I hope you're writing tongue-in-cheek here. I think I would have a stroke, if I had that much trouble. But then, maybe that's what is wrong with me today. . . [rwk]
That turned out to be the message. It's a little embarassing, but it took me two hours to massage my app so it would place automated trades outside market hours so I could re-create the error. I put several checks in place to make sure that didn't happen by mistake. It looks like the "enhancement" was made in Build 894, according to the Release Notes. While I will admit that I didn't study the Release Notes very carefully before upgrading, I'm pretty sure I would have missed that app-breaker no matter how careful I was. Sometimes the needle in the haystack is just too hard to see. [rwk]
Uhhh, no, that exact thing happened to me today.. it was after hours, I just was going to look up something, no trades were on... I never get busy and try to tell IB anything when something that stupid happens.. they have to figure some things out on their own if something can be that dysfunctional... Does IB have any serious competition? I never have shopped seriously for a broker in years...
I have been trading with IB for seven years now, and trading has been my sole source of income for just over four. I also have thousands of hours of development invested in my apps, so changing brokers is not something I do casually. On the other hand, I've never been burned like this before.
The way they do things, I don't think you're in a position to work with them... I was in electrical engineering departments on many projects, not software for the most part but you get a sense for what you can and can't do, if something is major league not doable, you don't go there... there are some great apps out there really, Tickzoom, AMIBroker, Openquant, Sierrachart... there are more, possibly one would do what you need done?
rwk, Did you look at the suggestion Bob made? FWIW I have found that IB do work with me when I find a problem. They have offered to do so here (privately) so if you have an issue can we get specific and get them to work to resolve for all auto-traders? No comment on password entry problems. I auto enter the password and manually enter the safeword and the only problems I have had were keying errors (shouldn't try to read safeword with the lights off ... damn screens are not quite bright enough).
Note: I have installed version 898.4 Sept 28, 2009 on Java 1.6.0_14, XP Pro SP3. Will check the error override option and autotrade today. Restore = replace JTS directory if a problem occurs. Configure > API > All API Settings > checked Bypass Order Precautions for API Orders.
Kiwi: I've generally upgraded to the most recent software about a week after it was introduced, to see if there were any loud objections or problems. That's worked well for me. No particular problems. That said, I do notice I'm still on 897.8. Java 1.6.0_16. Must be time to upgrade. OldTrader
As I said earlier, Bob's suggested cause was indeed the basis of my problem. The problem was not a bug, but rather an "enhancement" introduced in Build 894, which has been sitting there for some time like a landmine waiting to be stepped on. The current forced upgrade neither caused the problem nor made it worse. There was nothing wrong with my app and no programming changes were required. What I needed to do was change a configuration option in the TWS. I have done that, and my setup appears to be working correctly now. I thought there were more TWSAPI autotraders out there, and I am surprised more haven't stepped on this landmine. I am also surprised that IB/TAC wasn't expecting more support calls. They had no clue as the what the problem was. The developers had to have known that this change would break customers' apps. Whenever the developers make a change to the way autotrading works, they need to make that clear in a way the gets our attention. Burying a one-line comment deep in the Release Notes in clearly insufficient. [rwk]
Thanks rwk, Yeah ... I agree ... if you hadn't raised it and Bob hadn't had a solution it would have got me sooner or later. Although it does depend on your strategies specifics and maybe that's why more hadn't raised the issue. Personally I've only been full auto for a week or so after 6 months of auto assist. It's interestingly relaxing. In the same sense as flying an aircraft on autopilot with your blindfold on.