Articles with examples of trading robots developed in MQL5

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An Expert Advisor is the 'pinnacle' of programming and the desired goal of every automated trading developer. Read the articles in this section to create your own trading robot. By following the described steps you will learn how to create, debug and test automated trading systems.

The articles not only teach MQL5 programming, but also show how to implement trading ideas and techniques. You will learn how to program a trailing stop, how to apply money management, how to get the indicator values, and much more.

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MQL5 Wizard: Placing Orders, Stop-Losses and Take Profits on Calculated Prices. Standard Library Extension
MQL5 Wizard: Placing Orders, Stop-Losses and Take Profits on Calculated Prices. Standard Library Extension

MQL5 Wizard: Placing Orders, Stop-Losses and Take Profits on Calculated Prices. Standard Library Extension

This article describes the MQL5 Standard Library extension, which allows to create Expert Advisors, place orders, Stop Losses and Take Profits using the MQL5 Wizard by the prices received from included modules. This approach does not apply any additional restrictions on the number of modules and does not cause conflicts in their joint work.
Liquid Chart
Liquid Chart

Liquid Chart

Would you like to see an hourly chart with bars opening from the second and the fifth minute of the hour? What does a redrawn chart look like when the opening time of bars is changing every minute? What advantages does trading on such charts have? You will find answers to these questions in this article.
MQL5 Cookbook: Handling Custom Chart Events
MQL5 Cookbook: Handling Custom Chart Events

MQL5 Cookbook: Handling Custom Chart Events

This article considers aspects of design and development of custom chart events system in the MQL5 environment. An example of an approach to the events classification can also be found here, as well as a program code for a class of events and a class of custom events handler.
MQL5 Cookbook - Multi-Currency Expert Advisor and Working with Pending Orders in MQL5
MQL5 Cookbook - Multi-Currency Expert Advisor and Working with Pending Orders in MQL5

MQL5 Cookbook - Multi-Currency Expert Advisor and Working with Pending Orders in MQL5

This time we are going to create a multi-currency Expert Advisor with a trading algorithm based on work with the pending orders Buy Stop and Sell Stop. This article considers the following matters: trading in a specified time range, placing/modifying/deleting pending orders, checking if the last position was closed at Take Profit or Stop Loss and control of the deals history for each symbol.
Building a Social Technology Startup, Part I: Tweet Your MetaTrader 5 Signals
Building a Social Technology Startup, Part I: Tweet Your MetaTrader 5 Signals

Building a Social Technology Startup, Part I: Tweet Your MetaTrader 5 Signals

Today we will learn how to link an MetaTrader 5 terminal with Twitter so that you can tweet your EAs' trading signals. We are developing a Social Decision Support System in PHP based on a RESTful web service. This idea comes from a particular conception of automatic trading called computer-assisted trading. We want the cognitive abilities of human traders to filter those trading signals which otherwise would be automatically placed on the market by the Expert Advisors.
Common Errors in MQL4 Programs and How to Avoid Them
Common Errors in MQL4 Programs and How to Avoid Them

Common Errors in MQL4 Programs and How to Avoid Them

To avoid critical completion of programs, the previous version compiler handled many errors in the runtime environment. For example, division by zero or array out of range are critical errors and usually lead to program crash. The new compiler can detect actual or potential sources of errors and improve code quality. In this article, we discuss possible errors that can be detected during compilation of old programs and see how to fix them.
Working with GSM Modem from an MQL5 Expert Advisor
Working with GSM Modem from an MQL5 Expert Advisor

Working with GSM Modem from an MQL5 Expert Advisor

There is currently a fair number of means for a comfortable remote monitoring of a trading account: mobile terminals, push notifications, working with ICQ. But it all requires Internet connection. This article describes the process of creating an Expert Advisor that will allow you to stay in touch with your trading terminal even when mobile Internet is not available, through calls and text messaging.
Creating a Multi-Currency Multi-System Expert Advisor
Creating a Multi-Currency Multi-System Expert Advisor

