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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The MQL5 Standard Library Explorer (Part 9): Using ALGLIB to Filter Excessive MA Crossover Signals

The MQL5 Standard Library Explorer (Part 9): Using ALGLIB to Filter Excessive MA Crossover Signals

During sideways price movements, traders face excessive signals from multiple moving average crossovers. Today, we discuss how ALGLIB preprocesses raw price data to produce filtered crossover layers, which can also generate alerts when they occur. Join this discussion to learn how a mathematical library can be leveraged in MQL5 programs.
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Timeseries in DoEasy library (part 53): Abstract base indicator class

Timeseries in DoEasy library (part 53): Abstract base indicator class

The article considers creation of an abstract indicator which further will be used as the base class to create objects of library’s standard and custom indicators.
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Training a multilayer perceptron using the Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm

Training a multilayer perceptron using the Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm

The article presents an implementation of the Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm for training feedforward neural networks. A comparative analysis of performance with algorithms from the scikit-learn Python library has been conducted. Simpler learning methods, such as gradient descent, gradient descent with momentum, and stochastic gradient descent are preliminarily discussed.
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Volumetric neural network analysis as a key to future trends

Volumetric neural network analysis as a key to future trends

The article explores the possibility of improving price forecasting based on trading volume analysis by integrating technical analysis principles with LSTM neural network architecture. Particular attention is paid to the detection and interpretation of anomalous volumes, the use of clustering and the creation of features based on volumes and their definition in the context of machine learning.
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Integrate Your Own LLM into EA (Part 1): Hardware and Environment Deployment

Integrate Your Own LLM into EA (Part 1): Hardware and Environment Deployment

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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Developing a robot in Python and MQL5 (Part 2): Model selection, creation and training, Python custom tester

Developing a robot in Python and MQL5 (Part 2): Model selection, creation and training, Python custom tester

We continue the series of articles on developing a trading robot in Python and MQL5. Today we will solve the problem of selecting and training a model, testing it, implementing cross-validation, grid search, as well as the problem of model ensemble.
MQL5 Market Results for Q1 2013
MQL5 Market Results for Q1 2013

MQL5 Market Results for Q1 2013

Since its founding, the store of trading robots and technical indicators MQL5 Market has already attracted more than 250 developers who have published 580 products. The first quarter of 2013 has turned out to be quite successful for some MQL5 Market sellers who have managed to make handsome profit by selling their products.
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Build Self Optimizing Expert Advisors in MQL5 (Part 8): Multiple Strategy Analysis

Build Self Optimizing Expert Advisors in MQL5 (Part 8): Multiple Strategy Analysis

How best can we combine multiple strategies to create a powerful ensemble strategy? Join us in this discussion as we look to fit together three different strategies into our trading application. Traders often employ specialized strategies for opening and closing positions, and we want to know if our machines can perform this task better. For our opening discussion, we will get familiar with the faculties of the strategy tester and the principles of OOP we will need for this task.
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Self Optimizing Expert Advisor with MQL5 And Python (Part III): Cracking The Boom 1000 Algorithm

Self Optimizing Expert Advisor with MQL5 And Python (Part III): Cracking The Boom 1000 Algorithm

In this series of articles, we discuss how we can build Expert Advisors capable of autonomously adjusting themselves to dynamic market conditions. In today's article, we will attempt to tune a deep neural network to Deriv's synthetic markets.
Andrey Voitenko (avoitenko): "Developers benefit from the ideas that they code? Nonsense!"
Andrey Voitenko (avoitenko): "Developers benefit from the ideas that they code? Nonsense!"

Andrey Voitenko (avoitenko): "Developers benefit from the ideas that they code? Nonsense!"

A Ukrainian developer Andrey Voitenko (avoitenko) is an active participant of the "Jobs" service at mql5.com, helping traders from all over the world to implement their ideas. Last year Andrey's Expert Advisor was on the fourth place in the Automated Trading Championship 2010, being slightly behind the bronze winner. This time we are discussing the Jobs service with Andrey.
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Building a Candlestick Trend Constraint Model (Part 8): Expert Advisor Development (I)

Building a Candlestick Trend Constraint Model (Part 8): Expert Advisor Development (I)

In this discussion, we will create our first Expert Advisor in MQL5 based on the indicator we made in the prior article. We will cover all the features required to make the process automatic, including risk management. This will extensively benefit the users to advance from manual execution of trades to automated systems.
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The Parafrac V2 Oscillator: Integrating Parabolic SAR with Average True Range

