PHP Developer Looking to learn MQL4
Hi everyone,
I want to learn to code in MQL4 but I don't know where to start. I've read a lot that you should learn C++ before you start with MQL4, but I've also heard that any programming experience is fine.
I am a web application developer that mainly uses PHP, JavaScript and SQL. Based on what you now know about me, could someone please point me in the right direction, and tell me where I should start?
Thanks
Johnny
This is the original MACD EA
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+ //| MACD Sample.mq4 | //| Copyright © 2005, MetaQuotes Software Corp. | //| http://www.metaquotes.net/ | //+------------------------------------------------------------------+ extern double TakeProfit = 50; extern double Lots = 0.1; extern double TrailingStop = 30; extern double MACDOpenLevel=3; extern double MACDCloseLevel=2; extern double MATrendPeriod=26; //+------------------------------------------------------------------+ //| | //+------------------------------------------------------------------+ int start() { double MacdCurrent, MacdPrevious, SignalCurrent; double SignalPrevious, MaCurrent, MaPrevious; int cnt, ticket, total; // initial data checks // it is important to make sure that the expert works with a normal // chart and the user did not make any mistakes setting external // variables (Lots, StopLoss, TakeProfit, // TrailingStop) in our case, we check TakeProfit // on a chart of less than 100 bars if(Bars<100) { Print("bars less than 100"); return(0); } if(TakeProfit<10) { Print("TakeProfit less than 10"); return(0); // check TakeProfit } // to simplify the coding and speed up access // data are put into internal variables MacdCurrent=iMACD(NULL,0,12,26,9,PRICE_CLOSE,MODE_MAIN,0); MacdPrevious=iMACD(NULL,0,12,26,9,PRICE_CLOSE,MODE_MAIN,1); SignalCurrent=iMACD(NULL,0,12,26,9,PRICE_CLOSE,MODE_SIGNAL,0); SignalPrevious=iMACD(NULL,0,12,26,9,PRICE_CLOSE,MODE_SIGNAL,1); MaCurrent=iMA(NULL,0,MATrendPeriod,0,MODE_EMA,PRICE_CLOSE,0); MaPrevious=iMA(NULL,0,MATrendPeriod,0,MODE_EMA,PRICE_CLOSE,1); total=OrdersTotal(); if(total<1) { // no opened orders identified if(AccountFreeMargin()<(1000*Lots)) { Print("We have no money. Free Margin = ", AccountFreeMargin()); return(0); } // check for long position (BUY) possibility if(MacdCurrent<0 && MacdCurrent>SignalCurrent && MacdPrevious<SignalPrevious && MathAbs(MacdCurrent)>(MACDOpenLevel*Point) && MaCurrent>MaPrevious) { ticket=OrderSend(Symbol(),OP_BUY,Lots,Ask,3,0,Ask+TakeProfit*Point,"macd sample",16384,0,Green); if(ticket>0) { if(OrderSelect(ticket,SELECT_BY_TICKET,MODE_TRADES)) Print("BUY order opened : ",OrderOpenPrice()); } else Print("Error opening BUY order : ",GetLastError()); return(0); } // check for short position (SELL) possibility if(MacdCurrent>0 && MacdCurrent<SignalCurrent && MacdPrevious>SignalPrevious && MacdCurrent>(MACDOpenLevel*Point) && MaCurrent<MaPrevious) { ticket=OrderSend(Symbol(),OP_SELL,Lots,Bid,3,0,Bid-TakeProfit*Point,"macd sample",16384,0,Red); if(ticket>0) { if(OrderSelect(ticket,SELECT_BY_TICKET,MODE_TRADES)) Print("SELL order opened : ",OrderOpenPrice()); } else Print("Error opening SELL order : ",GetLastError()); return(0); } return(0); } // it is important to enter the market correctly, // but it is more important to exit it correctly... for(cnt=0;cnt<total;cnt++) { OrderSelect(cnt, SELECT_BY_POS, MODE_TRADES); if(OrderType()<=OP_SELL && // check for opened position OrderSymbol()==Symbol()) // check for symbol { if(OrderType()==OP_BUY) // long position is opened { // should it be closed? if(MacdCurrent>0 && MacdCurrent<SignalCurrent && MacdPrevious>SignalPrevious && MacdCurrent>(MACDCloseLevel*Point)) { OrderClose(OrderTicket(),OrderLots(),Bid,3,Violet); // close position return(0); // exit } // check for trailing stop if(TrailingStop>0) { if(Bid-OrderOpenPrice()>Point*TrailingStop) { if(OrderStopLoss()<Bid-Point*TrailingStop) { OrderModify(OrderTicket(),OrderOpenPrice(),Bid-Point*TrailingStop,OrderTakeProfit(),0,Green); return(0); } } } } else // go to short position { // should it be closed? if(MacdCurrent<0 && MacdCurrent>SignalCurrent && MacdPrevious<SignalPrevious && MathAbs(MacdCurrent)>(MACDCloseLevel*Point)) { OrderClose(OrderTicket(),OrderLots(),Ask,3,Violet); // close position return(0); // exit } // check for trailing stop if(TrailingStop>0) { if((OrderOpenPrice()-Ask)>(Point*TrailingStop)) { if((OrderStopLoss()>(Ask+Point*TrailingStop)) || (OrderStopLoss()==0)) { OrderModify(OrderTicket(),OrderOpenPrice(),Ask+Point*TrailingStop,OrderTakeProfit(),0,Red); return(0); } } } } } } return(0); } // the end.
If you want to learn to code then trie to understand what every line in this EA is doing
It needs to be modified that it works with the same parameters on a 4 digit as a 5 digit broker
Search the forum read the book and trie to do it
if you are finished then post what you have made here
and then we (that means not only me) can give you more ideas you can do with this EA to make it save working on your account
Succes learning.....
Hi everyone,
I want to learn to code in MQL4 but I don't know where to start. I've read a lot that you should learn C++ before you start with MQL4, but I've also heard that any programming experience is fine.
I am a web application developer that mainly uses PHP, JavaScript and SQL. Based on what you now know about me, could someone please point me in the right direction, and tell me where I should start?
Thanks
Johnny
Don't learn C++. MQL4 is based on C.
Really C is a very simple language. If you understand any computer language then C will be easy. The "hard" parts of C are structures, pointers and such, which are not available in MQL4 anyway. Have a start with the book.
Hi everyone,
I want to learn to code in MQL4 but I don't know where to start. I've read a lot that you should learn C++ before you start with MQL4, but I've also heard that any programming experience is fine.
I am a web application developer that mainly uses PHP, JavaScript and SQL. Based on what you now know about me, could someone please point me in the right direction, and tell me where I should start?
Thanks
Johnny
forum.mql4.com/3332 it is the coders guru course. A good place to start
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Hi everyone,
I want to learn to code in MQL4 but I don't know where to start. I've read a lot that you should learn C++ before you start with MQL4, but I've also heard that any programming experience is fine.
I am a web application developer that mainly uses PHP, JavaScript and SQL. Based on what you now know about me, could someone please point me in the right direction, and tell me where I should start?
Thanks
Johnny