Complete .mq5 source code
MetaTrader Automated Trading with MQL5 Expert Advisors
MetaTrader automated trading uses MQL5 Expert Advisors to react to terminal events, evaluate rules, and submit trade requests through the connected MetaTrader 5 account. This page shows a dual moving-average EA as a code example and explains the checks required before treating a request as an executed trade.
What this MT5 Expert Advisor covers
An MQL5 Expert Advisor responds to platform events such as OnInit, OnTick, and OnDeinit.
Disabling AutoTrading blocks trade requests but does not stop OnTick from running.
A true OrderSend return value does not prove that an order was filled; inspect the trade result and later transaction state.
Compile and test an EA in MetaEditor and MetaTrader 5 before considering live use.
Strategy logic
Entry conditions
The example checks once per new bar. It reads the fast and slow moving averages from the two previously completed bars, detects a crossover, closes an opposite position for the same symbol and magic number, and then submits a request in the new direction if no matching position exists.
Exit conditions
Each entry request includes a fixed stop-loss and take-profit distance. An opposite crossover also submits a closing request for matching positions. The values are illustrative and must be checked against the symbol specification, broker filling mode, volume rules, and the account risk policy.
MQL5 Expert Advisor Code
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//| MQL5 automated trading: Dual MA crossover EA |
//| Demonstrates the canonical OnInit / OnTick / OnDeinit pattern |
//| suitable as a starting template for any trend-following EA. |
//| |
//| DISCLAIMER: For educational purposes only. Past performance |
//| does not guarantee future results. Always test on a demo account.|
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
#property copyright "Pineify.app"
#property version "1.00"
#property strict
//--- Input parameters
input int FastMAPeriod = 20; // Fast MA period
input int SlowMAPeriod = 50; // Slow MA period
input ENUM_MA_METHOD MAMethod = MODE_EMA; // MA smoothing method
input double LotSize = 0.10; // Trade volume in lots
input int StopLossPips = 80; // Stop-loss in pips
input int TakeProfitPips = 160; // Take-profit in pips
input int MagicNumber = 20240001; // Unique EA identifier
input string TradeComment = "HubEA"; // Order comment
//--- Global handles and state
int g_fastHandle = INVALID_HANDLE;
int g_slowHandle = INVALID_HANDLE;
double g_pipSize = 0.0;
bool g_tradeAllowed = false;
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//| Expert initialisation |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
int OnInit()
{
//--- Validate periods
if(FastMAPeriod >= SlowMAPeriod)
{
Print("ERROR: FastMAPeriod must be less than SlowMAPeriod.");
return(INIT_PARAMETERS_INCORRECT);
}
//--- Create indicator handles
g_fastHandle = iMA(_Symbol, PERIOD_CURRENT, FastMAPeriod, 0, MAMethod, PRICE_CLOSE);
g_slowHandle = iMA(_Symbol, PERIOD_CURRENT, SlowMAPeriod, 0, MAMethod, PRICE_CLOSE);
if(g_fastHandle == INVALID_HANDLE || g_slowHandle == INVALID_HANDLE)
{
Print("ERROR: Failed to create MA handles.");
return(INIT_FAILED);
}
//--- Calculate pip size (handles 3/5-digit brokers)
int digits = (int)SymbolInfoInteger(_Symbol, SYMBOL_DIGITS);
g_pipSize = (digits == 3 || digits == 5)
? SymbolInfoDouble(_Symbol, SYMBOL_POINT) * 10.0
: SymbolInfoDouble(_Symbol, SYMBOL_POINT);
g_tradeAllowed = true;
Print("Hub EA initialised on ", _Symbol, " | FastMA=", FastMAPeriod, " SlowMA=", SlowMAPeriod);
return(INIT_SUCCEEDED);
}
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//| Expert tick handler |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
void OnTick()
{
if(!g_tradeAllowed) return;
//--- Only act on the close of a new bar to avoid multiple entries
static datetime s_lastBarTime = 0;
datetime currentBarTime = (datetime)SeriesInfoInteger(_Symbol, PERIOD_CURRENT, SERIES_LASTBAR_DATE);
if(currentBarTime == s_lastBarTime) return;
s_lastBarTime = currentBarTime;
//--- Copy MA buffers (need 2 values to detect crossover)
double fastMA[], slowMA[];
ArraySetAsSeries(fastMA, true);
ArraySetAsSeries(slowMA, true);
if(CopyBuffer(g_fastHandle, 0, 0, 3, fastMA) < 3) return;
if(CopyBuffer(g_slowHandle, 0, 0, 3, slowMA) < 3) return;
//--- Detect crossover
bool bullCross = (fastMA[1] > slowMA[1]) && (fastMA[2] <= slowMA[2]);
bool bearCross = (fastMA[1] < slowMA[1]) && (fastMA[2] >= slowMA[2]);
//--- Count existing positions for this EA
int buyCount = CountPositions(POSITION_TYPE_BUY);
int sellCount = CountPositions(POSITION_TYPE_SELL);
//--- Close opposite positions on crossover before opening new one
