MT5 development on macOS.
MetaTrader 5 + MetaEditor + Wine + VSCode: the complete macOS workflow for professional MT5 development.
Prerequisites
Software and tools to install before you begin.
MetaTrader 5
Windows version, for Wine installation.
MetaEditor
Included with the MT5 installation.
Visual Studio Code
Modern code editor for development.
MetaTrader 5 installation
Install MT5, then configure it for development.
Download MT5 Installer
From the official MetaQuotes website.
Installation
Run the MT5 installer (uses Wine) on your macOS system.
Launch MT5
Start MetaTrader 5: initial setup, account configuration.
Find openDataFolder
Locate the MT5 data folder via the built-in menu option. Critical for VSCode integration.
File → Open Data FolderCritical: find openDataFolder
After installing MT5, locate the data folder for VSCode integration: the most important step.
In MT5: File → Open Data Folder
Opens the Wine Z: drive location of your MQL5 folder.
MQL5 folder workflow
Integrate MQL5 development with VSCode and Wine.
Locate MQL5 Folder
In your Wine environment: holds all your trading scripts, indicators and experts.
Z:\Users\[username]\AppData\Roaming\MetaQuotes\Terminal\[terminal-id]\MQL5Copy to Desktop
Copy the entire MQL5 folder to your macOS Desktop for easy VSCode access.
Navigate Z: Drive
Wine maps your macOS filesystem to the Z: drive: navigate through My Computer to access files.
My Computer → Z: → Users → [username] → Desktop → MQL5Open in VSCode
Open the Desktop MQL5 folder in VSCode: development with full IDE features.
The Z: drive mapping
Wine maps your macOS filesystem to the Z: drive, so Windows applications can access your files.
Navigation path
My Computer → Z: → Users → [username] → Desktop → MQL5Prompted to Replace All/Overwrite? Confirm, to update your MQL5 files with the latest version.
VSCode setup for MQL5
Configure Visual Studio Code for professional MQL5 development.
Open MQL5 Folder
The MQL5 folder from your Desktop, in VSCode.
Install Extensions
MQL5 language support, plus other helpful extensions.
Configure Settings
VSCode settings for MQL5 development.
Start Coding
Write your MQL5 trading scripts and indicators.
Recommended VSCode extensions
MQL5 Language Support
Syntax highlighting and IntelliSense for MQL5 code
Publisher: MetaQuotes
C/C++
Enhanced IntelliSense for C-based languages
Publisher: Microsoft
Quick reference
Community links, resources and licensing.