Introduction to MetaTrader 4 Platform Interface
The following screen-shot below shows the main MetaTrader 4 interface showing what is a MetaTrader 4 platform. As a beginner trader trying to learn how to execute stock indices orders in the online stock indices market, the main tool for trading the stock indices trading market is the MetaTrader 4 platform software. This How to Use MT4 Review Tutorial for Indices Beginners will explain how you can use this MetaTrader 4 software to connect to your MetaTrader 4 stock indices trading broker and execute indices transactions & monitor your indices account balance from this MetaTrader 4 platform that you will download from online MetaTrader 4 brokers.
The MT4 Indices Trading Software is provided for free through the various indices broker sites. This indices platform looks like the stock indices example explained below:
Introduction to MetaTrader 4 Interface - MetaTrader 4 Introduction Guide
Main Areas of this MT4 platform as displayed above are:
- Navigation Menus
- Toolbars
- Chart Window
- Navigator
- Market Watch
- Terminal
- Connection Bars
For this MetaTrader 4 Introduction Lesson we shall look at a brief introduction for each of these:
1. Navigation Menus
The navigation menus are:
- File
- View
- Insert
- Charts
- Tools
- Window
- Help
These are main navigation menus that can be used to navigate MT4 software. As a beginner trader you can begin by just clicking on any of these navigation menus so as to familiarize yourself with the various buttons that are arranged as sub menus within these navigation menus in MetaTrader 4 platform.
These MT4 navigation menus will be described and discussed in details in the next MetaTrader 4 Introduction Guides about navigation menus.
2. Toolbars
The MT4 tool bars are used to manipulate stock indices charts, either by placing stock indices chart indicators, line studies, change indices chart timeframes and load a stock indices MetaTrader 4 template from a list of saved stock indices chart templates.
These MT4 tool bars will be discussed on other MT4 Introduction Tutorials which will outline each button on this MetaTrader 4 tool bar and explain how to add MetaTrader 4 stock indices chart tool bars and how to customize MetaTrader 4 stock indices chart tool bars.
3. Chart Panel
This is the main area where stock indices charts are displayed & a trader can analyze the indices trend direction of a stock indices chart whether up or down, place stock indices chart indicators for technical analysis and even place indices orders from these stock indices trading price charts.
4. Navigator
Navigator panel will contain data about stock indices accounts, whether demo indices trading account or real account, this window will also have a list of all the MetaTrader 4 technical indicators as well as Expert-Advisors & scripts.
A trader can choose which stock indices trading account to login by expanding the Accounts menu, choose an indicator by expanding the stock indices indicator menu or choose an Expert Advisor by expanding the stock indices trading Expert Advisor menu.
5. Market Watch
Market watch is used to show streaming stock indices quotes for indices. This can list as many stock indices quotes provided by your indices broker or a few chosen by a trader on the MetaTrader 4 platform. To save internet bandwidth, right click inside the stock indices trading market watch window panel and select 'Hide All', so that to hide the instruments that you're not trading and save on inter-net bandwidth.
6. Terminal
This is window that's like the bank account trade area for your indices trade transactions, on this MetaTrader 4 window you can view your indices trading account balance, profit & losses statement, equity, margin used also retrieve a copy of all your indices trade transactions history.
This will also list all open indices trade transactions & calculate all the profit & loss in realtime as a stock indices prices move upwards or downwards.
7. Connection Bar
MT4 connection bars on MetaTrader 4 status bar - Red bars are for no connection, green bars show that there is connection to the broker servers & indices trade orders can be placed. These MetaTrader 4 connection bars should always be green when one logged into their demo indices account or live stock indices trading account.
These main areas form the MT4 interface and will be the main areas to be covered in detail in the next MT4 Introduction Indices Tutorials. For now it is best to download MT4 platform and familiarize yourself with MetaTrader 4 software interface.
Why Indices Software is Required for Placing Indices Trade Transactions with Brokers
Indices platform is software that is used to access the stock indices market and interpret these stock indices trading price movements using stock indices charts and technical analysis trading tools. There are various reasons why a trader requires to use a good indices platform. A good indices software can determine if a as a trader you make a profit or not when trading using the platform.
So why does a trader need a good Indices Trading Software:
To connect to the Indices Broker Trading Server:
To place a indices trade order a trader needs to use a indices trading software which will connect to the trading servers of their stock indices trading broker and allow them to open and close trade orders. Good indices platforms will connect with ease to the brokers' servers & allow stock indices traders to place stock indices trade orders at any time from their desktop computer PC.
To analyze indices charts using stock indices charts and stock indices technical analysis tools
To place a buy or sell indices order a trader needs to first interpret the direction of indices. This is why all good indices trading softwares provide stock indices trading price charts and stock indices technical analysis tools such as, indices indicators and various different chart time-frames from which one-can analyze stock indices trading price moves using the stock indices chart timeframes of their choice.
How to Use MT4 Guide
From above MetaTrader 4 platform interface - MT4 Introduction Tutorial, the summary of all information required by a trader is provided on this interface
- Connection - connection to the broker servers
- Charts - stock indices trading price graphs that display indices trading prices movements
- Toolbars - chart tool bars to add tools & technical analysis technical indicators
- Market Watch - for displaying available financial instruments
- Data window - provides indices account data & other indicator data
- Exchange rates - shows current market stock indices trading price on a indices chart
- Menu bar - Shows all menu items in MT4 platform
