MQL5 Programming Articles

In this article, we develop a Candle Range Theory (CRT) trading system in MQL5 that identifies accumulation ranges on a specified timeframe, detects breaches with manipulation depth filtering, and confirms reversals for entry trades in the distribution phase. The system supports dynamic or static stop-loss and take-profit calculations based on risk-reward ratios, optional trailing stops, and limits on positions per direction for controlled risk management.

The article contains descriptions of the new features available in the updated MQL5 Wizard. The modified architecture of signals allow creating trading robots based on the combination of various market patterns. The example contained in the article explains the procedure of interactive creation of an Expert Advisor.

In the previous article, we considered application of Merrill patterns to various data, such as to a price value on a currency symbol chart and values of standard MetaTrader 5 indicators: ATR, WPR, CCI, RSI, among others. Now, let us try to create a strategy construction set based on Merrill patterns.

While analyzing a huge number of trading strategies, orders for development of applications for MetaTrader 5 and MetaTrader 4 terminals and various MetaTrader websites, I came to the conclusion that all this diversity is based mostly on the same elementary functions, actions and values appearing regularly in different programs. This resulted in DoEasy cross-platform library for easy and quick development of МetaТrader 5 and МetaТrader 4 applications.

In this article, we will consider creation of a symbol collection based on the abstract symbol object developed in the previous article. The abstract symbol descendants are to clarify a symbol data and define the availability of the basic symbol object properties in a program. Such symbol objects are to be distinguished by their affiliation with groups.

In this article, we create a fully customizable session-based Opening Range Breakout (ORB) system in MQL5 that lets us set any desired session start time and range duration, automatically calculates the high and low of that opening period, and trades only confirmed breakouts in the direction of the move.

Using the object-oriented approach in MQL5 greatly simplifies the creation of multi-currency/multi-system /multi-time-frame Expert Advisors. Just imagine, your single EA trades on several dozens of trading strategies, on all of the available instruments, and on all of the possible time frames! In addition, the EA is easily tested in the tester, and for all of the strategies, included in its composition, it has one or several working systems of money management.

The article describes how to implement Interprocess Communication between MetaTrader 5 client terminals using named pipes. For the use of the named pipes, the CNamedPipes class is developed. For the test of its use and to measure the connection throughput, the tick indicator, the server and client scripts are presented. The use of named pipes is sufficient for real-time quotes.

The article highlights several methods for trend identification aiming to determine the trend duration relative to the flat market. In theory, the trend to flat rate is considered to be 30% to 70%. This is what we'll be checking.

In this article a universal trend indicator is created based on a number of standard indicators. An additionally created graphical interface allows selecting the type of indicator and adjusting its parameter. The indicator is displayed in a separate window with rows of colored icons.

In this article, I will tell you how to successfully trade by merging a very well-known strategy and a neural network. It will be about the Thomas DeMark's Sequential strategy with the use of an artificial intelligence system. Only the first part of the strategy will be applied, using the Setup and Intersection signals.

A time series is a dynamic system, in which values of a random variable are received continuously or at successive equally spaced points in time. Transition from 2D to 3D market analysis provides a new look at complex processes and research objects. The article describes visualization methods providing 3D representation of two-dimensional data.

In this article, we start the development of the indicator buffer classes for the DoEasy library. We will create the base class of the abstract buffer which is to be used as a foundation for the development of different class types of indicator buffers.

Markets dropped down by more that 30% within one month. It seems to be the best time for testing grid- and martingale-based Expert Advisors. This article is an unplanned continuation of the series "Creating a Cross-Platform Grid EA". The current market provides an opportunity to arrange a stress rest for the grid EA. So, let's use this opportunity and test our Expert Advisor.

In this article we are going to show how to explore the Standard Library of Trading Strategy Classes and how to add Custom Strategies and Filters/Signals using the Patterns-and-Models logic of the MQL5 Wizard. In the end you will be able easily add your own strategies using MetaTrader 5 standard indicators, and MQL5 Wizard will create a clean and powerful code and fully functional Expert Advisor.

