IB TWS: A tragedy in the making?

[OldTrader]

Quote from mikesmithv:

This is one area where coming from a software background rather than a trading background actually has an advantage. In the software business everything is seen as a work-in-progress. Windows, Mac and Linux is a work-in-progress, so is Java and yes, so is TWS. So a person coming from a software engineering background naturally trusts nothing and has a staging setup for testing purposes where you can run your code under a specific environment(s) before it becomes "production code". The alternative to "letting IB shove off work on me" is what? Just install the very latest version of TWS under whatever combination of Window/Mac/Linux and Java and hope for the best? In a perfect world maybe but the world's not perfect.

Excellent post Mike. And excellent advice. You take responsibility for your own results.

OldTrader

 

[FanOfFridays]

Very helpful thread. I too am close to the point where I want only automated systems running. I'm ready to take execution out of my own hands. I've been wondering about what to do in terms of a broker because of all the horror stories I hear about using custom apps to run TWS. I've been with IB for about 3 years now and I have never had any significant problems with them - the only problems have been related to the functioning of TWS, but I run it with Button Trader. Unfortunately I don't have a guy like Robert Hoi hanging around to work magic and create workable solutions on demand. You guys who have programming chops are ahead of the game in this area.

Anyhow, it's useful to read about what other guys are experiencing.

 

[r2d2]

Looks like many (most?) TWS users are reasonably happy with version 898, negating the need for a "TWS Lite" campaign.

Quote from kiwi_trader:

Note: I have installed version 898.4 Sept 28, 2009 on Java 1.6.0_14, XP Pro SP3.

Perhaps kiwi can post his experience with TWS version 898 in due course for our benefit?

 

[Bob111]

IB is tragedy indeed..specially TWS...
corrupted to the bone..
all on same PC,different PC-whatever..
on one account -you have to login twice to get the data, as i said before-on couple of accounts -update message pops up every time i log in. i don't have that pop up on other accounts. update on start up is disabled.
here is something new i got just yesterday-charts stop working on one account. another account works fine on same PC..where is the end of this madness? i didn't touch i single thing,but every day-there is a surprise..
and that's up with new front web page? why there is a changes\complete redesign every few months? people just got use to old design-BAM! totally different page..go figure how to find everything..

 

[TraDaToR]

I'm on 898.4 and I have a weird problem with id sequence for orders. I stock the last id on each spreadsheet I use but when I go from one spreadsheet to another, the orders won't transmit even if id > the one used on former spreadsheet.

I need to reset id sequence whenever I change spreadsheet. At least now there is a button to reset in API settings.