Trailing Stop Class

MQL5 Wizard Techniques you should know (Part 94): Using Reservoir Sampling and Linear Regression in a Custom Trailing Stop Class

For this article we rotate to a custom MQL5 Wizard class implementation that explores Trailing Stops. Our custom class is ‘CTrailingReservoirLinReg’ that we derive by combining the Reservoir Sampling algorithm with a Linear Regression network. As has been the case throughout these series, this formulation is testable with MQL5 Wizard Assembled Expert Advisors that can be tuned with various entry signals and money management classes.
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Enhanced Colliding Bodies Optimization (ECBO)

Enhanced Colliding Bodies Optimization (ECBO)

The article discusses the Colliding Bodies Optimization (CBO) algorithm, which is based on the physics of one-dimensional collisions between bodies. The basic version of the algorithm does not include any configurable parameters, which makes it simple. Therefore, the enhanced ECBO version — supplemented with Colliding Memory and a crossover mechanism — was used as the basis for the implementation, allowing the algorithm to achieve respectable results and earn a place in the ranking table.
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Developing a Multi-Currency Expert Advisor (Part 32): Secrets of the Optimization Project Creation Step (II)

Developing a Multi-Currency Expert Advisor (Part 32): Secrets of the Optimization Project Creation Step (II)

The article discusses the parameters of the second stage of the automatic optimization pipeline for a multi-currency Expert Advisor. We analyze the criteria for filtering first-stage passes and the rules for forming groups of trading strategies. The article demonstrates how settings affect optimization results, discusses aspects of process reliability, and examines the balance between selection strictness and having enough candidates for the algorithm.
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Using Renko-bar Regression with Error Correction

Using Renko-bar Regression with Error Correction

The article presents a regression-based approach to forecasting Renko bars using CatBoost: the model estimates the logarithmic return of the next bar and the uncertainty of the forecast. We will examine a cascade of residual models with OOF validation using TimeSeriesSplit, shrinkage, and overall early stopping, as well as conditional bias correction. On EURUSD D1, a reduction in OOF-MAE was achieved, along with approximately 65% directional accuracy. A working script for MetaTrader 5 is provided that generates a signal, position size, SL, and TP in brick units.
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Foundation Models for Trading (Part II): Decoding, Autoregression, and an Exact KV-Cache

Foundation Models for Trading (Part II): Decoding, Autoregression, and an Exact KV-Cache

We complete the native MQL5 port of Kronos: the decoder, the predictor's decode_s1 and decode_s2 stages with their cross-attention traps, and the autoregressive loop that produces a multi-bar forecast. Then we profile and make it roughly 4.5x faster with an exact KV-cache and pre-transposed weights, verifying every stage against PyTorch.
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Building a Dynamic and Customizable Table in MQL5

Building a Dynamic and Customizable Table in MQL5

This article presents a reusable CTable class for building chart-based tables in MQL5. It covers table architecture, creation and destruction of objects, coordinates and sizing, cell properties, horizontal/vertical headers, dynamic row/column edits, object naming, index conversion, and efficient refreshing. You will be able to assemble consistent, aligned on-chart dashboards for market data, indicators, and signals with minimal boilerplate.
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Building AI-Powered Trading Systems in MQL5 (Part 11): Optimizing the UI with Frame Throttling and Partial Rendering

Building AI-Powered Trading Systems in MQL5 (Part 11): Optimizing the UI with Frame Throttling and Partial Rendering

We optimize an MQL5 canvas interface to stay responsive under rapid input without changing its appearance. The article adds a direct-buffer canvas for block region copies, caches text widths and glyph coverage, caps repaints at 60 fps (16 ms), and limits drawing to panes and regions that actually changed. As a result, hover, scroll, and popups render smoothly without full-panel redraws.
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From Basic to Intermediate: Technical Indicators (II)

From Basic to Intermediate: Technical Indicators (II)