In this article, I will create a dynamic multidimensional array class with the ability to change the amount of data in any dimension. Based on the created class, I will create a two-dimensional dynamic array to store some dynamically changed properties of graphical objects.

In this article, we will create a script that gets all position properties and displays them to the user in a dialog box. Upon running the script, you will be able to select out of two modes available in the drop-down list in the external parameters: to either view position properties only on the current symbol or to view position properties on all symbols.

There are multiple different approaches to market research and analysis. The main ones are technical and fundamental. In technical analysis, traders collect, process and analyze numerical data and parameters related to the market, including prices, volumes, etc. In fundamental analysis, traders analyze events and news affecting the markets directly or indirectly. The article deals with price velocity measurement methods and studies trading strategies based on that methods.

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.

In this article we will consider in detail the martingale system. We will review whether this system can be applied in trading and how to use it in order to minimize risks. The main disadvantage of this simple system is the probability of losing the entire deposit. This fact must be taken into account, if you decide to trade using the martingale technique.

The article considers an approach to stress testing of a trading strategy using custom symbols. A custom symbol class is created for this purpose. This class is used to receive tick data from third-party sources, as well as to change symbol properties. Based on the results of the work done, we will consider several options for changing trading conditions, under which a trading strategy is being tested.

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.

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.

The article deals with storing data in the program's source code and creating audio and graphical files out of them. When developing an application, we often need audio and images. The MQL language features several methods of using such data.

EA Tree is the first drag and drop MetaTrader MQL5 Expert Advisor builder. You can create complex MQL5 using a very easy to use graphical user interface. In EA Tree, Expert Advisors are created by connecting boxes together. Boxes may contain MQL5 functions, technical indicators, custom indicators, or values. Using the "tree of boxes", EA Tree generates the MQL5 code of the Expert Advisor.

The aim of this article is to investigate the possibilities of trade automation and the analysis, on the basis of some ideas from a book by James Hyerczyk "Pattern, Price & Time: Using Gann Theory in Trading Systems" in the form of indicators and Expert Advisor. Without claiming to be exhaustive, here we investigate only the Model - the first part of the Gann theory.

This series of articles continues exploring deep neural networks (DNN), which are used in many application areas including trading. Here new dimensions of this theme will be explored along with testing of new methods and ideas using practical experiments. The first article of the series is dedicated to preparing data for DNN.

The article demonstrates the development of the ZigZag indicator in accordance with one of the sample specifications described in the article "How to prepare Requirements Specification when ordering an indicator". The indicator is built by extreme values defined using an oscillator. There is an ability to use one of five oscillators: WPR, CCI, Chaikin, RSI or Stochastic Oscillator.

The article considers three methods which can be used to increase the classification quality of bagging ensembles, and their efficiency is estimated. The effects of optimization of the ELM neural network hyperparameters and postprocessing parameters are evaluated.

We continue the development of the functionality allowing users to trade using pending requests. In this article, we are going to implement the ability to place pending orders under certain conditions.

In MQL5 you can write an indicator both from a scratch and on the basis of another already existing indicator, in-built in the client terminal or a custom one. And here you also have two ways - to improve an indicator by adding new calculations and graphical styles to it , or to use an indicator in-built in the client terminal or a custom one via the iCustom() or IndicatorCreate() functions.

Do you wish to become a successful Freelance developer on MQL5? If the answer is yes, this article is right for you.

There are lots of chart types that provide information on the current market situation. Many of them, such as Point and Figure chart, are the legacy of the remote past. The article describes an example of Point and Figure charting using a real time indicator.

In the previous articles, we checked the concept of pending trading requests. A pending request is, in fact, a common trading order executed by a certain condition. In this article, we are going to create full-fledged classes of pending request objects — a base request object and its descendants.

With the introduction of hedging, MetaTrader 5 provides an excellent opportunity to trade several Expert Advisors on a single trading account simultaneously. When one strategy is profitable, while the second one is loss-making, the profit graph may hang around zero. In this case, it is useful to build the Balance and Equity graphs for each trading strategy separately.

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.