Best resources for system traders

[blindfish]

I've been trading options manually for years and have been investigating ways to optimize and automate my strategies. Does anyone have recommendations for system development/backtesting software, or full-service brokers who provide system development/backtesting software? Personally, I'd prefer a more complex, harder to use platform that allows for wide flexibility -- that is, short of busting out Visual Studio and coding my own programs to hit my broker's API.

Additionally, I'd appreciate any recommendations for books or courses on system or mechanical trading. Thanks!

 

[pedro01]

I've been trading options manually for years and have been investigating ways to optimize and automate my strategies. Does anyone have recommendations for system development/backtesting software, or full-service brokers who provide system development/backtesting software? Personally, I'd prefer a more complex, harder to use platform that allows for wide flexibility -- that is, short of busting out Visual Studio and coding my own programs to hit my broker's API.

Additionally, I'd appreciate any recommendations for books or courses on system or mechanical trading. Thanks!

I'm a fan of Tradestation to be honest but I haven't tried anyone else's platform yet.

The reference guide to their language is about 2000 pages - which gives you an idea of how much stuff is in there - plus there's plenty of on line resources for it.

 

[fifty2aces]

Ninjatrader, Neoticker and Openquant are worth looking at. And Matlab is a possibility if you are willing to put in the effort - more complex, but probably more potential - it can do some pretty impressive stuff.

 

[blindfish]

Thanks for the recommendations!

fifty2aces, are there any specific matlab financial plugins I should be looking at? I've got matlab programming experience so hopefully the learning hurdle won't be too huge. Also, if there are any books you know of that describe using Matlab for systems testing, let me know.

 

[fifty2aces]

I haven't worked with matlab myself, so can't offer too much advice, but I'd recommend checking out this webinar:

Algorithmic Trading with MATLAB Webinar - Traders Laboratory

 

[MrGecko]

FWIW I think X_Trader PRO will work as the order management end of any automated system (using the AutoTrader)... I'm in two minds about whether to use a 3rd party API or TT for data, i guess it depends on what kind of system you are using... two options on the table are either

TT-> excel -> matlab -> TT

OR

API/DDE -> excel > matlab -> TT

but I don;t really know my @rse from my elbow when it comes to this sort of thing, trying to rope some other bods in to help... havent really experimented with Automated strategies really, the Matlab webinar 52 posted is enough of a Carrot on the stick to give it a go though.

There are a couple of toolboxes that might be useful, the financial ones for sure, and I think there is one that will let you import external data into Matlab in real time... though as I said, I don't really know much, i'm just dipping my toe in.


**Also, towards the end of the webinar, the guymentions something about compiling a system written in matlab into .NET (or whatever) amd importing that into something like Quanthouse or Strategy runner... if youre using automated strategies already, this might be more up your street.

 

[covered_call]

I'm an older pit guy with limited pc skills when i moved upstairs. You can put together your own system through the TT support network. They have a very responsive users forum and a community of internal and external developers that will guide you. I've managed to piece together some pretty good stuff for futures and am working on options automation right now. some traders in my office use the TT fix adapter to connect their own user interface to the tt gateways. i use the tt autotrader and autospreader apps. i link them both into excel via RTD (dont use DDE, RTD is much better).

Mr Gecko, I've come across you before in this forum...i think was with spread trading? I"d love to hear what you're doing with options.

Cheers!

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