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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Angle-based operations for traders

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.
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Building a Candlestick Trend Constraint Model (Part 10): Strategic Golden and Death Cross (EA)

Building a Candlestick Trend Constraint Model (Part 10): Strategic Golden and Death Cross (EA)

Did you know that the Golden Cross and Death Cross strategies, based on moving average crossovers, are some of the most reliable indicators for identifying long-term market trends? A Golden Cross signals a bullish trend when a shorter moving average crosses above a longer one, while a Death Cross indicates a bearish trend when the shorter average moves below. Despite their simplicity and effectiveness, manually applying these strategies often leads to missed opportunities or delayed trades.
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Creating a Trading Administrator Panel in MQL5 (Part V): Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

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!
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Pattern Recognition Using Dynamic Time Warping in MQL5

Pattern Recognition Using Dynamic Time Warping in MQL5

In this article, we discuss the concept of dynamic time warping as a means of identifying predictive patterns in financial time series. We will look into how it works as well as present its implementation in pure MQL5.
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Neural Networks Made Easy (Part 84): Reversible Normalization (RevIN)

Neural Networks Made Easy (Part 84): Reversible Normalization (RevIN)

We already know that pre-processing of the input data plays a major role in the stability of model training. To process "raw" input data online, we often use a batch normalization layer. But sometimes we need a reverse procedure. In this article, we discuss one of the possible approaches to solving this problem.
ATC Champions League: Interview with Roman Zamozhniy (ATC 2011)
ATC Champions League: Interview with Roman Zamozhniy (ATC 2011)

ATC Champions League: Interview with Roman Zamozhniy (ATC 2011)

This is the first interview in the "ATC Champions League" project. Roman Zamozhniy (Rich) from Ukraine was the winner of the first Automated Trading Championship in 2006. In addition, he is a regular participant of our Championships - he has not missed a single contest. In this interview, we talked about Roman's first place and tried to figure out what is necessary for successful participation.
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Category Theory in MQL5 (Part 7): Multi, Relative and Indexed Domains

Category Theory in MQL5 (Part 7): Multi, Relative and Indexed Domains

Category Theory is a diverse and expanding branch of Mathematics which is only recently getting some coverage in the MQL5 community. These series of articles look to explore and examine some of its concepts & axioms with the overall goal of establishing an open library that provides insight while also hopefully furthering the use of this remarkable field in Traders' strategy development.
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Developing a Replay System (Part 48): Understanding the concept of a service

Developing a Replay System (Part 48): Understanding the concept of a service

How about learning something new? In this article, you will learn how to convert scripts into services and why it is useful to do so.
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MQL5 Wizard Techniques you should know (Part 64): Using Patterns of DeMarker and Envelope Channels with the White-Noise Kernel

MQL5 Wizard Techniques you should know (Part 64): Using Patterns of DeMarker and Envelope Channels with the White-Noise Kernel

The DeMarker Oscillator and the Envelopes' indicator are momentum and support/ resistance tools that can be paired when developing an Expert Advisor. We continue from our last article that introduced these pair of indicators by adding machine learning to the mix. We are using a recurrent neural network that uses the white-noise kernel to process vectorized signals from these two indicators. This is done in a custom signal class file that works with the MQL5 wizard to assemble an Expert Advisor.
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Chaos theory in trading (Part 1): Introduction, application in financial markets and Lyapunov exponent

Chaos theory in trading (Part 1): Introduction, application in financial markets and Lyapunov exponent

Can chaos theory be applied to financial markets? In this article, we will consider how conventional Chaos theory and chaotic systems are different from the concept proposed by Bill Williams.
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Neural Networks in Trading: Dual-Attention-Based Trend Prediction Model

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.
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MQL5 Wizard Techniques you should know (Part 13): DBSCAN for Expert Signal Class

