TWSStart Homepage


FAQ

Questions about TWSStart

Questions about launching the Trader Workstation / IB Gateway

Questions about External Programs

Questions about TWSStart

How do I install TWSStart?

See Installation

How can I close TWSStart at a specific time?

Use the Windows scheduler to start TWSStart at the time you wish to close it with the following (command line) parameter without the quotes.

For TWSStart 2.3.x or higher and TWSStart 2.4.0 use:
"-CLOSEALLINSTANCES"

For TWSStart 2.4.1 or higher use
"-Q" or "/Q"

How do I know that a new version of TWSStart is released?

I am working on a function in TWSStart to check for updates. Until this is working, check on this web site if there is a new version. You can also download TWSStart and check yourself if this is a new version. Just have a lock at the CHANGES.TXT.
All donators are automatically informed by email about new versions.

In the Event log of Events_XXX.txt I found a lot of entries like "11:42:21 - Error: IP Helper API: Invalid local port". What does this mean?

The latest Trader Workstation version does not write the used local port into its log file so that TWSStart can not use the "ReadTcpTable" option. Just disable this option in "Configuration -> Monitor Settings -> Read TCP Table".

I can not download the latest browser based Trader Workstation!

To find out the version number of the Trader Workstation, TWSStart loads the JAR file of the Trader Workstation using the Java Virtual Machine (JVM). Unfortenately the JVM keeps the JAR file open even if its unloaded. So you must close and reload TWSStart, than download directly the lastest browser based TWS.

Which command line parameters exists for TWSStart?

Command line parameters for TWSStart:

-CloseAllInstances (Version 2.3.x or 2.4.0 only)
Close Trader Workstation started or handled by this TWSStart instance


-A or /A (Version 2.4.1 or higher)
Trader Workstation / IB Gateway is started automatically


-C or /C (Version 2.4.1 or higher)
Close Trader Workstation / IB Gateway started by this TWSStart instance

NOTE:
ALL running Trader Workstation / IB Gateway instances will be closed except commandline parameter -I is defined.
See command line parameter -I for more info.


-Q or /Q (Version 2.4.1 or higher)
Close TWSStart

NOTE:
ALL running TWSStart instances will be closed except commandline parameter -I is defined.
See command line parameter -I for more info.


-I<Index> or /I<Index> (Version 2.4.1 or higher)
Index of the TWSStart instance. Use this parameter in case you want to start severval TWSStart instances.
For example, one instance starts the real account and one the paper trading account.
Index must be a number between 1 and 99.


-S or /S (Version 2.5.0 or higher)
Loads another TWSStart configuration file ("TWSSTART.INI") than the one in the TWSStart folder.

Example with full filename:
TWSSTART.EXE /S"C:\Jts\TWSStart\1\TWSStart.ini"

Example with pathname only:
TWSSTART.EXE /S"C:\Jts\TWSStart\1"

Note:
All other configuration files ("TWSSTART.DAT", "TWSSTART.EPS") and the TWSStart log files are using the same directory as the "TWSSTART.INI" file.

I am using Windows Server and TWSStart does not start.

To make TWSStart run properly under Windows Server, I have to use other compiler settings.

For latest TWSStart 2.4 exists a special version for Windows Server in the download section.
TWSStart 2.5 or later should work with Windows Server. Contact me if this is not the case.

TWSStart crashes with a "StackHash" error when I try to start it.

If you got a "StackHash" error, try the solution below which I found on the Internet.

    1. Open your Start menu and click Control Panel
    2. Browse to System Maintenance then System
    3. In the left panel, select Advanced System Settings from the available links
    4. You should now see the System Properties Window, which will have three sections. The top section is labeled Performance and has a Settings button. Click this button.
    5. Select the Data Execution Prevention tab.
    6. Select the option which reads Turn on DEP for all programs and services except those I select
    7. Use the Browse button to locate the executable file for the application you were trying to start when you received the StackHash error, and click Open to add it to your exceptions list.
    8. Click Apply or OK to commit your changes.

I got the error message that the file "MSVCR100.DLL" is missing.

Seems like you have installed Java 7. Please make sure that the path to the Java binaries is included in the Windows environment variable PATH or use TWSStart 2.5 Build 1002 or higher.

Where can I download the source code for TWSStart 2.5?

As I did for latest TWSStart 1.x, I plan to release the source code for TWSStart 2.5 but before I have to replace commercial toolboxes used in TWSStart 2.5 with Open Source toolboxes. Some of them are already replaced with the JEDI Code Library and the JEDI Visual Component Library. The Delphi source code will be published on this site and/or sourceforge.

Note that none of the encryption routines (ex. for the username and password) will be published to protect TWSStart users.

Is there a 64-bit version of TWSStart available?

No, I don't have a Delphi 64-Bit compiler and I have no intention to buy Delphi XE4 (the 64-Bit version).

How can I use an optimized version of Trader Workstation / IB Gateway with TWSStart?

I you optimized the file "jts.jar" with Excelsior JET, contact me for the latest beta of TWSStart.

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Questions about launching the Trader Workstation / IB Gateway

After starting the Trader Workstation with TWSStart I got the following error message from the Trader Workstation: "Fatal Error: one of the following jar.files is missing from the class path:..."

As the message says, one or more jar files are missing from the class path. In most cases you are using an older version of TWSStart or the classpath for the Trader Workstation defined in TWSStart in not correct. In TWSStart, go to "Configuration -> Java Settings-> Classpath for Trader Workstation" and press the button next to this field and add the missing jar file names or install the latest version of TWSStart and leave this field empty (recommanded).

I use a belgium keyboard and my username is not displayed correctly in the TWS login window.

Use TWSStart 2.3.9 or higher and set the "Data Handling Method" to "NDH: Alternate 1". If this does not work, try "SDH: Alternate 1".

My username and password are always displayed scrambled in the TWS login window.

Re-enter your username and password and try again. Your data may encrypted by an old algorithm.

How to use the "Security Code Card" or "Security Code By Token" authentication with TWSSart?

See Authentication by "Security Code Card" or "Security Code By Token"

I am using a virtual server (VPS) and my username and/or password are scrambled in the TWS login window.

Before sending the username/password to the "Login" dialog window TWSStart checks the state of the CapsLock key. This may cause problems when using virtual servers. You can use the option IgnoreCapsLockState to disable this check.
The Option must be set manually in TWSSTART.INI or using the build in INI Inspector.

TWSStart does not detect a successful login.

It happens that TWSStart could not detect a successful login (mostly when using virtual servers). Enable the option IgnoreAuthentication to ignore the login timeout error. TWSStart will continue with a "logged in" state. A "SDH Data Handling Method" should be used when this option is enabled.
The option must be set manually in TWSSTART.INI or using the build in INI Inspector.

Note that activating this option means, that TWSStart can not detect login problems anymore (wrong username or password entered, etc.)!

Login fails with IB Gateway.

TWSStart assumes, that after starting the IB Gateway, the field "User name" in the Login dialog is the active field. If this is not the case, the login will fail. To make this field the active field, enter the number of "Tabs" required to send to the Login dialog using the option TabsBeforeSendDataIBGW.
The option must be set manually in TWSSTART.INI or using the build in INI Inspector.


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Questions about External Programs

I got an error "Unexplained zero bytes read" in Dynaorder Host (or other TWS API Clients) since I enabled the "Monitor Data Connection" in TWSStart.

Verify that you use a unique Client Id in TWSStart. The Client Id is a number to identify the client connection. Each client MUST connect with a unique Client Id.

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Visitors since January 20, 2007