i would like to start learning about trading systems through tradestation, but i have no experience with it. Can i get a free tial? how much goes it cost etc. how hard is it to start to set a simple system up? thanks for any input.
try this unstead- http://www.wealth-lab.com/cgi-bin/WealthLab.DLL/getpage?page=WLD3.htm TS don't have trial, but it not that hard to find old version on web. any particular reason why you like TS?
A simple MA crossover system would take a few seconds to code. Here's an example: if average(close,20) crosses above average(close,40) then buy next bar at open; if average(close,20) crosses below average(close,40) then sell short next bar at open; That's all it takes to make a MA crossover. Wealthlab is much more difficult to code a simple task like this in. Tradestation doesn't give trials and it is quite costly if you use the current version ($200 per month plus exchange fees if you're not a brokerage client).
I agree with hanseng1--Tradestation's EasyLanguage is very easy to get started in. Wealth-Lab is more for programmer-traders. If you can program in any intermediate full-featured computer language, you should definitely try Wealth-Lab, but if you are new to programming, start with Tradestation, Metastock or Amibroker (among others). After you have enough programming skills, you can go as complex/powerful as you want, including Wealth-Lab, Esignal, QuantStudio .NET, and on to homegrown systems you write yourself. There is no free trial for Tradestation, but a good way to get started with ANY of the major platforms is to get yourself a subscription to "Technical Analysis of Stocks and Commodities" magazine. In the back, there is an entire section showing code examples for the systems and indicators discussed in that issue. You can read the article and then see how the trading system would be coded in Tradestation, Metastock, Wealth-Lab, Amibroker, etc. That will allow you to accurately gauge your level of programming understanding and decide which software platform you want to go with. Just remember that each platform has its strengths and weaknesses and that the more powerful platforms are often the least accessible.
there is plenty of system examples on their website and personally for me-difficult mean more flexible and powerfull create MA crossover in WL will take few mouse clicks.. dont forget build in scans and sumulator for portfolio backesting- a must for stock trader.
Wealthlab definately has its advantages. However, the original poster was, in my interpretation, inquiring about ease of programming. In Wealthlab, you can use the wizard to create the exact same MA crossover system I put up, though it would take much longer than it took me to write the two lines of code. However, modifying the code produced by the wizard is a headache for those of us who are not programmers. For this reason, I stay with Tradestation. P.S. I also have a copy of Wealthlab 3.0; I just don't use it due to the complex language.
seems everyone agree that EL is lot easier, and better to learn than WL. http://www.elitetrader.com/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=31777 http://www.elitetrader.com/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=31831&perpage=6&pagenumber=2
IMO both have strong and weak points. I've been with Tradestation since '88, so I like it because I'm very familar with it. I think you might get a free trial from TS, even though they do not formerly offer it. Talk to one of the sales people and see if it can be done. DS
Try Tradestation 5 ( TS2000i) which can be purchased very cheap or might swaped with other softwares that you have. If you like it then move to "Tradestation 8" for monthly charges.
If you can't get a free trial you can start service in the last week of the month and cancel it if you don't like it before the end of the month and Tradestation will pro-rate it for the month. Max