MQL5 Wizard Techniques you should know (Part 13): DBSCAN for Expert Signal Class

Density Based Spatial Clustering for Applications with Noise is an unsupervised form of grouping data that hardly requires any input parameters, save for just 2, which when compared to other approaches like k-means, is a boon. We delve into how this could be constructive for testing and eventually trading with Wizard assembled Expert Advisers
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From Novice to Expert: Parameter Control Utility

From Novice to Expert: Parameter Control Utility

Imagine transforming the traditional EA or indicator input properties into a real-time, on-chart control interface. This discussion builds upon our foundational work in the Market Periods Synchronizer indicator, marking a significant evolution in how we visualize and manage higher-timeframe (HTF) market structures. Here, we turn that concept into a fully interactive utility—a dashboard that brings dynamic control and enhanced multi-period price action visualization directly onto the chart. Join us as we explore how this innovation reshapes the way traders interact with their tools.
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Developing a Replay System (Part 26): Expert Advisor project — C_Terminal class

Developing a Replay System (Part 26): Expert Advisor project — C_Terminal class

We can now start creating an Expert Advisor for use in the replay/simulation system. However, we need something improved, not a random solution. Despite this, we should not be intimidated by the initial complexity. It's important to start somewhere, otherwise we end up ruminating about the difficulty of a task without even trying to overcome it. That's what programming is all about: overcoming obstacles through learning, testing, and extensive research.
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Reimagining Classic Strategies (Part VI): Multiple Time-Frame Analysis

Reimagining Classic Strategies (Part VI): Multiple Time-Frame Analysis

In this series of articles, we revisit classic strategies to see if we can improve them using AI. In today's article, we will examine the popular strategy of multiple time-frame analysis to judge if the strategy would be enhanced with AI.
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MQL5 Wizard Techniques you should know (Part 75): Using Awesome Oscillator and the Envelopes

MQL5 Wizard Techniques you should know (Part 75): Using Awesome Oscillator and the Envelopes

The Awesome Oscillator by Bill Williams and the Envelopes Channel are a pairing that could be used complimentarily within an MQL5 Expert Advisor. We use the Awesome Oscillator for its ability to spot trends, while the envelopes channel is incorporated to define our support/resistance levels. In exploring this indicator pairing, we use the MQL5 wizard to build and test any potential these two may possess.
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DoEasy. Controls (Part 21): SplitContainer control. Panel separator

DoEasy. Controls (Part 21): SplitContainer control. Panel separator

In this article, I will create the class of an auxiliary panel separator object for the SplitContainer control.
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Mastering Kagi Charts in MQL5 (Part I): Creating the Indicator

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.
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Price Action Analysis Toolkit Development (Part 40): Market DNA Passport

Price Action Analysis Toolkit Development (Part 40): Market DNA Passport

This article explores the unique identity of each currency pair through the lens of its historical price action. Inspired by the concept of genetic DNA, which encodes the distinct blueprint of every living being, we apply a similar framework to the markets, treating price action as the “DNA” of each pair. By breaking down structural behaviors such as volatility, swings, retracements, spikes, and session characteristics, the tool reveals the underlying profile that distinguishes one pair from another. This approach provides more profound insight into market behavior and equips traders with a structured way to align strategies with the natural tendencies of each instrument.
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Developing a Replay System (Part 74): New Chart Trade (I)

Developing a Replay System (Part 74): New Chart Trade (I)

In this article, we will modify the last code shown in this series about Chart Trade. These changes are necessary to adapt the code to the current replay/simulation system model. 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.
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Elastic net regression using coordinate descent in MQL5

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.
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Turtle Shell Evolution Algorithm (TSEA)

Turtle Shell Evolution Algorithm (TSEA)

This is a unique optimization algorithm inspired by the evolution of the turtle shell. The TSEA algorithm emulates the gradual formation of keratinized skin areas, which represent optimal solutions to a problem. The best solutions become "harder" and are located closer to the outer surface, while the less successful solutions remain "softer" and are located inside. The algorithm uses clustering of solutions by quality and distance, allowing to preserve less successful options and providing flexibility and adaptability.
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Neural Networks in Trading: Unified Trajectory Generation Model (UniTraj)

