User interface panels

For setting up strategy parameters, triggering actions, or displaying something, the following elements are available:

• The sliders for entering or displaying numerical values,
• the [Result] button that can be redefined by script,
• the [Action] scrollbox for displaying or selecting items or triggering script functions,
• and a control panel with user-defined buttons, switches, displays, entry fields, and spreadsheet lists (Zorro S or executable strategies only).

The control panel can be created by script or with Excel™. The panel is a rectangular grid of multi-purpose cells, similar to a spreadsheet. Every cell can display text, numbers, or a color, and can serve as a numeric or text input field or as a push, toggle, radio, or spin button. With this concept, even complex control functions for commercial strategies can be realized in a simple way. Such a control panel does not look particularly pretty, but it's functional:

A panel can have a virtually unlimited number of rows and columns. If there are more than fit on the screen, the panel can be scrolled with scrollbars on the right and bottom side. Header rows or columns can be defined that stay fixed when the rest of the panel scrolls. This way, individual asset parameters can be set up or displayed for multi-asset strategies. An example of a scrolling panel with thousands of rows can be found in the History.c script.

The following functions can be used for defining and handling a control panel or for populating the [Action] scrollbox:

panel (int rows, int columns, int color, int size)

panel (string filename, int color, int size)

panelSet (int row, int col, string text, int color, int style, int type)

panelGet (int row, int col): string

panelMerge(int Row, int Col, int NumRows, int NumCols)

panelFix(int NumRows, int NumCols)

panelSave (string Filename)

panelLoad (string Filename)

click(int Row, int Col)

Remarks:

• Control panels can only be created with Zorro S, but can be included in executable strategies (.x files) and can then also be used with the free Zorro version.
• Even without a panel, the [Result] button and the [Asset] and [Action] scrollboxes can trigger the click function. If this is unwanted, filter out clicks with negative row values.
• Text on the panel caption bar can be displayed with print(TO_PANEL,...).
• The panel stays open after the end of the strategy unless it is explicitely removed either with panel(0,0,0,0), or by clicking [Edit], or by selecting a new script. As long as it is open, it can still be edited and can even trigger functions when clicked on. For preventing that functions are triggered when the script is not running, check the RUNNING flag. For keeping the previous panel content when the strategy is restarted, call panel() or panelLoad() only when both the INITRUN and the CHANGED flags are set.
•  !!  The click function is a separate process and not in sync with with the run or tick functions. Therefore, do not change the asset, send broker commands, or modify global variables directly in the click function, because this can interfere with other functions and with the rest of your script. Always use call(1,....) for critical operations inside a click function. See example below.
• The [Action] scrollbox keeps its state after the end of the strategy unless it is explicitely removed at the end with panel(0,0,0,0). By clicking [Edit] or by selecting a new script, the scrollbox is reset to the default actions. The selection state of the scrollbox can be saved in an AlgoVar and restored at the start of the strategy; for this use the panelSet function with the type parameter at 1 for the selected item.

Examples: (see also Download.c, History.c, PanelTest.c)

// click function example
function click(int row,int col)
{
  if(!is(RUNNING)) return; // prevent clicks after the end of the script
  if(row < 0) return; // prevent clicks by result button or scroll box
  sound("click.wav");
  string Text = panelGet(row,col);
  if(Text == "Buy") // toggle button between "Buy" and "Sell"
    panelSet(row,col,"Sell",0,0,0);
  else if(Text == "Sell")
    panelSet(row,col,"Buy",0,0,0);
  else if(Text == "Close All")  // push button to close all trades
    call(1,closeAllTrades,0,0);
  else if(Text == "Enter Trade")  // push button to enter position
    call(1,enterMyTrade,0,0);
  else if(Text == "Cancel")  // back to last saved state
    panelLoad("Data\\mypanel.csv");
  panelSave("Data\\mypanel.csv");  
}

// Entering a code number
int Code = 0;

void click(int row,int col)
{
  sound("click.wav");
  Code = atoi(panelGet(0,0));
}

void enterNumber()
{
  Code = 0;
  panel(1,4,GREY,30);
  print(TO_PANEL,"Enter your code number");
  panelSet(0,0,"",0,1,2);
  panelMerge(0,0,1,3);
  panelSet(0,3,"Ok",ColorPanel[3],1,4);
  while(!Code) wait(0);
  panel(0,0,0);
  printf("\nCode: %i",Code);
}

// Start a program via Action scrollbox
void click(int row,int col)
{
  if(row == -2 && col == 0) // first action line
    exec("Editor","Strategy\\Z.ini",0);
}

function run()
{
  panelSet(-2,0,"Edit Z9.ini",0,0,0);
  ...
}

See also: