Compiling and Building
Compiler Settings¶
You can use two types of compilers when compiling/building cTrader algos:
- The embedded compiler
- The .NET SDK compiler
By default, cTrader uses the embedded compiler but we recommend you change it to the .NET SDK compiler if you have one installed on your local machine.
Changing Compilers¶
To change to a different compiler, click on the 'cog' icon in the bottom-left corner of the UI to open the settings window. From here, switch to the 'Algo' tab.
Open the 'Select compiler' dropdown and choose a suitable compiler among the available options.
The Embedded Compiler¶
The embedded compiler is built-in into the cTrader desktop platform. In comparison to the .NET SDK compiler, it has limited features. For instance, the embedded compiler does not support any third-party .NET packages and frameworks such as WinForms and WPF.
The .NET SDK Compiler¶
The usage of the .NET SDK compiler is strongly recommended for large projects or extensions that use third-party .NET libraries. The .NET SDK compiler also supports additional features such as build parameters.
The 'Select Compiler' menu enables choosing any .NET SDK compiler you have installed on your local machine. If no versions of the .NET SDK are installed, you can always click on the 'Install .NET SDK' button to be taken to the download page for the latest stable release.
Parameters¶
cTrader offers customisable parameters that you can specify to when using .NET CLI when building your cBots/indicators in external IDEs. They are defined below.
| Name | Default Value | Description |
|---|---|---|
| AlgoName | $(MSBuildProjectName) | Specifies the .algo file name.This property does not affect the AssemblyName. |
| AlgoBuild | True | Enables building .algo files. |
| AlgoPublish | True | Enables copying .algo files to the MyDocuments directory of the current user after a successful build. |
| IncludeSource | False | Includes the source directory to the target .algo file. |
| IncludeSymbols | False (Release)True (Debug) | Includes the debug symbols to the target .algo file. |
Handling an Additional Error
If you reference the cTrader.Automate Nuget package in your class library project that does not contain any cTrader algo classes in it (e.g., Robot for a cBot), you will encounter the "Assembly must contain algo type" error when you try to build the project. This error arises since the AlgoBuild parameter equals True by default.
To fix the issue, simply set AlgoBuild to False in your .NET project file as seen in the below example.
<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">
<PropertyGroup>
<TargetFramework>net7.0</TargetFramework>
<ImplicitUsings>enable</ImplicitUsings>
<Nullable>enable</Nullable>
<AlgoBuild>false</AlgoBuild>
</PropertyGroup>
<ItemGroup>
<PackageReference Include="cTrader.Automate" Version="1.*-*" />
</ItemGroup>
</Project>