

Universal Expert Advisor: A Custom Trailing Stop (Part 6)
The sixth part of the article about the universal Expert Advisor describes the use of the trailing stop feature. The article will guide you through how to create a custom trailing stop module using unified rules, as well as how to add it to the trading engine so that it would automatically manage positions.


Graphical Interfaces VI: the Slider and the Dual Slider Controls (Chapter 2)
In the previous article, we have enriched our library with four controls frequently used in graphical interfaces: checkbox, edit, edit with checkbox and check combobox. The second chapter of the sixth part will be dedicated to the slider and the dual slider controls.


Graphical Interfaces VI: the Checkbox Control, the Edit Control and their Mixed Types (Chapter 1)
This article is the beginning of the sixth part of the series dedicated to the development of the library for creating graphical interfaces in the MetaTrader terminals. In the first chapter, we are going to discuss the checkbox control, the edit control and their mixed types.


Universal Expert Advisor: Pending Orders and Hedging Support (Part 5)
This article provides further description of the CStrategy trading engine. By popular demand of users, we have added pending order support functions to the trading engine. Also, the latest version of the MetaTrader 5 now supports accounts with the hedging option. The same support has been added to CStrategy. The article provides a detailed description of algorithms for the use of pending orders, as well as of CStrategy operation principles on accounts with the hedging option enabled.


Graphical Interfaces V: The Combobox Control (Chapter 3)
In the first two chapters of the fifth part of the series, we developed classes for creating a scrollbar and a view list. In this chapter, we will speak about creating a class for the combobox control. This is also a compound control containing, among others, elements considered in the previous chapters of the fifth part.


Self-organizing feature maps (Kohonen maps) - revisiting the subject
This article describes techniques of operating with Kohonen maps. The subject will be of interest to both market researchers with basic level of programing in MQL4 and MQL5 and experienced programmers that face difficulties with connecting Kohonen maps to their projects.


Universal Expert Advisor: Trading in a Group and Managing a Portfolio of Strategies (Part 4)
In the last part of the series of articles about the CStrategy trading engine, we will consider simultaneous operation of multiple trading algorithms, will learn to load strategies from XML files, and will present a simple panel for selecting Expert Advisors from a single executable module, and managing their trading modes.


Graphical Interfaces V: The List View Element (Chapter 2)
In the previous chapter, we wrote classes for creating vertical and horizontal scrollbars. In this chapter, we will implement them. We will write a class for creating the list view element, a compound part of which will be a vertical scrollbar.


Graphical Interfaces V: The Vertical and Horizontal Scrollbar (Chapter 1)
We are still discussing the development of the library for creating graphical interfaces in the MetaTrader environment. In the first article of the fifth part of the series, we will write classes for creating vertical and horizontal scrollbars.


Graphical Interfaces IV: the Multi-Window Mode and System of Priorities (Chapter 2)
In this chapter, we will extend the library implementation to the possibility of creating multi-window interfaces for the MQL applications. We will also develop a system of priorities for left mouse clicking on graphical objects. This is required to avoid problems when elements do not respond to the user's actions.


Graphical Interfaces IV: Informational Interface Elements (Chapter 1)
At the current stage of development, the library for creating graphical interfaces contains a form and several controls that can be attached to it. It was mentioned before that one of the future articles would be dedicated to the multi-window mode. Now, we have everything ready for that and we will deal with it in the following chapter. In this chapter, we will write classes for creating the status bar and tooltip informational interface elements.


MQL5 Cookbook - Programming moving channels
This article presents a method of programming the equidistant channel system. Certain details of building such channels are being considered here. Channel typification is provided, and a universal type of moving channels' method is suggested. Object-oriented programming (OOP) is used for code implementation.


Graphical Interfaces III: Groups of Simple and Multi-Functional Buttons (Chapter 2)
The first chapter of the series was about simple and multi-functional buttons. The second article will be dedicated to groups of interconnected buttons that will allow the creation of elements in an application when a user can select one of the option out of a set (group).