Neural Networks in Trading: Unified Trajectory Generation Model (UniTraj)

Understanding agent behavior is important in many different areas, but most methods focus on just one of the tasks (understanding, noise removal, or prediction), which reduces their effectiveness in real-world scenarios. In this article, we will get acquainted with a model that can adapt to solving various problems.
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Visualizing deals on a chart (Part 2): Data graphical display

Visualizing deals on a chart (Part 2): Data graphical display

Here we are going to develop a script from scratch that simplifies unloading print screens of deals for analyzing trading entries. All the necessary information on a single deal is to be conveniently displayed on one chart with the ability to draw different timeframes.
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Developing a multi-currency Expert Advisor (Part 3): Architecture revision

Developing a multi-currency Expert Advisor (Part 3): Architecture revision

We have already made some progress in developing a multi-currency EA with several strategies working in parallel. Considering the accumulated experience, let's review the architecture of our solution and try to improve it before we go too far ahead.
Interview with Andrei Moraru (ATC 2011)
Interview with Andrei Moraru (ATC 2011)

Interview with Andrei Moraru (ATC 2011)

Ukrainian programmer Andrei Moraru (enivid) is an active participant of the Automated Trading Championship beginning from 2007. Andrei had already come in our view at that time and now we have decided to find out if there occured any changes in his attitude towards trading and selection of trading strategies for the past four years, and also to know about his new Expert Advisor.
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Data Science and Machine Learning (Part 20): Algorithmic Trading Insights, A Faceoff Between LDA and PCA in MQL5

Data Science and Machine Learning (Part 20): Algorithmic Trading Insights, A Faceoff Between LDA and PCA in MQL5

Uncover the secrets behind these powerful dimensionality reduction techniques as we dissect their applications within the MQL5 trading environment. Delve into the nuances of Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA), gaining a profound understanding of their impact on strategy development and market analysis.
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Self Optimizing Expert Advisor With MQL5 And Python (Part IV): Stacking Models

Self Optimizing Expert Advisor With MQL5 And Python (Part IV): Stacking Models

Today, we will demonstrate how you can build AI-powered trading applications capable of learning from their own mistakes. We will demonstrate a technique known as stacking, whereby we use 2 models to make 1 prediction. The first model is typically a weaker learner, and the second model is typically a more powerful model that learns the residuals of our weaker learner. Our goal is to create an ensemble of models, to hopefully attain higher accuracy.
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Creating a Trading Administrator Panel in MQL5 (Part IX): Code Organization (IV): Trade Management Panel class

Creating a Trading Administrator Panel in MQL5 (Part IX): Code Organization (IV): Trade Management Panel class

This discussion covers the updated TradeManagementPanel in our New_Admin_Panel EA. The update enhances the panel by using built-in classes to offer a user-friendly trade management interface. It includes trading buttons for opening positions and controls for managing existing trades and pending orders. A key feature is the integrated risk management that allows setting stop loss and take profit values directly in the interface. This update improves code organization for large programs and simplifies access to order management tools, which are often complex in the terminal.
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Category Theory in MQL5 (Part 13): Calendar Events with Database Schemas

Category Theory in MQL5 (Part 13): Calendar Events with Database Schemas

This article, that follows Category Theory implementation of Orders in MQL5, considers how database schemas can be incorporated for classification in MQL5. We take an introductory look at how database schema concepts could be married with category theory when identifying trade relevant text(string) information. Calendar events are the focus.
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MQL5 Wizard Techniques you should know (Part 77): Using Gator Oscillator and the Accumulation/Distribution Oscillator

MQL5 Wizard Techniques you should know (Part 77): Using Gator Oscillator and the Accumulation/Distribution Oscillator

