Mastering File Operations in MQL5: From Basic I/O to Building a Custom CSV Reader
This article focuses on essential MQL5 file-handling techniques, spanning trade logs, CSV processing, and external data integration. It offers both conceptual understanding and hands-on coding guidance. Readers will learn to build a custom CSV importer class step-by-step, gaining practical skills for real-world applications.
Creating Custom Indicators in MQL5 (Part 4): Smart WaveTrend Crossover with Dual Oscillators
In this article, we develop a custom indicator in MQL5 called Smart WaveTrend Crossover, utilizing dual WaveTrend oscillators—one for generating crossover signals and another for trend filtering—with customizable parameters for channel, average, and moving average lengths. The indicator plots colored candles based on the trend direction, displays buy and sell arrow signals on crossovers, and includes options to enable trend confirmation and adjust visual elements like colors and offsets.
From Novice to Expert: Collaborative Debugging in MQL5
Problem-solving can establish a concise routine for mastering complex skills, such as programming in MQL5. This approach allows you to concentrate on solving problems while simultaneously developing your skills. The more problems you tackle, the more advanced expertise is transferred to your brain. Personally, I believe that debugging is the most effective way to master programming. Today, we will walk through the code-cleaning process and discuss the best techniques for transforming a messy program into a clean, functional one. Read through this article and uncover valuable insights.
Experiments with neural networks (Part 7): Passing indicators
Examples of passing indicators to a perceptron. The article describes general concepts and showcases the simplest ready-made Expert Advisor followed by the results of its optimization and forward test.
Timeseries in DoEasy library (part 51): Composite multi-period multi-symbol standard indicators
In the article, complete development of objects of multi-period multi-symbol standard indicators. Using Ichimoku Kinko Hyo standard indicator example, analyze creation of compound custom indicators which have auxiliary drawn buffers for displaying data on the chart.
Price Action Analysis Toolkit Development (Part 20): External Flow (IV) — Correlation Pathfinder
Correlation Pathfinder offers a fresh approach to understanding currency pair dynamics as part of the Price Action Analysis Toolkit Development Series. This tool automates data collection and analysis, providing insight into how pairs like EUR/USD and GBP/USD interact. Enhance your trading strategy with practical, real-time information that helps you manage risk and spot opportunities more effectively.
Benefiting from Forex market seasonality
We are all familiar with the concept of seasonality, for example, we are all accustomed to rising prices for fresh vegetables in winter or rising fuel prices during severe frosts, but few people know that similar patterns exist in the Forex market.
Building a Keltner Channel Indicator with Custom Canvas Graphics in MQL5
In this article, we build a Keltner Channel indicator with custom canvas graphics in MQL5. We detail the integration of moving averages, ATR calculations, and enhanced chart visualization. We also cover backtesting to evaluate the indicator’s performance for practical trading insights.
Building a Traditional Daily Pivot Point Indicator in MQL5
This article develops a rule-based daily pivot point indicator in MQL5 that uses the previous trading day's high, low, and close values to generate pivot, support, and resistance levels. It details historical data retrieval, pivot computation, chart object management, configurable label rendering, and automatic level updates as new trading days begin. The completed indicator displays multiple historical pivot sessions on the main chart for technical analysis on daily and lower timeframes.
Graphical Interfaces X: Updates for the Rendered table and code optimization (build 10)
We continue to complement the Rendered table (CCanvasTable) with new features. The table will now have: highlighting of the rows when hovered; ability to add an array of icons for each cell and a method for switching them; ability to set or modify the cell text during the runtime, and more.
Introduction to MQL5 (Part 42): Beginner Guide to File Handling in MQL5 (IV)
This article shows how to build an MQL5 indicator that reads a CSV trading history, extracts Profit($) values and total trades, and computes a cumulative balance progression. We plot the curve in a separate indicator window, auto-scale the Y-axis, and draw horizontal and vertical axes for alignment. The indicator updates on a timer and redraws only when new trades appear. Optional labels display per-trade profit and loss to help assess performance and drawdowns directly on the chart.
How to Detect Round-Number Liquidity in MQL5
The article presents an MQL5 method for detecting psychological round numbers by converting prices to strings and counting trailing zeros (ZeroSize). It outlines the theory of institutional liquidity at integers, explains the GetZeroCount logic with tick-size normalization to avoid floating‑point errors, and details hierarchical visualization. Case studies across forex, metals, and crypto, plus timeframe filters and inputs, show how to use confluence and basic risk controls in practice.
SQLite capabilities in MQL5: Example of a dashboard with trading statistics by symbols and magic numbers
In this article, we will consider creating an indicator that displays trading statistics on a dashboard by account and by symbols and trading strategies. We will implement the code based on examples from the Documentation and the article on working with databases.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Angle-based operations for traders
This article will cover angle-based operations. We will look at methods for constructing angles and using them in trading.
Creating Custom Indicators in MQL5 (Part 8): Adding Volume Integration for Deeper Market Profile Analysis
In this article, we enhance the hybrid Time Price Opportunity (TPO) market profile indicator in MQL5 by integrating volume data to calculate volume-based point of control, value areas, and volume-weighted average price with customizable highlighting options. The system introduces advanced features like initial balance detection, key level extension lines, split profiles, and alternative TPO characters such as squares or circles for improved visual analysis across multiple timeframes.
Applying L1 Trend Filtering in MetaTrader 5
This article explores the practical application of L1 trend filtering in MetaTrader 5, covering both its mathematical foundations and usage in MQL5 programs. The L1 filter enables extraction of piecewise-linear trends that preserve essential market structure while reducing price noise. The study analyzes parameter scaling, trend estimation behavior, and integration of the method into algorithmic trading strategies. Experimental results demonstrate how L1 trend filtering can enhance signal stability, trade timing, and overall robustness of trading systems.
