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.
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.
From CPU to GPU in MQL5: A Practical OpenCL Framework for Accelerating Research, Optimizations, and Patterns
Find out how to build a practical CPU-to-GPU migration path in MQL5 using OpenCL. We will focus on context initialization, buffer organization, large batches, kernel startup, and minimizing data exchanges. Typical errors and ways to eliminate them will be considered as well. An example with candlestick patterns illustrates the practical benefit of the approach.
Algorithmic Trading Without the Routine: Quick Trade Analysis in MetaTrader 5 with SQLite
The article presents a minimal working set for maintaining a trading journal in MQL5 using SQLite: a table structure for trades, signals, and events, indices, prepared statements and trades, as well as standard analytical SQL queries. Integration with the statistics dashboard in MetaTrader 5 and working with the database via MetaEditor are demonstrated. The approach allows automating the journal, accelerating calculations, and performing analysis without complicating the EA code.
Python + MetaTrader 5: Fast Research Framework for Data, Features, and Prototypes
The article demonstrates how Python and MetaTrader 5 integration combines research flexibility and trade execution into a single workflow. Python is used for data analysis, feature selection and model training, while MetaTrader 5 is used for testing and trading automation. This approach simplifies the transfer of solutions into practice, increases reproducibility, and makes the development of trading systems faster and more structured.
CFTC Data Mining in Python and Building an AI Model
Let's try mining CFTC data, downloading COT and TFF reports via Python, connecting all this with MetaTrader 5 quotes and an AI model, and get forecasts. What are COT reports in the Forex market? How to use COT and TFF reports for forecasting?
Developing a Multi-Currency Advisor (Part 27): Component for Displaying Multi-Line Text
If there is a need to display text on a chart, we can use the Comment() function. But its capabilities are quite limited. Therefore, in this article, we will create our own component - a full-screen dialog window capable of displaying multi-line text with flexible font settings and scrolling support.
How to connect AI agents to MetaTrader 5 via MCP
This article shows how to connect AI agents directly to MetaTrader 5 by building a complete MCP (Model Context Protocol) server in Python. It details the architecture, MetaTrader 5 client wrapper, market data and order handlers, and tool registration over stdio, with testing via MCP Inspector and connections to clients like Claude Desktop or OpenClaw. The result is a standardized bridge for natural-language queries, live data retrieval, and safe order execution in MetaTrader 5.
File-Based Versioning of EA Parameters in MQL5
This article explains how to implement parameter versioning in MQL5 using binary files and packed structures. It shows how to write and read fixed-size records with FileWriteStruct and FileReadStruct in FILE_BIN mode, including version numbers, timestamps, and a checksum. You will also see how to detect changes via checksums, append records safely, and load the latest configuration without overwriting prior settings.
Using the MQL5 Economic Calendar for News Filter (Part 4): Accurate Backtesting with Static Data
This article implements a static, CSV-based news source for the Strategy Tester, so historical economic news events can be preloaded and queried during backtesting. It replaces live calendar calls in tester mode with a fast in-memory search, preserves the live logic for trading, and delivers deterministic, repeatable results with explicit control over included events, enabling reliable validation of news-aware filters, stop suspension, and trade-blocking rules.
Deterministic Oscillatory Search (DOS)
Deterministic Oscillatory Search (DOS) algorithm is an innovative global optimization method that combines the advantages of gradient and swarm algorithms without the use of random numbers. The fitness oscillation and slope mechanism allows DOS to explore complex search spaces in a deterministic manner.
From Novice to Expert: Automating Base-Candle Geometry for Liquidity Zones in MQL5
This article implements an MQL5 module that analyzes the lower‑timeframe bars inside each liquidity‑zone base candle. It detects swing points and applies objective rules to classify the internal structure as an ascending, descending, or symmetrical triangle; a rectangle; M; W; or undefined. The indicator displays geometry labels on the chart and adds the pattern to alerts, reducing manual lower‑timeframe inspection.
