- November 4, 2025
What Is MetaEditor
Overview MetaEditor is the dedicated development environment for creating programs in MQL5, the programming language of MetaTrader 5. It is tightly integrated with the trading terminal and provides everything you need to write, compile, and debug trading algorithms. Each MQL5 program—whether a Script, Expert Advisor, Indicator, or Service—is first written as a source file with the extension .mq5 or .mqh, and then compiled into an executable .ex5 file that MetaTrader can run. Unlike a plain text editor, MetaEditor automatically highlights syntax, suggests function names, and helps you find errors during compilation. It is the starting point for any kind of automated system development in MetaTrader 5. What You Will Be Able to Do Code Example Execution Steps Key Point MetaEditor is more than a code editor—it is a full IDE (Integrated Development Environment) for MQL5. It helps you manage projects, compile efficiently, and debug issues before running programs in MetaTrader 5. Becoming familiar with its structure and workflow is the first practical step toward writing reliable trading algorithms. Next Section → Next: Your First Script
