Economic Calendar Dashboard Visualization in MQL5

Introduction

Imagine orchestrating a trading interface that illuminates market-moving economic events with the clarity of a high-resolution data display. The News Calendar Dashboard EA is your precision visualization tool, engineered to present a curated list of economic news events directly on your MetaTrader 5 chart, enhancing trading awareness. It fetches events within a 24-hour window (12 hours past and future) using "CalendarValueHistory()", filtering by currency (e.g., USD via "country_code") and displaying up to 11 events in a tabular format. The dashboard includes date, time, currency, impact, event name, actual, forecast, and previous values, stored in "array_calendar", with impact levels color-coded (yellow for low, orange for medium, red for high) via buttons ("IMPACT_LABEL"). Visual elements like rectangles ("MAIN_REC", "SUB_REC1", "SUB_REC2") and labels ("HEADER_LABEL", "TIME_LABEL") create a clean, intuitive interface, like a data dashboard guiding strategic decisions.

This article is crafted with a professional, engaging, and seamless narrative, flowing like a well-designed visualization system, designed to inform and captivate readers. Tailored for both novice and experienced traders, we’ll dissect each code component with clear, precise explanations, as if guiding an apprentice data analyst through a complex project. With vivid examples—like displaying USD news on EURUSD—and a polished tone, we’ll explore how the EA initializes, fetches data, builds the dashboard, and ensures cleanup. Using a precision data visualization metaphor, this guide will illuminate the code’s technical rigor, empowering you to enhance market awareness with confidence. Let’s activate the system and begin this visualization expedition!

Strategy Blueprint

Let’s outline the EA’s visualization framework, like drafting specifications for a data display system:

• Data Retrieval: Fetches economic events within a 12-hour window (±12 hours from server time) using "CalendarValueHistory()", filtering by currency ("country_code"=US).

• Dashboard Layout: Displays up to 11 events in a table with columns for date, time, currency, impact, event, actual, forecast, and previous values ("array_calendar").

• Visual Design: Uses rectangles ("MAIN_REC", "SUB_REC1", "SUB_REC2") for the background, buttons ("ARRAY_CALENDAR") for headers, and labels ("ARRAY_NEWS") for data, with color-coded impact buttons ("IMPACT_LABEL", yellow/orange/red).

• Execution: Builds the dashboard on initialization ("OnInit()") without ongoing updates in "OnTick()".

• Enhancements: Adding real-time updates or interactive filters could improve functionality. This framework visualizes economic data with precision, providing traders with clear market insights.

Code Implementation

Let’s step into the visualization studio and dissect the MQL5 code that powers this News Calendar Dashboard EA. We’ll guide you through each phase like expert data analysts, ensuring the narrative flows seamlessly with professional clarity and engaging precision that captivates readers. We’ll cover initialization, data retrieval, dashboard creation, and cleanup, with detailed explanations and examples—like displaying news on EURUSD—to make it accessible for beginners. Each phase will build on the last, crafting a cohesive technical narrative that transforms code into a compelling visualization project. Let’s power up the system and begin!

Phase 1: Constructing the Dashboard—Initialization

We start by building the visualization system, initializing the interface to prepare for data display.

//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//|                                      NEWS CALENDAR DASHBOARD.mq5 |
//|                           Copyright 2025, Allan Munene Mutiiria. |
//|                                   https://t.me/Forex_Algo_Trader |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
#property copyright "Copyright 2025, Allan Munene Mutiiria."
#property link      "https://t.me/Forex_Algo_Trader"
#property version   "1.00"

#define MAIN_REC "MAIN_REC"
#define SUB_REC1 "SUB_REC1"
#define SUB_REC2 "SUB_REC2"
#define HEADER_LABEL "HEADER_LABEL"
#define ARRAY_CALENDAR "ARRAY_CALENDAR"
#define ARRAY_NEWS "ARRAY_NEWS"
#define DATA_HOLDERS "DATA_HOLDERS"
#define TIME_LABEL "TIME_LABEL"
#define IMPACT_LABEL "IMPACT_LABEL"

string array_calendar[] = {"Date","Time","Cur.","Imp.","Event","Actual","Forecast","Previous"};
int buttons[] = {80,50,50,40,281,60,70,70};

int OnInit(){
   createRecLabel(MAIN_REC,50,50,740,410,clrSeaGreen,1);
   createRecLabel(SUB_REC1,50+3,50+30,740-3-3,410-30-3,clrWhite,1);
   createRecLabel(SUB_REC2,50+3+5,50+30+50+27,740-3-3-5-5,410-30-3-50-27-10,clrGreen,1);
   
   createLabel(HEADER_LABEL,50+3+5,50+5,"MQL5 Economic Calendar",clrWhite,15);
   int startX = 59;
   for (int i=0; i<ArraySize(array_calendar); i++){
      createButton(ARRAY_CALENDAR+IntegerToString(i),startX,132,buttons[i],25,array_calendar[i],clrWhite,13,clrGreen,clrNONE,"Calibri Bold");
      startX += buttons[i]+3;
   }