Graphical Interfaces III: Simple and Multi-Functional Buttons (Chapter 1)
Let us consider the button control. We will discuss examples of several classes for creating a simple button, buttons with extended functionality (icon button and split button) and interconnected buttons (button groups and radio button). Added to that, we will introduce some additions to existing classes for controls to broaden their capability.


Graphical Interfaces II: The Main Menu Element (Chapter 4)
This is the final chapter of the second part of the series about graphical interfaces. Here, we are going to consider the creation of the main menu. The development of this control and setting up handlers of the library classes for correct reaction to the user's actions will be demonstrated here. We will also discuss how to attach context menus to the items of the main menu. Adding to that, we will mention blocking currently inactive elements.


Universal Expert Advisor: Custom Strategies and Auxiliary Trade Classes (Part 3)
In this article, we will continue analyzing the algorithms of the CStrategy trading engine. The third part of the series contains the detailed analysis of examples of how to develop specific trading strategies using this approach. Special attention is paid to auxiliary algorithms — Expert Advisor logging system and data access using a conventional indexer (Close[1], Open[0] etc.)


Graphical Interfaces II: Setting Up the Event Handlers of the Library (Chapter 3)
The previous articles contain the implementation of the classes for creating constituent parts of the main menu. Now, it is time to take a close look at the event handlers in the principle base classes and in the classes of the created controls. We will also pay special attention to managing the state of the chart depending on the location of the mouse cursor.


Universal Expert Advisor: the Event Model and Trading Strategy Prototype (Part 2)
This article continues the series of publications on a universal Expert Advisor model. This part describes in detail the original event model based on centralized data processing, and considers the structure of the CStrategy base class of the engine.


Universal Expert Advisor: Trading Modes of Strategies (Part 1)
Any Expert Advisor developer, regardless of programming skills, is daily confronted with the same trading tasks and algorithmic problems, which should be solved to organize a reliable trading process. The article describes the possibilities of the CStrategy trading engine that can undertake the solution of these tasks and provide a user with convenient mechanism for describing a custom trading idea.


Graphical Interfaces II: the Separation Line and Context Menu Elements (Chapter 2)
In this article we will create the separation line element. It will be possible to use it not only as an independent interface element but also as a part of many other elements. After that, we will have everything required for the development of the context menu class, which will be also considered in this article in detail. Added to that, we will introduce all necessary additions to the class, which is the base for storing pointers to all the elements of the graphical interface of the application.


Graphical Interfaces II: the Menu Item Element (Chapter 1)
In the second part of the series, we will show in detail the development of such interface elements as main menu and context menu. We will also mention drawing elements and create a special class for it. We will discuss in depth such question as managing program events including custom ones.


Adding a control panel to an indicator or an Expert Advisor in no time
Have you ever felt the need to add a graphical panel to your indicator or Expert Advisor for greater speed and convenience? In this article, you will find out how to implement the dialog panel with the input parameters into your MQL4/MQL5 program step by step.


Graphical Interfaces I: Testing Library in Programs of Different Types and in the MetaTrader 4 Terminal (Chapter 5)
In the previous chapter of the first part of the series about graphical interfaces, the form class was enriched by methods which allowed managing the form by pressing its controls. In this article, we will test our work in different types of MQL program such as indicators and scripts. As the library was designed to be cross-platform so it could be used in all MetaTrader platforms, we will also test it in MetaTrader 4.


Trading signals module using the system by Bill Williams
The article describes the rules of the trading system by Bill Williams, the procedure of application for a developed MQL5 module to search and mark patterns of this system on the chart, automated trading with found patterns, and also presents the results of testing on various trading instruments.


Graphical Interfaces I: Functions for the Form Buttons and Deleting Interface Elements (Chapter 4)
In this article, we are going to continue developing the CWindow class by adding methods, which will allow managing the form by clicking on its controls. We will enable the program to be closed by a form button as well as implement a minimizing and maximizing feature for the form.


Graphical Interfaces I: Animating the Graphical Interface (Chapter 3)
In the previous article, we started developing a form class for controls. In this article, we are going to continue doing that by filling this class with methods for moving a form over the chart area. We will then integrate this interface component into the core of the library. Also, we will ensure that the color of a form control changes when the mouse cursor is hovering over it.