The Gator Oscillator by Bill Williams and the Accumulation/Distribution Oscillator are another indicator pairing that could be used harmoniously within an MQL5 Expert Advisor. We use the Gator Oscillator for its ability to affirm trends, while the A/D is used to provide confirmation of the trends via checks on volume. In exploring this indicator pairing, as always, we use the MQL5 wizard to build and test out their potential.
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Implementation of the Augmented Dickey Fuller test in MQL5

Implementation of the Augmented Dickey Fuller test in MQL5

In this article we demonstrate the implementation of the Augmented Dickey-Fuller test, and apply it to conduct cointegration tests using the Engle-Granger method.
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DoEasy. Controls (Part 12): Base list object, ListBox and ButtonListBox WinForms objects

DoEasy. Controls (Part 12): Base list object, ListBox and ButtonListBox WinForms objects

In this article, I am going to create the base object of WinForms object lists, as well as the two new objects: ListBox and ButtonListBox.
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Neural networks made easy (Part 46): Goal-conditioned reinforcement learning (GCRL)

Neural networks made easy (Part 46): Goal-conditioned reinforcement learning (GCRL)

In this article, we will have a look at yet another reinforcement learning approach. It is called goal-conditioned reinforcement learning (GCRL). In this approach, an agent is trained to achieve different goals in specific scenarios.
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Neural networks made easy (Part 78): Decoder-free Object Detector with Transformer (DFFT)

Neural networks made easy (Part 78): Decoder-free Object Detector with Transformer (DFFT)

In this article, I propose to look at the issue of building a trading strategy from a different angle. We will not predict future price movements, but will try to build a trading system based on the analysis of historical data.
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From Basic to Intermediate: Template and Typename (I)

From Basic to Intermediate: Template and Typename (I)

In this article, we start considering one of the concepts that many beginners avoid. This is related to the fact that templates are not an easy topic, as many do not understand the basic principle underlying the template: overload of functions and procedures.
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Trading with the MQL5 Economic Calendar (Part 5): Enhancing the Dashboard with Responsive Controls and Filter Buttons

Trading with the MQL5 Economic Calendar (Part 5): Enhancing the Dashboard with Responsive Controls and Filter Buttons

In this article, we create buttons for currency pair filters, importance levels, time filters, and a cancel option to improve dashboard control. These buttons are programmed to respond dynamically to user actions, allowing seamless interaction. We also automate their behavior to reflect real-time changes on the dashboard. This enhances the overall functionality, mobility, and responsiveness of the panel.
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MQL5 Wizard Techniques you should know (Part 37): Gaussian Process Regression with Linear and Matérn Kernels

MQL5 Wizard Techniques you should know (Part 37): Gaussian Process Regression with Linear and Matérn Kernels

Linear Kernels are the simplest matrix of its kind used in machine learning for linear regression and support vector machines. The Matérn kernel on the other hand is a more versatile version of the Radial Basis Function we looked at in an earlier article, and it is adept at mapping functions that are not as smooth as the RBF would assume. We build a custom signal class that utilizes both kernels in forecasting long and short conditions.
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Market Reactions and Trading Strategies in Response to Dividend Announcements: Evaluating the Efficient Market Hypothesis in Stock Trading

Market Reactions and Trading Strategies in Response to Dividend Announcements: Evaluating the Efficient Market Hypothesis in Stock Trading

In this article, we will analyse the impact of dividend announcements on stock market returns and see how investors can earn more returns than those offered by the market when they expect a company to announce dividends. In doing so, we will also check the validity of the Efficient Market Hypothesis in the context of the Indian Stock Market.
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Risk Management (Part 2): Implementing Lot Calculation in a Graphical Interface

Risk Management (Part 2): Implementing Lot Calculation in a Graphical Interface

In this article, we will look at how to improve and more effectively apply the concepts presented in the previous article using the powerful MQL5 graphical control libraries. We'll go step by step through the process of creating a fully functional GUI. I'll be explaining the ideas behind it, as well as the purpose and operation of each method used. Additionally, at the end of the article, we will test the panel we created to ensure it functions correctly and meets its stated goals.