Interactive Broker Starter API?

[brainycat 10]

I currently trade manullay via interactive brokers and am interested in automating some of my trading strategies. They are nothing fancy, just using stchastics on multiple time frames, so i figure they could be easily programmed. What I am looking for is a barebones system (no charting needed) that can connect to TWS. I have a little programming experience with vb.net so would be looking to use that language.

 

In a nutshell this is what I want to do:

 

1) bring in historical and realtime data

2) manipulate it into bars of various time frames

3) apply my strategy and screen for buy/sell signals

4) check portfolio to see if a position is open or not

5) check account to see if available funds exist

6) submit the order market or limit

 

Can anyone point me in the right direction? If some decent commercially available APIs exist I would be interesting in learning about those as well.

 

Thanks in advance.

[stanlyd 10]

Here is a link you might want to check out if your using IB. Click on the tab for API and you can get and introduction to how to user it. If your not a programmer go with the dde to excel video.

http://www.interactivebrokers.com/en/general/education/priorWebinars.php?ib_entity=llc

[brainycat 10]

Thanks, I'll look into it.

[Tams 20]

check out this yahoo group.

 

http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/TWSAPI/

[tradelink 10]

you can also checkout the free projects :

 

TWSLink (google it)

http://tradelink.googlecode.com

 

2nd is open source and provides example of working with bars, etc. also strategies can be ported to other brokers.

 

first is free but they ask you to pay if you are using it professionally.

[Guest lclark]

Another option is Multicharts. You can autotrade Interactive Brokers from Multicharts. They use Easylanguage. Download the client side IB API Demo and you can connect it to Multicharts to back test and forward test (sim trade) on simulated data. I have used this setup in the past and it works well.

[uexkuell 10]

... They are nothing fancy, just using stchastics on multiple time frames ...

 

In a nutshell this is what I want to do:

 

1) bring in historical and realtime data

2) manipulate it into bars of various time frames

3) apply my strategy and screen for buy/sell signals

4) check portfolio to see if a position is open or not

5) check account to see if available funds exist

6) submit the order market or limit

 

 

I have done quite some programming with the IB API.

 

My rough estimation about your goals (in lines of code) would be:

1) historical data: >1500 (!!) - if done correctly

realtime 200

2) 200

3) ??? depends on the strategy

4) 50

5) 50

6) market: 50

limit: depends on how to compute it - perhaps >200

 

In my view this is a major project and many unexpected problems will arise from the API.

Any program that gives some support would save lots of time.

 

Therefore Tradestation or Multicharts would certainly be a good framework especially because they can handle the historical backfill thing.

[tradelink 10]

tradelink will also handle the backfill "thing", and allow you to use the same strategy in backtesting as in live trading...

 

it's free and open source, and it supports multiple brokers including IB.

[HAL9000 10]

In my view this is a major project and many unexpected problems will arise from the API.

 

I agree, been there, done it (and still do it).

Well sometimes I wonder, if it was worth it,

but anyway; I still like it somehow.

[bigdavediode 10]

tradelink will also handle the backfill "thing", and allow you to use the same strategy in backtesting as in live trading...

 

it's free and open source, and it supports multiple brokers including IB.

 

I'd be interested in examining it if it could support TOS. Any plans in this regard?

[StrangeTastingFishSticks 10]

Will IB let you run two applications off it? I use amibroker for charting and XLQ to load data into Excel for analysis. Would IB be able to handle both RT?

[tradelink 10]

bigdavie....

 

the last time I looked at think or swim, they didn't have an API as part of their standard products....

 

it looked like they had some stuff in the works, but it was mostly FIX related for institutions and had seperate charges....

 

am I missing something?

 

-josh

[sevensa 10]

Will IB let you run two applications off it? I use amibroker for charting and XLQ to load data into Excel for analysis. Would IB be able to handle both RT?

 

Yes, it can. I have Multicharts and NinjaTrader connected to it at the same time. I have recently started to experiment with Amibroker for realtime charting and had no issue having it connected as well.

[BlowFish 10]

Actually Ami might be an inexpensive possibility for the OP's original requirement.

[StrangeTastingFishSticks 10]

Actually Ami might be an inexpensive possibility for the OP's original requirement.

 

I am finding it to be a pretty robust platform. It is very quick and can process a lot of data that would slow other charting platforms to a crawl. I like it. Great support, too, and cheap.

[bigdavediode 10]

bigdavie....

 

the last time I looked at think or swim, they didn't have an API as part of their standard products....

 

it looked like they had some stuff in the works, but it was mostly FIX related for institutions and had seperate charges....

 

am I missing something?

 

-josh

 

They have straight DDE, from what I understand. Simplistic, but works.

[brainycat 10]

I appreciate all the responses and the good info. I have been looking at existing platforms like multicharts and ninja trader and will likely use those as a fall back. I think I will try and modify the sample code (either activeX or the excelDDE) from IB to see if I can make that work. I figure even if I can't the journey will have its own rewards.