Articles on manual and algorithmic trading in MetaTrader 5

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This category features articles on all aspects of trading - from manual to fully automatic trading, from Expert Advisor ideas to trading robot creation using the MQL5 Wizard. Position management, processing of trade events and money management - these integral parts of trading are covered in theses articles.

Learn how to copy trading signals and how to provide around-the-clock operation of Expert Advisors, how to create a trading robot and how to run MetaTrader on Linux and MacOS, what social trading is and how to order a trading robot.

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MQL5 Wizard Techniques you should know (Part 67): Using Patterns of TRIX and the Williams Percent Range

MQL5 Wizard Techniques you should know (Part 67): Using Patterns of TRIX and the Williams Percent Range

The Triple Exponential Moving Average Oscillator (TRIX) and the Williams Percentage Range Oscillator are another pair of indicators that could be used in conjunction within an MQL5 Expert Advisor. This indicator pair, like those we’ve covered recently, is also complementary given that TRIX defines the trend while Williams Percent Range affirms support and Resistance levels. As always, we use the MQL5 wizard to prototype any potential these two may have.
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Developing A Swing Entries Monitoring (EA)

Developing A Swing Entries Monitoring (EA)

As the year approaches its end, long-term traders often reflect on market history to analyze its behavior and trends, aiming to project potential future movements. In this article, we will explore the development of a long-term entry monitoring Expert Advisor (EA) using MQL5. The objective is to address the challenge of missed long-term trading opportunities caused by manual trading and the absence of automated monitoring systems. We'll use one of the most prominently traded pairs as an example to strategize and develop our solution effectively.
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Developing a Replay System — Market simulation (Part 24): FOREX (V)

Developing a Replay System — Market simulation (Part 24): FOREX (V)

Today we will remove a limitation that has been preventing simulations based on the Last price and will introduce a new entry point specifically for this type of simulation. The entire operating mechanism will be based on the principles of the forex market. The main difference in this procedure is the separation of Bid and Last simulations. However, it is important to note that the methodology used to randomize the time and adjust it to be compatible with the C_Replay class remains identical in both simulations. This is good because changes in one mode lead to automatic improvements in the other, especially when it comes to handling time between ticks.
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From Novice to Expert: Animated News Headline Using MQL5 (VIII) — Quick Trade Buttons for News Trading

From Novice to Expert: Animated News Headline Using MQL5 (VIII) — Quick Trade Buttons for News Trading

While algorithmic trading systems manage automated operations, many news traders and scalpers prefer active control during high-impact news events and fast-paced market conditions, requiring rapid order execution and management. This underscores the need for intuitive front-end tools that integrate real-time news feeds, economic calendar data, indicator insights, AI-driven analytics, and responsive trading controls.
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Trading with the MQL5 Economic Calendar (Part 3): Adding Currency, Importance, and Time Filters

Trading with the MQL5 Economic Calendar (Part 3): Adding Currency, Importance, and Time Filters

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.
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Building a Trading System (Part 5): Managing Gains Through Structured Trade Exits

Building a Trading System (Part 5): Managing Gains Through Structured Trade Exits

For many traders, it's a familiar pain point: watching a trade come within a whisker of your profit target, only to reverse and hit your stop-loss. Or worse, seeing a trailing stop close you out at breakeven before the market surges toward your original target. This article focuses on using multiple entries at different Reward-to-Risk Ratios to systematically secure gains and reduce overall risk exposure.
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MQL5 Trading Tools (Part 32): Crosshair, Magnifier, and Measure Mode

MQL5 Trading Tools (Part 32): Crosshair, Magnifier, and Measure Mode

In this article, we extend the Tools Palette with a precision crosshair for MQL5 charts: reticle tick marks, full-width and full-height lines with axis labels, and a circular magnifier that renders zoomed candles. A double-click measure mode adds anchor markers, a diagonal connector, and a floating label with bars, pips, and price difference. Implementation details include a crosshair manager, eleven canvas layers, Bresenham line drawing, and theme-aware behavior that hides near the sidebar and fly out.
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Developing a Replay System — Market simulation (Part 23): FOREX (IV)

Developing a Replay System — Market simulation (Part 23): FOREX (IV)

Now the creation occurs at the same point where we converted ticks into bars. This way, if something goes wrong during the conversion process, we will immediately notice the error. This is because the same code that places 1-minute bars on the chart during fast forwarding is also used for the positioning system to place bars during normal performance. In other words, the code that is responsible for this task is not duplicated anywhere else. This way we get a much better system for both maintenance and improvement.
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Data label for time series mining (Part 4):Interpretability Decomposition Using Label Data

Data label for time series mining (Part 4):Interpretability Decomposition Using Label Data

