The great and terrible MT4 forever (or how to strategise a transition)

[Vitaliy Kuznetsov]

I would like to touch upon the very sensitive subject of MT4 and MT5 terminals. Their influence and popularity among users and brokers/DCs.

For some reason the attitude to this terminal from the moderators (and not only) seemed to me negative.

This terminal is "like a bone in the throat for the developers" (these are not my words).

There is a super new MT5 with all sorts of cool gimmicks and frills.

The tester alone stands out. And delays and real ticks. Everything to make the product optimized by the latest AI.

But what is the reality? Most brokers/clearing houses sit on MT4 and don't want to include MT5 in their assortment.

Why is that? Is there an answer? And if there is, is there a solution that will suit most users?

And the majority of users are sitting on MT4. And if we take statistics from Market, the product, which is written on MT4 and MT5, has a couple times more sales on MT4.

So I'm wondering. Is it worth spitting into the well that feeds you?

Doesn't MT4 make the main profit? And if so, why invest in MT5?

Karl Marx is not happy that his theory of capital is being misused)

Common sense dictates that the product that generates the main profit should be developed at the expense of that profit in an adequate proportion.

Yes, I can repeat myself as many times as I like. The purpose of any enterprise is to make a profit!

But I also understand that the future is in the MT5 terminal.

And below I will propose a small plan to move all brokers, programmers and all products/codes to MT5.

How to do it painlessly? It can be done. Just at some point everyone has to realise that MT4 has become the same as MT5, only less functional!

In order to do that, MT4 will have to be upgraded. But don't rush to scold (//developers), because it can be done wisely!

The first difference between the terminals is the programming code. How do you bring this code to a common denominator?

We all know that there can be "errors" and "warnings" during compilation.

With "errors" it doesn't compile, but with a warning it compiles.

And it's also clear that you can write cross-platform mt4/mt5 code.

So, what compiles in MT4 and causes errors in MT5 should be displayed in MT4 as "warning".

Once the developer adapts the code in MT4 to be without warnings, it will compile in MT5 as well (!)

Do I get the idea? Each function, which has a "warning", must have a deadline, stated in the description, when the "warning" becomes an "error" and the code does not compile.

I suggest a date of 2 years (!) and after that date all code will work in MT5. Nothing will be left that can't work in MT5. // Explosion // Applause.

Some clarification. Wedo not need to introduce into the MQL4 code what isavailable only in MQL5, but only provide an alternative to the existing commands and structure for cross-platform conversion. To make MQL4 become theLight version of MQL5.

Well, we have dealt with the programming code.

What to do with the popularity of the terminal? Why are brokers/CC so eager not to switch to MT5?

We should deprive them of this advantage.

Is it all about the tester? Yes? MT4 has such a tester that pulsers, punches, overnighters are pluses. What about the fact? - Overnight spread, slippage on breakdown/pulse, delays.

I suggest to build a terminal visual in MT4 like in MT5 (this will allow a painless transition to a new terminal) and build the same cool tester!

// By the way, MT5 lacks a button on the panel with the inclusion of the "tester"

Having a cool tester in MT4 would also rid the market of EAs that are not pluses. Can you imagine? EAs for MT4 on the market will almost all blow away (well except for martin). There won't be any left over scam products.

When brokers and brokerage companies will be deprived of advantages from MT4 disadvantages, there will be no point in them sticking to MT4. And the cross-platform code will prepare the product base to quickly recompile anything and everything to ex5.

Checkmate!

[Sergey Lazarenko]

Everyone is stuck on MT4 for one reason, people are mostly trading either handheld or on primitive code, that's all, and why should Metakvot be bothered? What's the point of wasting resources? MT4 will die, of old age

[Ihor Herasko]

MT4 will not be upgraded for one simple reason - it is 32-bit. Moving to 64x would require the same amount of resources that are already invested in MT5.

And MT4 is not going away because it costs 6 times less than MT5. But MT5 is not 6 times better, it won't make 6 times more clients.

[Uladzimir Izerski]

Sergey Lazarenko:

Everyone is stuck on MT4 for one reason, people are mostly trading either handheld or on primitive code, that's all, and why should Metakvot be bothered? What's the point of wasting resources? MT4 will die of old age.

MT4 is the people's tool and it's stupid to give it up.

[secret]

MT5 has only one advantage - real ticks in the tester. Otherwise, 4 is far less glitchy.

[Valeriy Yastremskiy]

Ihor Herasko:

MT4 will not be upgraded for one simple reason - it is 32-bit. Moving to 64x would require the same amount of resources that are already invested in MT5.

And MT4 is not going away because it costs 6 times less than MT5. But MT5 is not 6 times better, it will not give you 6 times more clients.

There is no need to modify it. It is already good for its tasks.

[CHINGIZ MUSTAFAEV]

Valeriy Yastremskiy:

It doesn't need any modifications. It is good enough for its purpose.

+.

As a rule, mt4 is more than enough to create a robot.

Yes, something is done better in mt5.

But specifically for trading in financial markets, simplicity and reliability are much more important than the latest features. All the same, to trade at the level of major companies you need to create your own software and connect directly. For everything else there is MT4)

[Vasiliy Pushkaryov]

MT4 is stable, there are some advantages in the tester in dealing with graphical objects.

But MT5 is already visibly reclaiming its place under the sun. Check out Freelance. Right now there are 12 MQL5 and 8 MQL4 jobs on the last page. On the English page 5 has even more advantage: 14 against 6. Although two years ago MQL4 prevailed. Since orders for MQL5 programs are growing, the Market will soon become predominant. The tester, I hope, will also soon be more improved, at least it was written about it more than once. So in any case, MT4 will leave and everyone will move to 5.

[Valeriy Yastremskiy]

Vasiliy Pushkaryov:

MT4 is stable, there are some advantages in the tester in dealing with graphical objects.

But MT5 is already visibly reclaiming its place under the sun. Check out Freelance. Right now there are 12 MQL5 and 8 MQL4 jobs on the last page. On the English page 5 has even more advantage: 14 against 6. Although two years ago MQL4 prevailed. Since orders for MQL5 programs are growing, the Market will soon become predominant. The tester, I hope, will also soon be more improved, at least it was written about it more than once. So in any case, MT4 will go away and everyone will move to 5.

Obviously, for sales, the products with the gadgets are more prerequisite. And in sales MT5 will definitely win.

But for working out the logic of strategies, not only are the features unnecessary, they often get in the way.

[Alexandr Gavrilin]

mt5 will one day replace mt4, just like mt4 replaced the previous terminal, full stop :-)

I have already converted to mt5 completely and I recommend all my clients to go straight to mt5 and transfer as far as possible EAs and indicators to this platform (if you have mt4 code), many popular indicators have long been transferred to mt5 and you can find them in the Market or on the internet.

[Artyom Trishkin]

A must-read.