The Parafrac V2 Oscillator: Integrating Parabolic SAR with Average True Range

The Parafrac V2 Oscillator is an advanced technical analysis tool that integrates the Parabolic SAR with the Average True Range (ATR) to overcome limitations of its predecessor, which relied on fractals and was prone to signal spikes overshadowing previous and current signals. By leveraging ATR’s volatility measure, the version 2 offers a smoother, more reliable method for detecting trends, reversals, and divergences, helping traders reduce chart congestion and analysis paralysis.
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Building A Candlestick Trend Constraint Model (Part 9): Multiple Strategies Expert Advisor (I)

Building A Candlestick Trend Constraint Model (Part 9): Multiple Strategies Expert Advisor (I)

Today, we will explore the possibilities of incorporating multiple strategies into an Expert Advisor (EA) using MQL5. Expert Advisors provide broader capabilities than just indicators and scripts, allowing for more sophisticated trading approaches that can adapt to changing market conditions. Find, more in this article discussion.
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From Novice to Expert: Predictive Price Pathways

From Novice to Expert: Predictive Price Pathways

Fibonacci levels provide a practical framework that markets often respect, highlighting price zones where reactions are more likely. In this article, we build an expert advisor that applies Fibonacci retracement logic to anticipate likely future moves and trade retracements with pending orders. Explore the full workflow—from swing detection to level plotting, risk controls, and execution.
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Building a Candlestick Trend Constraint Model (Part 9): Multiple Strategies Expert Advisor (III)

Building a Candlestick Trend Constraint Model (Part 9): Multiple Strategies Expert Advisor (III)

Welcome to the third installment of our trend series! Today, we’ll delve into the use of divergence as a strategy for identifying optimal entry points within the prevailing daily trend. We’ll also introduce a custom profit-locking mechanism, similar to a trailing stop-loss, but with unique enhancements. In addition, we’ll upgrade the Trend Constraint Expert to a more advanced version, incorporating a new trade execution condition to complement the existing ones. As we move forward, we’ll continue to explore the practical application of MQL5 in algorithmic development, providing you with more in-depth insights and actionable techniques.
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Neural networks made easy (Part 33): Quantile regression in distributed Q-learning

Neural networks made easy (Part 33): Quantile regression in distributed Q-learning

We continue studying distributed Q-learning. Today we will look at this approach from the other side. We will consider the possibility of using quantile regression to solve price prediction tasks.
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Developing Market Memory Zones Indicator: Where Price Is Likely To Return

Developing Market Memory Zones Indicator: Where Price Is Likely To Return

In this discussion, we will develop an indicator to identify price zones created by strong market activity, such as impulsive moves, structure shifts, and liquidity events. These zones represent areas where the market has left “memory” due to unfilled orders or rapid price displacement. By marking these regions on the chart, the indicator highlights where price is statistically more likely to revisit and react in the future.
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MQL5 Trading Toolkit (Part 2): Expanding and Implementing the Positions Management EX5 Library

MQL5 Trading Toolkit (Part 2): Expanding and Implementing the Positions Management EX5 Library

Learn how to import and use EX5 libraries in your MQL5 code or projects. In this continuation article, we will expand the EX5 library by adding more position management functions to the existing library and creating two Expert Advisors. The first example will use the Variable Index Dynamic Average Technical Indicator to develop a trailing stop trading strategy expert advisor, while the second example will utilize a trade panel to monitor, open, close, and modify positions. These two examples will demonstrate how to use and implement the upgraded EX5 position management library.
Graphics in DoEasy library (Part 84): Descendant classes of the abstract standard graphical object
Graphics in DoEasy library (Part 84): Descendant classes of the abstract standard graphical object

Graphics in DoEasy library (Part 84): Descendant classes of the abstract standard graphical object

In this article, I will consider creation of descendant objects for the terminal abstract standard graphical object. The class object describes the properties that are common for all graphical objects. So, it is simply some kind of a graphical object. To clarify its affiliation with a real graphical object, we need to set the properties inherent in this particular graphical object in the descendant object class.
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Swing Extremes and Pullbacks in MQL5 (Part 3): Defining Structural Validity Beyond Simple Highs/Lows

Swing Extremes and Pullbacks in MQL5 (Part 3): Defining Structural Validity Beyond Simple Highs/Lows

