MetaTrader 5 HelpPrice Charts, Technical and Fundamental AnalysisAdditional FeaturesChart Management

Chart Management

This section provides information about how to manage charts in the trading platform.

Chart Managing Using the Context Menu and the "Chart" Menu #

Commands in these menus are identical (except for "Save As Picture" and "Delete Indicators Window" that are available only in the context menu) and allow to manage chart settings:

  • Trading — open the menu of trading operations for the symbol of the chart: placing stop levels or pending orders.
  • Depth of Market Depth Of Market — open the Depth of Market of the current chart's symbol.
  • List of indicators Indicator List — open the "Indicator List" window for managing indicators running on the chart.
  • Objects — open the objects control submenu:
  • List of objects Object List — open the "Object List" to manage objects on the chart.
  • Delete Last — delete the last added object.
  • Delete All Selected Delete All Selected — delete all selected objects.
  • Delete All Arrows Delete All Arrows — delete all arrows belonging to the Arrows group.
  • Delete All — delete all objects from the current chart;
  • Unselect All — unselect all objects on the chart.
  • Unselect — unselect the selected object.
  • Undo Delete Undo Delete — restore the last deleted object.
  • List of Expert Advisors Expert List— open the "Expert List" window to manage Expert Advisors running on the chart.
  • Bar chart Bar chart — show the chart as a sequence of bars.
  • Candlesticks Candlestick — show the chart as a sequence of Japanese candlesticks.
  • Line Chart Line — show the chart as a broken line that connects close prices of bars.
  • Timeframes — select the chart timeframe. A click on this item opens a sub menu, where you can select one of the available timeframes.
  • Templates — managing chart templates.
  • Refresh Refresh — refresh the chart window. When you refresh the chart, the price data displayed on it are also recalculated based on one-minute data stored on the computer.
  • Docked Dockeddock/undock the chart window from the main platform window.
  • Toolbar — show/hide the toolbar in the chart window. The command is only available for the charts, which were detached from the main platform window.
  • Grid Grid — show/hide grid on the chart.
  • Auto Scroll Auto Scroll — enable/disable automatic chart scrolling to its beginning when new ticks are received.
  • Chart Shift Chart Shift — enable/disable chart shift from the right side of the window.
  • One Click Trading One Click Trading — show/hide the one click trading panel on the chart.
  • Volumes Volumes — show/hide real trade volumes for the charts of exchange instruments.
  • Tick Volumes Tick Volumes — show/hide tick volumes for the charts of Forex instruments.
  • Zoom In Zoom In — zoom in the chart.
  • Zoom Out Zoom Out — zoom out the chart.
  • Delete Indicators Window Delete Indicator Window — delete the indicator subwindow. This command is only available in the context menu when called from the subwindow, in which the indicator is opened.
  • Step by Step Step by Step — move the chart bar by bar from right to left. This function is only available when the autoscroll feature is disabled.
  • Save As Picture Save As Picture — save the chart as a picture in a *.png file. This command also allows to immediately publish a screenshot of the chart online using a special service of the MQL5.community site and share it with other traders. See "Publishing Charts Online" for details.
  • Properties Properties — open the chart properties managing window.

Chart Managing Using a Mouse #

A chart can be managed using a mouse:

  • click-and-hold anywhere in the chart window and then move the cursor horizontally to scroll the chart;
  • click-and-hold on the vertical scale of the chart and move the cursor vertically to change the vertical scale of the chart; double-click on the vertical scale of the chart to restore the chart scale;
  • click-and-hold on the horizontal chart scale (anywhere outside the fast navigation bar) and move the cursor horizontally to change the chart scale;
  • right-click anywhere in the chart window to open the context menu of the chart (see below);
  • double-click on the elements of technical indicators (lines, signs, histogram bars, etc.) to call the indicator setup window;
  • right-click on elements of a technical indicator to call the context menu of the indicator;
  • depending on the platform settings, a single or a double click on an object (line studies, text or arrow) selects the object;
  • click-and-hold the selected object and drag to move it;
  • Ctrl + left-clicking on a selected trend line and then moving the cursor allows to draw a parallel trend line (create a channel);
  • hold down Ctrl and scroll the mouse wheel to scale the chart;
  • click with the mouse wheel on a chart tab in the switch panel closes the chart;
  • middle-click on the chart window to switch the cursor to the "crosshair" mode;
  • right-click on a selected object to open its context menu;
  • point your mouse to the Close price of a bar or to an element of an object or indicator to call a prompt.

Chart Managing from Keyboard #

Various chart manipulations can be performed using certain keys and key combinations:

  • Home — move the chart to the last bar;
  • End — move the chart to the first bar;
  • Page Up — move the chart at a one-window distance back;
  • Page Down — move the chart at a one-window distance forward;
  • Ctrl+I — open the window containing the list of indicators;
  • Ctrl+B — open the window containing the list of objects;
  • Alt+1 — show the chart as a sequence of bars;
  • Alt+2 — show the chart as a sequence of Japanese candlesticks;
  • Alt+3 — show the chart as a broken line that connects the Close prices of bars;
  • Ctrl+G — show/hide grid in the chart window;
  • "+" — zoom in the chart;
  • "-" — zoom out the chart;
  • F12 — scroll the chart step by step (bar by bar);
  • F8 — open the properties window;
  • Backspace — delete the last added object from the chart;
  • Delete — delete all selected objects;
  • Ctrl+Z — cancel deletion of the last object.

Fixed Chart Position #

Every chart has an icon — a gray triangle located in the bottom left corner of the window by default. Move the triangle on any bar to lock its position on the chart:

Fixed chart position

The selected bar stays in this position when you zoom the chart. The position stays fixed until you change the chart timeframe.