This series of articles introduces several time series labeling methods, which can create data that meets most artificial intelligence models, and targeted data labeling according to needs can make the trained artificial intelligence model more in line with the expected design, improve the accuracy of our model, and even help the model make a qualitative leap!
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Creating a Trading Administrator Panel in MQL5 (Part IX): Code Organization (V): AnalyticsPanel Class

Creating a Trading Administrator Panel in MQL5 (Part IX): Code Organization (V): AnalyticsPanel Class

In this discussion, we explore how to retrieve real-time market data and trading account information, perform various calculations, and display the results on a custom panel. To achieve this, we will dive deeper into developing an AnalyticsPanel class that encapsulates all these features, including panel creation. This effort is part of our ongoing expansion of the New Admin Panel EA, introducing advanced functionalities using modular design principles and best practices for code organization.
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Developing a Replay System — Market simulation (Part 22): FOREX (III)

Developing a Replay System — Market simulation (Part 22): FOREX (III)

Although this is the third article on this topic, I must explain for those who have not yet understood the difference between the stock market and the foreign exchange market: the big difference is that in the Forex there is no, or rather, we are not given information about some points that actually occurred during the course of trading.
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Building A Candlestick Trend Constraint Model (Part 5): Notification System (Part II)

Building A Candlestick Trend Constraint Model (Part 5): Notification System (Part II)

Today, we are discussing a working Telegram integration for MetaTrader 5 Indicator notifications using the power of MQL5, in partnership with Python and the Telegram Bot API. We will explain everything in detail so that no one misses any point. By the end of this project, you will have gained valuable insights to apply in your projects.
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Developing a Replay System — Market simulation (Part 19): Necessary adjustments

Developing a Replay System — Market simulation (Part 19): Necessary adjustments

Here we will prepare the ground so that if we need to add new functions to the code, this will happen smoothly and easily. The current code cannot yet cover or handle some of the things that will be necessary to make meaningful progress. We need everything to be structured in order to enable the implementation of certain things with the minimal effort. If we do everything correctly, we can get a truly universal system that can very easily adapt to any situation that needs to be handled.
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Developing a multi-currency Expert Advisor (Part 10): Creating objects from a string

Developing a multi-currency Expert Advisor (Part 10): Creating objects from a string

The EA development plan includes several stages with intermediate results being saved in the database. They can only be retrieved from there again as strings or numbers, not objects. So we need a way to recreate the desired objects in the EA from the strings read from the database.
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Creating a Trading Administrator Panel in MQL5 (Part VI): Multiple Functions Interface (I)

Creating a Trading Administrator Panel in MQL5 (Part VI): Multiple Functions Interface (I)

The Trading Administrator's role goes beyond just Telegram communications; they can also engage in various control activities, including order management, position tracking, and interface customization. In this article, we’ll share practical insights on expanding our program to support multiple functionalities in MQL5. This update aims to overcome the current Admin Panel's limitation of focusing primarily on communication, enabling it to handle a broader range of tasks.
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Artificial Bee Hive Algorithm (ABHA): Tests and results

Artificial Bee Hive Algorithm (ABHA): Tests and results

In this article, we will continue exploring the Artificial Bee Hive Algorithm (ABHA) by diving into the code and considering the remaining methods. As you might remember, each bee in the model is represented as an individual agent whose behavior depends on internal and external information, as well as motivational state. We will test the algorithm on various functions and summarize the results by presenting them in the rating table.
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Creating a Trading Administrator Panel in MQL5 (Part IX): Code Organization (I)

Creating a Trading Administrator Panel in MQL5 (Part IX): Code Organization (I)

This discussion delves into the challenges encountered when working with large codebases. We will explore the best practices for code organization in MQL5 and implement a practical approach to enhance the readability and scalability of our Trading Administrator Panel source code. Additionally, we aim to develop reusable code components that can potentially benefit other developers in their algorithm development. Read on and join the conversation.
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Developing a Replay System — Market simulation (Part 12): Birth of the SIMULATOR (II)

Developing a Replay System — Market simulation (Part 12): Birth of the SIMULATOR (II)

Developing a simulator can be much more interesting than it seems. Today we'll take a few more steps in this direction because things are getting more interesting.
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Creating a Trading Administrator Panel in MQL5 (Part IX): Code Organization (II): Modularization

Creating a Trading Administrator Panel in MQL5 (Part IX): Code Organization (II): Modularization

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.
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MQL5 Trading Tools (Part 31): Creating an Interactive Tools Palette in MQL5

MQL5 Trading Tools (Part 31): Creating an Interactive Tools Palette in MQL5

We turn the Tools Palette sidebar from a static shell into an interactive MQL5 system. The article implements flyout menus per category, a chart event handler, a multi-click drawing engine (one-, two-, and three-click tools), and mouse interactions including drag, bottom-edge resize, scrolling, hover states, and live theme toggling. You will be able to select a tool and place chart objects directly from the palette for analysis
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MQL5 Trading Tools (Part 12): Enhancing the Correlation Matrix Dashboard with Interactivity

