How To

 

License:

ZLT Install:

TWS:

ZLT Usage:

 

How to report problem?

Visit our bug tracking (BT) system at www.zerolinetrader.com/bt and report the issue with following information:

1. The description of the problem and detail steps to duplicate the problem if the problem can be duplicated. 

Following information will be very helpful: 

2. The log file. The log file can be found in {ZLT Install Directory}\user\log, e.g., C:\ZLT\user\log.  The log file name is zlt.log.

Sometime, the ZLT development may request the zipped 'user' folder. Please follow these steps:

  1. Install a zip utility if there isn't one on your system yet. There are free zip utilities, as listed in the Trading Utilities forum.
  2. Browse to the 'user' folder which is at {ZLT Install Directory}\user, by default, C:\ZLT\user.
  3. Right click on the user and zip the folder to user.zip file with your zip utility. The following screen shot shows how to do it with the 7-Zip utility:


     
  4. The user folder is zipped into a file called user.zip as shown:


     
  5. Email the user.zip file as an email attachment  to the ZLT support.

 

How to connect to IB's TWS ?

1. Start IB's TWS. (If you do not have an account with IB, you can still run the TWS software and then login in as demo user.)

2. Make sure the Enable ActiveX and Socket Clients is checked as shown in the figure.

3. Start ZeroLine Trader or ZeroLine SimTrader.

4. Find the TWS's connection dialog and click Yes.

 

How to login to IB's Demo TWS?

For Demo Individual Account:
User Name:edemo
Password:demouser

For Demo Financial Advisor Account:
User Name:fdemo
Password:demouser


Just run TWS as usual and login with above user name and password.

The quote in demo account is delayed and no historical data there either.
 

 

How to add a new instrument instantly in the ZLT main window?

  1. Make sure the Instrument/Order Reason column is shown in the main window.
  2. Double click the Instrument cell in an empty row.
  3. Type the string IBM-STK-SMART-USD in the cell and hit the Enter key.
  4. Now you can trade the IBM-STK-SMART-USD.

The syntax of the instrument string is Symbol-SecType-Exchange-Currency.

Note: For stocks, you can just type the symbol, for example, just IBM.

 

How to add a new instrument (i.e., stock,  futures contract, currency contract or options contract) ?

If the instrument you want to trade is not listed in the main window, check if it is listed in the Data Server. If not, follow the steps to add it:

  1. Select Configure -> Components ... from the menu bar of the ZLT main window.
  2. In Components dialog, select the instrument type, for example Futures, in the left panel.
  3. Right click on the instrument table on the right panel, for example the Futures table,  and select New.

  1. Notice a new instrument is created with default values

  1. Define the instrument parameters in the Details tab.
  2. Define the sessions in the Sessions tab. You can right click on the sessions table and select Load default sessions.

 

Following is the step to add an instrument into the ZLT main window.

  1. Now go back to the main window. Right click on an empty row and select Select Instrument.

 

Note: Multiple data rows can be inserted for one instrument and each data row can have different trading strategy.

 

How to find instrument attributes, such as Price Scale, Multiplier (Point Value) and Price Tick Size?

Following are the detailed steps on how to find those attributes for Gold futures (GC on NYMEX).

  1. Add the GC instrument into TWS.
  2. In TWS, right click on the GC row. Select Contract Info and then Details.

  1. The contract details information will be listed in a web page:

  1. Here is how GC is defined in ZLT:

 

 

How to create a new layout?

  1. Open the page whose layout will be the basis for the new layout.
  2. Select Page->Save Layout As  and enter the new layout name.
  3. Click the "Save Layout As" button. A new layout file with the given name will be created under the directory {APP_HOME}\user\layouts\.

 

How to rollover an instrument?

For futures or commodity instruments,

  1. In the main window's menu bar, select Configure->Components ... to open the Components window.
    Select one or multiple instruments and the select Set Expiry...:

  1. The Set Expiry dialog pops up. Type in the new expiry, for example, 200706.

  1. Note the expiry fields of the selected instruments are set to the new expiry:

Note: If there are data lines in the main window that are based on this instrument, those data lines will be automatically updated to reflex the new expiry.

How to import/export instrument(s)?

  1. In the main window's menu bar, select Configure->Components ... to open the Components window.
  2. Right click on the Instruments node in the Components tree, select Import or Export menu item to import or export all the instruments in ZLT.

If Export menu item is selected, the Export Instruments dialog pops up. Select an XML file where the instruments will be exported to. ZLT will overwrite the existing file. To export to a new file, just type the new file name in the File Name field.

 

If the Import menu item is selected, the Import Instruments dialog pops up. Select an XML file that is generated by ZLT exporting instruments.

