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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How to Subscribe to Trading Signals
How to Subscribe to Trading Signals

How to Subscribe to Trading Signals

The Signals service introduces social trading with MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5. The Service is integrated into the trading platform, and allows anyone to easily copy trades of professional traders. Select any of the thousands of signal providers, subscribe in a few clicks and the provider's trades will be copied on your account.
How to purchase a trading robot from the MetaTrader Market and to install it?
How to purchase a trading robot from the MetaTrader Market and to install it?

How to purchase a trading robot from the MetaTrader Market and to install it?

A product from the MetaTrader Market can be purchased on the MQL5.com website or straight from the MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 trading platforms. Choose a desired product that suits your trading style, pay for it using your preferred payment method, and activate the product.
How we developed the MetaTrader Signals service and Social Trading
How we developed the MetaTrader Signals service and Social Trading

How we developed the MetaTrader Signals service and Social Trading

We continue to enhance the Signals service, improve the mechanisms, add new functions and fix flaws. The MetaTrader Signals Service of 2012 and the current MetaTrader Signals Service are like two completely different services. Currently, we are implementing A Virtual Hosting Cloud service which consists of a network of servers to support specific versions of the MetaTrader client terminal. Traders will need to complete only 5 steps in order to rent the virtual copy of their terminal with minimal network latency to their broker's trade server directly from the MetaTrader client terminal.
MetaTrader 5 on Linux
MetaTrader 5 on Linux

MetaTrader 5 on Linux

In this article, we demonstrate an easy way to install MetaTrader 5 on popular Linux versions — Ubuntu and Debian. These systems are widely used on server hardware as well as on traders’ personal computers.
MetaTrader 5 on Mac OS
MetaTrader 5 on Mac OS

MetaTrader 5 on Mac OS

Apple products have become very popular. MetaQuotes Software Corp. attentively follows the progress of the IT industry and has already released the special mobile applications for iOS-based devices - MetaTrader 4 for iPhone and MetaTrader 5 for iPhone. There are many topics on MQL5.community forum, where people are seeking a solution for running MetaTrader 5 under Mac OS operating system. In this article, you will find out how to work with MetaTrader 5 via the Apple's popular operating system.
MetaQuotes ID in MetaTrader Mobile Terminal
MetaQuotes ID in MetaTrader Mobile Terminal

MetaQuotes ID in MetaTrader Mobile Terminal

Android and iOS powered devices offer us many features we do not even know about. One of these features is push notifications allowing us to receive personal messages, regardless of our phone number or mobile network operator. MetaTrader mobile terminal already can receive such messages right from your trading robot. You should only know MetaQuotes ID of your device. More than 9 000 000 mobile terminals have already received it.
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How to become a Signals Provider for MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5

How to become a Signals Provider for MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5

Do you want to offer your trading signals and make profit? Register on MQL5.com website as a Seller, specify your trading account and offer traders a subscription to copy your trades.
General information on Trading Signals for MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5
General information on Trading Signals for MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5

General information on Trading Signals for MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5

MetaTrader 4 / MetaTrader 5 Trading Signals is a service allowing traders to copy trading operations of a Signals Provider. Our goal was to develop the new massively used service protecting Subscribers and relieving them of unnecessary costs.
How to Prepare a Trading Account for Migration to Virtual Hosting
How to Prepare a Trading Account for Migration to Virtual Hosting

How to Prepare a Trading Account for Migration to Virtual Hosting

MetaTrader client terminal is perfect for automating trading strategies. It has all tools necessary for trading robot developers ‒ powerful C++ based MQL4/MQL5 programming language, convenient MetaEditor development environment and multi-threaded strategy tester that supports distributed computing in MQL5 Cloud Network. In this article, you will find out how to move your client terminal to the virtual environment with all custom elements.
MQL5 Cookbook: Getting properties of an open hedge position
MQL5 Cookbook: Getting properties of an open hedge position

