Easiest way for a noob to automate entries in Interactive Brokers?

[zenlot]

You could really do this with their Python native API, or even more easily with ib_insync [ https://github.com/erdewit/ib_insync ].

As @d08 mentioned, historical data request can be send to get opening price as you don't need streaming for it, then calculate your entry based on that.

It's really simple Python script if you want to just do it, without including anything else into logic. If you'll struggle writing it yourself, I'll see if I can put few lines over the weekend together and paste it here. Such basic automation should be open source anyways.

 

[zenlot]

@SteveM here's the code to start with. Steps to get going(example on MSFT):

1. Enable API access in IB TWS
2. Download and install Python 3 [if don't have already] and install ib_insync: python3 -m pip install ib_insync
3. Save the following code to name.py or whatever name.
4. Run the code: python3 name.py

import datetime, pytz
from ib_insync import *


ib = IB()
ib.connect('127.0.0.1', 7497, clientId=1)


contract = Stock('MSFT', 'SMART', 'USD')
ib.qualifyContracts(contract)

exchange_time = datetime.datetime.now(pytz.timezone('US/Eastern'))
exchange_close = exchange_time.replace(hour=16, minute=00, second=00).strftime("%Y%m%d %H:%M:%S")

bars = ib.reqHistoricalData(
  contract,
  endDateTime=exchange_close,
  durationStr='1 D',
  barSizeSetting='1 hour',
  whatToShow='TRADES',
  useRTH=True,
  formatDate=1)

# Get bars
df = util.df(bars)
print(f"Today's bars:\n {df}")

# Get open price
open_price = float(df.iloc[[0], [1]].values[0])
print(f"Today's open price: {open_price}")

# Calculate entry price
entry_price = f"{(open_price * 0.95):.2f}"
print(f"Entry price: {entry_price}")

# Create order
order = LimitOrder('BUY', 200, entry_price)

# Place order
trade = ib.placeOrder(contract, order)

# Wait and show log
ib.sleep(2)
print(trade.log)

Notes: normally I would use IB native API, but to get you started ib_insync is more friendly than IB native one and could give you better understanding.

Native API docs: https://interactivebrokers.github.io/tws-api/historical_bars.html#hd_request
ib_insync docs: https://ib-insync.readthedocs.io/ap...toricaldata#ib_insync.ib.IB.reqHistoricalData

Running this code will give you (based on UTC):

Today's bars:
  date  open  high  low  close  volume  average  barCount
0 2020-07-24 14:30:00  200.42  200.76  197.65  198.09  38977  199.535  16538
Today's open price: 200.42
Entry price: 190.40
[TradeLogEntry(time=datetime.datetime(2020, 7, 24, 13, 54, 20, 536054, tzinfo=datetime.timezone.utc), status='PendingSubmit', message=''), TradeLogEntry(time=datetime.datetime(2020, 7, 24, 13, 54, 20, 764145, tzinfo=datetime.timezone.utc), status='Submitted', message='')]

In TWS orders you'll see: MSFT BUY LMT 190.40 0/200.

You'll probably want to modify script to add more logic to it, errors catching, etc. Plus exit entry, depending on your requirements. And add logic to support input of stocks as a list, instead of hardcoding it, etc...

PS: not selling anything. Purely for educational purposes.

 

[SteveM]

Thank you so much for putting this together, Zenlot. I really do appreciate it.

 

[userque]

Every morning I am scrambling on the open to manually enter stop-entry orders into TWS for multiple stocks because the trading system I am using is dependent on the day's opening price. This leads to missed fills, and is very stressful to get everything entered on time.

So my question is, what is the easiest/quickest way to automate the entry of buy orders for 10 stocks every day in IB under the following conditions:

"Buy 200 shares LMT order 5% below today's opening price, and if filled, exit on today's close."

Any insights on the easiest way for someone with very limited programming knowledge to automate the above would be appreciated. Thanks.

Easiest for non-programmer? Probably using Ninjatrader.

 

[Warren]

Easiest for non-programmer? Probably using Ninjatrader.

Well, as for my own experience, I am done with Ninjatrader. I spent some time learning to code in C#, which is the language their platform use. Then, one day, I run into some error that no one can tell why. They have a support team on their forum, some of whom are professional programmers. But no body can solve the problem. I posted a thread here in ET. Then some guru told me that Ninja is a spaghetti code: as users demand more functionality, their codes grow day by day, and all stuffs are concealed in a dll file. After some time, de-bugging became an impossible task.

Python, may require some serious investment of time. Perhaps, you need also be familiar with other packages such as pandas, backtrader, or backtesting.py, and IB api. But it worth the time. It will give great flexibility for what you want to do: research, like calculate some statistics of your stock; plotting; backtesting; and surely, fully automated trading.

Like the guru once said: Learn some real coding, like python, that is what the professionals are doing !

 

[easymon1]

Like the guru once said: Learn some real coding, like python, that is what the professionals are doing !

How much time do you plan to budget to get this off the ground?
Will you be using any chart package after Ninja until you get your python flexibility project into the realm of 'now we're gettin somewhere'.
Sounds like you know your way around C#, it will be interesting to learn how fast you get to somewhere. Break a Leg! Best part is "You wrote it, You Own It!" and you know it inside out upside down and backwards. Good on Ya!
Do you plan to have any chart functionality down the road?
What's this thing gonna look like and do? without showing your hole card of course...

 

[Warren]

How much time do you plan to budget to get this off the ground?
Will you be using any chart package after Ninja until you get your python flexibility project into the realm of 'now we're gettin somewhere'.
Sounds like you know your way around C#, it will be interesting to learn how fast you get to somewhere. Break a Leg! Best part is "You wrote it, You Own It!" and you know it inside out upside down and backwards. Good on Ya!
Do you plan to have any chart functionality down the road?
What's this thing gonna look like and do? without showing your hole card of course...

As for my own experience, 1 year for my spare time. Some basics about python, some time to familiar with packages like, numpy, pandas, bokeh(for plotting), backtesting packages like backtrader, backtesting.py...

 

[easymon1]

As for my own experience, 1 year for my spare time. Some basics about python, some time to familiar with packages like, numpy, pandas, bokeh(for plotting), backtesting packages like backtrader, backtesting.py...

Hopefully you can hook up with a likeminded gang and kick some bunn! Break a Leg!

 

[Bad_Badness]

Basket Trader in TWS is what I used. Easy to manage when doing more than a couple instruments. Although not that automated, it does provide an easy way to submit all of them quickly and also a way to close them all out at once.

 

[JackMorgan]

Another other option is to pay a developer to write some custom code.

Another option is to learn to code yourself. It is not that hard. Even kids can do it.

You can also ask for help here on elite trader if you get stuck.

writing bug free code is hard enough.

you want some noob to write code that transacts with real money ?

typical good advice thats often given here