This article presents an MQL5 Expert Advisor that upgrades raw swing detection to a rule-based Structural Validation Engine. Swings are confirmed by a break of structure, displacement, liquidity sweeps, or time-based respect, then linked to a liquidity map and a structural state machine. The result is context-aware entries and stops anchored to validated levels, helping filter noise and systematize execution.
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Neural Networks in Trading: A Multimodal, Tool-Augmented Agent for Financial Markets (FinAgent)

Neural Networks in Trading: A Multimodal, Tool-Augmented Agent for Financial Markets (FinAgent)

We invite you to explore FinAgent, a multimodal financial trading agent framework designed to analyze various types of data reflecting market dynamics and historical trading patterns.
Who Is Who in MQL5.community?
Who Is Who in MQL5.community?

Who Is Who in MQL5.community?

The MQL5.com website remembers all of you quite well! How many of your threads are epic, how popular your articles are and how often your programs in the Code Base are downloaded – this is only a small part of what is remembered at MQL5.com. Your achievements are available in your profile, but what about the overall picture? In this article we will show the general picture of all MQL5.community members achievements.
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Automating Trading Strategies in MQL5 (Part 28): Creating a Price Action Bat Harmonic Pattern with Visual Feedback

Automating Trading Strategies in MQL5 (Part 28): Creating a Price Action Bat Harmonic Pattern with Visual Feedback

In this article, we develop a Bat Pattern system in MQL5 that identifies bullish and bearish Bat harmonic patterns using pivot points and Fibonacci ratios, triggering trades with precise entry, stop loss, and take-profit levels, enhanced with visual feedback through chart objects
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Automating Trading Strategies in MQL5 (Part 39): Statistical Mean Reversion with Confidence Intervals and Dashboard

Automating Trading Strategies in MQL5 (Part 39): Statistical Mean Reversion with Confidence Intervals and Dashboard

In this article, we develop an MQL5 Expert Advisor for statistical mean reversion trading, calculating moments like mean, variance, skewness, kurtosis, and Jarque-Bera statistics over a specified period to identify non-normal distributions and generate buy/sell signals based on confidence intervals with adaptive thresholds
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Automating Trading Strategies in MQL5 (Part 33): Creating a Price Action Shark Harmonic Pattern System

Automating Trading Strategies in MQL5 (Part 33): Creating a Price Action Shark Harmonic Pattern System

In this article, we develop a Shark pattern system in MQL5 that identifies bullish and bearish Shark harmonic patterns using pivot points and Fibonacci ratios, executing trades with customizable entry, stop-loss, and take-profit levels based on user-selected options. We enhance trader insight with visual feedback through chart objects like triangles, trendlines, and labels to clearly display the X-A-B-C-D pattern structure
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Black-Scholes Greeks: Gamma and Delta

Black-Scholes Greeks: Gamma and Delta

Gamma and Delta measure how an option’s value reacts to changes in the underlying asset’s price. Delta represents the rate of change of the option’s price relative to the underlying, while Gamma measures how Delta itself changes as price moves. Together, they describe an option’s directional sensitivity and convexity—critical for dynamic hedging and volatility-based trading strategies.
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From Novice to Expert: Automating Trade Discipline with an MQL5 Risk Enforcement EA

From Novice to Expert: Automating Trade Discipline with an MQL5 Risk Enforcement EA

For many traders, the gap between knowing a risk rule and following it consistently is where accounts go to die. Emotional overrides, revenge trading, and simple oversight can dismantle even the best strategy. Today, we will transform the MetaTrader 5 platform into an unwavering enforcer of your trading rules by developing a Risk Enforcement Expert Advisor. Join this discussion to find out more.
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Experiments with neural networks (Part 3): Practical application

Experiments with neural networks (Part 3): Practical application

In this article series, I use experimentation and non-standard approaches to develop a profitable trading system and check whether neural networks can be of any help for traders. MetaTrader 5 is approached as a self-sufficient tool for using neural networks in trading.
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Artificial Algae Algorithm (AAA)

Artificial Algae Algorithm (AAA)

The article considers the Artificial Algae Algorithm (AAA) based on biological processes characteristic of microalgae. The algorithm includes spiral motion, evolutionary process and adaptation, which allows it to solve optimization problems. The article provides an in-depth analysis of the working principles of AAA and its potential in mathematical modeling, highlighting the connection between nature and algorithmic solutions.
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Filtering and feature extraction in the frequency domain

