Settings Files

Express Generator uses settings files in ini format.

You can run ExGen with:

• default settings files only
• one custom settings file
• several custom settings files layered in order
• CLI overrides on top of settings files

Each script has a default settings file in ./bin:

• Fetcher: ./bin/fetch.settings.ini
• Generator: ./bin/gen.settings.ini
• Multi-Market: ./bin/mm.settings.ini

If you do not pass –settings, the script uses only its default file.

An INI file is plain text with key = value lines.

• Lines starting with ; are comments.
• Use one setting per line.
• For multi-value options, separate values with spaces.
• The order of parameters inside one INI file is not important.

Example gen.ini:

; Market
symbol = EURUSD
period = H1

; Minimal Profit Factor
min_profit_factor = 1.4

Example with multiple values:

symbols = EURUSD GBPUSD USDJPY
periods = M15 M30 H1

You can provide one user file with –settings.

node ./bin/gen.js --settings my-gen.ini

This loads:

• default gen.settings.ini
• then my-gen.ini (overrides defaults where keys overlap)

You can pass several files after –settings.

node ./bin/gen.js --settings gen.ini EURUSD.ini

This is useful when you keep:

• one common base file (for example gen.ini)
• one market-specific file (for example EURUSD.ini)

File names are for your convenience. The important part is the order.

Settings are merged in this order (lowest to highest priority):

• default script settings file
• first custom settings file from –settings
• second custom settings file from –settings
• next custom settings files (left to right)
• CLI options (highest priority)

When there are several custom files, each next file overrides keys from the previous one. CLI options always win.

Important order rules:

• The order of CLI options in the command is not important.
• The order of parameters inside each INI file is not important.
• The order of files passed to –settings is important.

Command:

node ./bin/gen.js --symbol EURUSD --settings gen.ini EURUSD.ini --period M30

How values are resolved:

• gen.settings.ini provides defaults
• gen.ini overrides some defaults
• EURUSD.ini overrides gen.ini
• –symbol EURUSD and –period M30 override everything above

• Keep reusable defaults in one base file and strategy or symbol specifics in separate files.
• You can omit .ini extension in –settings values; it is added automatically when missing.
• Use –settings for stable presets and CLI options for run-specific changes.

• Quick Start
• Fetcher (fetch.js)
• Generator (gen.js)
• Multi-Market (mm.js)