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 Replay System (Part 50): Things Get Complicated (II)

Developing a Replay System (Part 50): Things Get Complicated (II)

We will solve the chart ID problem and at the same time we will begin to provide the user with the ability to use a personal template for the analysis and simulation of the desired asset. The materials presented here are for didactic purposes only and should in no way be considered as an application for any purpose other than studying and mastering the concepts presented.
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The case for using a Composite Data Set this Q4 in weighing SPDR XLY's next performance

The case for using a Composite Data Set this Q4 in weighing SPDR XLY's next performance

We consider XLY, SPDR’s consumer discretionary spending ETF and see if with tools in MetaTrader’s IDE we can sift through an array of data sets in selecting what could work with a forecasting model with a forward outlook of not more than a year.
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Mathematical Models in Grid Strategies

Mathematical Models in Grid Strategies

In this article, we will examine the application of mathematics to grid strategies. We will consider the basic principles of the strategy, as well as its advantages and disadvantages. You will learn how to build a trading grid, set optimal parameters, and manage risks effectively.
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Neural Networks in Trading: Piecewise Linear Representation of Time Series

Neural Networks in Trading: Piecewise Linear Representation of Time Series

This article is somewhat different from my earlier publications. In this article, we will talk about an alternative representation of time series. Piecewise linear representation of time series is a method of approximating a time series using linear functions over small intervals.
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Developing a Multi-Currency Expert Advisor (Part 29): Improving the Conveyor

Developing a Multi-Currency Expert Advisor (Part 29): Improving the Conveyor

We are going to improve the usability of the automated optimization conveyor: we will explore the process from creating an optimization project to testing the final EA. For clarity, let us walk through the entire process step by step creating the final EA, while stopping to make any desired corrections.
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Market Simulation (Part 04): Creating the C_Orders Class (I)

Market Simulation (Part 04): Creating the C_Orders Class (I)

In this article, we will start creating the C_Orders class to be able to send orders to the trading server. We'll do this little by little, as our goal is to explain in detail how this will happen through the messaging system.
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Category Theory in MQL5 (Part 19): Naturality Square Induction

Category Theory in MQL5 (Part 19): Naturality Square Induction

We continue our look at natural transformations by considering naturality square induction. Slight restraints on multicurrency implementation for experts assembled with the MQL5 wizard mean we are showcasing our data classification abilities with a script. Principle applications considered are price change classification and thus its forecasting.
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Category Theory in MQL5 (Part 21): Natural Transformations with LDA

Category Theory in MQL5 (Part 21): Natural Transformations with LDA

This article, the 21st in our series, continues with a look at Natural Transformations and how they can be implemented using linear discriminant analysis. We present applications of this in a signal class format, like in the previous article.
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Neural Networks in Trading: Injection of Global Information into Independent Channels (InjectTST)

Neural Networks in Trading: Injection of Global Information into Independent Channels (InjectTST)

Most modern multimodal time series forecasting methods use the independent channels approach. This ignores the natural dependence of different channels of the same time series. Smart use of two approaches (independent and mixed channels) is the key to improving the performance of the models.
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An Introduction to the Study of Fractal Market Structures Using Machine Learning

An Introduction to the Study of Fractal Market Structures Using Machine Learning

The article attempts to examine financial time series from the perspective of self-similar fractal structures. Since we have too many analogies that confirm the possibility of considering market quotes as self-similar fractals, this allows us to think about the forecasting horizons of such structures.
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MQL5 Wizard Techniques you should know (Part 32): Regularization

MQL5 Wizard Techniques you should know (Part 32): Regularization

Regularization is a form of penalizing the loss function in proportion to the discrete weighting applied throughout the various layers of a neural network. We look at the significance, for some of the various regularization forms, this can have in test runs with a wizard assembled Expert Advisor.
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Neural Networks in Trading: Exploring the Local Structure of Data

Neural Networks in Trading: Exploring the Local Structure of Data

Effective identification and preservation of the local structure of market data in noisy conditions is a critical task in trading. The use of the Self-Attention mechanism has shown promising results in processing such data; however, the classical approach does not account for the local characteristics of the underlying structure. In this article, I introduce an algorithm capable of incorporating these structural dependencies.
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Neural Networks in Trading: Point Cloud Analysis (PointNet)

