Other Brokers/ Markets/ Non FX Trading

Hi,

I have few question on ZT regarding ability to trade on other broker platforms in equity markets.

1. Is it possible to attach zorro to other/any broker (Non FXCM, Non IB) provided that i have their API access/Direct Market Access (DMA) for trading and data.

2. If yes, then how should i proceed as when zorro starts it just asks for FXCM account details only.

3. Lastly, does zorro has the ability to save the data while cnnected to APIs on daily basis or i have to re-update data after every trading instance.

Thanks...

Zorro can be connected to any broker when someone writes a plugin for that broker's API. How to do that is described in the manual, but it requires programming knowledge beyond script programming.

You can request a broker here and if it has a free API and low spread/commission, chances are that a plugin will be included in a Zorro update.

- For saving price data to the history, you can set the update interval through the UpdateDays variable.

I'm able to write an expert advisor for those using mt4.this is a trading platform most retail traders trading with. If the creator allows an interface for mt4, everyone is able to use zorro broker independent.

What do you thing about it, @jcl?

Sounds like a good idea to me... I believe they are already working on an MT4 addon... so maybe you can offer them some help

Thanks jcl,

well got it, and i assume i have a COM plugin provided by the broker to interact with its trading application. I assume Zorro should work.

An MT4 EA is certainly useful, but a direct API access is preferable. There are two reasons. The first one is that MT4 does not provide a long price history, so only strategies with not too long lookback periods would work with MT4.

The second reason is more serious: Depending on broker settings MT4 reroutes your trade to a "virtual dealer server". It's then not executed in the real market, but in a virtual market structured by MT4 for huge slippage and early stop loss triggering. MT4 has this implemented because it generates extra profit for the broker. You normally won't notice this, you'll only wonder why you lose most of the time. That's the reason why it's normally not recommended to trade real money with MT4 or MT5.

Of course not all brokers use this practice, FXCM probably not. So if you're sure that your broker is honest, an MT4 EA that interfaces to Zorro is a good thing.

I.m trading since 8 years with IBFX (not the best spreads) and I believe this broker is serious amongst others.it also depends in which timeframe you are trading. I have 1m history till year 1999 which leads to a model-quality of 90% in backtests. There are also sources with tickdata available to achieve 99% model-quality.

Yes I believe also that some marketmakers practicing stophunting, but this is also for most a cheap reason they are not able to trade profitable.

Can someone write a plugin for Alpari.us broker or maybe this broker could be included in the new Zorro versions along with FXCM. Thanks

Yes, I am interested although I am just new to Zorro. I heard MT4 is very popular and it can be my next target to learn after I am familiar with Zorro.

Will you kindly share with us ?

Thank you.

Yes, I am interested although I am just new to Zorro. I heard MT4 is very popular and it can be my next target to learn after I am familiar with Zorro.

Will you kindly share with us ?

Thank you.

When is Zorro trading binary option?
Could you write a plugin for famous binary option brokers like http://www.bdbinary.com/ ?

I have been very interested in binary option robots.

As far as I know, no binary option broker offers an API for automated trading.

But you can trade them automatically through the broker's web interface, using Zorro's "keys" function.

Hi!


I'm working with zorro now since a couple of month but only on a FXCM demo account. My question is: When would the MT4 broker plugin be available? Are there already concrete plans? I think that would be great for many users of Zorro.

I know. We don't have large developer capacity at the moment because we have to develop Gamestudio features in the next time, but we've subcontracted the MT4 plugin for development in February.

Regarding Binary Options. Only Nadex is offering an API but you have to become a member and I think it means you have to open a $100k account.

Hi All, as I was reading about a recent acquisition of a US FX broker, I found this info, maybe you already know it: unfortunately I do not have the knowledge and expertise to be able to evaluate. Hoping this can be of interest to Zorro community.

http://www.forex.com/uk/trading-platforms/api-trading.html

Thanks

Is there a list of supported brokers? I haven't found a place where i can see what brokers are supported or where to find those PlugIns.
(Is GlobalPrime supported?)


thanks in advance

Yes, GlobalPrime is supported.

