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Creating Packages

In this and following sections, we will create a new composite package called barhelper, which provides helper functions for the existing bar package. For example, we will implement a Cross function that returns true or false when two TimeSeries values cross.

Step 1: Create a Git Repository

Before initializing the package, you must create a Git repository. We recommend starting with a blank repository (do not use templates). You can use any of the supported Git providers:

Once created, your repository will have a Git URL like: https://forge.mql5.io/DouglasRechia/barhelper.git

From this URL, we extract two important values for the package manifest:

  • organization: the Git namespace, lowercased (e.g., douglasrechia)
  • name: the repository name (e.g., barhelper)

These values will be used in the knitpkg.yaml manifest:

organization: douglasrechia
name: barhelper

Organization naming

The organization part of the path is expected to match the Git repository owner/organization, normalized to lowercase. (Project names do not have to match the repository name, but organizations must.)

Step 2: Initialize the Package

To create the package structure, we use the kp init command. First, open a terminal in the MetaTrader Scripts directory:

  1. In MetaEditor, right-click on the Scripts folder in the Navigator panel.
  2. Select Open Folder.
  3. In Windows Explorer, right-click inside the folder and choose Open in Terminal.
  4. Your terminal should now be in the Scripts directory, like this:

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Now run the following command:

kp init

You will be prompted to answer a few questions. Use the appropriate values for Project name and Organization name. Keep the default values for the other fields unless you have specific needs.

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After confirming with y, the project will be created.

Step 3: Open the Project in VSCode

Navigate into the new project directory and open it in VSCode:

cd barhelper
code .
  • Use MetaEditor to edit .mqh, .mq4, and .mq5 files. It offers excellent IntelliSense and follows MQL standards.
  • Use VSCode for editing other files like .yaml and for Git operations. You can enable MQL syntax highlighting in VSCode using this tutorial.

Tip

You can also use the integrated terminal in VSCode by clicking Terminal > New Terminal.

Once opened, you will see the directory structure created by kp init:

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Step 4: Review the Manifest

The knitpkg.yaml file contains the metadata and configuration for your package:

barhelper manifest knitpkg.yaml
name: barhelper
version: 1.0.0
description: Helper for @douglasrechia/bar
author: Douglas Rechia
license: MIT
target: mql5
type: package
organization: douglasrechia
compile:
- tests/UnitTests.mq5
dependencies: {}

Note

A GETTING_STARTED file is also created to help beginners. You can delete it at any time — it is ignored by Git thanks to .gitignore.

Step 5: Open the Project in MetaEditor

In MetaEditor, navigate to Scripts/barhelper. Only MQL files (.mq5, .mqh) are visible here, which is why we use VSCode as a complementary editor.

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The init command also creates a header file at: knitpkg/include/douglasrechia/barhelper/Header.mqh

This file includes a commented-out directive for autocomplete.mqh. To enable IntelliSense later, simply uncomment that line. The file also contains a placeholder for the @knitpkg:include directive, which we will configure in the next steps.

Next Step

We are now ready to add the @douglasrechia/bar dependency to barhelper. Continue to Managing Dependencies.