TWS Hotkeys/Buttons & Quantity of Shares

[Dmitrij_111]

thanks for the post. Yes, would be great to hear the workaround in Booktrader.

currently I just have hot buttons for each quantity.

so, I attach a snapshot, have a look. this is part of book trader window, on top of it you can see Default Size, where you can modify position sizing.
I have hot keys set for "sell at bid" and "buy at ask", specifically for BookTrader, but you can have buttons set as well.
whenever you use hotkeys or buttons, you have to make sure that in size settings you have "Default" set as size, order type LMT, and buy/sell at BID/ASK setting
https://ibb.co/9Zp7mZN

 

[damoonrulz1]

Nice idea. I tried it out / tested out a few hot buttons in sim tonight. The default buy and sell buttons work great in booktrader, but when I created a custom hot key and/or button (example: buy @ bid price and 0 offset), it places the order WAY up (like 5% higher than current bid). Seems like a TWS bug as I messed with settings, without luck. Feel like I had same issue with using charttrader & placing mouse curser on selected price & it not working.

but the quantity works!!

 

[damoonrulz1]

so, I attach a snapshot, have a look. this is part of book trader window, on top of it you can see Default Size, where you can modify position sizing.
I have hot keys set for "sell at bid" and "buy at ask", specifically for BookTrader, but you can have buttons set as well.
whenever you use hotkeys or buttons, you have to make sure that in size settings you have "Default" set as size, order type LMT, and buy/sell at BID/ASK setting
https://ibb.co/9Zp7mZN

Got Booktrader working (had to back TWS to the Stable vs. Latest). Good stuff, thanks 4 the idea

 

[def]

okay, so, I spent a good several hours figuring it out, because I wanted to implement same approach as ToS.
I figured out 2 things:
1. IB TWS is retarded from order entry functionality. Why: you can have beautiful order entry panel with size, pricing conditions, time in force, but you can't have hotkeys for it.
You can have market depth trader functionality, and use hot keys, but you cannot configure size except for INCREASE/DECREASE size based on absolute/default size set-up. Useless, because I want to see my size before I submit it. Anyway, retarded.

2. Workaround is BookTrader. You can have order size configuration and hotkeys.
https://ibb.co/68jMSwb

I don't know if you found the answer to the problem, but I will post it for future for anyone who is interested

I suspect this is the info you desire. Reusing your poor choice of words... Those "retards", who have built software for the past 25+ years based upon active client demand and feedback looks like they may have thought of that. Sad to see civility dead these days. The 75 number in yellow is configurable.

 

[Dmitrij_111]

I suspect this is the info you desire. Reusing your poor choice of words... Those "retards", who have built software for the past 25+ years based upon active client demand and feedback looks like they may have thought of that. Sad to see civility dead these days. The 75 number in yellow is configurable.

View attachment 239821

Thank you, almost, but not entirely.
Please don’t take me wrong, platform is one of the best. I love it, well thought of, but there’re things which are not perfect. I was referring to the following:
1. Hot keys functionality is not available for Order Entry window (rapid, simplified or full functionality). Or I’m wrong here?
2. Asides from % for closing position is there a functionality for me to modify order size prior submitting if I do it using MarketDepth trader?

 

[def]

Thank you, almost, but not entirely.
Please don’t take me wrong, platform is one of the best. I love it, well thought of, but there’re things which are not perfect. I was referring to the following:
1. Hot keys functionality is not available for Order Entry window (rapid, simplified or full functionality). Or I’m wrong here?
2. Asides from % for closing position is there a functionality for me to modify order size prior submitting if I do it using MarketDepth trader?

The order entry window is manual on purpose. You shouldn't need it if you are looking for fast order entry. Size though can be set for a hot key. Under field - choose size. Under num ticks, choose how much. (yes, we can change ticks to contracts but the default toggle is limit/price. under the same toggle you could also choose aux price.).

You can set up hotkeys specifically for market depth trader as well. (2nd screen shot)

 

[mrrvogl]

I was searching for an answer to the same question as the OP and ran across this thread, and thought I would express the limitations I've found as well as the work arounds I personally use.

I use Chart trader hotkeys. When I click the hotkey to buy I'm getting into a stock that's moving quickly, full size in one go. But the share size I choose is based on the risk of that particular stock. (spread, float, price etc) So I need to be able to adjust shares somewhat on the fly, and I don't want a bunch of keys to do this. Ideally there would be a hotkey just to change default size. (Shift+1,2,3,4, etc) I realize there's the hotkey to "Modify/transmit orders" however that will only change the size of an existing order, since the moment I press the button I'm already filled, that order is gone, no time to click a second hotkey to change size up or down. Currently the workaround I use, Is a hotkey Shift+P "Configure order presets) I then manually change the order size and hit apply. This isn't terrible, but not ideal for me either. I played with the booktrader a bit, and while you can create hotkeys and the size is based on what you put in the booktrader window, I don't have a spot in my layout for booktrader, and I'm used to just clicking the chart and trading.

There's also a limitation with Chart trader where "Close portion of Positions" Is not available. (seems like an oversight for this to be missing?) I would like to be able to scale out of my position 50% at a time. I sort of have a workaround for this by creating a hotkey (Shift+K) with an absolute value that is 25-50% of my default order size, but its not really ideal because I also have to go in and manually change the size for that hotkey whenever I adjust my default value, usually I just leave it on the lower end, and for some stocks it scales out more than others.

 

[moskvich]

The order entry window is manual on purpose. You shouldn't need it if you are looking for fast order entry. Size though can be set for a hot key. Under field - choose size. Under num ticks, choose how much. (yes, we can change ticks to contracts but the default toggle is limit/price. under the same toggle you could also choose aux price.).

You can set up hotkeys specifically for market depth trader as well. (2nd screen shot)

View attachment 240257View attachment 240256

1) Can you guys add a hotkey option (or better yet multiple) to cover a %portion of a single position? right now i have to use "reverse position" for that

2) In buy/sell hotkey customize size: default/absolute/available - can you add "Curent Position Size"? this will give the order flexibility for the actual quantity that's on hand

 

[mrrvogl]

1) Can you guys add a hotkey option (or better yet multiple) to cover a %portion of a single position? right now i have to use "reverse position" for that

2) In buy/sell hotkey customize size: default/absolute/available - can you add "Curent Position Size"? this will give the order flexibility for the actual quantity that's on hand

1) I was under the impression reverse position would switch from long to short or vice versa, and % was how much you wanted it to reverse? For instance if you had 100 shares long and hit reverse with 50% it would then flip you short by 50 shares. Is the behavior actually different in that it will only sell/buy half of your position? So in the example above you would still have 50 shares long? If this is the case it might work for me as a scale out hotkey both long and short.

2) For your second comment, I don't know if the setting under Presets "Use closing position size if possible" will address what you want. Having this selected will close however many shares you have when the hotkey is set to default position.

 

[moskvich]

if you use 25% reverse, it will cover 50% of your position