Beginner wants to run some open-loop simulations

F

flat5

By open-loop simulations I mean set up a fully automated strategy with real-time input and paper trade on it for awhile.

I am a trading novice (complete), but am a programming and numerical analysis professional. Designing trading systems looks like a fun diversion when I'm not playing poker. :)

What I want to do in the first cut is simply:

1) Access real-time quotes from C++. It looks like interactive brokers has a C++ API. Are there more that offer this kind of service? I prefer to write my own software rather than use some kind of canned packge. IB makes a big deal of requiring you to be an experienced trader in their application. If I admit I am a novice, will they deny my account? If I lie, will they try to verify by calling me up and realizing I don't know a damn thing?

Eventually I'd like to close the loop and trade a system, but that's awhile down the road. For now, I just want to tinker with system for awhile to get a feel for the process.

I've already got a backtesting setup going smoothly, so the next step is a dry run on incoming data.

Any help appreciated.
 
As a first pass, you can use the free demo account with IB to exercise your API code for development and testing purposes. It's a poor simulation of the real market and useless for evaluating a trading system, but quite useful for unit testing and 'getting a feel' for how it works.
 
Quote from flat5:

1) Access real-time quotes from C++. It looks like interactive brokers has a C++ API. Are there more that offer this kind of service? I prefer to write my own software rather than use some kind of canned packge.
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MBT also offers a C++ API (http://sdk.mbtrading.com/).

You may also want to consider the (free) trademagic framework which gives you the ability to code to a generic API that supports multiple brokers/data providers (including IB) : http://www.trademagic.net/web/
 
Quote from flat5:



snip....

I've already got a backtesting setup going smoothly, so the next step is a dry run on incoming data.


snip.....

Any help appreciated.
More...


start over from scratch....
 
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