Creating a Multi-Currency Multi-System Expert Advisor

The article introduces a structure for an Expert Advisor that trades multiple symbols and uses several trading systems simultaneously. If you already identified the optimal input parameters for all your EAs and got good backtesting results for each of them separately, ask yourself what results you would get if testing all EAs simultaneously, with all your strategies put together.
Raise Your Linear Trading Systems to the Power
Raise Your Linear Trading Systems to the Power

Raise Your Linear Trading Systems to the Power

Today's article shows intermediate MQL5 programmers how they can get more profit from their linear trading systems (Fixed Lot) by easily implementing the so-called technique of exponentiation. This is because the resulting equity curve growth is then geometric, or exponential, taking the form of a parabola. Specifically, we will implement a practical MQL5 variant of the Fixed Fractional position sizing developed by Ralph Vince.
MQL5 Cookbook: Sound Notifications for MetaTrader 5 Trade Events
MQL5 Cookbook: Sound Notifications for MetaTrader 5 Trade Events

MQL5 Cookbook: Sound Notifications for MetaTrader 5 Trade Events

In this article, we will consider such issues as including sound files in the file of the Expert Advisor, and thus adding sound notifications to trade events. The fact that the files will be included means that the sound files will be located inside the Expert Advisor. So when giving the compiled version of the Expert Advisor (*.ex5) to another user, you will not have to also provide the sound files and explain where they need to be saved.
Marvel Your MQL5 Customers with a Usable Cocktail of Technologies!
Marvel Your MQL5 Customers with a Usable Cocktail of Technologies!

Marvel Your MQL5 Customers with a Usable Cocktail of Technologies!

MQL5 provides programmers with a very complete set of functions and object-oriented API thanks to which they can do everything they want within the MetaTrader environment. However, Web Technology is an extremely versatile tool nowadays that may come to the rescue in some situations when you need to do something very specific, want to marvel your customers with something different or simply you do not have enough time to master a specific part of MT5 Standard Library. Today's exercise walks you through a practical example about how you can manage your development time at the same time as you also create an amazing tech cocktail.
MQL5 Wizard: How to Teach an EA to Open Pending Orders at Any Price
MQL5 Wizard: How to Teach an EA to Open Pending Orders at Any Price

MQL5 Wizard: How to Teach an EA to Open Pending Orders at Any Price

The article describes a method of modifying the code of a trading signal module for the implementation of the functionality allowing you to set pending orders at any distance from the current price: it may be the Close or Open price of the previous bar or the value of the moving average. There are plenty of options. Important is that you can set any opening price for a pending order. This article will be useful to traders who trade with pending orders.
MQL5 Cookbook: Reducing the Effect of Overfitting and Handling the Lack of Quotes
MQL5 Cookbook: Reducing the Effect of Overfitting and Handling the Lack of Quotes

MQL5 Cookbook: Reducing the Effect of Overfitting and Handling the Lack of Quotes

Whatever trading strategy you use, there will always be a question of what parameters to choose to ensure future profits. This article gives an example of an Expert Advisor with a possibility to optimize multiple symbol parameters at the same time. This method is intended to reduce the effect of overfitting parameters and handle situations where data from a single symbol are not enough for the study.
Trading Signal Generator Based on a Custom Indicator
Trading Signal Generator Based on a Custom Indicator

Trading Signal Generator Based on a Custom Indicator

How to create a trading signal generator based on a custom indicator? How to create a custom indicator? How to get access to custom indicator data? Why do we need the IS_PATTERN_USAGE(0) structure and model 0?
Building an Automatic News Trader
Building an Automatic News Trader

Building an Automatic News Trader

This is the continuation of Another MQL5 OOP class article which showed you how to build a simple OO EA from scratch and gave you some tips on object-oriented programming. Today I am showing you the technical basics needed to develop an EA able to trade the news. My goal is to keep on giving you ideas about OOP and also cover a new topic in this series of articles, working with the file system.
MQL5 Cookbook: Writing the History of Deals to a File and Creating Balance Charts for Each Symbol in Excel
MQL5 Cookbook: Writing the History of Deals to a File and Creating Balance Charts for Each Symbol in Excel