MQL5 Trading Tools (Part 12): Enhancing the Correlation Matrix Dashboard with Interactivity

In this article, we enhance the correlation matrix dashboard in MQL5 with interactive features like panel dragging, minimizing/maximizing, hover effects on buttons and timeframes, and mouse event handling for improved user experience. We add sorting of symbols by average correlation strength in ascending/descending modes, toggle between correlation and p-value views, and incorporate light/dark theme switching with dynamic color updates.
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Coral Reefs Optimization (CRO)

Coral Reefs Optimization (CRO)

The article presents a comprehensive analysis of the Coral Reef Optimization (CRO) algorithm, a metaheuristic method inspired by the biological processes of coral reef formation and development. The algorithm models key aspects of coral evolution: broadcast spawning, brooding, larval settlement, asexual reproduction, and competition for limited reef space. Particular attention is paid to the improved version of the algorithm.
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Developing a Replay System (Part 28): Expert Advisor project — C_Mouse class (II)

Developing a Replay System (Part 28): Expert Advisor project — C_Mouse class (II)

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.
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Developing a Replay System — Market simulation (Part 25): Preparing for the next phase

Developing a Replay System — Market simulation (Part 25): Preparing for the next phase

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.
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Creating Dynamic MQL5 Graphical Interfaces through Resource-Driven Image Scaling with Bicubic Interpolation on Trading Charts

Creating Dynamic MQL5 Graphical Interfaces through Resource-Driven Image Scaling with Bicubic Interpolation on Trading Charts

In this article, we explore dynamic MQL5 graphical interfaces, using bicubic interpolation for high-quality image scaling on trading charts. We detail flexible positioning options, enabling dynamic centering or corner anchoring with custom offsets.
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Balancing risk when trading multiple instruments simultaneously

Balancing risk when trading multiple instruments simultaneously

This article will allow a beginner to write an implementation of a script from scratch for balancing risks when trading multiple instruments simultaneously. Besides, it may give experienced users new ideas for implementing their solutions in relation to the options proposed in this article.
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MQL5 Wizard Techniques you should know (Part 53): Market Facilitation Index

MQL5 Wizard Techniques you should know (Part 53): Market Facilitation Index

The Market Facilitation Index is another Bill Williams Indicator that is intended to measure the efficiency of price movement in tandem with volume. As always, we look at the various patterns of this indicator within the confines of a wizard assembly signal class, and present a variety of test reports and analyses for the various patterns.
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MetaTrader 5: Build a Market to Suit Your Strategy — Renko/Range/Volume, Synthetics, and Stress Tests on Custom Symbols

MetaTrader 5: Build a Market to Suit Your Strategy — Renko/Range/Volume, Synthetics, and Stress Tests on Custom Symbols

In this article, we demonstrate how to use API of the MetaTrader 5 custom symbols to transform your terminal into a data constructor for generating timeless Renko, Range, and Equal-Volume charts and assembling synthetic instruments. We will analyze tick aggregation and history modification for stress tests (spread widening, stop level changes) taking into account platform limitations. Besides, you will get some practice of handling CiCustomSymbol and routing orders to a real symbol through the CustomOrder wrapper with ready-made code fragments.
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Self Optimizing Expert Advisors in MQL5 (Part 8): Multiple Strategy Analysis (3) — Weighted Voting Policy

Self Optimizing Expert Advisors in MQL5 (Part 8): Multiple Strategy Analysis (3) — Weighted Voting Policy

This article explores how determining the optimal number of strategies in an ensemble can be a complex task that is easier to solve through the use of the MetaTrader 5 genetic optimizer. The MQL5 Cloud is also employed as a key resource for accelerating backtesting and optimization. All in all, our discussion here sets the stage for developing statistical models to evaluate and improve trading strategies based on our initial ensemble results.
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From Novice to Expert: Developing a Geographic Market Awareness with MQL5 Visualization

From Novice to Expert: Developing a Geographic Market Awareness with MQL5 Visualization

Trading without session awareness is like navigating without a compass—you're moving, but not with purpose. Today, we're revolutionizing how traders perceive market timing by transforming ordinary charts into dynamic geographical displays. Using MQL5's powerful visualization capabilities, we'll build a live world map that illuminates active trading sessions in real-time, turning abstract market hours into intuitive visual intelligence. This journey sharpens your trading psychology and reveals professional-grade programming techniques that bridge the gap between complex market structure and practical, actionable insight.
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Developing a multi-currency Expert Advisor (Part 24): Adding a new strategy (II)

Developing a multi-currency Expert Advisor (Part 24): Adding a new strategy (II)

