How can I learn C# from scratch? Thinking of transferring to NinjaTrader

algofy · Feb 4, 2017

jj90 said:
Disagree with you here Keith. The guy isn't looking to build Goldman's execution software, he's just trying to code up a simple system in C#. A basic course in coding 101 should cover what he needs.

Agree. In all different ways, people around here make things way more difficult than it really is.

SimpleMeLike · Feb 4, 2017

Hello,

I recent friend of mine took a #C programming course at a college for 4 months to build and back test automated trading systems.

Now he is done, and have NO trading ideas to programs.

I recommend NOT spending time to program if you have no trading ideas that can't be traded manually that shows profitability for some period of time.

Eventually I would like to program a trading system, but I don't know what trading idea to program.

dholliday · Feb 4, 2017

Corsera

edX

Udacity

Udemy - Make sure you sign up (give them your email), you will get emails for courses @ $12 and course packages @ $15.

Local college course

There are more but this is what comes to mind. I have used them all. They are very, very good. Either free or just a few dollars.
P.S.
There's one (can't remember the name) that you type your code into the browser to test/run it.

RosyScenario said:
After many years trading futures with Interactive Brokers I need to transfer my futures trading account out of IB (enough is enough!). But I need to replicate my Excel-based trading method. Although there are other brokers that offer Excel-based APIs, as near as I can tell no other broker offers an Excel-based API that can both place and cancel and/or modify orders. And that is what I need. So, I'm thinking of going with NinjaTrader as they require only exchange-minimum margins and they only charge $0.53 per side for ES after buying a Lifetime license.

However, I will need to program NT and apparently it uses C#. I have minimal programming knowledge (just some Excel) but have no problem putting in the effort to learn C# if pointed in the right direction. So, before I transfer my account, is there some resource that I can find or buy (preferably--but not necessarily--focused on trading) where I can learn C# and that assumes no prior programming knowledge?

O(1) · Feb 4, 2017

SimpleMeLike said:
Hello,

I recent friend of mine took a #C programming course at a college for 4 months to build and back test automated trading systems.

Now he is done, and have NO trading ideas to programs.

I recommend NOT spending time to program if you have no trading ideas that can't be traded manually that shows profitability for some period of time.

Eventually I would like to program a trading system, but I don't know what trading idea to program.

that sounds odd. how does he have nothing to test.. Doesn't he have some sort of strategy he trades.. I can understand if he has no time or is completely out of the market. But, there's a seemingly never-ending supply of stuff to test and program..

RosyScenario · Feb 4, 2017

kmiklas said:
If you're simply looking to interface to Excel, you might look at a 3rd-party application like this. For $40 your problem is solved:
http://www.indicatormall.com/export-to-excel/

Well, I'm not. As I said originally, what I need is a replacement for what I am using now which is an Excel-based API that can both place and cancel and/or modify orders. I have that now with IB and if another futures broker offered it I would go there. Given that there apparently are none, Plan B is to just utilize another programming language such as C#.

RosyScenario · Feb 4, 2017

kmiklas said:
If you're committed to learning C#, consider first writing what you need in Interactive Brokers, and then switch to Ninja. IB has a C# API; it's a great place for you to start. You're familiar with IB, have an account established, are used to the software, and have your Excel spreadsheet set up. You'll learn in an environment that you're used to, and can test with the IB paper trading so that you don't blow up your real account. You'll be able to re-use much of the logic at Ninja.
http://interactivebrokers.github.io/tws-api/#gsc.tab=0

That's a good idea. Thank you.

RosyScenario · Feb 4, 2017

kmiklas said:
Would you mind sharing why you're fed up with IB?

Over 95% of my trading is in ES, and although I appreciate the ability to trade the occasional stock in the same account, I'll give that up due to the ongoing and increasing issues with IB. It wasn't always that way with IB; however, they've changed, and therefore so must I. If I start to enumerate those concerns here this thread will deteriorate due to IB defenders who have no clue about how to systematically trade futures both profitably and optimally. But IB's issues are well documented elsewhere on this site.

kmiklas · Feb 4, 2017

jj90 said:
Disagree with you here Keith. The guy isn't looking to build Goldman's execution software, he's just trying to code up a simple system in C#. A basic course in coding 101 should cover what he needs.

I see your point, but by his own admission he has no previous experience. Starting from "This is an int" to building a C# interface to Excel could take him considerable time and a lot of frustration.

RosyScenario · Feb 4, 2017

Turveyd said:
Ofcourse, if you can already program and understand the logic which most can't ever grasp, then it's just a different syntax.

Just google around, find examples with a similar theme to what your doing, copy/paste and modify, wrote an entire system using Google Sheets and Java script which I'd never touched before in about 4hours, shhhhhh client thinks it took weeks

Thanks for that suggestion.

RosyScenario · Feb 4, 2017

jj90 said:
The guy isn't looking to build Goldman's execution software, he's just trying to code up a simple system in C#.

This is true.