MQL5 Cookbook: Writing the History of Deals to a File and Creating Balance Charts for Each Symbol in Excel

When communicating in various forums, I often used examples of my test results displayed as screenshots of Microsoft Excel charts. I have many times been asked to explain how such charts can be created. Finally, I now have some time to explain it all in this article.
Another MQL5 OOP Class
Another MQL5 OOP Class

Another MQL5 OOP Class

This article shows you how to build an Object-Oriented Expert Advisor from scratch, from conceiving a theoretical trading idea to programming a MQL5 EA that makes that idea real in the empirical world. Learning by doing is IMHO a solid approach to succeed, so I am showing a practical example in order for you to see how you can order your ideas to finally code your Forex robots. My goal is also to invite you to adhere the OO principles.
MQL5 Cookbook: Developing a Multi-Currency Expert Advisor with Unlimited Number of Parameters
MQL5 Cookbook: Developing a Multi-Currency Expert Advisor with Unlimited Number of Parameters

MQL5 Cookbook: Developing a Multi-Currency Expert Advisor with Unlimited Number of Parameters

In this article, we will create a pattern that uses a single set of parameters for optimization of a trading system, while allowing for unlimited number of parameters. The list of symbols will be created in a standard text file (*.txt). Input parameters for each symbol will also be stored in files. This way we will be able to circumvent the restriction of the terminal on the number of input parameters of an Expert Advisor.
Mechanical Trading System "Chuvashov's Triangle"
Mechanical Trading System "Chuvashov's Triangle"

Mechanical Trading System "Chuvashov's Triangle"

Let me offer you an overview and the program code of the mechanical trading system based on ideas of Stanislav Chuvashov. Triangle's construction is based on the intersection of two trend lines built by the upper and lower fractals.
MQL5 Cookbook: Multi-Currency Expert Advisor - Simple, Neat and Quick Approach
MQL5 Cookbook: Multi-Currency Expert Advisor - Simple, Neat and Quick Approach

MQL5 Cookbook: Multi-Currency Expert Advisor - Simple, Neat and Quick Approach

This article will describe an implementation of a simple approach suitable for a multi-currency Expert Advisor. This means that you will be able to set up the Expert Advisor for testing/trading under identical conditions but with different parameters for each symbol. As an example, we will create a pattern for two symbols but in such a way so as to be able to add additional symbols, if necessary, by making small changes to the code.
MQL5 Cookbook: Developing a Framework for a Trading System Based on the Triple Screen Strategy
MQL5 Cookbook: Developing a Framework for a Trading System Based on the Triple Screen Strategy

MQL5 Cookbook: Developing a Framework for a Trading System Based on the Triple Screen Strategy

In this article, we will develop a framework for a trading system based on the Triple Screen strategy in MQL5. The Expert Advisor will not be developed from scratch. Instead, we will simply modify the program from the previous article "MQL5 Cookbook: Using Indicators to Set Trading Conditions in Expert Advisors" which already substantially serves our purpose. So the article will also demonstrate how you can easily modify patterns of ready-made programs.
MQL5 Cookbook: Using Indicators to Set Trading Conditions in Expert Advisors
MQL5 Cookbook: Using Indicators to Set Trading Conditions in Expert Advisors

MQL5 Cookbook: Using Indicators to Set Trading Conditions in Expert Advisors

In this article, we will continue to modify the Expert Advisor we have been working on throughout the preceding articles of the MQL5 Cookbook series. This time, the Expert Advisor will be enhanced with indicators whose values will be used to check position opening conditions. To spice it up, we will create a drop-down list in the external parameters to be able to select one out of three trading indicators.
MQL5 Cookbook: The History of Deals And Function Library for Getting Position Properties
MQL5 Cookbook: The History of Deals And Function Library for Getting Position Properties

MQL5 Cookbook: The History of Deals And Function Library for Getting Position Properties