Account Audit System in MQL5 (Part 1): Designing the User Interface
This article builds the user interface layer of an Account Audit System in MQL5 using CChartObject classes. We construct an on-chart dashboard that displays key metrics such as start/end balance, net profit, total trades, wins/losses, win rate, withdrawals, and a star-based performance rating. A menu button lets you show or hide the panel and restores one-click trading, delivering a clean, usable foundation for the broader audit pipeline.
Overcoming Accessibility Problems in MQL5 Trading Tools (Part III): Bidirectional Speech Communication Between a Trader and an Expert Advisor
Build a local, bidirectional voice interface for MetaTrader 5 using MQL5 WebRequest and two Python services. The article implements offline speech recognition with Vosk, wake‑word detection, an HTTP command endpoint, and a text‑to‑speech server on localhost. You will wire an Expert Advisor that fetches commands, executes trades, and returns spoken confirmations for hands‑free operation.
MQL5 Wizard Techniques You should know (Part 86): Speeding Up Data Access with a Sparse Table for a Custom Trailing Class
We revamp our earlier articles on testing trade setups with the MQL5 Wizard by putting a bit more emphasis on input data quality, cleaning, and handling. In the earlier articles we had looked at a lot of custom signal classes, usable by the wizard, so we now shift our focus to a custom trailing class, given that exiting is also a very important part in any trading system. Our broad theme for this particular piece data-efficiency and the O(1) range-query; the core ‘tech’ is MQL5, SQLite, Python-Polars; the Algorithm is the Sparse-Table while we will seek validation from the ATR Indicator.
Feature Engineering for ML (Part 1): Fractional Differentiation — Stationarity Without Memory Loss
Integer differentiation forces a binary choice between stationarity and memory: returns (d=1) are stationary but discard all price-level information; raw prices (d=0) preserve memory but violate ML stationarity assumptions. We implement the fixed-width fractional differentiation (FFD) method from AFML Chapter 5, covering get_weights_ffd (iterative recurrence with threshold cutoff), frac_diff_ffd (bounded dot product per bar), and fracdiff_optimal (binary search for minimum stationary d*).
Can DOOM Run in MetaTrader 5: DLLs, Rendering, and MQL5 Input?
This article demonstrates how to run DOOM inside MetaTrader 5 by integrating a native Windows DLL with an MQL5 Expert Advisor. We cover building the DLL, real-time framebuffer rendering via ResourceCreate, keyboard input with a key-up workaround using GetAsyncKeyState, and running the game loop on a background thread. The techniques are directly applicable to custom visualization, external data bridges, and robust MQL5–native code integration.
Developing a Multi-Currency Expert Advisor (Part 26): Informer for Trading Instruments
Before moving forward with the development of multi-currency EAs, let's try to switch to creating a new project using the developed library. This example will demonstrate how to best organize source code storage and how using the new code repository from MetaQuotes can help us.
Market Simulation (Part 20): First steps with SQL (III)
Although we can perform operations on a database containing about 10 records, the material is absorbed much better when we work with a file that contains more than 15 thousand records. That is, if we tried to create such a database manually, this task would be enormous. However, it is difficult to find such a database, even for educational purposes, that is available for download. But in reality, we don’t need to resort to that — we can use MetaTrader 5 to create a database for ourselves. In today's article, we will look at how to do this.
Market Simulation (Part 19): First Steps with SQL (II)
As we explained in the first article about SQL, there is no point in spending time programming procedures to do what is already built into SQL. However, without knowing the basics, you won’t be able to do anything with SQL or take full advantage of everything this tool offers. Therefore, in this article, we will look at how to perform basic tasks in databases.
Market Simulation (Part 18): First Steps with SQL (I)
It doesn't matter which SQL program we use: MySQL, SQL Server, SQLite, OpenSQL, or another. They all have something in common, and the common element is the SQL language. Even if we do not intend to use Workbench, we can manipulate or work with the database directly in MetaEditor or through MQL5 to perform actions in MetaTrader 5, but to do so, you will need knowledge of SQL. So here, we will learn at least the basics.