if(bullCross && sellCount > 0) CloseAllPositions(POSITION_TYPE_SELL);
if(bearCross && buyCount > 0) CloseAllPositions(POSITION_TYPE_BUY);
//--- Open new position if none exists in signal direction
if(bullCross && buyCount == 0)
OpenPosition(ORDER_TYPE_BUY);
else if(bearCross && sellCount == 0)
OpenPosition(ORDER_TYPE_SELL);
}
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//| Expert deinitialization |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
void OnDeinit(const int reason)
{
if(g_fastHandle != INVALID_HANDLE) IndicatorRelease(g_fastHandle);
if(g_slowHandle != INVALID_HANDLE) IndicatorRelease(g_slowHandle);
g_tradeAllowed = false;
PrintFormat("Hub EA removed. Reason code: %d", reason);
}
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//| Open a buy or sell position with SL/TP |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
void OpenPosition(ENUM_ORDER_TYPE orderType)
{
MqlTradeRequest request = {};
MqlTradeResult result = {};
double ask = SymbolInfoDouble(_Symbol, SYMBOL_ASK);
double bid = SymbolInfoDouble(_Symbol, SYMBOL_BID);
double sl, tp;
if(orderType == ORDER_TYPE_BUY)
{
sl = NormalizeDouble(ask - StopLossPips * g_pipSize, _Digits);
tp = NormalizeDouble(ask + TakeProfitPips * g_pipSize, _Digits);
request.price = ask;
}
else
{
sl = NormalizeDouble(bid + StopLossPips * g_pipSize, _Digits);
tp = NormalizeDouble(bid - TakeProfitPips * g_pipSize, _Digits);
request.price = bid;
}
request.action = TRADE_ACTION_DEAL;
request.symbol = _Symbol;
request.volume = LotSize;
request.type = orderType;
request.sl = sl;
request.tp = tp;
request.magic = MagicNumber;
request.comment = TradeComment;
request.type_filling = ORDER_FILLING_IOC;
if(!OrderSend(request, result))
PrintFormat("OrderSend failed. Error: %d | Retcode: %u", GetLastError(), result.retcode);
else if(result.retcode != TRADE_RETCODE_DONE &&
result.retcode != TRADE_RETCODE_DONE_PARTIAL)
PrintFormat("Open request was not completed. Retcode: %u | Comment: %s",
result.retcode, result.comment);
else
PrintFormat("Position opened: %s | Ticket: %d | Price: %.5f | SL: %.5f | TP: %.5f",
EnumToString(orderType), result.order, result.price, sl, tp);
}
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//| Count open positions by direction for this EA |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
int CountPositions(ENUM_POSITION_TYPE posType)
{
int count = 0;
for(int i = PositionsTotal() - 1; i >= 0; i--)
{
ulong ticket = PositionGetTicket(i);
if(ticket == 0) continue;
if(PositionGetString(POSITION_SYMBOL) != _Symbol) continue;
if((long)PositionGetInteger(POSITION_MAGIC) != MagicNumber) continue;
if((ENUM_POSITION_TYPE)PositionGetInteger(POSITION_TYPE) == posType)
count++;
}
return count;
}
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//| Close all positions of a given direction for this EA |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
void CloseAllPositions(ENUM_POSITION_TYPE posType)
{
for(int i = PositionsTotal() - 1; i >= 0; i--)
{
ulong ticket = PositionGetTicket(i);
if(ticket == 0) continue;
if(PositionGetString(POSITION_SYMBOL) != _Symbol) continue;
if((long)PositionGetInteger(POSITION_MAGIC) != MagicNumber) continue;
if((ENUM_POSITION_TYPE)PositionGetInteger(POSITION_TYPE) != posType) continue;
MqlTradeRequest request = {};
MqlTradeResult result = {};
request.action = TRADE_ACTION_DEAL;
request.symbol = _Symbol;
request.volume = PositionGetDouble(POSITION_VOLUME);
request.type = (posType == POSITION_TYPE_BUY) ? ORDER_TYPE_SELL : ORDER_TYPE_BUY;
request.price = (posType == POSITION_TYPE_BUY)
? SymbolInfoDouble(_Symbol, SYMBOL_BID)
: SymbolInfoDouble(_Symbol, SYMBOL_ASK);
request.position = ticket;
request.magic = MagicNumber;
request.comment = TradeComment + "_close";
request.type_filling = ORDER_FILLING_IOC;
if(!OrderSend(request, result))
PrintFormat("Close request failed for ticket %d. Error: %d | Retcode: %u",
ticket, GetLastError(), result.retcode);
else if(result.retcode != TRADE_RETCODE_DONE &&
result.retcode != TRADE_RETCODE_DONE_PARTIAL)
PrintFormat("Close request was not completed for ticket %d. Retcode: %u | Comment: %s",
ticket, result.retcode, result.comment);
}
}
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+Copy this code into MetaEditor, save it in the MQL5/Experts folder, and compile with F7.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Related MQL5 pages
Technical references
Risk and testing note
Past performance is not indicative of future results. Backtest statistics are based on historical data and do not guarantee future profits. Trading involves significant risk of loss. This content is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.