Advice on platform choice

Discussion in 'Trading Software' started by aczk, Oct 23, 2011.

  1. aczk

    aczk

    Hi All

    Looking for some feedback/relevant experiences on starting systematic trading. I have a quantitative background and I am looking to start trading full-time in a systematic and automated manner. Three questions that I need help on before starting for real.

    1
    What platform do you recommend given that I have no programming experience. Platforms like Tradestation/Multicharts seem exceptionally easy to master, but how flexible is the language, for example can one create own indicators/statistics based on quatitative/econometric models? (Muilticharts feedback is that one can build such with C externally as a dll !?).
    Just want something that does not limit the user to technical analysis and where one can apply statistics/maths easily and flexibly.

    2
    Seems that there is no real alternative to learning programming. Which language do you guys recommend, I am thinking C.Sharp which would run with Ninjatrader (which seems good?) and also seems to work with other relatively professional platforms.

    3
    Is the data provided by Interactive brokers sufficient for backtesting short term strategies, saw a lot of limitations mention all over the place??

    Thanks & appreciate any qualified feedback!!!!
    Al
     
  2. IMO, use Amibroker www.amibroker.com it's the most flexible and the fastest one I know of and it's very reliable not like that buggy slow sh+t called ninjatrader. Also it provides a free API http://www.amibroker.com/devlog/200...ent-kit-adk-for-cc-now-available-to-everyone/ update, http://www.amibroker.com/devlog/2010/04/20/new-amibroker-development-kit-2-10-released/ . And if you wanna program in C# then you can do that too. See here http://www.dotnetforab.com/

    The built-in language of Amibroker called AFL already is very flexible and efficiently. And codes written in AFL are one of the shortest.

    For back-testing I wouldn't use IB data.
     
  3. VB6 is / was the easiest language to learn and be productive in that I ever saw.

    kztd
     
  4. aczk

    aczk

    Is it possible to program one's own function like in VB in easylanguage.
     
  5. That's true, easylanguage is easier than VB if you can live within their ecosystem.
     
  6. anandk

    anandk

    if you dont have a programming knowledge then you can go with Tradestation .........i have been used since last 6 years .. its more flexible..
     
  7. You still need to know how to program to use EL. It is a fallacy that people with no programming experience can use EL. If you don't know what's a loop, a function, an index, order of instructions, etc. you cannot program anything in EL. The thing EL gives to programmers is the high level functions related to orders, various data functions, indicators, etc.

    I think if someone is to go down this path, better start with a tool like Amibroker. The cost-benefit is the lowest possible ratio. If you cannot program in Amibroker a simple system then you should not be doing that at all.
     
  8. hello!
    i have been using das trader for a while now, and i love the interface. it's pretty simple, but very powerful, with a multitude of features. also, there's usually someone on the support team who can tell you about new features that are helpful. recently, i wanted to get my strategy automated. a friend recommended these guys, called traders wired, who did the programming for me. check them out, they can most likely do what you're looking for.