# EA expertdemo

**Moving average crossover strategy (with entry filter) using KnitPkg packages**  
*MIT License*

---

## What is this?

EA `expertdemo` is a **demonstration project** that showcases how to build a MetaTrader 5 Expert Advisor (EA) by consuming KnitPkg packages.

It implements a complete **moving average crossover strategy with an entry filter**, and is meant to be an educational example of how to structure an EA project, manage dependencies, and compile MQL5 code with KnitPkg. It is **not** meant to be a production-grade trading system.

## Prerequisites

To build and use this project, you will need:

1.  [**MetaTrader 5**](https://www.mql5.com/) installed.
2.  **KnitPkg CLI**: The KnitPkg package manager for MetaTrader. If you don't have it, you can install it by following the instructions in the [main KnitPkg repository](https://github.com/knitpkg-dev/knitpkg-mt.git).
3.  **KnitPkg homepage**: See [https://knitpkg.dev](https://knitpkg.dev) for an overview and [https://docs.knitpkg.dev](https://docs.knitpkg.dev) for documentation.
4.  **Required indicator: `KnitPkgSMA.ex5` must be installed**
    - This EA reads the `KnitPkgSMA` indicator, so the compiled indicator binary must exist in your MetaTrader environment.
    - You can install it with:

      ```bash
      kp get mql5 @douglasrechia/sma
      ```

    - The `sma` project repository is [here](https://forge.mql5.io/DouglasRechia/sma.git).

---

## Features

- **Expert Advisor type** (`type: expert`) — a complete EA project (not a package)
- **Strategy demo** — moving average crossover with an entry filter
- **Dependency installation** — uses the KnitPkg registry to resolve and download dependencies
- **Dependencies**
  - `@douglasrechia/bar` — bar access utilities and bar/time-series abstractions
  - `@douglasrechia/barhelper` — helper utilities built on top of `bar` (for example, crossover helpers)
- **MQL5 target** — designed for MetaTrader 5
- **Compile support** — `kp compile` builds the EA into an `.ex5` binary

---

## One-command download/build via the registry

You can use `kp get` to query the registry for metadata and automatically download/build the latest stable version.

Example (run from your MetaTrader *Data Folder* root if you have MetaTrader installed in more than one location):

```bash
cd "C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\MetaQuotes\Terminal\<TERMINAL_ID>"

kp get mql5 @douglasrechia/expertdemo
```

Restart MetaTrader afterward to refresh the Navigator.

---

## Exploring the project locally (optional)

If you want to explore how an EA project is structured with KnitPkg, clone it into your MetaTrader `Experts` folder.

### 1) Clone into MetaTrader `Experts` folder (example)

```bash
# Go to your MetaTrader 'Experts' directory.
# Tip: in MetaEditor, right-click the `Experts` folder and choose "Open Folder".
cd "C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\MetaQuotes\Terminal\<TERMINAL_ID>\MQL5\Experts"

git clone https://forge.mql5.io/DouglasRechia/expertdemo.git
cd expertdemo
```

### 2) Install dependencies

```bash
kp install
```

### 3) Compile

```bash
kp compile
```

---

## License

This project is released under the **MIT License**. See `LICENSE` for details.

---

## Disclaimer

This code is provided **as-is**, for **educational purposes only**.  
No warranty (express or implied) is provided. Use at your own risk.