Article-22597-MQL5-Economic-Calendar-Modular-Canvas-Dashboard/README.md

Article-22597-MQL5-Economic-Calendar-Modular-Canvas-Dashboard

This repository is an article-derived reference project based on the original MQL5 article. It does not claim to reproduce the full original source code unless files are explicitly attached.

## Overview

Reference repository for MQL5 article 22597 describing a refactor of an economic news dashboard from a monolithic chart-object implementation into a modular canvas-based system.

The article presents a four-module architecture:

- core data/state module
- logic module
- rendering module
- interaction module

It also discusses a dual-theme UI, runtime resizing, pixel-based scrolling, collapsible day groups, unit-aware calendar value formatting, live remain/countdown updates, and toast notifications.

## Original Article

- **Article ID:** 22597
- **Title:** MQL5 Economic Calendar Dashboard, Part 11
- **Author:** Allan Munene Mutiiria
- **Publication date:** 2026.05.26
- **Category:** Trading / GUI
- **URL:** https://www.mql5.com/en/articles/22597

## Repository Purpose

This repository is intended as a technical reference/reconstruction project for the article’s architecture and code organization.

Its purpose is to preserve and organize the article-described implementation details for:

- modular MQL5 EA design
- canvas-based dashboard rendering
- economic calendar event visualization
- interaction handling without chart objects
- pre-news trading workflow integration

## Key Concepts

- Canvas-based dashboard rendering with `CCanvas`
- Separation of concerns across `.mqh` modules
- Runtime-resizable layout with width/height bounds
- Pixel-based scrolling with draggable scrollbar thumb
- Proportional table column scaling
- Unit-aware formatting for calendar values
- Relative time formatting for upcoming/released events
- Collapsible day-group row planning
- Hit-testing and hover-code action dispatch
- Crop-based canvas resizing instead of bitmap reallocation
- Timer-driven partial repaint of changing cells
- Trade deduplication using stable calendar event IDs

## Algorithm / Architecture Summary

The article describes an Expert Advisor structured around a thin main entry point and four supporting modules:

1. **Main EA file**
- declares inputs
- embeds CSV resource for tester mode
- includes all modules
- forwards `OnInit`, `OnDeinit`, `OnTick`, `OnChartEvent`, and `OnTimer`

2. **Core module**
- stores layout constants, dashboard size state, theme palette, font/glyph constants
- defines scrollbar state and helpers
- computes scalable column widths
- formats calendar values and remaining time strings

3. **Logic module**
- loads events from live calendar API
- stores metadata such as unit, multiplier, digits, and event IDs
- applies filters
- builds a row plan with day separator rows
- supports collapse/expand state per day group
- supports trade candidate search and deduplication

4. **Render module**
- draws the dashboard header, filters, rows, scrollbar, countdown banner, and toast
- caches interactive rectangles for later hit-testing
- uses a main canvas plus a separator overlay canvas

5. **Interact module**
- converts chart coordinates to dashboard-local coordinates
- performs pixel-level hit-testing
- dispatches actions based on hover codes
- manages dragging, edge resizing, wheel scrolling, and canvas lifecycle

The article emphasizes allocating canvases at maximum size once, then resizing by changing the visible crop, reducing drag-time reallocation overhead.

## Mentioned or Attached Files

### Explicitly attached files

- `MQL5 News Calendar EA PART 11.mq5` — main Expert Advisor entry point
- `News Core.mqh` — shared state, layout, theme, formatting, scroll helpers
- `News Interact.mqh` — hit-testing, action dispatch, drag/resize handling, canvas lifecycle
- `News Logic.mqh` — event loading, filtering, row planning, trading logic
- `News Render.mqh` — dashboard drawing and visual update routines
- `EconomicCalendar.csv` — embedded resource for strategy tester mode

### Files only mentioned in text

- Part 10 article/source from the earlier monolithic implementation
- MQL5 Trading Tools series referenced for canvas drawing fundamentals

## Statistics

- **Modules described:** 4
- **Primary language:** MQL5
- **Main program type:** Expert Advisor
- **Attached source files in article:** 6
- **UI rendering approach:** Canvas bitmap labels
- **Article series position:** Part 11

## Tags

`MQL5` `MetaTrader5` `Economic-Calendar` `Canvas` `Dashboard` `Expert-Advisor` `UI` `Modular-Architecture` `Scrolling` `Event-Filtering`

## Difficulty

**Intermediate to Advanced**

Requires familiarity with:

- MQL5 event handlers
- `CCanvas`
- MT5 Economic Calendar API
- custom UI rendering
- state-driven interaction design
- EA modularization

## Limitations

- The repository is article-derived; full compile-ready original source is only supported to the extent of the explicitly attached files listed in the article.
- Some implementation details are described narratively rather than fully reproduced in the processed input.
- The article references additional prior work and shared helpers; not all supporting context is included here.
- Build success may depend on the presence and placement of `EconomicCalendar.csv` as described by the article.
- This README does not assume undocumented installation or usage steps beyond what the article states.

## Reference

- Original article: https://www.mql5.com/en/articles/22597
- MQL5 Economic Calendar: https://www.mql5.com/en/economic-calendar
- MQL5 `CCanvas` documentation: https://www.mql5.com/en/docs/standardlibrary/canvasgraphics/ccanvas