It is time to briefly summarize the information provided in the previous articles on position properties. In this article, we will create a few additional functions to get the properties that can only be obtained after accessing the history of deals. We will also get familiar with data structures that will allow us to access position and symbol properties in a more convenient way.
MQL5 Programming Basics: Time
MQL5 Programming Basics: Time

MQL5 Programming Basics: Time

The article focuses on standard MQL5 functions for working with time, as well as programming techniques and practically useful functions for working with time that are required when creating Expert Advisors and indicators. Particular attention is paid to the general theory of time measurement. This article should be of interest primarily to novice MQL5 programmers.
Debugging MQL5 Programs
Debugging MQL5 Programs

Debugging MQL5 Programs

This article is intended primarily for the programmers who have already learned the language but have not fully mastered the program development yet. It reveals some debugging techniques and presents a combined experience of the author and many other programmers.
MQL5 Cookbook: How to Avoid Errors When Setting/Modifying Trade Levels
MQL5 Cookbook: How to Avoid Errors When Setting/Modifying Trade Levels

MQL5 Cookbook: How to Avoid Errors When Setting/Modifying Trade Levels

In continuation of our work on the Expert Advisor from the previous article of the series called "MQL5 Cookbook: Analyzing Position Properties in the MetaTrader 5 Strategy Tester", we will enhance it with a whole lot of useful functions, as well as improve and optimize the existing ones. The Expert Advisor will this time have external parameters that can be optimized in the MetaTrader 5 Strategy Tester and will in some ways resemble a simple trading system.
MQL5 Cookbook: Analyzing Position Properties in the MetaTrader 5 Strategy Tester
MQL5 Cookbook: Analyzing Position Properties in the MetaTrader 5 Strategy Tester

MQL5 Cookbook: Analyzing Position Properties in the MetaTrader 5 Strategy Tester

We will present a modified version of the Expert Advisor from the previous article "MQL5 Cookbook: Position Properties on the Custom Info Panel". Some of the issues we will address include getting data from bars, checking for new bar events on the current symbol, including a trade class of the Standard Library to a file, creating a function to search for trading signals and a function for executing trading operations, as well as determining trade events in the OnTrade() function.
MQL5 Cookbook: Position Properties on the Custom Info Panel
MQL5 Cookbook: Position Properties on the Custom Info Panel

MQL5 Cookbook: Position Properties on the Custom Info Panel

This time we will create a simple Expert Advisor that will get position properties on the current symbol and display them on the custom info panel during manual trading. The info panel will be created using graphical objects and displayed information will be refreshed at every tick. This is going to be much more convenient than all the time having to manually run the script described in the previous article of the series called "MQL5 Cookbook: Getting Position Properties".
MetaTrader 4 Expert Advisor exchanges information with the outside world
MetaTrader 4 Expert Advisor exchanges information with the outside world

MetaTrader 4 Expert Advisor exchanges information with the outside world

A simple, universal and reliable solution of information exchange between МetaТrader 4 Expert Advisor and the outside world. Suppliers and consumers of the information can be located on different computers, the connection is performed through the global IP addresses.
Change Expert Advisor Parameters From the User Panel "On the Fly"
Change Expert Advisor Parameters From the User Panel "On the Fly"

Change Expert Advisor Parameters From the User Panel "On the Fly"

This article provides a small example demonstrating the implementation of an Expert Advisor whose parameters can be controlled from the user panel. When changing the parameters "on the fly", the Expert Advisor writes the values obtained from the info panel to a file to further read them from the file and display accordingly on the panel. This article may be relevant to those who trade manually or in semi-automatic mode.
Order Strategies. Multi-Purpose Expert Advisor
Order Strategies. Multi-Purpose Expert Advisor

Order Strategies. Multi-Purpose Expert Advisor

This article centers around strategies that actively use pending orders, a metalanguage that can be created to formally describe such strategies and the use of a multi-purpose Expert Advisor whose operation is based on those descriptions
Neural Networks: From Theory to Practice
Neural Networks: From Theory to Practice

Neural Networks: From Theory to Practice

Nowadays, every trader must have heard of neural networks and knows how cool it is to use them. The majority believes that those who can deal with neural networks are some kind of superhuman. In this article, I will try to explain to you the neural network architecture, describe its applications and show examples of practical use.
How Secure Is It to Buy MQL5 Market Products?
How Secure Is It to Buy MQL5 Market Products?