Graphical Interfaces I: Form for Controls (Chapter 2)
In this article we will create the first and main element of the graphical interface - a form for controls. Multiple controls can be attached to this form anywhere and in any combination.


Graphical Interfaces I: Preparation of the Library Structure (Chapter 1)
This article is the beginning of another series concerning development of graphical interfaces. Currently, there is not a single code library that would allow quick and easy creation of high quality graphical interfaces within MQL applications. By that, I mean the graphical interfaces that we are used to in familiar operating systems.


MQL5 for beginners: Anti-vandal protection of graphic objects
What should your program do, if graphic control panels have been removed or modified by someone else? In this article we will show you how not to have "ownerless" objects on the chart, and how not to lose control over them in cases of renaming or deleting programmatically created objects after the application is deleted.


Indicator for Spindles Charting
The article regards spindle chart plotting and its usage in trading strategies and experts. First let's discuss the chart's appearance, plotting and connection with japanese candlestick chart. Next we analyze the indicator's implementation in the source code in the MQL5 language. Let's test the expert based on indicator and formulate the trading strategy.


Using Layouts and Containers for GUI Controls: The CBox Class
This article presents an alternative method of GUI creation based on layouts and containers, using one layout manager — the CBox class. The CBox class is an auxiliary control that acts as a container for essential controls in a GUI panel. It can make designing graphical panels easier, and in some cases, reduce coding time.


Plotting trend lines based on fractals using MQL4 and MQL5
The article describes the automation of trend lines plotting based on the Fractals indicator using MQL4 and MQL5. The article structure provides a comparative view of the solution for two languages. Trend lines are plotted using two last known fractals.


Optimization. A Few Simple Ideas
The optimization process can require significant resources of your computer or even of the MQL5 Cloud Network test agents. This article comprises some simple ideas that I use for work facilitation and improvement of the MetaTrader 5 Strategy Tester. I got these ideas from the documentation, forum and articles.


MQL5 Cookbook: ОСО Orders
Any trader's trading activity involves various mechanisms and interrelationships including relations among orders. This article suggests a solution of OCO orders processing. Standard library classes are extensively involved, as well as new data types are created herein.


Building an Interactive Application to Display RSS Feeds in MetaTrader 5
In this article we look at the possibility of creating an application for the display of RSS feeds. The article will show how aspects of the Standard Library can be used to create interactive programs for MetaTrader 5.


Programming EA's Modes Using Object-Oriented Approach
This article explains the idea of multi-mode trading robot programming in MQL5. Every mode is implemented with the object-oriented approach. Instances of both mode classes hierarchy and classes for testing are provided. Multi-mode programming of trading robots is supposed to take into account all peculiarities of every operational mode of an EA written in MQL5. Functions and enumeration are created for identifying the mode.


MQL5 Wizard: Placing Orders, Stop-Losses and Take Profits on Calculated Prices. Standard Library Extension
This article describes the MQL5 Standard Library extension, which allows to create Expert Advisors, place orders, Stop Losses and Take Profits using the MQL5 Wizard by the prices received from included modules. This approach does not apply any additional restrictions on the number of modules and does not cause conflicts in their joint work.


Liquid Chart
Would you like to see an hourly chart with bars opening from the second and the fifth minute of the hour? What does a redrawn chart look like when the opening time of bars is changing every minute? What advantages does trading on such charts have? You will find answers to these questions in this article.


MQL5 Cookbook: Handling Custom Chart Events
This article considers aspects of design and development of custom chart events system in the MQL5 environment. An example of an approach to the events classification can also be found here, as well as a program code for a class of events and a class of custom events handler.


MQL5 Cookbook - Multi-Currency Expert Advisor and Working with Pending Orders in MQL5
This time we are going to create a multi-currency Expert Advisor with a trading algorithm based on work with the pending orders Buy Stop and Sell Stop. This article considers the following matters: trading in a specified time range, placing/modifying/deleting pending orders, checking if the last position was closed at Take Profit or Stop Loss and control of the deals history for each symbol.