The list of supported brokers is not easy to assemble, but it must be many hundred. Almost every small broker is linked to an MT4 server, as MT4 is the cheapest solution for brokerage.

The only broker supported without MT4 is FXCM.

Ah. Okay that was what i meant. What brokers are supported without MT4 :-)

Thanks for the feedback jcl

PS: So to connect Zorro to GlobalPrime i need to buy the MT4 plugin for 30 bugs!? Okay i saw it on the download page 30€ +19%. Even when trading demo?

No, only for earning real money. We've paid an external developer for that plugin and, although our own programming is free, we've decided to get that spent money back from the users.

However you only need the plugin for a live account. The MT4 plugin for demo accounts is free.

Thank you for the info. But it seems i'am a bit lazy. So i just want to use Zorro to connect to my GP demo account and do some trades. I still need the plugin!? Zorro says 'Zorro EA running?' I don't see the Zorro EA.... (grummel)
Ah. I see a ZorroMT4.zip and there is a Zorro.mq4 and a libraries folder. I guess i copy that to my GP MT4 and thats it. Puuuhhh. Sorry for bothering you jcl

Mmmh. Okay. It says 'Can't find MT4!' Some hint jcl?

The EA within MT4 is running with a smiling face. So where does it search for my MT4 instance?

No errors within the MT4 experts log: ('Zorro NCDCAD, H1: initialized')

I did as the manual suggested. Restarted Zorro but nothing. MY GP is installed directly under C:\ and not under %program files% . Could this be the prob?
Or does it not connect cause its weekend?

Installing MT4 in exotic places should not be a problem, although we have not tested it - our MT4 versions were always in the Programs folder. It can indeed not connect during weekend with some brokers, but this is also not the reason of your problem. You should then just get an "Offline" message.

So we have to check step by step what happens on your PC. By the way, when you help us to identify a definitive bug in the MT4 bridge, you'll get the real account version for free .

First, make sure that you followed the 4 points of the installation procedure, step by step. Please let me know the size and date of the ZorroMT4.dll both in the Zorro Plugin folder and the MT4 experts\libraries folder. Also, do you see the "Controlled by Zorro" message in the chart window?

Hiho,

okay i will do my best to help. ;-)

I've read the manual again and can confirm that i did set the options.
On the chart i see 'Controlled by Zorro' and the little smiling face in the right upper corner.

Size and date of the dll's:

experts/libraries: 24.05.2013 16:50:48 and 104kB
Zorro/PlugIn same date, time and size

OS: Win8Pro 64Bit 4GB

I will wait till the weekend for the broker is over. Then i will report back. (So 1:40h to go )
At the moment the server says: 'Weekend - 18:49:26 ...'
(I have also installed the Metatrader Ticker v2.1 from fx1.net)

When you say that installing MT4 in exotic places is no problem then i guess that the dll's communicate over a specific port!?
I disabled my Virusscanner but that didn't help. Same for the Firewall...

Starting MT4 instance with admin rights doesn't help ....

UPDATE 26.05 23:12: Metatrader - Active Trades is running and getting Ticks but Zorro still won't connect

No, experimenting with admin login will not solve the problem. On the contrary, Zorro won't connect to a Metatrader that belongs to a different user. Also, do not run a ticker or similar MT4 support program.

Next step. Close both Zorro and Metatrader. Now locate the temporary folder on your PC. It's normally Users\(your name)\Appdata\Local\Temp. But if your OS is from before 2006, it can be just C:\Temp. Start MT4 again and check this folder. A file "mt4mapd.sys" must appear in this folder as soon as the Zorro EA is running. Do you see that file?

Hi.

Okay. I opened %temp% and when starting MT4 i see the file

creation date is the current date and time.
size: 30.720 Bytes

EDIT: I see i have two files. mt4mapd.sys and mt4mapr.sys

Ok. Can it be that you didn't have the Demo account selected in Zorro? Or in MT4? Both account types must match for connection.

No. It says:

Account: MT 4 (Demo only) Demo

Which date/time has the "mt4mapr.sys" file?

OMG. Stop. Seems i typed in the wrong password all the time. So stupid. Will check again.

