ArtaPattern
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Case study 03 · C++ / FinTech / Trading Systems · 2025 – 2026

MetaTrader Dealing Desk Plugin

Designed and implemented a MetaTrader Dealing Desk plugin with broker-oriented slippage management functionality.

Domain
Forex brokerage
Role
Designer & developer
Type
Server-side plugin
Stack
C++ · MT4/MT5

From my work before founding ArtaPattern. Client names and confidential details are left out, and diagrams are conceptual.

01 / Project overview

Dealing-desk logic inside the trading server

A C++ plugin for MetaTrader servers that adds dealing-desk behavior with configurable, broker-oriented slippage management, built alongside other broker-specific plugins.

02 / Engineering context

Engineering context

Server-side MetaTrader plugins run inside the trading server process, so correctness and careful testing matter more than usual: a defect affects order handling directly.

Runtime interaction · conceptual
Client ordertrader
Dealing Desk pluginslippage rules
MT4 / MT5 servertrading server
Conceptual, non-confidential representation.
03 / Problem & constraints

Problem & constraints

  • The plugin runs inside the MetaTrader server process, so correctness comes before features.
  • It had to integrate with both MT4 and MT5.
  • Slippage behavior had to be configurable by the broker.
  • Architecture, implementation, configuration, debugging and testing were owned by one engineer.
04 / Architecture approach

A configurable server-side plugin

The plugin sits in the server's order flow and applies broker-defined slippage rules, with configuration kept separate from code so behavior can be adjusted without rebuilding.

05 / Key engineering decisions

Key engineering decisions

DECISION 01

Keep rules configurable

Slippage behavior is driven by broker configuration rather than hard-coded values, so policy changes do not require a new build.

DECISION 02

Test before integration

Behavior was verified before connecting the plugin to MT4/MT5 servers, because a defect inside the server affects order handling directly.

DECISION 03

Keep the engineering boundary clear

I owned architecture, implementation, configuration, debugging, testing and MT4/MT5 integration; the slippage policy itself remains the broker's decision.

06 / Implementation & delivery

Implementation & delivery

  1. 01

    Design

    Plugin architecture.

  2. 02

    Implement

    C++ and configuration.

  3. 03

    Test

    Debugging and verification.

  4. 04

    Integrate

    MT4 / MT5.

07 / Technologies
  • C++
  • MetaTrader MT4/MT5
  • Plugin Architecture
  • Slippage Management
  • Testing