MtApi provides a .NET API for working with famous trading platfrom MetaTrader(MetaQuotes).
It is not API for connection to MT servers directly. MtApi is just a bridge between MT terminal and .NET applications designed by developers.
MtApi executes MQL commands and functions by MtApi's expert linked to chart of MetaTrader.
Most of the API's functions duplicates MQL interface.
The project was designed using WCF framework with the intention of using flexibility to setup connections.
The project is supported by Visual Studio 2017.
It requires WIX Tools for preparing project's installers (http://wixtoolset.org/).
Installing WIX for mtapi:
- Make sure you install one of the latest (3.14+) development releases of the wixtoolset. (If you use an older installer you will have to install the ancient .NET 3.5 framework, and that I am sure you will regret, if you do!).
- Run the installer and wait for completion or for asking to also install the VS extensions.
- Install the WiX Toolset Visual Studio Extension depending on your VS version. For example, if you use VS 2017, go here or download from their GitHub, releases.
Use MetaEditor to working with MQL files.
To build the solution for MT4, you need to choose the configuration to build for x86
and start with building the MtApiInstaller. This will build all projects related to MT4:
MtApiMTApiServiceMTConnector
For building the solution for MT5, you need to choose the configuration to build for x64 (or x86 for the 32-bit MT5)) and start build MtApi5Installer. This will build all projects related to MT5:
MtApi5MTApiServiceMT5Connector
All binaries are placed in the project root folder, in the build directory: ../build/.
The installers (*.msi, *.exe) will be found under: ../build/installers/.
All the DLL library binaries (*.dll) in: ../bin/.
MQL files have been pre-compiled to *.ex4 and can be found in the repository here:
..\mql4\..\mql5\
Changing the source code of the MQL Expert Advisor (EA), requires recompilation with MetaEditor.
Before you can recompile the EA, you need to add/place the following MQL library files, in the MetaEditor ../Include/ folder.
hash.mqhjson.mqh
The MetaEditor include folder is usually located here:
C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\MetaQuotes\Terminal\<terminal-hash>\MQL5\Include\.-
MTApiService:(C#, .dll)
The common engine communication project of the API. It contains the implementations of client and server sides. -
MTConnector, MT5Connector:(C++/CLI, .dll)
The libraries that are working as proxy between MQL and C# layers. They provides the interfaces. -
MtApi, MtApi5:(C#, .dll)
The client side libraries that are using in user's projects. -
(MQL4/MQL5, .ex4)
MT4 and MT5 Expert Advisors linked to terminal's charts. They executes API's functions and provides trading events. -
MtApiInstaller, MtApi5Installer(WIX, .msi)
The project's installers. -
MtApiBootstrapper, MtApi5Bootstrapper(WIX, .exe)
The installation package bundles. There are wrappers for installers that contains the vc_redist libraries (Visual C++ runtime) placed in [root]\vcredist.
Use the installers to setup all libraries automatically.
- For MT4, use:
MtApiInstaller_setup.exe - For MT5, use:
MtApi5Installer setup.exe
MtApiBootstrapper and MtApi5Bootstrapper are installation package bundles that contain the installers and vc_redist Windows libraries. The installers place the MTApiService.dll into the Windows GAC (Global Assembly Cache) and copies MTConnector.dll and MT5Connector.dll into the Windows's system folder, whose location depend on your Windows OS. After installation, the MtApi.ex4 (or MtApi5.ex5) EA, must be copied into your Terminal data folder for Expert Advisors, which is normally located in: ../MQL5/Experts/.
To quickly navigate to the trading platform data folder, click: File >> "Open data folder" in your MetaTrader Terminal.
MtApi provides two types of connection to MetaTrader terminal: local (using Pipe or TCP) and remote (via TCP).
The port of connection is defined by MtApi expert.
Console sample for MT5:
using System;
using System.Threading;
using System.Threading.Tasks;
using MtApi5;
namespace MtApi5Console
{
class Program
{
static readonly EventWaitHandle _connnectionWaiter = new AutoResetEvent(false);
static readonly MtApi5Client _mtapi = new MtApi5Client();
static void _mtapi_ConnectionStateChanged(object sender, Mt5ConnectionEventArgs e)
{
switch (e.Status)
{
case Mt5ConnectionState.Connecting:
Console.WriteLine("Connnecting...");
break;
case Mt5ConnectionState.Connected:
Console.WriteLine("Connnected.");
_connnectionWaiter.Set();
break;
case Mt5ConnectionState.Disconnected:
Console.WriteLine("Disconnected.");
_connnectionWaiter.Set();
break;
case Mt5ConnectionState.Failed:
Console.WriteLine("Connection failed.");
_connnectionWaiter.Set();
break;
}
}
static void _mtapi_QuoteAdded(object sender, Mt5QuoteEventArgs e)
{
Console.WriteLine("Quote added with symbol {0}", e.Quote.Instrument);
}
static void _mtapi_QuoteRemoved(object sender, Mt5QuoteEventArgs e)
{
Console.WriteLine("Quote removed with symbol {0}", e.Quote.Instrument);
}
static void _mtapi_QuoteUpdate(object sender, Mt5QuoteEventArgs e)
{
Console.WriteLine("Quote updated: {0} - {1} : {2}", e.Quote.Instrument, e.Quote.Bid, e.Quote.Ask);
}
static void Main(string[] args)
{
Console.WriteLine("Application started.");
_mtapi.ConnectionStateChanged += _mtapi_ConnectionStateChanged;
_mtapi.QuoteAdded += _mtapi_QuoteAdded;
_mtapi.QuoteRemoved += _mtapi_QuoteRemoved;
_mtapi.QuoteUpdate += _mtapi_QuoteUpdate;
_mtapi.BeginConnect(8228);
_connnectionWaiter.WaitOne();
if (_mtapi.ConnectionState == Mt5ConnectionState.Connected)
{
Run();
}
Console.WriteLine("Application finished. Press any key...");
Console.ReadKey();
}
private static void Run()
{
ConsoleKeyInfo cki;
do
{
cki = Console.ReadKey();
switch (cki.KeyChar.ToString())
{
case "b":
Buy();
break;
case "s":
Sell();
break;
}
} while (cki.Key != ConsoleKey.Escape);
_mtapi.BeginDisconnect();
_connnectionWaiter.WaitOne();
}
private static async void Buy()
{
const string symbol = "EURUSD";
const double volume = 0.1;
MqlTradeResult tradeResult = null;
var retVal = await Execute(() => _mtapi.Buy(out tradeResult, volume, symbol));
Console.WriteLine($"Buy: symbol EURUSD retVal = {retVal}, result = {tradeResult}");
}
private static async void Sell()
{
const string symbol = "EURUSD";
const double volume = 0.1;
MqlTradeResult tradeResult = null;
var retVal = await Execute(() => _mtapi.Sell(out tradeResult, volume, symbol));
Console.WriteLine($"Sell: symbol EURUSD retVal = {retVal}, result = {tradeResult}");
}
private static async Task<TResult> Execute<TResult>(Func<TResult> func)
{
return await Task.Factory.StartNew(() =>
{
var result = default(TResult);
try
{
result = func();
}
catch (ExecutionException ex)
{
Console.WriteLine($"Exception: {ex.ErrorCode} - {ex.Message}");
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
Console.WriteLine($"Exception: {ex.Message}");
}
return result;
});
}
}
}