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Code migration guide

MQL5 to Pine Script converter

An MQL5 indicator can often be expressed as Pine series and plots, while an EA must be redesigned as a TradingView strategy or alert model because OnTick trade management and MT5 positions do not run inside Pine.

Open the Pine Script Coding AgentReview Pine Script AI Coding Agent

Generate a Pine Script draft, then validate it in TradingView Pine Editor and on the intended chart.

Conversion map

What changes between MetaTrader 5 and TradingView

The migration is a model translation. Use this map to decide where the source behavior belongs before writing target syntax.

Source and target platform conversion map
ConcernSource modelTarget modelMigration decision
LifecyclePrograms respond to typed events such as OnInit, OnTick, OnTradeTransaction, and OnCalculate.Code runs sequentially across chart bars. Realtime behavior depends on script type and calculation settings.Choose when each MetaTrader 5 calculation should run in TradingView; matching syntax alone does not preserve timing.
Market data and historyTimeseries and indicator values are commonly copied into arrays; built-in indicators return handles read with CopyBuffer.Built-in series values such as close carry bar history and use history references such as close[1].Recheck bar indexing, warm-up requirements, timeframe requests, and behavior on an unfinished bar.
Indicators and chart outputIndicator handles, buffers, plots, and OnCalculate separate setup from repeated calculation.indicator(), plot(), drawing objects, alerts, and the ta.* namespace define chart output.Map calculations before recreating plots, labels, colors, and platform-specific drawing objects.
Orders and positionsTrade requests and CTrade operate with orders, deals, and account-dependent position models.strategy.* commands create broker-emulator orders for TradingView strategy tests.Define fill timing, sizing, pyramiding or hedging, stops, and position ownership for the target platform.
Native validationCompile the .mq5 file in MetaEditor 5, load it in MetaTrader 5, and use Strategy Tester for the intended artifact.Save in Pine Editor, resolve compiler errors, add to a chart, then inspect plots, alerts, and Strategy Tester behavior.Treat generated Pine Script as a draft until it passes the target editor, chart, and backtest workflow.

Code example

Moving-average cross: MQL5 to Pine Script

These fragments show where the same signal starts in each API. They are not complete standalone programs; lifecycle setup, inputs, plots, and order handling still depend on the selected artifact.

MQL5 source fragment
double fast[2], slow[2];
CopyBuffer(fastHandle, 0, 0, 2, fast);
CopyBuffer(slowHandle, 0, 0, 2, slow);
bool longSignal = fast[0] <= slow[0] && fast[1] > slow[1];
Pine Script target fragment
//@version=6
indicator("MA cross", overlay = true)
fast = ta.sma(close, 10)
slow = ta.sma(close, 20)
longSignal = ta.crossover(fast, slow)
plot(fast)
plot(slow)

Workflow

A four-step migration path

Keep generation, target-platform validation, and behavior comparison as separate stages.

  1. 1

    Inventory the source behavior

    Separate calculations, plots, alerts, orders, external dependencies, and assumptions in an .mq5 Expert Advisor or custom indicator.

  2. 2

    Choose the target artifact

    Decide whether the result is a Pine Editor indicator or strategy source file. This choice controls lifecycle methods and available APIs.

  3. 3

    Rewrite through target APIs

    Translate state, series, indicators, drawings, and orders into TradingView concepts instead of replacing function names.

  4. 4

    Validate behavior natively

    Save in Pine Editor, resolve compiler errors, add to a chart, then inspect plots, alerts, and Strategy Tester behavior.

Manual decisions

Decisions code replacement cannot make

  • Decide whether the Pine result is an indicator, a broker-emulator strategy, or alert-producing logic.
  • Collapse OnTick and trade events into the Pine calculation schedule that matches the intended signal timing.
  • Remove or replace MT5-only file, network, account, and broker operations that Pine cannot host.

Limitations

What the draft cannot prove

  • MetaTrader 5 and TradingView do not share one execution, data, or order model, so behavior can change even when both versions compile.
  • Broker, symbol, session, timezone, history, and fill settings can change signals and backtest results on TradingView.
  • Pineify can generate and revise a Pine Script draft, but the target platform remains the authority for compilation, loading, backtesting, and runtime behavior.

Use cases

When this conversion is useful

  • Visualize an MT5 custom indicator on TradingView.
  • Rebuild an MQL5 EA signal model for Pine Strategy Tester.
  • Extract portable calculations from an EA while leaving broker execution outside Pine.

FAQ

MQL5 to Pine Script questions

Official references

Build the Pine Script draft with its native model in view

Bring the complete source and your artifact, timing, data, and order requirements. Validate the result in TradingView.

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