Neural Networks in Trading: Point Cloud Analysis (PointNet)

Direct point cloud analysis avoids unnecessary data growth and improves the performance of models in classification and segmentation tasks. Such approaches demonstrate high performance and robustness to perturbations in the original data.
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Overcoming The Limitation of Machine Learning (Part 7): Automatic Strategy Selection

Overcoming The Limitation of Machine Learning (Part 7): Automatic Strategy Selection

This article demonstrates how to automatically identify potentially profitable trading strategies using MetaTrader 5. White-box solutions, powered by unsupervised matrix factorization, are faster to configure, more interpretable, and provide clear guidance on which strategies to retain. Black-box solutions, while more time-consuming, are better suited for complex market conditions that white-box approaches may not capture. Join us as we discuss how our trading strategies can help us carefully identify profitable strategies under any circumstance.
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Building a Trade Analytics System (Part 1): Foundation and System Architecture

Building a Trade Analytics System (Part 1): Foundation and System Architecture

We design a simple external trade analytics pipeline for MetaTrader 5 and implement its backend in Python with Flask and SQLite. The article defines the architecture, data model, and versioned API, and shows how to configure the environment, initialize the database, and run the server locally. As a result, you get a clean base to capture closed-trade records from MetaTrader 5 and store them for later analysis.
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Developing a Replay System (Part 43): Chart Trade Project (II)

Developing a Replay System (Part 43): Chart Trade Project (II)

Most people who want or dream of learning to program don't actually have a clue what they're doing. Their activity consists of trying to create things in a certain way. However, programming is not about tailoring suitable solutions. Doing it this way can create more problems than solutions. Here we will be doing something more advanced and therefore different.
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Developing a Replay System (Part 40): Starting the second phase (I)

Developing a Replay System (Part 40): Starting the second phase (I)

Today we'll talk about the new phase of the replay/simulator system. At this stage, the conversation will become truly interesting and quite rich in content. I strongly recommend that you read the article carefully and use the links provided in it. This will help you understand the content better.
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Introduction to MQL5 (Part 32): Mastering API and WebRequest Function in MQL5 (VI)

Introduction to MQL5 (Part 32): Mastering API and WebRequest Function in MQL5 (VI)

This article will show you how to visualize candle data obtained via the WebRequest function and API in candle format. We'll use MQL5 to read the candle data from a CSV file and display it as custom candles on the chart, since indicators cannot directly use the WebRequest function.
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Neural networks are easy (Part 59): Dichotomy of Control (DoC)

Neural networks are easy (Part 59): Dichotomy of Control (DoC)

In the previous article, we got acquainted with the Decision Transformer. But the complex stochastic environment of the foreign exchange market did not allow us to fully implement the potential of the presented method. In this article, I will introduce an algorithm that is aimed at improving the performance of algorithms in stochastic environments.
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Causal inference in time series classification problems

Causal inference in time series classification problems

In this article, we will look at the theory of causal inference using machine learning, as well as the custom approach implementation in Python. Causal inference and causal thinking have their roots in philosophy and psychology and play an important role in our understanding of reality.
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Neural Networks in Trading: Transformer for the Point Cloud (Pointformer)

Neural Networks in Trading: Transformer for the Point Cloud (Pointformer)

In this article, we will talk about algorithms for using attention methods in solving problems of detecting objects in a point cloud. Object detection in point clouds is important for many real-world applications.
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Developing a Replay System (Part 46): Chart Trade Project (V)

Developing a Replay System (Part 46): Chart Trade Project (V)

Tired of wasting time searching for that very file that you application needs in order to work? How about including everything in the executable? This way you won't have to search for the things. I know that many people use this form of distribution and storage, but there is a much more suitable way. At least as far as the distribution of executable files and their storage is concerned. The method that will be presented here can be very useful, since you can use MetaTrader 5 itself as an excellent assistant, as well as MQL5. Furthermore, it is not that difficult to understand.
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Neural Networks in Trading: Hierarchical Dual-Tower Transformer (Hidformer)

Neural Networks in Trading: Hierarchical Dual-Tower Transformer (Hidformer)

