Help choosing platform

Discussion in 'Automated Trading' started by bauerjj10, Sep 9, 2010.

  1. bauerjj10

    bauerjj10

    I am looking for help getting into automated futures trading. I started out trading forex a few years ago and taught myself to create automated mechanical trading strategies with MQL4.
    Please correct me if I am wrong but to me futures seems to be a much more professional investment vehicle than spot forex. This is one of the main reasons I would like to get started in futures trading. If I can develop consistantly profitable strategies I would like to someday get into this business as a professional.

    That being said I have a few questions if anyone could be so kind to help me out and answer.

    I am looking into trading platforms. I am used to having one platform that the broker supplies and will run any trading models that I have created. Metatrader-- i am sure you all have heard of it/used it.
    From what I can tell in Futures there seems to be multiple charting programs that are universal and can be used on any broker with an API. Is this accurate?
    I am looking for a platform that will allow me create automated models and preferably uses C# language, I am familiar with. If a different language is recomended please indicate why and if it seems logical I will learn it in time.

    I have noticed that with automated futures trading it seems that there is much less of a community then with forex, I have been unable to locate any discussions where people talk code. Why is this? and are there any websites that I am missing that could help me along my way of learning?

    Thank you
     
  2. lookfwd

    lookfwd

    Strategy gives you 30-days free data http://www.fxcm.co.uk/. NinjaTrader is also amazing framework and version 7 will be even better. They are both C#

    Good luck,
    Dimitris