The Best Chart Package

Discussion in 'Trading Software' started by Matt_h, Dec 26, 2006.

  1. Matt_h

    Matt_h

    I’m developing a real-time application for the Forex market.
    I’m looking for a Chart package.
    I was wondering if any programmers here had any recommendations for good financial chart package.

    My basic requirements are as follows:

    1. Ability to scroll and zoom programmatically
    2. Ability to draw lines and other objects on chart(trendlines, channels, Andrew's pitchfork, standard error channels, etc.)
    3. Ability to save all drawing items on a chart and reload them at a future date
    4. Ability to have multiple series on a chart linked to the main series(ie volume study, macd study, linked to price chart)
    5. charts (Candles, Bar, Line, Renko, Kagi etc) with zoom in/out, scrolling features, etc.
    6. technical indicators plotted in resizable, multiple panes
    7. advanced line studies (Fibonacci retracements, Gann Studies, etc.)
    8. ability to superimpose bitmaps (such as Up/Down arrows for automated Buy/Sell signals)
    9. Support Real-time data.
    10. text box to write a commentary in the chart



    Looking for your response.

    Thanks in advance,

    Matt
     
  2. amcc

    amcc

    I hear QuoteTracker does all of that no problem... free!
     
  3. jfilla

    jfilla

    Matt,

    I went through this exact same excercise a little over a year ago.

    http://www.elitetrader.com/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=38936

    If you are building this as a marketable application, you will most likely have to build the charts from scratch. The current packages out there just dont have everything you want in one suite. In addition, once you begin doing some stress testing on the packages, you will begin to notice some performance issues.

    I decided to build the charts from the ground up in c#, and I am extremely glad I did. Be advised, though, it was a good 6 month effort....

    - jeff
     
  4. Interesting that you can do everything you mentioned and then some with SierraChart ... nice interface with C for those who want to really make it do strange things or with a worksheet for those who are not programmers.
     
  5. Matt_h

    Matt_h

    Thanks for the quick response.

    Do you know which chart package is recommended for the above requirements?
     
  6. Matt_h

    Matt_h

    Guys, I'm looking for development charting package to be used within my program, not an end-user charting software or web site for charts

    Thanks in advance for your help,
    Matt :)
     
  7. Matt_h

    Matt_h

  8. NinjaTrader_Ray

    NinjaTrader_Ray ET Sponsor

    Matt,

    I also advise building from the ground up. When we looked at adding charts to our platform, we reviewed all of the available financial charting components and there was just as much effort in writing wrappers around these commercial components to do what was needed than to just build our own.

    Ray
     
  9. NinjaTrader_Ray

    NinjaTrader_Ray ET Sponsor

    I should have added in my last post that we did lean towards Steema at the time.

    Ray
     
    #10     Jan 4, 2007