MQL4 and MQL5 Programming Articles

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Study the MQL5 language for programming trading strategies in numerous published articles mostly written by you - the community members. The articles are grouped into categories to help you quicker find answers to any questions related to programming: Integration, Tester, Trading Strategies, etc.

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Self Optimizing Expert Advisors in MQL5 (Part 11): A Gentle Introduction to the Fundamentals of Linear Algebra

Self Optimizing Expert Advisors in MQL5 (Part 11): A Gentle Introduction to the Fundamentals of Linear Algebra

In this discussion, we will set the foundation for using powerful linear, algebra tools that are implemented in the MQL5 matrix and vector API. For us to make proficient use of this API, we need to have a firm understanding of the principles in linear algebra that govern intelligent use of these methods. This article aims to get the reader an intuitive level of understanding of some of the most important rules of linear algebra that we, as algorithmic traders in MQL5 need,to get started, taking advantage of this powerful library.
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Larry Williams Market Secrets (Part 6): Measuring Volatility Breakouts Using Market Swings

Larry Williams Market Secrets (Part 6): Measuring Volatility Breakouts Using Market Swings

This article demonstrates how to design and implement a Larry Williams volatility breakout Expert Advisor in MQL5, covering swing-range measurement, entry-level projection, risk-based position sizing, and backtesting on real market data.
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Creating a ticker tape panel: Improved version

Creating a ticker tape panel: Improved version

How do you like the idea of reviving the basic version of our ticker tape panel? The first thing we will do is change the panel to be able to add an image, such as an asset logo or some other image, so that the user could quickly and easily identify the displayed symbol.
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Larry Williams Market Secrets (Part 6): Measuring Volatility Breakouts Using Market Swings

Larry Williams Market Secrets (Part 6): Measuring Volatility Breakouts Using Market Swings

This article demonstrates how to design and implement a Larry Williams volatility breakout Expert Advisor in MQL5, covering swing-range measurement, entry-level projection, risk-based position sizing, and backtesting on real market data.
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Advanced Variables and Data Types in MQL5

Advanced Variables and Data Types in MQL5

Variables and data types are very important topics not only in MQL5 programming but also in any programming language. MQL5 variables and data types can be categorized as simple and advanced ones. In this article, we will identify and learn about advanced ones because we already mentioned simple ones in a previous article.
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Modified Grid-Hedge EA in MQL5 (Part III): Optimizing Simple Hedge Strategy (I)

Modified Grid-Hedge EA in MQL5 (Part III): Optimizing Simple Hedge Strategy (I)

In this third part, we revisit the Simple Hedge and Simple Grid Expert Advisors (EAs) developed earlier. Our focus shifts to refining the Simple Hedge EA through mathematical analysis and a brute force approach, aiming for optimal strategy usage. This article delves deep into the mathematical optimization of the strategy, setting the stage for future exploration of coding-based optimization in later installments.
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Timeseries in DoEasy library (part 53): Abstract base indicator class

Timeseries in DoEasy library (part 53): Abstract base indicator class

The article considers creation of an abstract indicator which further will be used as the base class to create objects of library’s standard and custom indicators.
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Developing a Replay System — Market simulation (Part 06): First improvements (I)

Developing a Replay System — Market simulation (Part 06): First improvements (I)

In this article, we will begin to stabilize the entire system, without which we might not be able to proceed to the next steps.
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MQL5 Trading Toolkit (Part 3): Developing a Pending Orders Management EX5 Library

MQL5 Trading Toolkit (Part 3): Developing a Pending Orders Management EX5 Library

Learn how to develop and implement a comprehensive pending orders EX5 library in your MQL5 code or projects. This article will show you how to create an extensive pending orders management EX5 library and guide you through importing and implementing it by building a trading panel or graphical user interface (GUI). The expert advisor orders panel will allow users to open, monitor, and delete pending orders associated with a specified magic number directly from the graphical interface on the chart window.
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Integrating MQL5 with data processing packages (Part 5): Adaptive Learning and Flexibility

Integrating MQL5 with data processing packages (Part 5): Adaptive Learning and Flexibility

