Discussing the article: "Introduction to MQL5 (Part 39): Beginner Guide to File Handling in MQL5 (I)"
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Check out the new article: Introduction to MQL5 (Part 39): Beginner Guide to File Handling in MQL5 (I).
This article introduces file handling in MQL5 using a practical, project-based workflow. You will use FileSelectDialog to choose or create a CSV file, open it with FileOpen, and write structured account headers such as account name, balance, login, date range, and last update. The result is a clear foundation for a reusable trading journal and safe file operations in MetaTrader 5.
In this article, we'll look at how MQL5 handles files, where files are kept on your computer, and how to open, read from, write to, and close them correctly. Practical use cases, including data analysis, strategy logging, configuration storage, and data exchange among various MQL5 programs, will also be examined. We will take a project-based approach, as is customary in this series. Instead of studying file handling separately, we will use it immediately in a real-world project. We will write an MQL5 script that functions as a basic trading log in this article. The script will automatically create a file and record account history information, including trade ticket, symbol, order type, lot size, open time, open price, stop loss, take profit, closing time, close price, profit in dollars, and trade result, when it is activated.
The journal will also provide the account name, balance, and login number in addition to trading history. The trading history will be transferred into the journal for a predetermined period of time, and the file will note the time of the most recent update. This project will provide a clear example of how files can be utilized in MQL5 to manage, store, and arrange trading data in a reusable and structured fashion.
The project will be split into two sections. Instead of manually generating the file inside your code, you will learn how to use the FileSelectDialog function to generate a file straight from MetaTrader 5 in this article. After that, we'll go over how to open the chosen file, add data to it, and properly close it after the process is finished. The goal of this first section is to give you a firm foundation and aid in your understanding of MQL5's fundamental file handling routine.
Author: Israel Pelumi Abioye