Agora

I appreciate your reply and the link. I'll certainly look into it. I can see where the "tinkerers" would really shine in this hobby, although as you say it may no longer be as "magical" since all you need is the internet if you wanted to contact someone. But I do see your point that it's still that community of folks with similar interests where life long friedships would develop. Thanks again.

HI, You guys piqued my interest. Question, with the internet and all it's chats and such, is ham still very popular? Or is it declining in popularity? Or is that a silly question because it's altogether different? I used to have some interest in it decades ago but other than reading about it never got started. I may look into it again. Thanks

As far as languages go, to a degree, programming any of the popular charting software/data service are adapted to serve traders and trading so it's relatively straight forward and easy. Esignal uses JavaScripts, Tradestation uses their proprietary EasyLanguage, Sierra I believe uses C++ and Ninja uses C++ or C# or something along those lines. There are also WebLabs(?), Metatrader etc. Now, let me qualify that I'm not a programmer, I'm all home grown and am a trader first so I can't address the specifics of why one language is more advantageous over another however a compiled language like the one used by Ninja or Sierra would seem to be more efficient, at least logically. Also the language is more ubiquitous so your knowledge is more easily transferable should you decide to integrate with something standalone that'll work with the charting package. For me, I'm very sensitive to efficiency since I'm a day-trader and speed is often critical especially when the market is moving fast. Of course the programmer has to code for efficiency in any language but natively, and a more knowledgeable person of the field can better answer this, but natively compiled language ought to be faster than an interpreted one. Ninja seems to be fast becoming platform of choice. It is robust and yet easy enough to be picked up for most everyday trader oriented stuff. I started with ELS when Tradestation was a just charting platform (2000i) and moved on to Esignal JavaScripts. I recently dabbled with Ninja and I felt it was relatively straight forward; as one trader on their forum said, it's a steeper learning curve but if you can learn to program in Ninja you can probably program it do anything, even make breakfast. Also automation is fast becoming a necessary part of any trading platform/chart ware - just due to popularity, if nothing else, so most of them have ways to integrate their chart ware to auto execute trades through various brokers or at least have facilities to do so. Again, it is done with traders in mind so it's just an extension of their language. Anyway, one trader's limited experience of the more popular programming languages FWIW. Good Luck!

Pexis, Thanks, I'd like to take a look. Agora

Blu-ray, Wow, thanks and so fast! Great customer service! A

Is there anyway that this can be converted to ELS (2000i) version? Or I can get the code so that I can do it myself? Thanks

samde, So is your excel sheet updating in realtime? Or is it manually inputed? Agora

boba, Thanks for a great explanation. I'll have to see if I can somehow link esignal with their DDE. Agora

bobajob, How did you link it to a web site? Or is the website already configured to do this? Agora

ryker, Also, I guess if you're doing a csv file, that might even be better since that'll hold the historical data. I would probably need to see several days of MP in order to determine the plan of attack and having excel recalculate the whole thing would be inefficient. It just need to do that once and then add new data as it comes in during the trading day. Agora

ryker, Thanks. I probably just need to follow 2-3. ES, SP-full, mini-dow. But even one of those would be helpful like the mini-SP. How do you tell excel that something new came into a cell and it needs to do something with it? That's probably where I need to begin. Thanks for your generosity in sharing your knowledge. Agora

ryker, Great stuff. How would I go about hooking up your sheet to esignal through a DDE link? Agora

boba, Thanks for answering so quickly. I follow what you're saying but I saw a toolbar for DDE on the sheet so I thought you had a link. I want to automate the process so I can trade off of it. It looks like MP is one of the best tools out there for day-trading. I just started to look into it. Things tend to go back to the mean. Just like prices tend to revert to a moving average when it gets too far adrift. Agora

ryker, bobajob, KUDOS to both of you for doing such a great job... but more importantly being so generous in sharing it. What I'd like to do is link your sheets to DDE link for esignal, so that I can have it dynamically updating during the trading day. How would I go about doing this? I'm proficient with excel but not as versed in intricacies of programming it. Can either you point me in the right direction or walk me through it? Thanks in advace! Again, thank you in your generosity. Agora.

Graifer's book is more about chart reading than "tape reading." Although I'm not sure what everyone's definition of "tape reading" is. I've trained myself to read the bid/offers, pace of print, spreads, size of prints on the NYSE issues but they're changing as of this month to a hybrid market so things will change. Here are several books that have pretty comprehensive explanations of "behind the scenes" strategies of market makers on Nasdaq stocks: Jae Yu, "Electronic trading" (best one, I think) Etzkorn, "What works in online trading" BTW, tape reading is tape reading, is tape reading. Meaning in a broader sense the vehicle doesn't matter. I recently compared notes with an E-mini trader that reads tape and his approach and thoughts were very similar to what I do on the NYSE. Although the finer points, such as execution, actual physical possibilities and differences dictates what is and is not profitable in one environment vs another - I imagine. One word of advice, tape reading, I think, is better suited for "scalp" type trading, as it gets you too myopic at times. You get so involved in figuring out the subtle nuances of each action that you often lose the bigger picture and end up over trading - unless scalping is your strategy. Although sometimes you can figure out that there is a large buyer/seller behind the scenes and ride his coat tails for several points. But than again, you don't need tape for that, just look at the charts. As for quitting, that depends on how much you want to do this. There are many that have taken years to become profitable and finding an approach that speaks to them. Meaning, something that they can feel comfotable doing. There are different time frames, different approaches and different vehicles, any one of which maybe suitable or not for an individual. The hardest part is matching your inner personality to something that allows you to feel comfortable doing. It does not take any special talent nor skill or brains, it's whether you can find a niche that you intimately understand. Good Luck!