This part focuses on building a flexible, adaptive trading model trained on historical XAUUSD data, preparing it for ONNX export and potential integration into live trading systems.
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Developing a Calendar-Based News Event Breakout Expert Advisor in MQL5

Developing a Calendar-Based News Event Breakout Expert Advisor in MQL5

Volatility tends to peak around high-impact news events, creating significant breakout opportunities. In this article, we will outline the implementation process of a calendar-based breakout strategy. We'll cover everything from creating a class to interpret and store calendar data, developing realistic backtests using this data, and finally, implementing execution code for live trading.
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Data Science and Machine Learning (Part 15): SVM, A Must-Have Tool in Every Trader's Toolbox

Data Science and Machine Learning (Part 15): SVM, A Must-Have Tool in Every Trader's Toolbox

Discover the indispensable role of Support Vector Machines (SVM) in shaping the future of trading. This comprehensive guide explores how SVM can elevate your trading strategies, enhance decision-making, and unlock new opportunities in the financial markets. Dive into the world of SVM with real-world applications, step-by-step tutorials, and expert insights. Equip yourself with the essential tool that can help you navigate the complexities of modern trading. Elevate your trading game with SVM—a must-have for every trader's toolbox.
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Data Science and ML (Part 28): Predicting Multiple Futures for EURUSD, Using AI

Data Science and ML (Part 28): Predicting Multiple Futures for EURUSD, Using AI

It is a common practice for many Artificial Intelligence models to predict a single future value. However, in this article, we will delve into the powerful technique of using machine learning models to predict multiple future values. This approach, known as multistep forecasting, allows us to predict not only tomorrow's closing price but also the day after tomorrow's and beyond. By mastering multistep forecasting, traders and data scientists can gain deeper insights and make more informed decisions, significantly enhancing their predictive capabilities and strategic planning.
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Developing a multi-currency Expert Advisor (Part 22): Starting the transition to hot swapping of settings

Developing a multi-currency Expert Advisor (Part 22): Starting the transition to hot swapping of settings

If we are going to automate periodic optimization, we need to think about auto updates of the settings of the EAs already running on the trading account. This should also allow us to run the EA in the strategy tester and change its settings within a single run.
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Testing and optimization of binary options strategies in MetaTrader 5

Testing and optimization of binary options strategies in MetaTrader 5

In this article, I will check and optimize binary options strategies in MetaTrader 5.
MQL5 Market Results for Q1 2013
MQL5 Market Results for Q1 2013

MQL5 Market Results for Q1 2013

Since its founding, the store of trading robots and technical indicators MQL5 Market has already attracted more than 250 developers who have published 580 products. The first quarter of 2013 has turned out to be quite successful for some MQL5 Market sellers who have managed to make handsome profit by selling their products.
Andrey Voitenko (avoitenko): "Developers benefit from the ideas that they code? Nonsense!"
Andrey Voitenko (avoitenko): "Developers benefit from the ideas that they code? Nonsense!"

Andrey Voitenko (avoitenko): "Developers benefit from the ideas that they code? Nonsense!"

A Ukrainian developer Andrey Voitenko (avoitenko) is an active participant of the "Jobs" service at mql5.com, helping traders from all over the world to implement their ideas. Last year Andrey's Expert Advisor was on the fourth place in the Automated Trading Championship 2010, being slightly behind the bronze winner. This time we are discussing the Jobs service with Andrey.
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MQL5 Wizard Techniques you should know (Part 44): Average True Range (ATR) technical indicator

MQL5 Wizard Techniques you should know (Part 44): Average True Range (ATR) technical indicator

The ATR oscillator is a very popular indicator for acting as a volatility proxy, especially in the forex markets where volume data is scarce. We examine this, on a pattern basis as we have with prior indicators, and share strategies & test reports thanks to the MQL5 wizard library classes and assembly.
Graphics in DoEasy library (Part 84): Descendant classes of the abstract standard graphical object
Graphics in DoEasy library (Part 84): Descendant classes of the abstract standard graphical object

Graphics in DoEasy library (Part 84): Descendant classes of the abstract standard graphical object

