Add three numbers together in Excel, or if you want to be fancy, write a Python script or use an R package.
So this is your first post, hmmmmmm I wonder if you are some how connected to Tradestation? I use to buy Tradestation back in the 90s and even bought Supercharts late 80s which I still use, guess about now you asking others in your department what is Supercharts? They ever fix all the flaws within Tradestation and why so many including me did theirs in other languages, OMG Tradestation was short of being good, but in the 90s, not much around to be doing testing, don't recall if Matlab was out yet. The new Ninja Trader 8 is awesome, they finally caught up to reality and did a nice job. But nothing is complete and why better to make your own or hire those that can.
Handle - a good idea only for those that want to specify, code, and/or test ... rather than trade ! I am just amazed at the number of developers who struggle with building a platform using the Interactive Brokers API. Building an auto trading platform is no trivial task.
You very correct there, and if you not approaching your 60s and knowing you going to have inabilities due to either surgeries and/or medications, you better make a bundle of money few years before, cause I simple can't do manual trading any more. I knew I was going to have surgeries that most likely going to leave me without abilities to remember as I once did and I get tremors now, you want to do lot of so many and before you know it, you have 8 times as many and yell WOW. Am just happy I still have abilities to form ideas to make systems and best buddy programs them. Yea, I had hired programmers and took three years to make platform I wanted, I would have never been able to do it myself. Always best to know your limits in life.
People really have a hard time understanding this. Just look at all the IB API python wrappers out there, and not one is trustworthy of executing even higher latency algos. You can be a high end coder, or high end trader, but not both. One doesn’t think like the other, and both are passions.
This generally holds true. A great trader understands context, and connects together only what needs to be, not seeking perfection. A basic understanding of math and programming doesn’t hurt though. A great programmer however, seeks perfection, which doesn’t exist in a non-stationary domain like financial markets.
Agreed - As a discretionary trader I have various tasks automated which streamlines my time. Those that seem to do well with program trading were first highly experienced discretionary traders. Secondly they are well capitalized & have a number of independent trading programs running at any given time - casting a wide net. All trading programs are rooted in discretion - from the creation to enduring painful draw downs or sub par performance.
I strongly disagree, I do seek perfection, the American way of life to be the very best you can be, otherwise you seek to just accept? A great programmer can only do what is given to them and between the developer and programmer(at this stage right now), try to come close of what my visions are and what can be programmed for automation. One of my best years in very long term commodity trading was when I hit a perfect 5% profitable trades for the year, cause I hedge, and yes it is expensive at times, but didn't come close to 95% overall losses and was happy I was positive on the year. I often wonder why so many traders seem to be afraid of options? Underfunded? or under knowledge? I do agree with your statement of "You can be a high end coder, or high end trader, but not both. " Could that be it takes so many years to become very good at one of them, not time for the second? Another reason to automate, is finding perfect trades over monster amount of instruments, I have learned way too many lessons of putting all eggs in same basket is not going to turn out well. Nothing works forever, but if you know how to adapt, you are the reason it can be altered to work forever.