Managing Dependencies

In the previous section we created barhelper, a composite package. The Composite packages section is a must-read before diving into managing dependencies.

Now we will add its dependency on @douglasrechia/bar using the kp add command:

kp add @douglasrechia/bar

After running the command, your knitpkg.yaml manifest will look like this:

dependencies:
  '@douglasrechia/bar': ^1.0.0

The kp add command performs two actions:

• It queries the registry for the latest stable version of @douglasrechia/bar.
• It updates the manifest, adding the dependency with a default version specifier ^ pointing to the latest stable version.

If you want to specify a particular version or use a different version range, use the --version (or -v) option:

kp add @douglasrechia/bar --version 1.*.*

For more information on version specifiers, see Version Ranges.

To remove a dependency, you can simply edit the manifest and delete the corresponding entry. You can also add dependencies manually by editing the manifest directly.

If you're unsure which version to use, you can inspect available versions with kp info as in the example below:

kp info mql5 @douglasrechia/bar

This command will display metadata and version history for the package. Try it yourself to explore the output.

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Autocomplete

Now that the dependency is added, let’s generate the autocomplete.mqh file to enable IntelliSense support:

kp autocomplete

This will create the file knitpkg/autocomplete/autocomplete.mqh. Open knitpkg/include/douglasrechia/barhelper/Header.mqh, uncomment the line that includes autocomplete.mqh, and rename the file to Cross.mqh.

After these changes, your MetaEditor should look like this:

Now you can implement the CrossUp function inside the douglasrechia namespace. Since autocomplete.mqh includes all headers from dependencies, IntelliSense will work seamlessly:

Note

As explained in Projects vs Packages, it is recommended to place your code inside a namespace matching the organization name when targeting MQL5. This helps avoid symbol conflicts.

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Adding the @knitpkg:include Directive

At this point, your code might look like this:

namespace douglasrechia
{

bool CrossUp(ITimeSeries<double> &series1, ITimeSeries<double> &series2, int shift=0)
  {
// Return false if shift is negative or out of bounds
   if(shift < 0)
      return false;
   if(shift >= series1.Size()-1)
      return false;
   if(shift >= series2.Size()-1)
      return false;

   return series1.ValueAtShift(shift+1) < series2.ValueAtShift(shift+1) &&
          series1.ValueAtShift(shift) > series2.ValueAtShift(shift);
  }

}

To ensure the header knitpkg/include/douglasrechia/barhelper/Cross.mqh compiles correctly when the package is installed as a dependency, you must add the following directive (without //):

/* @knitpkg:include "douglasrechia/bar/TimeSeries.mqh" */

This directive tells KnitPkg to resolve the reference to ITimeSeries from the bar package.

Tip: Navigating with IntelliSense

Place your cursor over ITimeSeries in the CrossUp function and press Alt+G. MetaEditor will open the resolved definition from: knitpkg/autocomplete/knitpkg/include/douglasrechia/bar/TimeSeries.mqh.

This demonstrates how autocomplete.mqh works: it assembles all headers from dependencies into a local structure with resolved includes. By navigating to the symbol, you can identify the exact header to reference in your @knitpkg:include directive. Always use paths relative to knitpkg/include.

---

Final Header: Cross.mqh

Here is the complete Cross.mqh file after removing placeholder comments and enabling autocomplete:

//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//|                                                       Header.mqh |
//|                                                Package barhelper |
//|                                      Organization: douglasrechia |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+

#include "../../../autocomplete/autocomplete.mqh"

/* @knitpkg:include "douglasrechia/bar/TimeSeries.mqh" */

namespace douglasrechia
{

bool CrossUp(ITimeSeries<double> &series1, ITimeSeries<double> &series2, int shift=0)
  {
// Return false if shift is negative or out of bounds
   if(shift < 0)
      return false;
   if(shift >= series1.Size()-1)
      return false;
   if(shift >= series2.Size()-1)
      return false;

   return series1.ValueAtShift(shift+1) < series2.ValueAtShift(shift+1) &&
          series1.ValueAtShift(shift) > series2.ValueAtShift(shift);
  }

}
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+

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Validating the Directive

Is the @knitpkg:include directive correct? You can try compiling the header in MetaEditor (press F7 or use the Build > Compile menu). The compiler will say everything is OK — but remember, the directive is inside a /* */ comment block, so the MQL compiler ignores it.

To validate the directive with KnitPkg, use the following command:

kp checkinstall

You should see output like this:

KnitPkg confirms that the Cross.mqh header will compile when barhelper is installed!

As an exercise, try introducing an error in the path of the @knitpkg:include directive and run kp checkinstall again to see how KnitPkg reports the issue.

Dependencies Between Headers in the Same Package

When one header in your package depends on another header from the same package, you do not need to use the @knitpkg:include directive. Instead, use a standard #include directive with a relative path.

For example: suppose that Cross.mqh depends on Utils.mqh within the same package, you can write:

#include "Utils.mqh"

This is a local include and will work as expected during both development and when the package is installed. For more details, see the section Dependencies between headers inside the same package.

Working with Single Packages

The process for creating single packages is essentially the same as for composite packages. However, there are two key differences:

• You do not need to run kp autocomplete, since single packages do not have any external dependencies and thus the headers compile cleanly as a normal .mqh files.
• You do not need to run kp checkinstall, because the exported headers will not have the @knitpkg:include directives.

This makes the workflow for single packages simpler and more lightweight.

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Congratulations! You now know how to manage dependencies and create compilable headers using MetaEditor and KnitPkg. Well done!