Indicator of historical positions on the chart as their profit/loss diagram
In this article, I will consider the option of obtaining information about closed positions based on their trading history. Besides, I will create a simple indicator that displays the approximate profit/loss of positions on each bar as a diagram.
Price Action Analysis Toolkit Development (Part 69): Flag Pattern Detection in MQL5
This article shows how to convert subjective flag recognition into reproducible MQL5 logic for live charts. It combines ATR-normalized pole strength, retracement limits, consolidation structure checks, breakout confirmation, and overlap control. Readers gain a workable approach that renders adaptive channels and zones, updates active setups efficiently, and provides optional alerts for newly confirmed patterns.
Building a Volume Bubble Indicator in MQL5 Using Standard Deviation
The article demonstrates how to build a Volume Bubble Indicator in MQL5 that visualizes market activity using statistical normalization. It covers how to work with tick and real volume, compute the mean and standard deviation over a rolling window, and normalize volume values to identify relative strength. You will implement chart objects to display bubbles with dynamic size and color, providing a clear representation of volume intensity directly on the chart.
Chaos theory in trading (Part 2): Diving deeper
We continue our dive into chaos theory in financial markets. This time I will consider its applicability to the analysis of currencies and other assets.
From Novice to Expert: Automating Intraday Strategies
We translate the EMA‑50 retest idea into a behavior‑driven Expert Advisor for intraday trading. The study formalizes trend bias, EMA interaction (pierce and close), reaction confirmation, and optional filters, then implements them in MQL5 with modular functions and resource‑safe handles. Visual testing in the Strategy Tester verifies signal correctness. The result is a clear template for coding discretionary bounces.
Price Action Analysis Toolkit Development (Part 22): Correlation Dashboard
This tool is a Correlation Dashboard that calculates and displays real-time correlation coefficients across multiple currency pairs. By visualizing how pairs move in relation to one another, it adds valuable context to your price-action analysis and helps you anticipate inter-market dynamics. Read on to explore its features and applications.
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.
Feature Engineering for ML (Part 14): Trend-Scanning Features in MQL5
A naive MQL5 port of trend-scanning features recomputes each candidate window per bar at O(H·L) cost. This article introduces CTrendScanningFeatures.mqh, which maintains three running sums per horizon and updates them in O(1) per bar, verified against a Python reference. The indicator exposes four causal buffers - window, slope, t_value, rsquared - at the confirmation bar and corrects a sign inversion present in the original backward labeling mode.
Polynomial models in trading
This article is about orthogonal polynomials. Their use can become the basis for a more accurate and effective analysis of market information allowing traders to make more informed decisions.
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.
Building a Volume-Based Liquidity Heatmap Indicator in MQL5
This article implements an MQL5 Liquidity Heatmap that infers likely liquidation zones from price and volume. It qualifies bars with a rolling volume SMA, computes leverage-based liquidation levels from candle extremes, ranks signals across two volume modes, and manages chart objects (lines and bubbles) that extend until price crosses them, allowing you to highlight potential stop-hunt areas and strengthen structural analysis.
Building A Candlestick Trend Constraint Model (Part 4): Customizing Display Style For Each Trend Wave
In this article, we will explore the capabilities of the powerful MQL5 language in drawing various indicator styles on Meta Trader 5. We will also look at scripts and how they can be used in our model.
Adaptive Malaysian Engulfing Indicator (Part 2): Optimized Retest Bar Range
The article adds a self-adaptive layer to the Malaysian Engulfing indicator by optimizing the retest bar range with a constrained brute-force search scored by MFE and MAE. It details the data model, helper routines, and an MQL5 implementation that gathers historical setups, computes excursions, and selects the best parameter. Readers learn how to remove manual tuning and run the indicator with context-appropriate settings across symbols and timeframes.
Building an EquiVolume Indicator in MQL5
We implement an EquiVolume indicator in MQL5 that converts standard candlesticks into volume-weighted boxes. The workflow includes selecting volume type, detecting the maximum volume within a lookback range, normalizing all values against it, and mapping them into proportional box widths. The result is a chart-based structure that visualizes trading activity intensity alongside price movement in MetaTrader 5.
Sigma Score Indicator for MetaTrader 5: A Simple Statistical Anomaly Detector
Build a practical MetaTrader 5 “Sigma Score” indicator from scratch and learn what it really measures: The z-score of log returns (how many standard deviations the latest move is from the recent average). The article walks through every code block in OnInit(), OnCalculate(), and OnDeinit(), then shows how to interpret thresholds (e.g., ±2) and apply the Sigma Score as a simple “market stress meter” for mean-reversion and momentum trading.
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.
Elastic net regression using coordinate descent in MQL5
In this article we explore the practical implementation of elastic net regression to minimize overfitting and at the same time automatically separate useful predictors from those that have little prognostic power.
Foundation Models in Trading: Time Series Forecasting with Google's TimesFM 2.5 in MetaTrader 5
Time series forecasting in trading has evolved from traditional statistical models (like ARIMA) to deep learning approaches, but both require heavy tuning and training. Inspired by advances in NLP, Google’s TimesFM introduces a pretrained “foundation model” for time series that can perform strong forecasts even without task-specific training. For traders, this is powerful because it can be efficiently fine-tuned on their own data using lightweight methods like LoRA, reducing overfitting while adapting to changing market conditions.
Triangular and Sawtooth Waves: Analytical Tools for Traders
Wave analysis is one of the methods used in technical analysis. This article focuses on two less conventional wave patterns: triangular and sawtooth waves. These formations underpin a number of technical indicators designed for market price analysis.