MQL5 Programming Articles

In this fascinating article, we build our very first trading robot in the simulator and run a strategy testing action that resembles how the MetaTrader 5 strategy tester works, then compare the outcome produced in a custom simulation against our favorite terminal.

Learn how to implement a powerful custom logging framework for MQL5 that goes beyond simple Print() statements by supporting severity levels, multiple output handlers, and automated file rotation—all configurable on‐the‐fly. Integrate the singleton CLogger with ConsoleLogHandler and FileLogHandler to capture contextual, timestamped logs in both the Experts tab and persistent files. Streamline debugging and performance tracing in your Expert Advisors with clear, customizable log formats and centralized control.

In this article, we will see how to develop a quality score that your Expert Advisor can display in the strategy tester. We will look at two well-known calculation methods – Van Tharp and Sunny Harris.

In this article, we implement filters in the MQL5 Economic Calendar dashboard to refine news event displays by currency, importance, and time. We first establish filter criteria for each category and then integrate these into the dashboard to display only relevant events. Finally, we ensure each filter dynamically updates to provide traders with focused, real-time economic insights.

In the article, we will create the first version of the TableControl (TableView) control. This will be a simple static table being created based on the input data defined by two arrays — a data array and an array of column headers.

When we use models to analyze the market situation, we mainly focus on the candlestick. However, it has long been known that candlestick patterns can help in predicting future price movements. In this article, we will get acquainted with a method that allows us to integrate both of these approaches.

When people started creating the first systems capable of computing, everything required the participation of engineers, who had to know the project very well. We are talking about the dawn of computer technology, a time when there were not even terminals for programming. As it developed and more people got interested in being able to create something, new ideas and ways of programming emerged which replaced the previous-style changing of connector positions. This is when the first terminals appeared.

In this article, we develop an MQL5 First Run User Setup Wizard for Expert Advisors, featuring a scrollable guide with an interactive dashboard, dynamic text formatting, and visual controls like buttons and a checkbox allowing users to navigate instructions and configure trading parameters efficiently. Users of the program get to have insight of what the program is all about and what to do on the first run, more like an orientation model.

In this article, we will look at the Comet Tail Optimization Algorithm (CTA), which draws inspiration from unique space objects - comets and their impressive tails that form when approaching the Sun. The algorithm is based on the concept of the motion of comets and their tails, and is designed to find optimal solutions in optimization problems.

In this article, we prepare our MQL5 trading system for strategy testing by embedding economic calendar data as a resource for non-live analysis. We implement event loading and filtering for time, currency, and impact, then validate it in the Strategy Tester. This enables effective backtesting of news-driven strategies.

We continue to explore the analysis and forecasting of time series in the frequency domain. In this article, we will get acquainted with a new method to forecast data in the frequency domain, which can be added to many of the algorithms we have studied previously.

In this article, we complete the first phase of developing our replay and simulation system. Dear reader, with this achievement I confirm that the system has reached an advanced level, paving the way for the introduction of new functionality. The goal is to enrich the system even further, turning it into a powerful tool for research and development of market analysis.

News accessibility is a critical factor when trading on the MetaTrader 5 terminal. While numerous news APIs are available, many traders face challenges in accessing and integrating them effectively into their trading environment. In this discussion, we aim to develop a streamlined solution that brings news directly onto the chart—where it’s most needed. We'll accomplish this by building a News Headline Expert Advisor that monitors and displays real-time news updates from API sources.

The Awesome Oscillator is another Bill Williams Indicator that is used to measure momentum. It can generate multiple signals, and therefore we review these on a pattern basis, as in prior articles, by capitalizing on the MQL5 wizard classes and assembly.

In this article, we enhance the gauge-based indicator in MQL5 to support multiple oscillators, allowing user selection through an enumeration for single or combined displays. We introduce sector and round gauge styles via derived classes from a base gauge framework, improving case rendering with arcs, lines, and polygons for a more refined visual appearance.

All the models we have considered so far analyze the state of the environment as a time sequence. However, the time series can also be represented in the form of frequency features. In this article, I introduce you to an algorithm that uses frequency components of a time sequence to predict future states.

We continue to study algorithms for extracting features from a point cloud. In this article, we will get acquainted with the mechanisms for increasing the efficiency of the PointNet method.

The Attraos framework integrates chaos theory into long-term time series forecasting, treating them as projections of multidimensional chaotic dynamic systems. Exploiting attractor invariance, the model uses phase space reconstruction and dynamic multi-resolution memory to preserve historical structures.

Economic Calendar Data is not available for testing with Expert Advisors within Strategy Tester, by default. We look at how Databases could help in providing a work around this limitation. So, for this article we explore how SQLite databases can be used to archive Economic Calendar news such that wizard assembled Expert Advisors can use this to generate trade signals.

In this discussion, we take a step further in breaking down our MQL5 program into smaller, more manageable modules. These modular components will then be integrated into the main program, enhancing its organization and maintainability. This approach simplifies the structure of our main program and makes the individual components reusable in other Expert Advisors (EAs) and indicator developments. By adopting this modular design, we create a solid foundation for future enhancements, benefiting both our project and the broader developer community.

The article reveals the potential of the ANS algorithm as an important step in the development of flexible and intelligent optimization methods that can take into account the specifics of the problem and the dynamics of the environment in the search space.

One major challenge is managing multiple chart windows of the same pair running the same program with different features. Let's discuss how to consolidate several integrations into one main program. Additionally, we will share insights on configuring the program to print to a journal and commenting on the successful signal broadcast on the chart interface. Find more information in this article as we progress the article series.

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.

The article considers an interesting algorithm derived from inanimate nature - intelligent water drops (IWD) simulating the process of river bed formation. The ideas of this algorithm made it possible to significantly improve the previous leader of the rating - SDS. As usual, the new leader (modified SDSm) can be found in the attachment.

Loss Function is the key metric of machine learning algorithms that provides feedback to the training process by quantifying how well a given set of parameters are performing when compared to their intended target. We explore the various formats of this function in an MQL5 custom wizard class.

The article introduces the dialectical algorithm (DA), a new global optimization method inspired by the philosophical concept of dialectics. The algorithm exploits a unique division of the population into speculative and practical thinkers. Testing shows impressive performance of up to 98% on low-dimensional problems and overall efficiency of 57.95%. The article explains these metrics and presents a detailed description of the algorithm and the results of experiments on different types of functions.

News drives the financial markets, especially major releases like Non-Farm Payrolls (NFPs). We've all witnessed how a single headline can trigger sharp price movements. In this article, we dive into the powerful intersection of news data and Artificial Intelligence.