Zenith-FX/Previous Logs/EA_DOCUMENTATION.md

ForexTrader Expert Advisor (EA) Documentation

Overview

ForexTrader_EA is a fully functional MQL5 Expert Advisor designed based on professional forex trading principles documented in the included trading materials. This EA implements a Moving Average crossover strategy with comprehensive risk management and money management features.

Trading Strategy

Core Strategy: Moving Average Crossover

The EA uses a dual Moving Average system as described in the advanced trading course materials:

• Fast Moving Average (Default: 10 periods): Responds quickly to price changes
• Slow Moving Average (Default: 70 periods): Identifies the underlying trend direction

Entry Signals

Buy Signal (Long Entry):

• Fast MA crosses above Slow MA
• Confirmed by Fast MA remaining above Slow MA on the current bar
• No existing positions open

Sell Signal (Short Entry):

• Fast MA crosses below Slow MA
• Confirmed by Fast MA remaining below Slow MA on the current bar
• No existing positions open

Risk Management Features

Stop Loss and Take Profit

• Stop Loss: Configurable distance in pips (default: 50 pips)
• Take Profit: Configurable distance in pips (default: 100 pips)
• Both levels are automatically calculated and set for each trade

Trailing Stop

• Optional Feature: Can be enabled/disabled
• Trailing Distance: Configurable (default: 30 pips)
• Trailing Step: Minimum price movement before adjustment (default: 10 pips)
• Automatically moves stop loss in profit direction
• Never moves stop loss against the position

Money Management

Position Sizing

The EA supports two position sizing methods:

1. Risk-Based Sizing (Recommended)

   • Calculates lot size based on account balance and risk percentage
   • Default: Risk 2% of account balance per trade
   • Automatically adjusts position size based on stop loss distance

2. Fixed Lot Sizing

   • Uses a fixed lot size for all trades
   • Useful for testing or specific trading strategies

Lot Size Limits

• Minimum Lot: Respects broker's minimum lot size
• Maximum Lot: Configurable upper limit (default: 10.0 lots)
• Lot Step: Automatically normalizes to broker's lot step requirements

Input Parameters

Trading Strategy Parameters

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
FastMA_Period	Integer	10	Period for the fast moving average
SlowMA_Period	Integer	70	Period for the slow moving average
MA_Method	Enum	SMA	MA calculation method (SMA, EMA, SMMA, LWMA)
MA_Price	Enum	Close	Price to use for MA calculation

Risk Management Parameters

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
RiskPercent	Double	2.0	Percentage of account balance to risk per trade
StopLossPips	Double	50.0	Stop loss distance in pips
TakeProfitPips	Double	100.0	Take profit distance in pips
UseTrailingStop	Boolean	true	Enable/disable trailing stop
TrailingStopPips	Double	30.0	Trailing stop distance in pips
TrailingStepPips	Double	10.0	Minimum price movement for trailing adjustment

Money Management Parameters

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
MaxLotSize	Double	10.0	Maximum allowed lot size
MinLotSize	Double	0.01	Minimum allowed lot size
UseFixedLot	Boolean	false	Use fixed lot instead of risk-based sizing
FixedLotSize	Double	0.1	Lot size when using fixed lot mode

Trading Hours Parameters

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
UseTradingHours	Boolean	false	Limit trading to specific hours
StartHour	Integer	8	Hour to start trading (0-23)
EndHour	Integer	20	Hour to stop trading (0-23)

Advanced Settings

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
MagicNumber	Integer	123456	Unique identifier for EA's trades
TradeComment	String	"ForexTrader"	Comment added to all trades
Slippage	Integer	10	Maximum allowed slippage in points

Installation Instructions

MetaTrader 5 Installation

1. Copy the EA file

   • Copy ForexTrader_EA.mq5 to your MetaTrader 5 data folder
   • Location: File > Open Data Folder > MQL5 > Experts