So sorry...

No. Mmmhh. Thougth it was running. It made a walkforward test and then finished.
When pressing the trade button again it says ... 'Can't find MT4!' again...

User and password field don't bother when using the MT4 plugin....
When i leave the User and password fields empty then i can't push the trade button.

mt4mapr.sys is always getting the date and time when MT4 was last started.
At the moment it says: 27.05.2013 12:18

The statement is only true whenn the file hasn't exist bevore. After a re-start of MT4 it shows the same date and time.

The problem seems to be caused by your MT4 account type. It looks as if you were using a MT4 real account, not a demo account.

Which file gets the date and time when MT4 was last started? mt4mapd.sys? mt4mapr.sys? Or both?

What i have done:

close Zorro and MT4.
deleted MT4* files in the %temp% folder
start MT4
=> now i have a mt4mapr.sys with the current date and time (i guess this is for real accounts?)

On that MT4 instance i have a demo and a real account!
i deleted the real account and deleted again the mt4mapr.sys file
restarting MT4 ...

Again it creates a mt4mapr.sys file with current date and time and Zorro shows the same error.
One minute later it creates also the mt4mapd.sys file ...
(getting tricky :-) )

Hmm, how can you have a real and a demo account open on the same MT4 instance? As far as I know MT4, you have to select one for logging in? In any case that's apparently the reason of the problem.

Please run the following EA:



Let me know which comment you see in the left upper corner of the chart.

Edit: Are you sure Zorro was not yet running when you looked for the files? Only MT4 and only one MT4 instance?

No. I don't have a real and demo account opened. I just have the two as accounts in MT4. Its just the Demo i looged in with.
Would be cool if it is a real account i would directly make a withdrawal about 8000€ :-)

Will test it in a moment. Give me 2 minutes...

LOL
It says real-account. This can't be. It's a demo i have never opened a real account with 8000€ on it. Puuuh. When i log in i set the Server to Activtrades-Demo.

Zorro and MT4 closed
start MT4
now i get only one file. The mt4mapr.sys. The Zorro EA does like it should. It thinks i have a real account. So the problem is the MT4 account. But why does it say it is a real account? Puuuhh.

So that's it. Its not your problem anymore

When i hover the mouse over my Account name within the navigator window in MT4 it really says 'Real 8101 EUR, 1:200'. I think i must totally reinstall MT4 and hope the problem will disappear.

It could be an MT4 implementation bug with that particular broker. If it does not disappear by reinstalling, contact the broker and inform him about the problem - send him the small EA. Any EA that uses the IsDemo function won't work on that MT4 implementation.

If the broker does not solve the problem soon, just tell him you want now to withdraw the $8000 from your real account .

You can still test the MT4 plugin - just open an MT4 demo account with any other broker. There are hundreds of brokers with MT4 accounts, and opening a demo account is a matter of a minute. You'd have to install a second MT4 version, though.

Problem solved!

When you create a real account you get also a demo account which never expires. And this demo account will be recognized as a real account within MT4. I just created a new demo account. Those will only stay active for 30 days but this is a 'real' demo account and Zorro now runs as it should!

I will contact AT and tell them what shi.... they have done.

I really appreciate your help in solving the problem!!!


PS: ... and i really hoped to find a bug within Zorro
Think others with ActivTrades accounts will suffer the same as i did ...

LOL.

Hi,

This is in regards with creating a connecting plugin for zorro with a below mentioned trading application.

I am a beginner programmer and would like the zorro pals to give some head start for me from where I can proceed.

Now, my problem is as follows:

1. link below is the trading application for which i want to create a plugin to connect it to zorro.


2. This is the file which I got from my broker. It specifies the API details for the said application.


3. Can anybody give me some head start in making zorro plugin.

thanks and regards
nss

'''''

I cannot see the links you mentioned, but the basic steps are setting up a DLL project and implementing the broker functions step by step. Start with BrokerOpen, which does not need yet the broker API. If it is implemented, you DLL will already show up in the Account scrollbox. Then implement the next functions, starting with BrokerTime and BrokerAsset.