Articles on trading system automation in MQL5

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Read articles on the trading systems with a wide variety of ideas at the core. Learn how to use statistical methods and patterns on candlestick charts, how to filter signals and where to use semaphore indicators.

The MQL5 Wizard will help you create robots without programming to quickly check your trading ideas. Use the Wizard to learn about genetic algorithms.

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Developing a multi-currency Expert Advisor (Part 13): Automating the second stage — selection into groups

Developing a multi-currency Expert Advisor (Part 13): Automating the second stage — selection into groups

We have already implemented the first stage of the automated optimization. We perform optimization for different symbols and timeframes according to several criteria and store information about the results of each pass in the database. Now we are going to select the best groups of parameter sets from those found at the first stage.
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Finding custom currency pair patterns in Python using MetaTrader 5

Finding custom currency pair patterns in Python using MetaTrader 5

Are there any repeating patterns and regularities in the Forex market? I decided to create my own pattern analysis system using Python and MetaTrader 5. A kind of symbiosis of math and programming for conquering Forex.
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Developing a multi-currency Expert Advisor (Part 2): Transition to virtual positions of trading strategies

Developing a multi-currency Expert Advisor (Part 2): Transition to virtual positions of trading strategies

Let's continue developing a multi-currency EA with several strategies working in parallel. Let's try to move all the work associated with opening market positions from the strategy level to the level of the EA managing the strategies. The strategies themselves will trade only virtually, without opening market positions.
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Neural Networks in Trading: Optimizing the Transformer for Time Series Forecasting (LSEAttention)

Neural Networks in Trading: Optimizing the Transformer for Time Series Forecasting (LSEAttention)

The LSEAttention framework offers improvements to the Transformer architecture. It was designed specifically for long-term multivariate time series forecasting. The approaches proposed by the authors of the method can be applied to solve problems of entropy collapse and learning instability, which are often encountered with vanilla Transformer.
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Data Science and ML (Part 42): Forex Time series Forecasting using ARIMA in Python, Everything you need to Know

Data Science and ML (Part 42): Forex Time series Forecasting using ARIMA in Python, Everything you need to Know

ARIMA, short for Auto Regressive Integrated Moving Average, is a powerful traditional time series forecasting model. With the ability to detect spikes and fluctuations in a time series data, this model can make accurate predictions on the next values. In this article, we are going to understand what is it, how it operates, what you can do with it when it comes to predicting the next prices in the market with high accuracy and much more.
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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.
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MQL5 Wizard Techniques you should know (Part 71): Using Patterns of MACD and the OBV

MQL5 Wizard Techniques you should know (Part 71): Using Patterns of MACD and the OBV

The Moving-Average-Convergence-Divergence (MACD) oscillator and the On-Balance-Volume (OBV) oscillator are another pair of indicators that could be used in conjunction within an MQL5 Expert Advisor. This pairing, as is practice in these article series, is complementary with the MACD affirming trends while OBV checks volume. As usual, we use the MQL5 wizard to build and test any potential these two may possess.
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Creating a market making algorithm in MQL5

Creating a market making algorithm in MQL5

How do market makers work? Let's consider this issue and create a primitive market-making algorithm.
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Neural Networks in Trading: Hybrid Graph Sequence Models (GSM++)

Neural Networks in Trading: Hybrid Graph Sequence Models (GSM++)

Hybrid graph sequence models (GSM++) combine the advantages of different architectures to provide high-fidelity data analysis and optimized computational costs. These models adapt effectively to dynamic market data, improving the presentation and processing of financial information.
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MQL5 Trading Toolkit (Part 8): How to Implement and Use the History Manager EX5 Library in Your Codebase

MQL5 Trading Toolkit (Part 8): How to Implement and Use the History Manager EX5 Library in Your Codebase

Discover how to effortlessly import and utilize the History Manager EX5 library in your MQL5 source code to process trade histories in your MetaTrader 5 account in this series' final article. With simple one-line function calls in MQL5, you can efficiently manage and analyze your trading data. Additionally, you will learn how to create different trade history analytics scripts and develop a price-based Expert Advisor as practical use-case examples. The example EA leverages price data and the History Manager EX5 library to make informed trading decisions, adjust trade volumes, and implement recovery strategies based on previously closed trades.
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Overcoming The Limitation of Machine Learning (Part 5): A Quick Recap of Time Series Cross Validation

Overcoming The Limitation of Machine Learning (Part 5): A Quick Recap of Time Series Cross Validation

In this series of articles, we look at the challenges faced by algorithmic traders when deploying machine-learning-powered trading strategies. Some challenges within our community remain unseen because they demand deeper technical understanding. Today’s discussion acts as a springboard toward examining the blind spots of cross-validation in machine learning. Although often treated as routine, this step can easily produce misleading or suboptimal results if handled carelessly. This article briefly revisits the essentials of time series cross-validation to prepare us for more in-depth insight into its hidden blind spots.
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Neural networks made easy (Part 53): Reward decomposition

Neural networks made easy (Part 53): Reward decomposition

We have already talked more than once about the importance of correctly selecting the reward function, which we use to stimulate the desired behavior of the Agent by adding rewards or penalties for individual actions. But the question remains open about the decryption of our signals by the Agent. In this article, we will talk about reward decomposition in terms of transmitting individual signals to the trained Agent.
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Experiments with neural networks (Part 4): Templates

Experiments with neural networks (Part 4): Templates

In this article, I will use experimentation and non-standard approaches to develop a profitable trading system and check whether neural networks can be of any help for traders. MetaTrader 5 as a self-sufficient tool for using neural networks in trading. Simple explanation.
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Developing a multi-currency Expert Advisor (Part 19): Creating stages implemented in Python

Developing a multi-currency Expert Advisor (Part 19): Creating stages implemented in Python

So far we have considered the automation of launching sequential procedures for optimizing EAs exclusively in the standard strategy tester. But what if we would like to perform some handling of the obtained data using other means between such launches? We will attempt to add the ability to create new optimization stages performed by programs written in Python.
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Neural Networks Made Easy (Part 87): Time Series Patching

Neural Networks Made Easy (Part 87): Time Series Patching

Forecasting plays an important role in time series analysis. In the new article, we will talk about the benefits of time series patching.
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Neural Networks in Trading: A Multimodal, Tool-Augmented Agent for Financial Markets (Final Part)

Neural Networks in Trading: A Multimodal, Tool-Augmented Agent for Financial Markets (Final Part)

We continue to develop the algorithms for FinAgent, a multimodal financial trading agent designed to analyze multimodal market dynamics data and historical trading patterns.
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MQL5 Trading Toolkit (Part 1): Developing A Positions Management EX5 Library

MQL5 Trading Toolkit (Part 1): Developing A Positions Management EX5 Library

Learn how to create a developer's toolkit for managing various position operations with MQL5. In this article, I will demonstrate how to create a library of functions (ex5) that will perform simple to advanced position management operations, including automatic handling and reporting of the different errors that arise when dealing with position management tasks with MQL5.
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Neural networks made easy (Part 66): Exploration problems in offline learning

Neural networks made easy (Part 66): Exploration problems in offline learning

Models are trained offline using data from a prepared training dataset. While providing certain advantages, its negative side is that information about the environment is greatly compressed to the size of the training dataset. Which, in turn, limits the possibilities of exploration. In this article, we will consider a method that enables the filling of a training dataset with the most diverse data possible.
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Data Science and Machine Learning(Part 14): Finding Your Way in the Markets with Kohonen Maps

Data Science and Machine Learning(Part 14): Finding Your Way in the Markets with Kohonen Maps

Are you looking for a cutting-edge approach to trading that can help you navigate complex and ever-changing markets? Look no further than Kohonen maps, an innovative form of artificial neural networks that can help you uncover hidden patterns and trends in market data. In this article, we'll explore how Kohonen maps work, and how they can be used to develop smarter, more effective trading strategies. Whether you're a seasoned trader or just starting out, you won't want to miss this exciting new approach to trading.
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Price Action Analysis Toolkit Development (Part 67): Automating Support and Resistance Monitoring in MQL5

Price Action Analysis Toolkit Development (Part 67): Automating Support and Resistance Monitoring in MQL5

This article implements a complete MQL5 Expert Advisor that monitors manually drawn support and resistance levels in real time. It synchronizes horizontal lines, detects approaches, touches, breakouts, reversals, and retests, and adds optional candlestick pattern checks. Alerts and on‑chart markers provide clear, repeatable feedback, allowing you to keep manual analysis while automating the surveillance of key price levels.
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Developing a multi-currency Expert Advisor (Part 12): Developing prop trading level risk manager

Developing a multi-currency Expert Advisor (Part 12): Developing prop trading level risk manager