MQL5 Cookbook: Getting properties of an open hedge position

MetaTrader 5 is a multi-asset platform. Moreover, it supports different position management systems. Such opportunities provide significantly expanded options for the implementation and formalization of trading ideas. In this article, we discuss methods of handling and accounting of position properties in the hedging mode. The article features a derived class, as well as examples showing how to get and process the properties of a hedge position.
Trade Operations in MQL5 - It's Easy
Trade Operations in MQL5 - It's Easy

Trade Operations in MQL5 - It's Easy

Almost all traders come to market to make money but some traders also enjoy the process itself. However, it is not only manual trading that can provide you with an exciting experience. Automated trading systems development can also be quite absorbing. Creating a trading robot can be as interesting as reading a good mystery novel.
Video tutorial: MetaTrader Signals Service
Video tutorial: MetaTrader Signals Service

Video tutorial: MetaTrader Signals Service

In just 15 minutes, this video tutorial explains what MetaTrader Signals Service is, and demonstrates in great detail how to subscribe to trade signals and how to become a signal provider in our service. By watching this tutorial, you will be able to subscribe to any trading signal, or publish and promote your own signals in our service.
Trading account monitoring is an indispensable trader's tool
Trading account monitoring is an indispensable trader's tool

Trading account monitoring is an indispensable trader's tool

Trading account monitoring provides a detailed report on all completed deals. All trading statistics are collected automatically and provided to you as easy-to-understand diagrams and graphs.
Why Virtual Hosting On The MetaTrader 4 And MetaTrader 5 Is Better Than Usual VPS
Why Virtual Hosting On The MetaTrader 4 And MetaTrader 5 Is Better Than Usual VPS

Why Virtual Hosting On The MetaTrader 4 And MetaTrader 5 Is Better Than Usual VPS

The Virtual Hosting Cloud network was developed specially for MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 and has all the advantages of a native solution. Get the benefit of our free 24 hours offer - test out a virtual server right now.
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How to Make a Trading Robot in No Time

How to Make a Trading Robot in No Time

Trading on financial markets involves many risks including the most critical one - the risk of making a wrong trading decision. The dream of every trader is to find a trading robot, which is always in good shape and not subject to human weaknesses - fear, greed and impatience.
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Orders, Positions and Deals in MetaTrader 5

Orders, Positions and Deals in MetaTrader 5

Creating a robust trading robot cannot be done without an understanding of the mechanisms of the MetaTrader 5 trading system. The client terminal receives the information about the positions, orders, and deals from the trading server. To handle this data properly using the MQL5, it's necessary to have a good understanding of the interaction between the MQL5-program and the client terminal.
How to Order an Expert Advisor and Obtain the Desired Result
How to Order an Expert Advisor and Obtain the Desired Result

How to Order an Expert Advisor and Obtain the Desired Result

How to write correctly the Requirement Specifications? What should and should not be expected from a programmer when ordering an Expert Advisor or an indicator? How to keep a dialog, what moments to pay special attention to? This article gives the answers to these, as well as to many other questions, which often don't seem obvious to many people.
MetaTrader 5 features hedging position accounting system
MetaTrader 5 features hedging position accounting system

MetaTrader 5 features hedging position accounting system

In order to expand possibilities of retail Forex traders, we have added the second accounting system — hedging. Now, it is possible to have multiple positions per symbol, including oppositely directed ones. This paves the way to implementing trading strategies based on the so-called "locking" — if the price moves against a trader, they can open a position in the opposite direction.
Mathematics in Trading: How to Estimate Trade Results
Mathematics in Trading: How to Estimate Trade Results

Mathematics in Trading: How to Estimate Trade Results

We all are aware of that "No profit obtained in the past will guarantee any success in future". However, it is still very actual to be able to estimate trading systems. This article deals with some simple and convenient methods that will help to estimate trade results.
MetaTrader 5 and Python integration: receiving and sending data
MetaTrader 5 and Python integration: receiving and sending data

MetaTrader 5 and Python integration: receiving and sending data

Comprehensive data processing requires extensive tools and is often beyond the sandbox of one single application. Specialized programming languages are used for processing and analyzing data, statistics and machine learning. One of the leading programming languages for data processing is Python. The article provides a description of how to connect MetaTrader 5 and Python using sockets, as well as how to receive quotes via the terminal API.
Angles in Trading. Further Study Required
Angles in Trading. Further Study Required

