To those that have used Risk Compass, could you tell me how it compares to OptionVue. If you have not used Optionvue or have not seen it, you can check it out on their website www.optionvue.com. I just want to know if it has all the same features
Yes, Kawabunga has an API. It uses FIX API as well some kind of http API for web based order entry. If you know FIX it's the industry standard financial API and really good. Their documentation however is still in draft form but if you know a bit about it you will do good.
it doesn't require 512 mb of ram, the level 2 data needs some working on, but other than that the fills are very fast, and they have alot of nice features if you trade different instruments. Right now it's setup as more of a swing trading platform. But once the level 2 data gets better, and they get some good hotkeys in it, it will be very good.
My question was a broad one and not dealing with the API. With that said, I totally agree with you. It seams that Kawa and MarketCompass would get me about 85% of the way to what I want. This is a far cry from the 10% of what Instaquote offers. That software is only good for one thing, executions which it does well. To make matters worse, I couldn't plug any software into it, at least that is what my broker told me. I thought about Echo, I even called them, but they use the same thing, Instaquote for options. So, if these two programs togethor can get me most of the way, that's good enough for now. It is added plus if it allows me to write to the API to get me to the final 15% plus some other ideas I have that could work out.
I feel really stupid here but what is Instaquote? Also if you don't mind me asking, me not being a tech guy, what exactly do you want to do with an API. Are you talking about creating functions through Excel to implement your trading?
API is an application programming interface. Think of it as an interface which allows you to send "messages" or functions to the program from an outside source. It's like telling somebody to shut the window and he will do it Instaquote is an equities/options platform
Hi tomf, Thank you for the information. I kind of missed this one. I indeed had a look at FIX already. As you read, my practical problem seems to boil down to the almost monopoly (IB, forgive me) position of IB in this field. To lay your hands on docs with j-trader, x-trader, FIX or xyz, they are either only drafts or you have to lurk over somebody's shoulder if you don't want to pay upfront fees. In fact I have never seen a simple technical document from these above guys that describes access procedure for testing API applications. At IB, everybody can read this on their web site for free. Later you will pay them commissions, but at least you know it works and how much you will pay. With the others, you may think you will get lower commissions but have invested a lot already before you know it's going to do any good. Moreover, once you write something to the API, what do you do then? Many brokers offer these different platforms but seem to know nothing about API and certainly never heard anything about testing. I tried to pursue this a little further but you get snowed in with legal documents as license agreements covering the test phase but not very clear on fees. Others are rather clear as to the examination your software has to pass together with the payment of fees and testing time. Besides that, a lot of technical questions must be solved about communications, ISP, IP addresses and so on. You have work for a team of people to cut through all the redtape. I am simply interested in any TWS-like system without all this hassle. I am ready to program and test today if I can get online and don't have to pay till I have seen it works. Going by the respective Forums, IB has a rather active one and is also well represented at Yahoo's. The others, if you can find something, will only have a few posts by their own people and a few cats. So I would say a lot of work remains to be done before these "API's" become credible at all. Dear tomf, I would be very grateful if you could give me any more hint towards solving this practical riddle. Be good, nononsense