We invite you to get acquainted with the Hierarchical Double-Tower Transformer (Hidformer) framework, which was developed for time series forecasting and data analysis. The framework authors proposed several improvements to the Transformer architecture, which resulted in increased forecast accuracy and reduced computational resource consumption.
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The MQL5 Standard Library Explorer (Part 10): Polynomial Regression Channel

The MQL5 Standard Library Explorer (Part 10): Polynomial Regression Channel

Today, we explore another component of ALGLIB, leveraging its mathematical capabilities to develop a Polynomial Regression Channel indicator. By the end of this discussion, you will gain practical insights into indicator development using the MQL5 Standard Library, along with a fully functional, mathematically driven indicator source code.
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The MQL5 Standard Library Explorer (Part 11): How to Build a Matrix-Based Market Structure Indicator in MQL5

The MQL5 Standard Library Explorer (Part 11): How to Build a Matrix-Based Market Structure Indicator in MQL5

Learn to engineer an MQL5 indicator that converts trend, momentum, and volatility into a single raw score using a matrix.mqh (ALGLIB). The article covers a separate‑window oscillator to validate the core mathematics, then a main‑chart indicator that plots non‑repainting buy/sell arrows when the score crosses user‑defined thresholds. An optional long‑term EMA filter, a minimum‑bar cooldown, and built‑in alerts make the tool practical for live trading.
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Developing a Replay System (Part 29): Expert Advisor project — C_Mouse class (III)

Developing a Replay System (Part 29): Expert Advisor project — C_Mouse class (III)

After improving the C_Mouse class, we can focus on creating a class designed to create a completely new framework fr our analysis. We will not use inheritance or polymorphism to create this new class. Instead, we will change, or better said, add new objects to the price line. That's what we will do in this article. In the next one, we will look at how to change the analysis. All this will be done without changing the code of the C_Mouse class. Well, actually, it would be easier to achieve this using inheritance or polymorphism. However, there are other methods to achieve the same result.
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Neural Networks Made Easy (Part 90): Frequency Interpolation of Time Series (FITS)

Neural Networks Made Easy (Part 90): Frequency Interpolation of Time Series (FITS)

By studying the FEDformer method, we opened the door to the frequency domain of time series representation. In this new article, we will continue the topic we started. We will consider a method with which we can not only conduct an analysis, but also predict subsequent states in a particular area.
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Engineering Trading Discipline into Code (Part 7): Automating Equity Protection Through Governance Logic

Engineering Trading Discipline into Code (Part 7): Automating Equity Protection Through Governance Logic

Automated trading systems often focus heavily on signal generation while neglecting the mechanisms required to protect capital during periods of stress. This article presents an Equity Governance Framework in MQL5 that monitors drawdown conditions, evaluates equity pressure, and dynamically controls trading activity through a state-driven risk management model. By combining drawdown analysis, cooldown logic, trade authorization, and execution restrictions, the framework demonstrates how trading discipline can be engineered directly into code using a modular and extensible architecture.
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MQL5 Trading Tools (Part 16): Improved Super-Sampling Anti-Aliasing (SSAA) and High-Resolution Rendering

MQL5 Trading Tools (Part 16): Improved Super-Sampling Anti-Aliasing (SSAA) and High-Resolution Rendering

We add supersampling‑driven anti‑aliasing and high‑resolution rendering to the MQL5 canvas dashboard, then downsample to the target size. The article implements rounded rectangle fills and borders, rounded triangle arrows, and a custom scrollbar with theming for the stats and text panels. These tools help you build smoother, more legible UI components in MetaTrader 5.
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The MQL5 Standard Library Explorer (Part 8) : The Hybrid Trades Journal Logging with CFile

The MQL5 Standard Library Explorer (Part 8) : The Hybrid Trades Journal Logging with CFile

In this article, we explore the File Operations classes of the MQL5 Standard Library to build a robust reporting module that automatically generates Excel-ready CSV files. Along the way, we clearly distinguish between manually executed trades and algorithmically executed orders, laying the groundwork for reliable, auditable trade reporting.
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Statistical Arbitrage Through Cointegrated Stocks (Part 9): Backtesting Portfolio Weights Updates

