Creating app. to get quotes

[Link]

Hello.
I need to develop app. which should take quotes and store 'em in our internal db.
I'm trying to use Desktop API for it.
So, my questions are:

1) eSignal application should run while I am getting quotes via API. It is much like VBA for MS-Office, right?

2) Does there are some other APIs? Running application on server is not very good idea for me. I need only data, no GUI.

3) Does there is a way to get some fake data, to test my app? I do not want to use real account for now.

Thank you.

[eSignal_AveryH]

Link,

Thank you for the email and for considering the Desktop API. To better assess your needs as well to direct you to whom you'll need to speak to regarding the API could you please send back the following information?


1) A detailed description of the application you will be developing
2) Specific details on the type of data you will be collecting (e.g. level 1, level 2, stocks, futures, etc.)
3) How many symbols will you need to track?
4) Will this application will be for your own personal use, or will it be distributed commercially?
5) If it will be commercially distributed, will each end user run an instance of the eSignal Data Manager? If not, please describe your distribution model.
6) What programming language will you be using?
7) In which IDE will you be developing?




Thank you
AveryH
eSignal Support

[scheel]

Link, you ask questions that all of us have at one point or another asked ourselves. Nevertheless, the eSignal folks are not easily able to respond to such a broad request. There are too many tangential issues raised, and the support staff is not about to lay the golden egg (even if it could...and, I suspect it can).

Here are my answers to your questions (I'm a user...just like you could be (are?)):

(1) yes...the desktop API is a COM object. It will work anywhere COM objects work...both in unmanaged and managed code. The API is, in my judgment, modestly difficult to master as a production tool (I take that to mean history/T&S requests in the 1000s daily). But, I think it is a good one once mastered.
(2) By definition, the API is not a GUI...but you have to pay for the GUI anyway. It's really a good GUI even if you can't really use it.
(3) Once you pay for it, all the data are "fake." You can request them over and over. But, Link, I presume you are prepared to pay SOMETHING. Right? However, if you want to electronically place and monitor (fake) orders...well, you need to talk to your friiendly broker-with-an-eSignal-interface-that-talks-eSignal-Desktop API. There's a list of these guys somewhere (LOL).

Reading the Desktop API Forum postings is a bit of a pain...but I think you'll find most of your answers there, if not here.

Be happy.

-wcs

[StarrM]

Hi Folks,

To clarify a bit...

The Desktop API will not work if the eSignal application is not running. Although scheel is correct that the API is not a GUI, in this case the two are intertwined.

Link, if you're wanting to save costs during development, you might consider using delayed data. What kind of applicaton are you developing?