In this article, we'll show you how to create an MQL5 indicator that plots multiple moving averages on a single chart, reducing the amount of duplicate code. This uses iMA, indicator buffers, CopyBuffer, PlotIndexSetInteger/String, and a const array of structures that brings together periods, methods, and colors. The sizes of `indicatorbuffers` and `indicatorplots` are determined based on `Averange.Size()`. This approach simplifies maintenance and allows you to add or remove moving averages by modifying just one list.
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Price Action Analysis Toolkit Development (Part 87): Searching Chart History with Recorded Double-Bottom Samples

Price Action Analysis Toolkit Development (Part 87): Searching Chart History with Recorded Double-Bottom Samples

This stage connects structural validation with reference matching for double bottoms. The Expert Advisor scans completed history, filters pairs by the current structural rules, and compares normalized close and low profiles against validated samples from the library. Results that meet the similarity requirement appear in the panel for chart review and are saved to REFERENCE_MATCHES.csv.
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Chart Synchronization in MQL5 (Part 1): From a Simple Script to an Interactive Indicator

Chart Synchronization in MQL5 (Part 1): From a Simple Script to an Interactive Indicator

The article develops a practical MetaTrader 5 tool that synchronizes charts of the same symbol across timeframes, starting from a script and moving to an interactive indicator. It uses time as a common reference, converts it to bar indices with iBarShift(), and navigates charts with ChartNavigate(). The result is a synchronized workspace for efficient MTF analysis. This is Part 1 of a three-part development series.
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Market Simulation: Position View (IV)

Market Simulation: Position View (IV)

Here we will start bringing together different components or applications that were previously completely isolated from each other. Chart Trade, the mouse indicator, and the Expert Advisor had already been linked to one another, but there was still no way to directly display on the chart the positions open on the trading server, which are often managed using a cross-order system. From this point on, this becomes possible, opening the way for various ideas and future implementations. Although we are only beginning to put these components into operation, we already have a direction for further development.
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Fundamentals of Bayesian Inference in Discrete and Continuous Settings: From Theory to Practical Model Implementation

Fundamentals of Bayesian Inference in Discrete and Continuous Settings: From Theory to Practical Model Implementation

The article discusses the fundamentals of Bayesian statistics in both discrete and continuous settings. We will progress from classical Bayes’ theorem and simple examples involving coin flips to conjugate distributions and dynamic Bayesian updating, which enables real-time analysis of market quotes. Using the beta-binomial model as an example, a simple change-point detection indicator has been implemented to help identify shifts in market regimes.
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Neural Networks in Trading: From Transformers to Spiking Neurons (Key Components)

Neural Networks in Trading: From Transformers to Spiking Neurons (Key Components)

We present to the reader an implementation of the SpikingBrain framework’s approaches based on recurrent linear attention with gates, discussed in detail in this article. Forward pass, gradient propagation, and weight update algorithms ensure efficient processing of financial time series and enable the practical implementation of the framework’s key concepts.
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Automated Trade Statement Exporter to Excel-Compatible XLSX in MQL5

Automated Trade Statement Exporter to Excel-Compatible XLSX in MQL5

An MQL5 script reconstructs closed trades from deal history using a two-pass SL/TP lookup and exports them to an Excel-compatible XLSX file without third-party libraries. Four cooperating classes handle trade data, history reconstruction, SpreadsheetML XML generation, and ZIP assembly via .NET's ZipFile class through a direct ShellExecuteW call with marker-file polling. The output opens in Excel and Google Sheets with correct numeric types, formatted date columns, and a bold header row.
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Neural Networks in Trading: Iterative Forecast Refinement Models (RAFT)

Neural Networks in Trading: Iterative Forecast Refinement Models (RAFT)

The RAFT framework offers a fundamentally different approach to forecasting market dynamics — not as a one-time snapshot, but as an iterative refinement of the state in real time. It takes both local and global changes into account, maintaining a high degree of accuracy even with complex price structures.