Statistical Arbitrage Through Cointegrated Stocks (Part 9): Backtesting Portfolio Weights Updates

This article describes the use of CSV files for backtesting portfolio weights updates in a mean-reversion-based strategy that uses statistical arbitrage through cointegrated stocks. It goes from feeding the database with the results of a Rolling Windows Eigenvector Comparison (RWEC) to comparing the backtest reports. In the meantime, the article details the role of each RWEC parameter and its impact in the overall backtest result, showing how the comparison of the relative drawdown can help us to further improve those parameters.
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Neural Networks in Trading: Hierarchical Dual-Tower Transformer (Final Part)

Neural Networks in Trading: Hierarchical Dual-Tower Transformer (Final Part)

We continue to build the Hidformer hierarchical dual-tower transformer model designed for analyzing and forecasting complex multivariate time series. In this article, we will bring the work we started earlier to its logical conclusion — we will test the model on real historical data.
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Building a Divergence System (Part II): Adaptive SuperTrend Custom Indicator

Building a Divergence System (Part II): Adaptive SuperTrend Custom Indicator

The article upgrades SuperTrend by integrating a divergence engine (MPO4 or RSI) the dynamically reduces the ATR multiplier during weakening momentum. It covers the shrinking formula, non-repainting state propagation with dedicated buffers, and a step-by-step MQL5 implementation on the price chart. You will learn how to interpret arrows and line flips, adjust inputs, and apply the indicator for disciplined trailing and earlier confirmations.
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African Buffalo Optimization (ABO)

African Buffalo Optimization (ABO)

The article presents the African Buffalo Optimization (ABO) algorithm, a metaheuristic approach developed in 2015 based on the unique behavior of these animals. The article describes in detail the stages of the algorithm implementation and its efficiency in finding solutions to complex problems, which makes it a valuable tool in the field of optimization.
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Neural networks made easy (Part 82): Ordinary Differential Equation models (NeuralODE)

Neural networks made easy (Part 82): Ordinary Differential Equation models (NeuralODE)

In this article, we will discuss another type of models that are aimed at studying the dynamics of the environmental state.
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Neural Networks in Trading: Generalized 3D Referring Expression Segmentation

Neural Networks in Trading: Generalized 3D Referring Expression Segmentation

While analyzing the market situation, we divide it into separate segments, identifying key trends. However, traditional analysis methods often focus on one aspect and thus limit the proper perception. In this article, we will learn about a method that enables the selection of multiple objects to ensure a more comprehensive and multi-layered understanding of the situation.
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Data Science and ML (Part 44): Forex OHLC Time series Forecasting using Vector Autoregression (VAR)

Data Science and ML (Part 44): Forex OHLC Time series Forecasting using Vector Autoregression (VAR)

Explore how Vector Autoregression (VAR) models can forecast Forex OHLC (Open, High, Low, and Close) time series data. This article covers VAR implementation, model training, and real-time forecasting in MetaTrader 5, helping traders analyze interdependent currency movements and improve their trading strategies.
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Camel Algorithm (CA)

Camel Algorithm (CA)

The Camel Algorithm, developed in 2016, simulates the behavior of camels in the desert to solve optimization problems, taking into account temperature, supply, and endurance. This article also presents a modified version of the algorithm (CAm) with key improvements: the use of a Gaussian distribution in generating solutions and the optimization of the oasis effect parameters.
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Chemical reaction optimization (CRO) algorithm (Part I): Process chemistry in optimization

Chemical reaction optimization (CRO) algorithm (Part I): Process chemistry in optimization

In the first part of this article, we will dive into the world of chemical reactions and discover a new approach to optimization! Chemical reaction optimization (CRO) uses principles derived from the laws of thermodynamics to achieve efficient results. We will reveal the secrets of decomposition, synthesis and other chemical processes that became the basis of this innovative method.
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Category Theory in MQL5 (Part 17): Functors and Monoids

Category Theory in MQL5 (Part 17): Functors and Monoids

This article, the final in our series to tackle functors as a subject, revisits monoids as a category. Monoids which we have already introduced in these series are used here to aid in position sizing, together with multi-layer perceptrons.