Introduction to MT4 Platform Interface

The following screen-shot below shows the main MT4 crude oil software inter-face. As a beginner trader trying to learn how to execute oil orders in the online oil market, the main tool for trading the crude oil market is the MT4 crude oil trading platform software. This MetaTrader 4 crude oil software is the software that you will connect to your oil broker with and execute oil trade transactions & monitor your oil trading account balance from this MT4 crude oil trading platform.

The Crude Oil Trading MT4 crude oil trading platform software is provided for free through the various oil broker websites. This MT4 oil trading software looks like crude oil trading example explained below:

The Main Areas of this MT4 crude oil trading platform as illustrated above are:

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

For this MetaTrader 4 tutorial we shall look at a brief introduction for each of these learn MT4 crude oil trading 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 that can be used to navigate the MT4 oil trading software. As a beginner trader you can begin by just clicking any of these MetaTrader 4 navigation menus to familiarize yourself with various MetaTrader 4 button keys which are arranged as MT4 submenus within these MetaTrader 4 navigation menus.

These MT4 navigation menus will be explained & covered in details in the next MT4 tutorials about navigation menus.

2. Tool-Bars

The MetaTrader 4 tool bars are used to manipulate MT4 oil charts, either by placing MT4 indicators, MT4 line studies, change MT4 oil chart timeframes and load MT4 template from a list of saved MT4 templates.

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

3. Chart Panel

This MetaTrader 4 oil chart window is the main area where MT4 crude oil charts are displayed & a trader can analyze the oil trend direction of a MT4 oil chart whether up or down, place MT4 oil chart indicators for technical analysis and even place orders from these MT4 oil trading charts.

4. Navigator

MT4 Navigator will contain information about MT4 accounts, whether practice or real, this MT4 window will also have a list of all the MT4 technical indicators as well as MT4 Oil Trading EAs & scripts.

A trader can choose which MT4 crude oil trading account to login by expanding the Accounts menu, select a MT4 indicator by expanding the MT4 indicator menu or choose an MT4 Oil Expert Advisor by expanding the EA menu.

5. Market Watch

MT4 Market watch is used to show streaming crude oil price quotes for MT4 oil trading instruments. This can list as many quotes provided by your MT4 oil broker or a few selected by a oil trader. To save internet band width, right-click inside the MT4 market watch window and select "Hide All", so as to hide the MT4 symbols that you are not transacting on this MT4 crude oil platform & save on internet band width.

6. Terminal

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

This MetaTrader 4 panel will also list all open oil trade transactions & calculate all the profit and loss in realtime as the oil charts move up or down.

7. Connection Bar

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

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

Why Crude Oil Platform is Required for Placing Crude Oil Trading Transactions with Oil Trading Brokers

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

So why does a trader need a good Oil Trading Software:

To connect to the Oil Trading Broker Trading Server:

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

To analyze oil charts using crude oil trading analysis tools

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

From the above oil trading platform interface, the summary of all data required by a trader is provided on this MT4 crude oil software interface

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