How Secure Is It to Buy MQL5 Market Products?

We have launched the service for selling MetaTrader 5 trading applications paying much attention to security issues. We have minimized all associated risks to allow you to concentrate on more important matters - searching for the most suitable trading robot!
Quick Start: Short Guide for Beginners
Quick Start: Short Guide for Beginners

Quick Start: Short Guide for Beginners

Hello dear reader! In this article, I will try to explain and show you how you can easily and quickly get the hang of the principles of creating Expert Advisors, working with indicators, etc. It is beginner-oriented and will not feature any difficult or abstruse examples.
Trade Operations in MQL5 - It's Easy
Trade Operations in MQL5 - It's Easy

Trade Operations in MQL5 - It's Easy

Almost all traders come to market to make money but some traders also enjoy the process itself. However, it is not only manual trading that can provide you with an exciting experience. Automated trading systems development can also be quite absorbing. Creating a trading robot can be as interesting as reading a good mystery novel.
Application of the Eigen-Coordinates Method to Structural Analysis of Nonextensive Statistical Distributions
Application of the Eigen-Coordinates Method to Structural Analysis of Nonextensive Statistical Distributions

Application of the Eigen-Coordinates Method to Structural Analysis of Nonextensive Statistical Distributions

The major problem of applied statistics is the problem of accepting statistical hypotheses. It was long considered impossible to be solved. The situation has changed with the emergence of the eigen-coordinates method. It is a fine and powerful tool for a structural study of a signal allowing to see more than what is possible using methods of modern applied statistics. The article focuses on practical use of this method and sets forth programs in MQL5. It also deals with the problem of function identification using as an example the distribution introduced by Hilhorst and Schehr.
AutoElliottWaveMaker - MetaTrader 5 Tool for Semi-Automatic Analysis of Elliott Waves
AutoElliottWaveMaker - MetaTrader 5 Tool for Semi-Automatic Analysis of Elliott Waves

AutoElliottWaveMaker - MetaTrader 5 Tool for Semi-Automatic Analysis of Elliott Waves

The article provides a review of AutoElliottWaveMaker - the first development for Elliott Wave analysis in MetaTrader 5 that represents a combination of manual and automatic wave labeling. The wave analysis tool is written exclusively in MQL5 and does not include external dll libraries. This is another proof that sophisticated and interesting programs can (and should) be developed in MQL5.
How to Develop an Expert Advisor using UML Tools
How to Develop an Expert Advisor using UML Tools

How to Develop an Expert Advisor using UML Tools

This article discusses creation of Expert Advisors using the UML graphical language, which is used for visual modeling of object-oriented software systems. The main advantage of this approach is the visualization of the modeling process. The article contains an example that shows modeling of the structure and properties of an Expert Advisor using the Software Ideas Modeler.
Simple Trading Systems Using Semaphore Indicators
Simple Trading Systems Using Semaphore Indicators

Simple Trading Systems Using Semaphore Indicators

If we thoroughly examine any complex trading system, we will see that it is based on a set of simple trading signals. Therefore, there is no need for novice developers to start writing complex algorithms immediately. This article provides an example of a trading system that uses semaphore indicators to perform deals.
Trademinator 3: Rise of the Trading Machines
Trademinator 3: Rise of the Trading Machines

Trademinator 3: Rise of the Trading Machines

In the article "Dr. Tradelove..." we created an Expert Advisor, which independently optimizes parameters of a pre-selected trading system. Moreover, we decided to create an Expert Advisor that can not only optimize parameters of one trading system underlying the EA, but also select the best one of several trading systems. Let's see what can come of it...