Instead of exporting all the instruments, the user can also export only the selected instruments. In the Instruments table, right click on the selected instruments and then select Export.

 

 

How to trade in sim mode?

ZLT offers the capability to trade live and sim at the same time. There is no need to switching modes. To trade in Sim mode, just select an Allocation Profile that allocates the orders to a sim account. See doc here for details on allocation profile.

How to modify an order?

There are five ways to modify an order:

  1. Move the mouse over the lmt price cell, the aux price cell or the quantity cell and scroll the mouse wheel.
  2. Move the mouse over the "T" (Transmit) cell and scroll the mouse wheel. This is the way to modify the price and transmit the order without moving the mouse around.
  3. Use Shortcuts. For example, press F1 to decrease the lmt price and F2 to increase the lmt price.
  4. Double click the price/size cell and then scroll the mouse wheel.
  5. Double click the price/size cell and type in the new value.

 

How to export executions to csv file?

Please refer to execution export documentation.

 

How to set position to zero in a data line?

In certain cases, you may want to set the position to zero in a data line so the program will stop tracking it. 

Just move the cursor over the position cell and scroll the mouse wheel to bring the number to zero. Or you can double click the position cell and edit the number by keyboard.
 

How to find the HardwareID.txt file?

1. Download and install the latest ZLT.

2. Run ZLT at least once.

3. The hardware ID file is at {INSTALL DIRECTORY}\HardwareID({COMPUTER_NAME}).txt, for example,

How to install the license file?

If you received .license file, just save the file in the ZLT license folder. By default, the license folder is at

C:\ZLT_x64\license or C:\ZLT_win32\license on Windows,

/Users/<your_user_name>/ZLT-V3.73/license on Mac

/home/<your_user_name>/ZLT-V3.73/license on Ubuntu.

 

How to open and save the license file if it is disabled in the Outlook Express?nse file if it is disabled in the Outlook Express?

If you cannot open the license file attachment and you are using Outlook Express, please follow the directions below.

1. In Outlook Express, on the Tools menu, click Options.

2. Click the Security tab.

3. Under Virus Protection, clear the Do not allow attachments to be saved or opened that could potentially be a virus check box.

4. Click OK to save your changes.

After you have opened and saved the license file, you must reset this security option.

 

How to do a clean install?

On Mac or Unix, just delete the ZLT folder, then download and unzip the latest ZLT build.

On Windows,

  1. Uninstall the existing ZLT through the Add/Remove Programs in Control Panel.
  2. Delete the ZLT folder, such as, C:\ZLT_x64 or C:\ZLT_win32.
  3. Download the latest installer.
  4. Run the installer.

How to install and run ZLT on Mac OS X?

ZLT is tested on Mac OS X V10.8.3.

  1. Download the ZLT-<version>-mac.zip file at www.zerolinetrader.com/download.
  2. Save the .zip file, for example, at your user folder, /Users/<your_user_name>/.
  3. Double click on the .zip to unzip and the ZLT application package will be created, for example, /Users/<your_name_name>/ZLT-V3.88.app.
  4. Right click on /Users/<your_name_name>/ZLT-V3.88.app and select Open to launch ZLT. Click Open button in the "unidentified developer" dialog. The "unidentified developer" dialog pops up when an application which is not from Apple's App Store is opened the first time. After the first time, double-click will open the application.
  5. You can also drag and drop the file ZLT-3.88.app to the dock.

To install license file,

  1. Right click on ZLT-V3.88.app and select Show Package Contents.  
  2. Navigate to folder /Users/<your_name_name>/ZLT-V3.88.app/Contents/java/license
  3. Place your ZLT license file under this license folder.

Similarly, you can find the hardware id file under folder /Users/<your_name_name>/ZLT-V3.88.app/Contents/java and ZLT log file under folder /Users/<your_name_name>/ZLT-V3.88.app/Contents/java/user/log.

How to install and run ZLT on Ubuntu?

ZLT is tested on Ubuntu 10.10 64-bit version with Java 6 Update 24.

  1. Download the Ubuntu archive file at www.zerolinetrader.com/download
  2. Un-archive the file to your user folder. For example /user/<your_user_name>/ZLT-V3.73.
  3. Go to the bin folder, for example, /user/<your_user_name>/ZLT-V3.73/bin
  4. Right click on the file ZLT.sh and select Properties. In the Properties window, check the checkbox Allow executing file as program.

    5. ZLT.sh Properties Window
  5.  Double click on the ZLT.sh.

 

How to install and run 64-bit ZLT on Microsoft Windows?

Before downloading and installing 64-bit ZLT build, please check following three items:

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