Angles in Trading. Further Study Required

In this article, we discuss the method of trading analysis by measuring angles in the MetaTrader 4 terminal. The article provides a general plan of using angles for trend movement analysis, as well as non-standard ways to the practical application of angle analysis in trading. The article also provides conclusions that can be useful for trading.
The checks a trading robot must pass before publication in the Market
The checks a trading robot must pass before publication in the Market

The checks a trading robot must pass before publication in the Market

Before any product is published in the Market, it must undergo compulsory preliminary checks in order to ensure a uniform quality standard. This article considers the most frequent errors made by developers in their technical indicators and trading robots. An also shows how to self-test a product before sending it to the Market.
Identifying Trade Setups by Support, Resistance and Price Action
Identifying Trade Setups by Support, Resistance and Price Action

Identifying Trade Setups by Support, Resistance and Price Action

This article shows how price action and the monitoring of support and resistance levels can be used for well-timed market entry. It discusses a trading system that effectively combines the two for the determination of trade setups. Corresponding MQL4 code is explained that can be utilized in the EAs based on these trading concepts.
Automata-Based Programming as a New Approach to Creating Automated Trading Systems
Automata-Based Programming as a New Approach to Creating Automated Trading Systems

Automata-Based Programming as a New Approach to Creating Automated Trading Systems

This article takes us to a whole new direction in developing EAs, indicators and scripts in MQL4 and MQL5. In the future, this programming paradigm will gradually become the base standard for all traders in implementation of EAs. Using the automata-based programming paradigm, the MQL5 and MetaTrader 5 developers will be anywhere near being able to create a new language - MQL6 - and a new platform - MetaTrader 6.
Working with currency baskets in the Forex market
Working with currency baskets in the Forex market

Working with currency baskets in the Forex market

The article describes how currency pairs can be divided into groups (baskets), as well as how to obtain data about their status (for example, overbought and oversold) using certain indicators and how to apply this data in trading.
Automatic construction of support and resistance lines
Automatic construction of support and resistance lines

Automatic construction of support and resistance lines

The article deals with automatic construction of support/resistance lines using local tops and bottoms of price charts. The well-known ZigZag indicator is applied to define these extreme values.
Portfolio trading in MetaTrader 4
Portfolio trading in MetaTrader 4

Portfolio trading in MetaTrader 4

The article reveals the portfolio trading principles and their application to Forex market. A few simple mathematical portfolio arrangement models are considered. The article contains examples of practical implementation of the portfolio trading in MetaTrader 4: portfolio indicator and Expert Advisor for semi-automated trading. The elements of trading strategies, as well as their advantages and pitfalls are described.
Visual strategy builder. Creating trading robots without programming
Visual strategy builder. Creating trading robots without programming

Visual strategy builder. Creating trading robots without programming

This article presents a visual strategy builder. It is shown how any user can create trading robots and utilities without programming. Created Expert Advisors are fully functional and can be tested in the strategy tester, optimized in the cloud or executed live on real time charts.
Market Theory
Market Theory

Market Theory

A logically complete market theory that would cover all types and varieties of markets for goods and services, micro and macro markets like Forex, hasn't been available until now. This article covers the essence of a new market theory based on the profit analysis, reveals patterns of the current price change and the principle of the mechanism operation that allows the price to find its most optimal value by forming a chain of virtual prices that can develop the controlling influence on the actual price. Mechanisms of formation and change of market trends are also identified here.
How to reduce trader's risks
How to reduce trader's risks

How to reduce trader's risks

Trading in financial markets is associated with a whole range of risks that should be taken into account in the algorithms of trading systems. Reducing such risks is the most important task to make a profit when trading.
Sound Alerts in Indicators
Sound Alerts in Indicators

Sound Alerts in Indicators

How to create "voice" indicators for daily usage.
Several Ways of Finding a Trend in MQL5
Several Ways of Finding a Trend in MQL5

