Does anyone know of any 3rd party software that will enable me to use Excel with the IB platform? I am currently using IB's DDE connection and would like something else. TIA
http://www.google.com/search?q=excel+interactive+brokers http://www.elitetrader.com/vb/showthread.php?threadid=76879 http://3d2f.com/programs/37-981-ibxl-download.shtml
Sierra Chart has a pretty complex spreadsheet built-in that works with IB. I have found it will do most anything I need and it is light and very fast also.
I use XLQ to get data from IB to EXCEL. It uses RTD rather than DDE. I understand RTD is faster than DDE. While it gets data from IB, it also gets data from IQFEED which is my current preference. The data items can be embedded in regular EXCEL formulas. I use TWSLINK to send and monitor orders from EXCEL to IB. I think both are good products.
Thanks to all for their replies. Some add'l questions... IB states that there is a 100 quote limit for their platform. In reality, it allows for more but let's stick with their stated max of 100. They also indicate that each DDE request from Excel counts as a quote. So if the limit is 100 total, I can have 50 symbols in the platform and 50 imported into Excel. My current problem is that I am requesting more than 100. All is well. But if I enable IB's DDE to get them into Excel (just the symbol, bid, ask and volume), a lot of the quotes disappear from the platform since I have exceeded the limit. Would the programs that you suggested be independent of IB? IOW, would that allow me to have 100 symbols in the platform and the same 100 imported into Excel? Again, TIA.
The quote limit is a function of the commissions you pay: 100 is the initial value. I have not looked up the latest conditions, but I think you get one more quote for each 8 USD (in commission) above 800 USD. This limit refers to the number of quotes you may receive simultaneously. You can request the quotes for 100 stocks, unsubscribe from these quotes, request (subscribe to) the quotes for the next, different, 100 stocks and so on. There is a limit to the number of subscriptions/unsubscriptions per time period. I don't know the details, you have to look them up yourself on IB's website and documentation.
I have a hard time believing that the number of quotes is a function of the commissions I pay. Having generated over $22 grand in commissions last year, I can't believe I'd be allowed only 100 quotes... and for the first 1/4 I'm ahead of last year's pace. That makes no sense. But who knows, maybe they changed things since I went to high school But hanks for the info. I will check out their web site and see if it provides something more than their their customer service offered.
OK, here is the url. I deleted my first response, because I was and am angry about such replies as your's. Market Data