In the EA being developed, we already have a certain mechanism for controlling drawdown. But it is probabilistic in nature, as it is based on the results of testing on historical price data. Therefore, the drawdown can sometimes exceed the maximum expected values (although with a small probability). Let's try to add a mechanism that ensures guaranteed compliance with the specified drawdown level.
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Creating Custom Indicators in MQL5 (Part 4): Smart WaveTrend Crossover with Dual Oscillators

Creating Custom Indicators in MQL5 (Part 4): Smart WaveTrend Crossover with Dual Oscillators

In this article, we develop a custom indicator in MQL5 called Smart WaveTrend Crossover, utilizing dual WaveTrend oscillators—one for generating crossover signals and another for trend filtering—with customizable parameters for channel, average, and moving average lengths. The indicator plots colored candles based on the trend direction, displays buy and sell arrow signals on crossovers, and includes options to enable trend confirmation and adjust visual elements like colors and offsets.
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From Novice to Expert: Animated News Headline Using MQL5 (IX) — Multiple Symbol Management on a single chart for News Trading

From Novice to Expert: Animated News Headline Using MQL5 (IX) — Multiple Symbol Management on a single chart for News Trading

News trading often requires managing multiple positions and symbols within a very short time due to heightened volatility. In today’s discussion, we address the challenges of multi-symbol trading by integrating this feature into our News Headline EA. Join us as we explore how algorithmic trading with MQL5 makes multi-symbol trading more efficient and powerful.
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Statistical Arbitrage Through Cointegrated Stocks (Part 1): Engle-Granger and Johansen Cointegration Tests

Statistical Arbitrage Through Cointegrated Stocks (Part 1): Engle-Granger and Johansen Cointegration Tests

This article aims to provide a trader-friendly, gentle introduction to the most common cointegration tests, along with a simple guide to understanding their results. The Engle-Granger and Johansen cointegration tests can reveal statistically significant pairs or groups of assets that share long-term dynamics. The Johansen test is especially useful for portfolios with three or more assets, as it calculates the strength of cointegrating vectors all at once.
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Implementation of a Breakeven Mechanism in MQL5 (Part 1): Base Class and Fixed-Points Breakeven Mode

Implementation of a Breakeven Mechanism in MQL5 (Part 1): Base Class and Fixed-Points Breakeven Mode

This article discusses the application of a breakeven mechanism in automated strategies using the MQL5 language. We will start with a simple explanation of what the breakeven mode is, how it is implemented, and its possible variations. Next, this functionality will be integrated into the Order Blocks expert advisor, which we created in our last article on risk management. To evaluate its effectiveness, we will run two backtests under specific conditions: one using the breakeven mechanism and the other without it.
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Developing a trading Expert Advisor from scratch (Part 23): New order system (VI)

Developing a trading Expert Advisor from scratch (Part 23): New order system (VI)

We will make the order system more flexible. Here we will consider changes to the code that will make it more flexible, which will allow us to change position stop levels much faster.
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Neural Networks in Trading: Scene-Aware Object Detection (HyperDet3D)

Neural Networks in Trading: Scene-Aware Object Detection (HyperDet3D)

We invite you to get acquainted with a new approach to detecting objects using hypernetworks. A hypernetwork generates weights for the main model, which allows taking into account the specifics of the current market situation. This approach allows us to improve forecasting accuracy by adapting the model to different trading conditions.
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Quantum computing and trading: A fresh approach to price forecasts

Quantum computing and trading: A fresh approach to price forecasts

The article describes an innovative approach to forecasting price movements in financial markets using quantum computing. The main focus is on the application of the Quantum Phase Estimation (QPE) algorithm to find prototypes of price patterns allowing traders to significantly speed up the market data analysis.
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Price Action Analysis Toolkit Development (Part 54): Filtering Trends with EMA and Smoothed Price Action

Price Action Analysis Toolkit Development (Part 54): Filtering Trends with EMA and Smoothed Price Action

This article explores a method that combines Heikin‑Ashi smoothing with EMA20 High and Low boundaries and an EMA50 trend filter to improve trade clarity and timing. It demonstrates how these tools can help traders identify genuine momentum, filter out noise, and better navigate volatile or trending markets.
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Employing Game Theory Approaches in Trading Algorithms

Employing Game Theory Approaches in Trading Algorithms

We are creating an adaptive self-learning trading expert advisor based on DQN machine learning, with multidimensional causal inference. The EA will successfully trade simultaneously on 7 currency pairs. And agents of different pairs will exchange information with each other.
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Developing a trading Expert Advisor from scratch (Part 25): Providing system robustness (II)