The system begins with the #property header, setting the stage with copyright and contact details, like calibrating a visualization panel’s core. The "OnInit()" function initializes the dashboard, defining constants ("MAIN_REC", "SUB_REC1", "SUB_REC2", "HEADER_LABEL", "ARRAY_CALENDAR", "ARRAY_NEWS", "DATA_HOLDERS", "TIME_LABEL", "IMPACT_LABEL") and an array "array_calendar" for column headers (Date, Time, etc.), with "buttons[]" setting column widths. It creates a main rectangle ("createRecLabel(MAIN_REC)", 740x410, sea green), two nested rectangles ("SUB_REC1", "SUB_REC2", white/green), and a header label ("HEADER_LABEL", “MQL5 Economic Calendar”) using "createLabel()", "ObjectCreate()", "ObjectSetInteger()". Column buttons are drawn with "createButton()", "ARRAY_CALENDAR", positioned at "startX", like laying out a dashboard’s framework. For example, on EURUSD H1, this creates a green-bordered table frame, like a data panel ready for news.

Phase 2: Gathering Data—Fetching Economic Events

With the dashboard framed, we fetch economic event data, like collecting inputs for a visualization feed.

int OnInit(){
   // ... (rectangle and header setup)
   int totalNews = 0;
   bool isNews = false;
   MqlCalendarValue values[];
   
   datetime startTime = TimeTradeServer() - PeriodSeconds(PERIOD_H12);
   datetime endTime = TimeTradeServer() + PeriodSeconds(PERIOD_H12);
   
   string country_code = "US";
   string currency_base = SymbolInfoString(_Symbol,SYMBOL_CURRENCY_BASE);
   
   int allValues = CalendarValueHistory(values,startTime,endTime,NULL,NULL);
   
   Print("TOTAL VALUES = ",allValues," || Array size = ",ArraySize(values));
   
   createLabel(TIME_LABEL,70,85,"Server Time: "+TimeToString(TimeCurrent(),
               TIME_DATE|TIME_SECONDS)+"   |||   Total News: "+
               IntegerToString(allValues),clrBlack,14,"Times new roman bold");
   createLabel(IMPACT_LABEL,70,105,"Impact: ",clrBlack,14,"Times new roman bold");
   
   string impact_labels[] = {"None", "Low", "Medium", "High"};
   int impact_size = 100;
   
   for (int i=0; i<ArraySize(impact_labels); i++){
      color impact_color = clrBlack, label_color = clrBlack;
      if (impact_labels[i] == "None"){label_color = clrWhite;}
      else if (impact_labels[i] == "Low"){impact_color = clrYellow;}
      else if (impact_labels[i] == "Medium"){impact_color = clrOrange;}
      else if (impact_labels[i] == "High"){impact_color = clrRed;}
      createButton(IMPACT_LABEL+string(i),140+impact_size*i,105,impact_size,25,impact_labels[i],label_color,12,impact_color,clrBlack);
   }

In the data collection hub, "OnInit()" fetches events with "CalendarValueHistory()", storing them in "values[]" for a 24-hour window ("startTime", "endTime", ±12 hours via "TimeTradeServer()", "PeriodSeconds(PERIOD_H12)"). It filters for USD events ("country_code"=US, "SymbolInfoString(SYMBOL_CURRENCY_BASE)"), logging the total with "Print()". It creates labels with "createLabel()" for server time and news count ("TIME_LABEL") and impact header ("IMPACT_LABEL"), and buttons for impact levels ("IMPACT_LABEL", None/Low/Medium/High, colored black/yellow/orange/red) using "createButton()", "ObjectSetString()". For example, on EURUSD, it fetches 15 USD events, displaying “Server Time: 2025.06.22 01:19:00 ||| Total News: 15”, like a data feed populating a dashboard.

Phase 3: Building the Display—Rendering News Events

With data collected, we render the news events in a tabular format, like projecting insights onto a visualization panel.

int OnInit(){
   // ... (data fetching)
   datetime timeRange = PeriodSeconds(PERIOD_D1);
   datetime timeBefore = TimeTradeServer() - timeRange;
   datetime timeAfter = TimeTradeServer() + timeRange;
   