2. Compile the EA

   • Open MetaEditor (F4 in MetaTrader 5)
   • Navigate to the Expert folder
   • Double-click ForexTrader_EA.mq5
   • Click Compile (F7) or the Compile button
   • Verify compilation succeeds with no errors

3. Attach to Chart

   • In MetaTrader 5, open a chart for your desired trading instrument
   • In the Navigator panel, expand "Expert Advisors"
   • Drag ForexTrader_EA onto the chart
   • Configure parameters in the popup window
   • Check "Allow automated trading" and "Allow DLL imports" if needed
   • Click OK

Usage Recommendations

Recommended Settings for Beginners

FastMA_Period: 10
SlowMA_Period: 70
MA_Method: SMA
RiskPercent: 1.0 (Conservative)
StopLossPips: 50
TakeProfitPips: 100
UseTrailingStop: true
UseFixedLot: false

Recommended Instruments

This EA works best on:

• Major forex pairs (EUR/USD, GBP/USD, USD/JPY)
• Timeframes: H1 (1 hour) or H4 (4 hours)
• Markets with clear trending behavior

Backtesting

Before live trading:

1. Test on demo account for at least 1 month
2. Backtest on historical data (minimum 1 year)
3. Optimize parameters for your specific instrument and timeframe
4. Verify risk management functions correctly

Trading Principles Implemented

Based on the forex trading documents provided, this EA implements:

1. Technical Analysis

   • Moving Average trend indicators
   • Trend identification and confirmation
   • Crossover signal generation

2. Risk Management

   • Fixed stop loss on every trade
   • Risk percentage-based position sizing
   • Maximum lot size limits

3. Money Management

   • Account balance protection
   • Proportional position sizing
   • Profit protection via trailing stops

4. Trading Discipline

   • Automated execution eliminates emotional trading
   • Consistent application of trading rules
   • Optional trading hour restrictions

Features

✅ Fully Functional: Complete trading system ready to use
✅ Compilable: Written in valid MQL5 syntax
✅ Risk Management: Stop loss, take profit, trailing stops
✅ Money Management: Risk-based position sizing
✅ Customizable: All parameters can be adjusted
✅ Professional: Based on documented trading principles
✅ Safe: Multiple safety checks and validations
✅ Documented: Comprehensive inline code comments

Safety Features

• Input parameter validation on initialization
• Broker lot size limit compliance
• Position count checking (prevents over-trading)
• Normalized price and lot size values
• Error handling and logging
• Optional trading hour restrictions

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

EA not trading:

• Verify "Auto Trading" is enabled (button in toolbar)
• Check that trading hours are not restricting trades
• Ensure account has sufficient margin
• Verify the symbol is tradable

Compilation errors:

• Ensure you're using MetaTrader 5 (not MT4)
• Check that all MQL5 standard libraries are present
• Update MetaTrader to the latest version

Wrong lot sizes:

• Verify RiskPercent is set appropriately (1-5% recommended)
• Check MinLotSize and MaxLotSize settings
• Ensure account balance is sufficient

License and Disclaimer

Important Risk Disclosure:

Trading foreign exchange on margin carries a high level of risk and may not be suitable for all investors. Past performance is not indicative of future results. The high degree of leverage can work against you as well as for you. Before deciding to trade foreign exchange, you should carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite.

This Expert Advisor is provided for educational purposes. Use at your own risk. Always test thoroughly on a demo account before live trading.

Version History

Version 1.00 (Initial Release)

• Moving Average crossover strategy
• Risk-based position sizing
• Trailing stop functionality
• Trading hour restrictions
• Comprehensive parameter customization

Support

For questions about the EA functionality or trading strategy, refer to the included forex trading documents:

• Ebook_Forex-A-Z_copy.pdf
• Forex-Trading-For-Beginners-The-Ultimate-Guide_copy.pdf
• Trading_Course_Advanced.pdf

---

Created based on professional forex trading course materials and industry best practices.