Introduction to MT4 Platform Interface

The following screenshot below displays the main MetaTrader 4 cfds software inter-face. As a beginner trader trying to learn how to execute cfd orders in the online cfd market, the main tool for trading the cfd market is the MetaTrader 4 trading platform software. This MT4 trading software is software that you'll connect to your broker with and execute cfd trade transactions & monitor your account balance from the Meta Trader 4 trading platform.

The CFD MT4 trading platform is provided for free through the various trading broker sites. This Meta Trader 4 trading platform looks like the cfd example shown below:

The Main Areas of this MetaTrader 4 cfds software as illustrated above are:

1. MetaTrader 4 Navigation Menus
2. Toolbars
3. MT4 CFDs Chart Window
4. MT4 Navigator Window Panel
5. MetaTrader 4 Market Watch Window Panel
6. MT4 Terminal
7. MT4 Connection Bars

For this MT4 guide we shall look at a brief introduction for each of these learn cfd MT4 platform:

1. Navigation Menus

The MT4 navigation menus are:

1. File
2. View
3. Insert
4. Charts
5. Tools
6. Window
7. Help

These are the main MT4 navigation menus which can be used to navigate the MT4 platform. As a beginner trader you can start by just clicking any of these MT4 navigation menus to familiarize yourself with various MT4 buttons that are arranged as MT4 sub menus within these MT4 navigation menus.

These MT4 navigation menus will be discussed & covered in details in the next MT4 guides about navigation menus.

2. Tool-Bars

The MT4 tool bars are used to manipulate MT4 cfd charts, either by placing MT4 indicators, MT4 line studies, change MT4 cfd chart time-frames & load Meta Trader 4 template from a list of saved Meta Trader 4 templates.

These MT4 toolbars will be discussed on other MetaTrader 4 guides that will outline each MetaTrader 4 button on this MT4 toolbar and how to add & customize these MT4 toolbars.

3. Chart Panel

This MT4 cfd chart window is the main area where MT4 cfd charts are portrayed & one can analyze the cfd trend direction of a MT4 cfd chart whether up or down, place MT4 cfd chart indicators for technical analysis and even place orders from these MT4 charts.

4. Navigator

MetaTrader 4 Navigator will contain information about MT4 trading accounts, whether practice or real, this MT4 window will also have a list of all the MT4 technical indicators as well as MT4 CFDs Expert-Advisors & scripts.

A trader can select which MT4 cfd account to sign in by expanding the Accounts menu, choose an MT4 indicator by expanding the MT4 indicator menu or choose an MT4 CFDs Expert-Advisor by expanding the Expert-Advisor menu.

5. Market Watch

MT4 Market watch window panel is used to show streaming price quotes for MT4 cfd instruments. This can list as many quotes provided by your MT4 cfd broker or a few chosen by a cfd trader. To save inter-net band width, rightclick inside the MT4 market watch window & choose "Hide All", so as to hide the MT4 symbols that you aren't transacting on this Meta Trader 4 platform & save on inter-net band width.

6. Terminal

This is the MT4 window that is like the bank account trade area for your MT4 cfd trade transactions, on this Meta Trader 4 window you can view your trading account balance, profit and losses statement, equity, margin used also retrieve a copy of all your MT4 cfd trade transactions history.

This Meta Trader 4 window will also list all open cfd trade transactions & calculate all the profit & loss in real-time as the charts move up or down.

7. Connection Bar

MetaTrader 4 connection bars - Red bars are for no connectivity, green bars show that there is connection to the servers & Meta Trader 4 cfd trade orders can be set. These MT4 connection bars should always be green when one logged into their MetaTrader 4 practice cfd account or MetaTrader 4 live account.

These MetaTrader 4 platform main areas form the MT4 trading platform interface & will be the main areas to be covered in detail in next learn MetaTrader 4 guides. For now it's best to download MetaTrader 4 trading platform software & familiarize yourself with MT4 platform interface.

Why CFD Platform is Required for Placing CFD Transactions with CFD Brokers

Cfd trading software is software that's used to access the cfd market and analyze these price movements using charts and technical analysis tools. There are various reasons why one requires to use a good platform. A good platform can determine if a as a trader you make profit or not.

So why does one need a good CFDs platform:

To connect to the CFD Broker Trading Server:

To place a cfd trade order one needs to use a cfd platform which will connect to the trading servers of their broker & this will allow them to open & close cfd trade orders. Good platforms will connect with ease to the brokers' servers & allow traders to place orders at any time from their desktop PC computer.

To analyze cfd charts using technical analysis tools

To place a buy or sell cfd order a trader needs to first interpret the direction of a cfd instrument using charts. This is why all good platforms provide cfd technical tools such as price charts, cfd indicators and various different chart time-frames from which trader can analyze price moves using the chart time frames of their choice.

From the above cfd platform inter-face, the summary of all the data required by a trader is provided in this Meta Trader 4 platform interface

• Connection - connection to the broker servers
• Charts - price graphs that display prices
• Tool bars - toolbars to add tools and technical analysis indicators on charts
• Market Watch - for displaying available instruments on MT4 platform
• Data window panel - provides MetaTrader 4 cfd account information and other technical indicator data
• Exchange rates - shows current market price on a chart
• Menu bar - Shows all menu items on the MT4 platform