if you want to do back tests, trade automation, etc., have you looked into Tradestation and its Easylanguage? The language is designed for trading. Also check out Wealth-Lab, Metastock, etc., There are lots of programs for traders without a programming background.
I think Visual Basic is a fine choice of computer language to learn. Visual Basic is widely used and it is related to lots of other languages. I believe writing simulation programs improves my trading performance.
I am searching the forums and google for more VB trading tutorials. I came across excel related websites with a ton of informations for VB in general. There is alot of freakin tutorials. I got my work cut out for me to master them all. I am also looking into IB in regards to VB as well as Wealth Lab. I checked out tradestation's easy language already and I will probably skip it, but I am keeping my options open. Thanks everyone.
i would learn python over VB. it works on all platforms. there is a lot on information out there. there are many prebuilt libraries you can use. also, VB might seem easy in the beginning but its capabiliy ceiling is low.
If you want something of value . . do not waste your time learning a script language. There are all kinds of options though when it comes to languagues. A guy I used to work for wrote everything in BASIC and he was my boss. He had been coding in BASIC since he was a kid and never learned anything else. How did this limit him? He couldn't programs that talked to other programs, but BASIC was faster for him than going back and learning new syntax. I think that VBA is sufficient to design tests for strategies. I've seen some pretty involved worksheets using VBA. The only real limitation is that you have to run Excel, it doesn't allow for stand-alone applications and there are more limitations when you get to TCP/IP messaging. I started out in Java which essentially teaches you C++ also. THese give you more capability when it comes to storing data, running multiple tests even over multiple data sets. It's also very easy to point and click on files that you want to test. I have a link yo VBA here: http://www.anthony-vba.kefra.com/index_011.htm If you want C++ I have one of those too.
Guys, the poster just needs some language to backtest, and he wants to do Visual Basic because it's often asked. Any language is good when it's used in the right way. If he wants to use Visual Basic for some tests let him use Visual Basic. I can't believe I said that
LOL yeah but for most entry strategies you need something more complex than VBA. VBA is great for computing an indicator based on different inputs, probably better than C, because you can easily create a sheet and repeatedly enter different inputs. But when you want to test buy and hold strategies you need something that allows you to manipulate data.
Do you want to trade or develop software? If trading is the goal do not waist your time. Do not think for a second that you would be able to develop automated system that will be able to compete with institutional resources.
If you're talking about Wealthlab or Amibroker that's not necessarily true . . . Someone you know how to program finds it easier to use their own system than being limited by a packaged system. If you're talking about competing against banks that have program trading, that's really not an issue.