Developing a trading Expert Advisor from scratch (Part 25): Providing system robustness (II)

In this article, we will make the final step towards the EA's performance. So, be prepared for a long read. To make our Expert Advisor reliable, we will first remove everything from the code that is not part of the trading system.
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Developing a multi-currency Expert Advisor (Part 4): Pending virtual orders and saving status

Developing a multi-currency Expert Advisor (Part 4): Pending virtual orders and saving status

Having started developing a multi-currency EA, we have already achieved some results and managed to carry out several code improvement iterations. However, our EA was unable to work with pending orders and resume operation after the terminal restart. Let's add these features.
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Price Action Analysis Toolkit Development (Part 60):  Objective Swing-Based Trendlines for Structural Analysis

Price Action Analysis Toolkit Development (Part 60): Objective Swing-Based Trendlines for Structural Analysis

We present a rule-based approach to trendlines that avoids indicator pivots and uses ordered swings derived from raw prices. The article walks through swing detection, size qualification via ATR or fixed thresholds, and validation of ascending and descending structures, then implements these rules in MQL5 with non-repainting drawing and selective output. You get a clear, repeatable way to track structural support and resistance that holds up across market conditions.
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Integrating MQL5 with data processing packages (Part 2): Machine Learning and Predictive Analytics

Integrating MQL5 with data processing packages (Part 2): Machine Learning and Predictive Analytics

In our series on integrating MQL5 with data processing packages, we delve in to the powerful combination of machine learning and predictive analysis. We will explore how to seamlessly connect MQL5 with popular machine learning libraries, to enable sophisticated predictive models for financial markets.
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News Trading Made Easy (Part 6): Performing Trades (III)

News Trading Made Easy (Part 6): Performing Trades (III)

In this article news filtration for individual news events based on their IDs will be implemented. In addition, previous SQL queries will be improved to provide additional information or reduce the query's runtime. Furthermore, the code built in the previous articles will be made functional.
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Neural networks made easy (Part 35): Intrinsic Curiosity Module

Neural networks made easy (Part 35): Intrinsic Curiosity Module

We continue to study reinforcement learning algorithms. All the algorithms we have considered so far required the creation of a reward policy to enable the agent to evaluate each of its actions at each transition from one system state to another. However, this approach is rather artificial. In practice, there is some time lag between an action and a reward. In this article, we will get acquainted with a model training algorithm which can work with various time delays from the action to the reward.
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Data Science and Machine Learning (Part 19): Supercharge Your AI models with AdaBoost

Data Science and Machine Learning (Part 19): Supercharge Your AI models with AdaBoost

AdaBoost, a powerful boosting algorithm designed to elevate the performance of your AI models. AdaBoost, short for Adaptive Boosting, is a sophisticated ensemble learning technique that seamlessly integrates weak learners, enhancing their collective predictive strength.
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Automating Trading Strategies in MQL5 (Part 32): Creating a Price Action 5 Drives Harmonic Pattern System

Automating Trading Strategies in MQL5 (Part 32): Creating a Price Action 5 Drives Harmonic Pattern System

In this article, we develop a 5 Drives pattern system in MQL5 that identifies bullish and bearish 5 Drives harmonic patterns using pivot points and Fibonacci ratios, executing trades with customizable entry, stop loss, and take-profit levels based on user-selected options. We enhance trader insight with visual feedback through chart objects like triangles, trendlines, and labels to clearly display the A-B-C-D-E-F pattern structure.
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Neural Networks Made Easy (Part 94): Optimizing the Input Sequence

Neural Networks Made Easy (Part 94): Optimizing the Input Sequence

When working with time series, we always use the source data in their historical sequence. But is this the best option? There is an opinion that changing the sequence of the input data will improve the efficiency of the trained models. In this article I invite you to get acquainted with one of the methods for optimizing the input sequence.
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From Novice to Expert: Statistical Validation of Supply and Demand Zones

From Novice to Expert: Statistical Validation of Supply and Demand Zones

Today, we uncover the often overlooked statistical foundation behind supply and demand trading strategies. By combining MQL5 with Python through a Jupyter Notebook workflow, we conduct a structured, data-driven investigation aimed at transforming visual market assumptions into measurable insights. This article covers the complete research process, including data collection, Python-based statistical analysis, algorithm design, testing, and final conclusions. To explore the methodology and findings in detail, read the full article.