Developing Python/R/Matlab strategies vs. trading platforms

I'm watching a great (for me) video:



In it, he says that you have three hurdles:
getting the data, programming strategies for it, and executing it.

You can develop your own strategies in Python, R, or Matlab, but the trading platforms (Metatrader, Ninja, Trade Station, ThinkorSwim) do not support these languages. You have to use the platform's language (e.g., c# for Ninja) or if you want to use, say, Python, you have to develop your own platform, including the data cleaning, and your own execution programs. On the other hand, in a platform, data/strategy development/execution are all there together.

If I decide to go with Python, are there existing toolboxes for getting data (from where? a broker?) and executing with a broker? That is, are there the parts of a platform for Python programmers?

Thanks!
Jim

 

Interactive Brokers provides a Python API for getting data and trading with them. But you don't specify what kind of data you are looking for, or what kind of instruments you want to trade. So I don't know whether IB would be a suitable broker for you.

 

There are many ways. From my experience it's best to start out using the most powerful tools and learn alot from what is already out there. But when getting serious do it all yourself. Don't rely on too many 3rd parties, and just do what is required. Refactoring is better than perfected code structure.

 

Python's not a problem.In China market, Pobo Financial provides Python trading platform which supports all major derivatives markets.

There's also many open source projects that support python trading.

 

Thanks HobbyTrading, that's great news. I wonder why he does not discuss IB among the platforms.

I thought I wanted to trade equities but now I don't want to limit myself. Is IB generally better for one domain or another?

Thanks.

 

Simples could you name some such good tools? And what refactoring means?

 

Excel, Ninjatrader, and other well-known tools.

Refactoring means restructuring code/formulas in order to improve what you have iteratively (step by step), instead of designing the perfect system from the starting line (waterfall-process). In other words, learn as you go, and don't be afraid to try other tools or rework what you've got so far.

 

Thanks. Pobo sounds good, but are the support websites and forums etc in English? I'd be afraid of the language barrier in learning.

Can you name some of those open source projects? That was what my post was about, finding them.

Thanks, Jim

 

Excellent, thanks.

 

With "he" you refer to the person in the video you posted? I did not watch that video. IB released their Python API only a couple of months ago.
IB would be suitable for trading equities in quite a number of markets. Trading futures and options is also possible. On this forum is IB regularly a topic of discussion. Many people seem to like IB, and many people seem to dislike IB.