In this article, I will consider creation of descendant objects for the terminal abstract standard graphical object. The class object describes the properties that are common for all graphical objects. So, it is simply some kind of a graphical object. To clarify its affiliation with a real graphical object, we need to set the properties inherent in this particular graphical object in the descendant object class.
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Integrate Your Own LLM into EA (Part 5): Develop and Test Trading Strategy with LLMs(IV) — Test Trading Strategy

Integrate Your Own LLM into EA (Part 5): Develop and Test Trading Strategy with LLMs(IV) — Test Trading Strategy

With the rapid development of artificial intelligence today, language models (LLMs) are an important part of artificial intelligence, so we should think about how to integrate powerful LLMs into our algorithmic trading. For most people, it is difficult to fine-tune these powerful models according to their needs, deploy them locally, and then apply them to algorithmic trading. This series of articles will take a step-by-step approach to achieve this goal.
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Graph Theory: Heuristic Search Algorithm (A-Star) Applied in Trading

Graph Theory: Heuristic Search Algorithm (A-Star) Applied in Trading

The article applies the A* heuristic to market structure by modeling validated swing highs and lows as graph nodes and weighting edges with ATR‑normalized distance, spread, and noise penalties. The engine searches the most efficient route to infer trade direction and targets, then filters signals by directional ratio, total path cost, and opposing swings. It anchors TP to the final node and SL to prior structure, with on‑chart visualization and configurable inputs.
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Neural networks made easy (Part 33): Quantile regression in distributed Q-learning

Neural networks made easy (Part 33): Quantile regression in distributed Q-learning

We continue studying distributed Q-learning. Today we will look at this approach from the other side. We will consider the possibility of using quantile regression to solve price prediction tasks.
Testing Visualization: Functionality Enhancement
Testing Visualization: Functionality Enhancement

Testing Visualization: Functionality Enhancement

The article describes software that can make strategy testing highly similar to the real trading.
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Advanced Memory Management and Optimization Techniques in MQL5

Advanced Memory Management and Optimization Techniques in MQL5

Discover practical techniques to optimize memory usage in MQL5 trading systems. Learn to build efficient, stable, and fast-performing Expert Advisors and indicators. We’ll explore how memory really works in MQL5, the common traps that slow your systems down or cause them to fail, and — most importantly — how to fix them.
Expert System 'Commentator'. Practical Use of Embedded Indicators in an MQL4 Program
Expert System 'Commentator'. Practical Use of Embedded Indicators in an MQL4 Program

Expert System 'Commentator'. Practical Use of Embedded Indicators in an MQL4 Program

The article describes the use of technical indicators in programming on MQL4.
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Training a multilayer perceptron using the Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm

Training a multilayer perceptron using the Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm

The article presents an implementation of the Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm for training feedforward neural networks. A comparative analysis of performance with algorithms from the scikit-learn Python library has been conducted. Simpler learning methods, such as gradient descent, gradient descent with momentum, and stochastic gradient descent are preliminarily discussed.
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Data Science and Machine Learning (Part 08): K-Means Clustering in plain MQL5

Data Science and Machine Learning (Part 08): K-Means Clustering in plain MQL5

Data mining is crucial to a data scientist and a trader because very often, the data isn't as straightforward as we think it is. The human eye can not understand the minor underlying pattern and relationships in the dataset, maybe the K-means algorithm can help us with that. Let's find out...
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Larry Williams Market Secrets (Part 13): Automating Hidden Smash Day Reversal Patterns

Larry Williams Market Secrets (Part 13): Automating Hidden Smash Day Reversal Patterns

The article builds a transparent MQL5 Expert Advisor for Larry Williams’ hidden smash day reversals. Signals are generated only on new bars: a setup bar is validated, then confirmed when the next session trades beyond its extreme. Risk is managed via ATR or structural stops with a defined risk-to-reward, position sizing can be fixed or balance-based, and direction filters plus a one-position policy ensure reproducible tests.
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Building a Candlestick Trend Constraint Model (Part 8): Expert Advisor Development (I)

Building a Candlestick Trend Constraint Model (Part 8): Expert Advisor Development (I)