Filtering and feature extraction in the frequency domain

In this article we explore the application of digital filters on time series represented in the frequency domain so as to extract unique features that may be useful to prediction models.
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Price Action Analysis Toolkit Development (Part 65): Building an MQL5 System to Monitor and Analyze Manually Drawn Fibonacci Levels

Price Action Analysis Toolkit Development (Part 65): Building an MQL5 System to Monitor and Analyze Manually Drawn Fibonacci Levels

The Fibonacci retracement tool is an essential component of price action analysis, providing critical levels for potential market reactions. However, its effectiveness is often limited by the need for continuous human monitoring, which can lead to missed setups. In this part of our series, we introduce a tool that synchronizes and actively monitors manually drawn Fibonacci levels using MQL5, combining discretionary insight with automated oversight.
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DoEasy. Controls (Part 18): Functionality for scrolling tabs in TabControl

DoEasy. Controls (Part 18): Functionality for scrolling tabs in TabControl

In this article, I will place header scrolling control buttons in TabControl WinForms object in case the header bar does not fit the size of the control. Besides, I will implement the shift of the header bar when clicking on the cropped tab header.
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Developing a trading Expert Advisor from scratch (Part 17): Accessing data on the web (III)

Developing a trading Expert Advisor from scratch (Part 17): Accessing data on the web (III)

In this article we continue considering how to obtain data from the web and to use it in an Expert Advisor. This time we will proceed to developing an alternative system.
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SP500 Trading Strategy in MQL5 For Beginners

SP500 Trading Strategy in MQL5 For Beginners

Discover how to leverage MQL5 to forecast the S&P 500 with precision, blending in classical technical analysis for added stability and combining algorithms with time-tested principles for robust market insights.
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StringFormat(). Review and ready-made examples

StringFormat(). Review and ready-made examples

The article continues the review of the PrintFormat() function. We will briefly look at formatting strings using StringFormat() and their further use in the program. We will also write templates to display symbol data in the terminal journal. The article will be useful for both beginners and experienced developers.
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Price Action Analysis Toolkit Development (Part 54): Filtering Trends with EMA and Smoothed Price Action

Price Action Analysis Toolkit Development (Part 54): Filtering Trends with EMA and Smoothed Price Action

This article explores a method that combines Heikin‑Ashi smoothing with EMA20 High and Low boundaries and an EMA50 trend filter to improve trade clarity and timing. It demonstrates how these tools can help traders identify genuine momentum, filter out noise, and better navigate volatile or trending markets.
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Introduction to MQL5 (Part 18): Introduction to Wolfe Wave Pattern

Introduction to MQL5 (Part 18): Introduction to Wolfe Wave Pattern

This article explains the Wolfe Wave pattern in detail, covering both the bearish and bullish variations. It also breaks down the step-by-step logic used to identify valid buy and sell setups based on this advanced chart pattern.
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Gain An Edge Over Any Market (Part V): FRED EURUSD Alternative Data

Gain An Edge Over Any Market (Part V): FRED EURUSD Alternative Data

In today’s discussion, we used alternative Daily data from the St. Louis Federal Reserve on the Broad US-Dollar Index and a collection of other macroeconomic indicators to predict the EURUSD future exchange rate. Unfortunately, while the data appears to have almost perfect correlation, we failed to realize any material gains in our model accuracy, possibly suggesting to us that investors may be better off using ordinary market quotes instead.
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Neural Networks in Trading: Models Using Wavelet Transform and Multi-Task Attention (Final Part)

Neural Networks in Trading: Models Using Wavelet Transform and Multi-Task Attention (Final Part)

In the previous article, we explored the theoretical foundations and began implementing the approaches of the Multitask-Stockformer framework, which combines the wavelet transform and the Self-Attention multitask model. We continue to implement the algorithms of this framework and evaluate their effectiveness on real historical data.
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Timeseries in DoEasy library (part 52): Cross-platform nature of multi-period multi-symbol  single-buffer standard indicators

Timeseries in DoEasy library (part 52): Cross-platform nature of multi-period multi-symbol single-buffer standard indicators

In the article, consider creation of multi-symbol multi-period standard indicator Accumulation/Distribution. Slightly improve library classes with respect to indicators so that, the programs developed for outdated platform MetaTrader 4 based on this library could work normally when switching over to MetaTrader 5.