Automatization with the command line (Zorro S)

Zorro S can be started directly from an external program, a shortcut, a batch file, the Windows command shell, or a PHP exec call on a Windows server. In this way, Zorro training or tests can be automatized. The command line looks like this:

"C:\Users\YourName\Zorro\Zorro.exe" [filename] [options]

For starting it manually with command line options, use the Windows command prompt, navigate to your Zorro folder (cd command), type in a command line, for instance Zorro -run MyScript, and hit the [Enter] key.

If only a script name is given with no further options, Zorro will select it in the [Script] scrollbox. filename (without blanks or special characters) must be either an existing script in the StrategyFolder given in Zorro.ini, or a historical data file in .t1, .t6, or .t8 format. If a historical data file is given, the Chart or History script is started with that file. When a script is started from the command line, the COMMAND status flag is set. Several Zorro functions use this way to start other Zorro processes, f.i. for multicore training, retraining, or retesting. External tools can also use the command line.

You can give a command line option either directly in the Windows command prompt, or with the Windows [Run] function, or by editing the properties of a Zorro shortcut on the Windows desktop. For this, right click the shortcut icon and select Properties (for icons in the task bar you need to hold the [Shift] key). Under the shortcut tab you'll see the Target field containing the exact location of Zorro.exe within quotation marks. Add command line options, such as '-diag', after the last quotation mark, and save the modified shortcut with [Apply].

Besides the file name, the following command line options can be given (Zorro S only):

-run

Run the given script in [Test] mode, and exit afterwards.

-train

Run the given script in [Train] mode, and exit afterwards.

-trade

Run the given script in [Trade] mode.

-edit

Select the script and open it in the editor.

-h

In combination with -run, -train, or -trade: run with minimized Zorro window.

-stay

In combination with -run, -train, or -trade: don't close Zorro afterwards.

-quiet

Don't open a message box when Zorro encounters a fatal error; print the error in the message window instead. Don't wait 4 seconds after a command line run before closing the Zorro window.

-a assetname

Select the given asset from the [Assets] scrollbox.

-c accountname

Selects the account with the given name from a user defined account list.

-d string

Stores the given string (no blanks or special characters) in the Define string. In lite-C, it also generates a #define statement. This way, a script started with the command line can get file names or other text based information, and in case of lite-C compile differently.

-u string

Allows to enter more strings or other content that can be parsed from the command line with the report funcrion.

-i number

Passes an integer number to the script that can be read through the Command variable. Up to 4 numbers can be transferred to the script, each preceded by "-i". This way, the same script started with the command line can behave in different ways.

-x

Compiles the selected script to an executable, like the EXE flag, and exit afterwards.

-diag

Starts Zorro in 'black box' mode, as if the DIAG flag was set. Used for debugging the startup behavior. A message "diagnostics mode" will appear in the message window at startup, and the DIAG flag is automatically set in subsequent scripts. Startup events are recorded to a file "diag.txt" in the Zorro main folder. Black box recording strongly reduces the program speed, so do not use this feature unnecessarily.

-w offset

Shift the Zorro window by the given number of pixels to the right.

The command line can be evaluated with the report function, so arbitrary user-defined command line options can be added. Use the ExitCode variable for returning with a script-defined exit code or error level.

Examples

Start a re-training run with a strategy.

Zorro.exe -train MyStrategy

From outside the Zorro folder, run the script pricedownload.c with the selected asset "USD/CAD" in test mode.

"c:\Users\MyName\Zorro\Zorro.exe" -run pricedownload -a USD/CAD

Start Zorro in diagnostics mode. A file diag.txt is generated in the Zorro folder.

Zorro.exe -diag

A .bat file in the Zorro folder that trains 3 scripts when clicked on.

Zorro -train MyStrategy1
Zorro -train MyStrategy2
Zorro -train MyStrategy3

A .bat file that runs a Zorro script 50 times in 2 nested loops and passes the loop numbers to Command[0] and Command[1].

for /l %%x in (1, 1, 5) do (
for /l %%y in (1, 1, 10) do (
  @echo Loop %%x %%y
  Zorro -run MyScript -i %%x -i %%y
)
)
pause

A .bat file that executes a script with any .csv file name in a certain directory passed to the Define string:

for %%f in (Data\MyFolder\*.csv) do Zorro -run MyScript -d %%f