In this discussion, we will create our first Expert Advisor in MQL5 based on the indicator we made in the prior article. We will cover all the features required to make the process automatic, including risk management. This will extensively benefit the users to advance from manual execution of trades to automated systems.
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Integrate Your Own LLM into EA (Part 1): Hardware and Environment Deployment

Integrate Your Own LLM into EA (Part 1): Hardware and Environment Deployment

With the rapid development of artificial intelligence today, language models (LLMs) are an important part of artificial intelligence, so we should think about how to integrate powerful LLMs into our algorithmic trading. For most people, it is difficult to fine-tune these powerful models according to their needs, deploy them locally, and then apply them to algorithmic trading. This series of articles will take a step-by-step approach to achieve this goal.
Visual Testing of the Profitability of Indicators and Alerts
Visual Testing of the Profitability of Indicators and Alerts

Visual Testing of the Profitability of Indicators and Alerts

What indicator of trading alerts or just the methods of their calculating to use is usually decided when testing EAs using these alerts. However, it is not always possible/necessary/reasonable to write an EA for each indicator. You can promptly calculate the profitability of trading on the alerts from other indicators, using a special indicator that collects their alerts itself and draws a picture of ideal trading with them. It can help you both make a visual estimate of the results obtained and quickly choose most optimal parameters.
Who Is Who in MQL5.community?
Who Is Who in MQL5.community?

Who Is Who in MQL5.community?

The MQL5.com website remembers all of you quite well! How many of your threads are epic, how popular your articles are and how often your programs in the Code Base are downloaded – this is only a small part of what is remembered at MQL5.com. Your achievements are available in your profile, but what about the overall picture? In this article we will show the general picture of all MQL5.community members achievements.
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Developing a Trading System Based on the Order Book (Part I): Indicator

Developing a Trading System Based on the Order Book (Part I): Indicator

Depth of Market is undoubtedly a very important element for executing fast trades, especially in High Frequency Trading (HFT) algorithms. In this series of articles, we will look at this type of trading events that can be obtained through a broker on many tradable symbols. We will start with an indicator, where you can customize the color palette, position and size of the histogram displayed directly on the chart. We will also look at how to generate BookEvent events to test the indicator under certain conditions. Other possible topics for future articles include how to store price distribution data and how to use it in a strategy tester.
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Build Self Optimizing Expert Advisors in MQL5 (Part 2): USDJPY Scalping Strategy

Build Self Optimizing Expert Advisors in MQL5 (Part 2): USDJPY Scalping Strategy

Join us today as we challenge ourselves to build a trading strategy around the USDJPY pair. We will trade candlestick patterns that are formed on the daily time frame because they potentially have more strength behind them. Our initial strategy was profitable, which encouraged us to continue refining the strategy and adding extra layers of safety, to protect the capital gained.
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Price Action Analysis Toolkit Development (Part 58): Range Contraction Analysis and Maturity Classification Module

Price Action Analysis Toolkit Development (Part 58): Range Contraction Analysis and Maturity Classification Module

Building on the previous article that introduced the market state classification module, this installment focuses on implementing the core logic for identifying and evaluating compression zones. It presents a range contraction detection and maturity grading system in MQL5 that analyzes market congestion using price action alone.
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Experiments with neural networks (Part 3): Practical application

Experiments with neural networks (Part 3): Practical application

In this article series, I use experimentation and non-standard approaches to develop a profitable trading system and check whether neural networks can be of any help for traders. MetaTrader 5 is approached as a self-sufficient tool for using neural networks in trading.
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DoEasy. Controls (Part 18): Functionality for scrolling tabs in TabControl

DoEasy. Controls (Part 18): Functionality for scrolling tabs in TabControl

In this article, I will place header scrolling control buttons in TabControl WinForms object in case the header bar does not fit the size of the control. Besides, I will implement the shift of the header bar when clicking on the cropped tab header.
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Filtering and feature extraction in the frequency domain

Filtering and feature extraction in the frequency domain

In this article we explore the application of digital filters on time series represented in the frequency domain so as to extract unique features that may be useful to prediction models.