Using the MQL5 Economic Calendar for News Filter (Part 3): Surviving Terminal Restarts During News Window
The article introduces a restart-safe storage model for news-time stop removal. Suspension state and original SL/TP per position are written to terminal global variables, reconstructed on OnInit, and cleaned after restoration. This lets the EA resume an active suspension window after recompiles or restarts and restore stops only when the news window ends.
Market Simulation (Part 17): Sockets (XI)
The implementation of the part of the code that will run in MetaTrader 5 does not present any difficulty. However, there are several points that need to be taken into account. This is necessary so that you can make the system work. Remember one important thing: not just one program will be running. In reality, we will have to run three programs simultaneously. It is important to implement and structure each of them in such a way that they can interact and communicate with one another, and that each of them understands what the others are trying or intending to do.
From Novice to Expert: Adaptive Risk Management for Liquidity Strategies
In this article, we explore practical and robust risk management techniques specifically tailored for liquidity-based trading. You will learn how to protect positions during retests, handle false breakouts with confidence, and identify signs of potential level manipulation. By the end, you will have built an adaptive Expert Advisor capable of managing zone flips and executing strategic pending orders with integrated risk control.
Coral Reefs Optimization (CRO)
The article presents a comprehensive analysis of the Coral Reef Optimization (CRO) algorithm, a metaheuristic method inspired by the biological processes of coral reef formation and development. The algorithm models key aspects of coral evolution: broadcast spawning, brooding, larval settlement, asexual reproduction, and competition for limited reef space. Particular attention is paid to the improved version of the algorithm.
From Novice to Expert: Detecting Liquidity Zone Flips Using MQL5
This article presents an MQL5 indicator that detects and manages liquidity zone flips. It identifies supply and demand zones from higher timeframes using a base–impulse pattern, applies objective breakout and impulse thresholds, and flips zones automatically when structure changes. The result is a dynamic support‑resistance map that reduces manual redraws and gives you clear, actionable context for signals and retests.
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.
Neuro-Structural Trading Engine — NSTE (Part I): How to Build a Prop-Firm-Safe Multi-Account System
This article lays the system architecture for a multi‑account algorithmic trading setup that operates cryptocurrency CFDs on MetaTrader 5 while respecting prop‑firm constraints. It defines three core principles—fixed dollar risk, one script per account, and centralized configuration—then details the Python–MQL5 split, the 60‑second processing loop, and JSON-based signaling. Readers get practical lot‑size computation, safety checks, and position management patterns for reliable deployment.
Integrating MQL5 with Data Processing Packages (Part 8): Using Graph Neural Networks for Liquidity Zone Recognition
This article shows how to represent market structure as a graph in MQL5, turning swing highs/lows into nodes with features and linking them by edges. It trains a Graph Neural Network to score potential liquidity zones, exports the model to ONNX, and runs real-time inference in an Expert Advisor. Readers learn how to build the data pipeline, integrate the model, visualize zones on the chart, and use the signals for rule-based execution.
MetaTrader 5 Machine Learning Blueprint (Part 8): Bayesian Hyperparameter Optimization with Purged Cross-Validation and Trial Pruning
GridSearchCV and RandomizedSearchCV share a fundamental limitation in financial ML: each trial is independent, so search quality does not improve with additional compute. This article integrates Optuna — using the Tree-structured Parzen Estimator — with PurgedKFold cross-validation, HyperbandPruner early stopping, and a dual-weight convention that separates training weights from evaluation weights. The result is a five-component system: an objective function with fold-level pruning, a suggestion layer that optimizes the weighting scheme jointly with model hyperparameters, a financially-calibrated pruner, a resumable SQLite-backed orchestrator, and a converter to scikit-learn cv_results_ format. The article also establishes the boundary — drawn from Timothy Masters — between statistical objectives where directed search is beneficial and financial objectives where it is harmful.
