Newbie help understanding the platforms

[Ralph Freshour]

I'm a newbie and am lost in regards to what platform I am using.

I downloaded MT5 for windows. I see a login to trade account. What is this?

I have an ig.com account but don't understand the difference between that and my windows MT5 software? Do I still need the ig.com account?

My goal is to learn to write EA's and from what I've seen, MT5 will allow me to do that. But I don't know if I still need a broker account so later on I can actually have my EA's do the trades, or if this is already built-in to MT5?

Thank you...

[Sergey Golubev]

1. The article - MQL5.community - User Memo

2. MetaTrader 5 Help - Open an Account

3. Where Do I start from?
https://www.mql5.com/en/forum/212020 

4.  MetaTrader 5 Help - Trading Platform — User Manual 

5. MetaTrader 4 Help - Client Terminal – User Guide 

6. How to make a search on the forum
https://www.mql5.com/en/forum/193510 

7. MetaTrader 5 Help - Open an Account

8. Find a Server by the Broker's Name: 
https://www.mql5.com/en/forum/214820

[Amir Yacoby]

Ralph Freshour:

I'm a newbie and am lost in regards to what platform I am using.

I downloaded MT5 for windows. I see a login to trade account. What is this?

I have an ig.com account but don't understand the difference between that and my windows MT5 software? Do I still need the ig.com account?

My goal is to learn to write EA's and from what I've seen, MT5 will allow me to do that. But I don't know if I still need a broker account so later on I can actually have my EA's do the trades, or if this is already built-in to MT5?

Thank you...

Of course you still need the account. The platform allows connection to different brokers accounts, as long as you already have them.