Several Ways of Finding a Trend in MQL5

Any trader would give a lot for opportunity to accurately detect a trend at any given time. Perhaps, this is the Holy Grail that everyone is looking for. In this article we will consider several ways to detect a trend. To be more precise - how to program several classical ways to detect a trend by means of MQL5.
MagicNumber: "Magic" Identifier of the Order
MagicNumber: "Magic" Identifier of the Order

MagicNumber: "Magic" Identifier of the Order

The article deals with the problem of conflict-free trading of several experts on the same МТ 4 Client Terminal. It "teaches" the expert to manage only "its own" orders without modifying or closing "someone else's" positions (opened manually or by other experts). The article was written for users who have basic skills of working with the terminal and programming in MQL 4.
Johnpaul77 Signal Providers: "Our Strategy Remains Profitable for More Than Three Years Now. So Why Would We Change It?"
Johnpaul77 Signal Providers: "Our Strategy Remains Profitable for More Than Three Years Now. So Why Would We Change It?"

Johnpaul77 Signal Providers: "Our Strategy Remains Profitable for More Than Three Years Now. So Why Would We Change It?"

Let us reveal a little secret: MQL5.com website visitors spend most of their time on Johnpaul77 signal's page. It is a leader of our signal rating having about 900 subscribers with the total funds of $5.7 million on real accounts. We have interviewed the signal's providers. As it turned out, there are four of them! How are duties distributed among the team members? What technical tools do they use? Why do they call themselves John Paul? And finally, how have common gamers from Indonesia become providers of the top signal on MQL5.com? Find out all that in the article.
Trading Signals in MetaTrader 5: A Better Alternative to PAMM Accounts!
Trading Signals in MetaTrader 5: A Better Alternative to PAMM Accounts!

Trading Signals in MetaTrader 5: A Better Alternative to PAMM Accounts!

We are pleased to announce that MetaTrader 5 now features Trading Signals, thus giving a powerful tool to investors and managers. While you are following the trades of a successful trader, the terminal will be automatically reproducing them in your account!
Indicator for Renko charting
Indicator for Renko charting

Indicator for Renko charting

The article describes an example of Renko charting and its implementation in MQL5 as an indicator. Modifications of this indicator distinguish it from a classic chart. It can be constructed both in the indicator window and on the main chart. Moreover, there is the ZigZag indicator. You can find a few examples of the chart implementation.
Night trading during the Asian session: How to stay profitable
Night trading during the Asian session: How to stay profitable

Night trading during the Asian session: How to stay profitable

The article deals with the concept of night trading, as well as trading strategies and their implementation in MQL5. We perform tests and make appropriate conclusions.
14,000 trading robots in the MetaTrader Market
14,000 trading robots in the MetaTrader Market

14,000 trading robots in the MetaTrader Market

The largest store of ready-made applications for algo-trading now features 13,970 products. This includes 4,800 robots, 6,500 indicators, 2,400 utilities and other solutions. Almost half of the applications (6,000) are available for rent. Also, a quarter of the total number of products (3,800) can be downloaded for free.
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SQLite: Native handling of SQL databases in MQL5

SQLite: Native handling of SQL databases in MQL5

The development of trading strategies is associated with handling large amounts of data. Now, you are able to work with databases using SQL queries based on SQLite directly in MQL5. An important feature of this engine is that the entire database is placed in a single file located on a user's PC.
The Easy Way to Evaluate a Signal: Trading Activity, Drawdown/Load and MFE/MAE Distribution Charts
The Easy Way to Evaluate a Signal: Trading Activity, Drawdown/Load and MFE/MAE Distribution Charts

The Easy Way to Evaluate a Signal: Trading Activity, Drawdown/Load and MFE/MAE Distribution Charts

Subscribers often search for an appropriate signal by analyzing the total growth on the signal provider's account, which is not a bad idea. However, it is also important to analyze potential risks of a particular trading strategy. In this article we will show a simple and efficient way to evaluate a Trading Signal based on its performance values.