Graph Theory: Traversal Depth-First Search (DFS) Applied in Trading
This article applies Depth-First Search to market structure by modeling swing highs and lows as graph nodes and tracking one structural path as deeply as conditions remain valid. When a key swing is broken, the algorithm backtracks and explores an alternative branch. Readers gain a practical framework to formalize structural bias and test whether the current path aligns with targets like liquidity pools or supply and demand zones.
Package-based approach with KnitPkg for MQL5 development
For maximum reliability and productivity in MetaTrader products built with MQL, this article advocates a development approach based on reusable “packages” managed by KnitPkg, a project manager for MQL5/MQL4. A package can be used as a building block for other packages or as the foundation for final artifacts that run directly on the MetaTrader platform, such as EAs, indicators, and more.
Overcoming Accessibility Challenges in MQL5 Trading Tools (Part II): Enabling EA Voice Using a Python Text-to-Speech Engine
Let's discuss how we can make our Expert Advisors speech‑capable using text‑to‑speech technology, partnering Python and MQL5. After reading this article, you will walk away with a working example of an EA that speaks dynamic market information. You will master the application of TTS, the WebRequest function, and learn how Python libraries integrate with the MQL5 language to create a truly voice‑aware trading tool.
Implementation of a Breakeven Mechanism in MQL5 (Part 1): Base Class and Fixed-Points Breakeven Mode
This article discusses the application of a breakeven mechanism in automated strategies using the MQL5 language. We will start with a simple explanation of what the breakeven mode is, how it is implemented, and its possible variations. Next, this functionality will be integrated into the Order Blocks expert advisor, which we created in our last article on risk management. To evaluate its effectiveness, we will run two backtests under specific conditions: one using the breakeven mechanism and the other without it.
MetaTrader 5 Machine Learning Blueprint (Part 7): From Scattered Experiments to Reproducible Results
In the latest installment of this series, we move beyond individual machine learning techniques to address the "Research Chaos" that plagues many quantitative traders. This article focuses on the transition from ad-hoc notebook experiments to a principled, production-grade pipeline that ensures reproducibility, traceability, and efficiency.
Market Simulation (Part 16): Sockets (X)
We are close to completing this challenge. However, before we begin, I want you to try to understand these two articles—this one and the previous one. That way, you will truly understand the next article, in which I will cover exclusively the part related to MQL5 programming. But I will also try to make it understandable. If you do not understand these last two articles, it will be difficult for you to understand the next one, because the material accumulates. The more things there are to do, the more you need to create and understand in order to achieve the goal.
Market Simulation (Part 15): Sockets (IX)
In this article, we will discuss one of the possible solutions to what we have been trying to demonstrate—namely, how to allow an Excel user to perform an action in MetaTrader 5 without sending orders or opening or closing positions. The idea is that the user employs Excel to conduct fundamental analysis of a particular symbol. And by using only Excel, they can instruct an expert advisor running in MetaTrader 5 to open or close a specific position.
Market Simulation (Part 13): Sockets (VII)
When we develop something in xlwings or any other package that allows reading and writing directly to Excel, we must note that all programs, functions, or procedures execute and then complete their task. They do not remain in a loop, no matter how hard we try to do things differently.
Using the MQL5 Economic Calendar for News Filtering (Part 1): Implementing Pre- and Post-News Windows in MQL5
We build a calendar‑driven news filter entirely in MQL5, avoiding web requests and external DLLs. Part 1 covers loading and caching events, mapping them to symbols by currency, filtering by impact level, defining pre/post windows, and blocking new trades during active news, with optional pre‑news position closure. The result is a configurable, prop‑firm‑friendly control that reduces false pauses and protects entries during volatility.
Market Simulation (Part 12): Sockets (VI)
In this article, we will look at how to solve certain problems and issues that arise when using Python code within other programs. More specifically, we will demonstrate a common issue encountered when using Excel in conjunction with MetaTrader 5, although we will be using Python to facilitate this interaction. However, this implementation has a minor drawback. It does not occur in all cases, but only in certain specific situations. When it does happen, it is necessary to understand the cause. In today’s article, we will begin explaining how to resolve this issue.