In this article, we will continue to connect the new strategy to the created auto optimization system. Let's look at what changes need to be made to the optimization project creation EA, as well as the second and third stage EAs.
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MQL5 Wizard Techniques you should know (Part 74):  Using Patterns of Ichimoku and the ADX-Wilder with Supervised Learning

MQL5 Wizard Techniques you should know (Part 74): Using Patterns of Ichimoku and the ADX-Wilder with Supervised Learning

We follow up on our last article, where we introduced the indicator pair of the Ichimoku and the ADX, by looking at how this duo could be improved with Supervised Learning. Ichimoku and ADX are a support/resistance plus trend complimentary pairing. Our supervised learning approach uses a neural network that engages the Deep Spectral Mixture Kernel to fine tune the forecasts of this indicator pairing. As per usual, this is done in a custom signal class file that works with the MQL5 wizard to assemble an Expert Advisor.
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Optimizing Trend Strength: Trading in Trend Direction and Strength

Optimizing Trend Strength: Trading in Trend Direction and Strength

This is a specialized trend-following EA that makes both short and long-term analyses, trading decisions, and executions based on the overall trend and its strength. This article will explore in detail an EA that is specifically designed for traders who are patient, disciplined, and focused enough to only execute trades and hold their positions only when trading with strength and in the trend direction without changing their bias frequently, especially against the trend, until take-profit targets are hit.
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From Novice to Expert: Animated News Headline Using MQL5 (XI)—Correlation in News Trading

From Novice to Expert: Animated News Headline Using MQL5 (XI)—Correlation in News Trading

In this discussion, we will explore how the concept of Financial Correlation can be applied to improve decision-making efficiency when trading multiple symbols during major economic events announcement. The focus is on addressing the challenge of heightened risk exposure caused by increased volatility during news releases.
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Developing Market Entropy Indicator: Trading System Based on Information Theory

Developing Market Entropy Indicator: Trading System Based on Information Theory

This article explores the development of a Market Entropy Indicator based on principles from Information Theory to measure the uncertainty and information content within financial markets. By applying concepts such as Shannon Entropy to price movements, the indicator quantifies whether the market is structured (trending), transitioning, or chaotic.
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Eagle Strategy (ES)

Eagle Strategy (ES)

Eagle Strategy is an algorithm that mimics the eagle's two-phase hunting strategy: global search via Levy flights using Mantegna method, alternating with intense local exploitation using the firefly algorithm, a mathematically sound approach to balancing exploration and exploitation, and a bioinspired concept that combines two natural phenomena into a single computational method.
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Optimizing Liquidity Raids: Mastering the Difference Between Liquidity Raids and Market Structure Shifts

Optimizing Liquidity Raids: Mastering the Difference Between Liquidity Raids and Market Structure Shifts

This is an article about a specialized trend-following EA that aims to clearly elaborate how to utilize trading setups after liquidity raids. This article will explore in detail an EA that is specifically designed for traders who are keen on optimizing and utilizing liquidity raids and purges as entry criteria for their trades and trading decisions. It will also explore how to correctly differentiate between liquidity raids and market structure shifts and how to validate and utilize each of them when they occur, thus trying to mitigate losses that occur from traders confusing the two.
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MQL5 Trading Tools (Part 22): Graphing the Histogram and Probability Mass Function (PMF) of the Binomial Distribution

MQL5 Trading Tools (Part 22): Graphing the Histogram and Probability Mass Function (PMF) of the Binomial Distribution

This article develops an interactive MQL5 plot for the binomial distribution, combining a histogram of simulated outcomes with the theoretical probability mass function. It implements mean, standard deviation, skewness, kurtosis, percentiles, and confidence intervals, along with configurable themes and labels, and supports dragging, resizing, and live parameter changes. Use it to assess expected wins, likely drawdowns, and confidence ranges when validating trading strategies.
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Developing a Replay System (Part 31): Expert Advisor project — C_Mouse class (V)

Developing a Replay System (Part 31): Expert Advisor project — C_Mouse class (V)

We need a timer that can show how much time is left till the end of the replay/simulation run. This may seem at first glance to be a simple and quick solution. Many simply try to adapt and use the same system that the trading server uses. But there's one thing that many people don't consider when thinking about this solution: with replay, and even m ore with simulation, the clock works differently. All this complicates the creation of such a system.
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ALGLIB library optimization methods (Part I)

ALGLIB library optimization methods (Part I)

In this article, we will get acquainted with the ALGLIB library optimization methods for MQL5. The article includes simple and clear examples of using ALGLIB to solve optimization problems, which will make mastering the methods as accessible as possible. We will take a detailed look at the connection of such algorithms as BLEIC, L-BFGS and NS, and use them to solve a simple test problem.