   Print("FURTHEST TIME LOOK BACK = ",timeBefore," >>> CURRENT = ",TimeTradeServer());
   
   int valuesTotal = (allValues <= 11) ? allValues : 11;
   
   int startY = 162;
   for (int i = 0; i < valuesTotal; i++){
      color holder_color = (i % 2 == 0) ? C'213,227,207' : clrWhite;
      createRecLabel(DATA_HOLDERS+string(i),62,startY-1,716,26,holder_color,1,clrBlack);
      
      int startX = 65;
      for (int k=0; k<ArraySize(array_calendar); k++){
         MqlCalendarEvent event;
         CalendarEventById(values[i].event_id,event);
         MqlCalendarCountry country;
         CalendarCountryById(event.country_id,country);
         Print("Name = ",event.name,", IMP = ",EnumToString(event.importance),", COUNTRY = ",country.name,", TIME = ",values[i].time);
         
         string news_data[ArraySize(array_calendar)];
         news_data[0] = TimeToString(values[i].time,TIME_DATE);
         news_data[1] = TimeToString(values[i].time,TIME_MINUTES);
         news_data[2] = country.currency;
         color importance_color = clrBlack;
         if (event.importance == CALENDAR_IMPORTANCE_LOW){importance_color=clrYellow;}
         else if (event.importance == CALENDAR_IMPORTANCE_MODERATE){importance_color=clrOrange;}
         else if (event.importance == CALENDAR_IMPORTANCE_HIGH){importance_color=clrRed;}
         news_data[3] = ShortToString(0x25CF);
         news_data[4] = event.name;
         MqlCalendarValue value;
         CalendarValueById(values[i].id,value);
         news_data[5] = DoubleToString(value.GetActualValue(),3);
         news_data[6] = DoubleToString(value.GetForecastValue(),3);
         news_data[7] = DoubleToString(value.GetPreviousValue(),3);
         
         if (k == 3){
            createLabel(ARRAY_NEWS+IntegerToString(i)+" "+array_calendar[k],startX,startY-(22-12),news_data[k],importance_color,22,"Calibri");
         }
         else {
            createLabel(ARRAY_NEWS+IntegerToString(i)+" "+array_calendar[k],startX,startY,news_data[k],clrBlack,12,"Calibri");
         }
         startX += buttons[k]+3;
      }
      startY += 25;
      Print(startY);
   }
}

In the display rendering hub, "OnInit()" limits events to 11 ("valuesTotal") for clarity, using a 24-hour range ("timeBefore", "timeAfter", "PeriodSeconds(PERIOD_D1)"). For each event, it creates a row with "createRecLabel()", "DATA_HOLDERS", alternating colors (light green/white). It fetches event details with "CalendarEventById()", "CalendarCountryById()", "CalendarValueById()", populating "news_data[]" with date ("TimeToString()", "TIME_DATE"), time ("TIME_MINUTES"), currency, impact (colored via "importance_color"), event name, actual, forecast, and previous values ("GetActualValue()", etc.). Labels are drawn with "createLabel()", "ARRAY_NEWS", with impact using a larger font (22). For example, a USD Non-Farm Payroll event on EURUSD displays as “2025.06.22 | 14:30 | USD | ● (red) | Non-Farm Payrolls | 200K | 190K | 180K” at "startY"=162, like a table row on a data panel.

Phase 4: Shutting Down the System—Cleaning Up Resources

As our expedition concludes, we shut down the system, ensuring resources are cleared for the next project.

void OnDeinit(const int reason){
}

In the shutdown studio, "OnDeinit()" is empty, leaving visual objects ("MAIN_REC", "ARRAY_NEWS", etc.) on the chart, like an active display. Adding cleanup would ensure a clean slate:

ObjectsDeleteAll(0, -1, -1);

This would remove all objects with "ObjectsDeleteAll()", like clearing a visualization panel, ready for the next task.

Why This EA is a Visualization Triumph

The News Calendar Dashboard EA is a data visualization triumph, presenting economic events with precision, like a high-resolution market dashboard. Its color-coded interface ("IMPACT_LABEL", "importance_color") and tabular layout ("array_calendar") enhance clarity, with potential for real-time updates or filters. Picture a USD news table on EURUSD, highlighting a red high-impact event—analytical brilliance! Beginners will value the intuitive display, while experts can enhance its functionality, making it essential for traders monitoring economic catalysts.

Putting It All Together

To deploy this EA:

1. Open MetaEditor in MetaTrader 5, like entering your visualization studio.

2. Copy the code, compile with F5, and verify no errors—no analyst wants a faulty dashboard!

3. Attach the EA to your chart and watch it display the economic calendar.

4. Monitor logs (e.g., “TOTAL VALUES = 15”) and the dashboard for event tracking, like data panel insights.

5. Test on a demo chart first—real analysis deserves a trial run!

Conclusion

We’ve engineered a News Calendar Dashboard that visualizes economic events with precision, like a master-crafted data panel. This MQL5 code is your visualization tool, brought to life with a seamless, professional narrative packed with clear explanations and vivid examples to fuel your trading awareness. Whether you’re a novice analyst or a seasoned market strategist, this EA empowers you to monitor news with confidence. Ready to visualize? Watch our video guide on the website for a step-by-step creation process. Now, enhance your market insights with precision! 🔍

Disclaimer: Trading is like analyzing complex markets—challenging and risky. Losses can exceed deposits. Test strategies on a demo account before going live.