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  • Automated Trading Systems and Such

    Folks,

    I have not been on the site for a little while, I have been working on getting my first EFS automated, and up and running. I started the process full speed around the beginning of November, and it has taken me about 6 months to get things to a point where I can release the EFS on the market.

    I thought I would share some of my travels, and invite others to discuss.

    I just read some of the posts from http://forum.esignal.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=743 and I agree that not many want to disclose their code, and as soon as I can, I will post a sanitized structure-version of my code up in my share location on http://share.esignal.com/groupconten...er=&groupid=9, but it will be more of what I had to go through to make it work, and time permitting, a tutorial of sorts.

    My code is bound to the company I work for, and as such proprietary. But here is how I made it all work. Just some ideas.

    I started with this site:

    http://tssupport.com/services/esignal/

    They have TONS of indicators all written in EFS code that show trading systems based on any indicator out there. I have a set that I like as a trader, so I started with those. I looked through all 200 at the time in one weekend, and messed around with the ES futures, which I what I trade primarily. I narrowed down about 8 which work really well for what I trade, for other things something else may work. I personally hate stocks, and I trade futures due to their nature to adhere better to the math of formulas.

    I also looked on this site:

    http://www.talkstox.com/forum/forumd...?s=&forumid=13

    I read anything a daytrader wrote, and thought about it. I love daytrading, it is my main goal, but it is a pain to code with safety.

    Then I learnt EFS, and this took a while to become proficient. What was worst, was that I had to learn how the EFS worked, really the nuts to bolts. I did this by looking at code from tutorials, messing around, and LOGGING everything. For my EFS I have about 5 log files that log every aspect of the code's decision making process, and all key variables that control code loops. This took the longest, about three months to accurately debug.

    So then I had trading ideas I wanted to program, an understanding of EFS, and all the log files which tell me whether the program is making money or losing money.

    I worked to a goal of have three programs running concurrently; a fast trader, medium speed trader, and an overnight swing trader. Between the three, one will catch what the other misses, and so forth.

    I use stops, but I read Brad's note, the larger the stop, the better, and I use a 10-point stop currently.

    If I ever want to code a new program, I just start with either a chart or an EFS that already shows entries and sells. The next important thing I work with is to look at the underlying indicators on a simple chart, and see where they cross into overbought and oversold regions and see if I can formulate a rudimentary set of rules.

    That is my first run for the code, and then I look at the trades the system makes on those rules, and refine, and refine, and refine some more. I design everything to start on a $3K account, with no more than a $1K drawdown, profitable after 8 weeks, and I test for 2 months.

    Aside of that, I look at any chart any one ever posts and see if I can get some ideas to code something unique. I think the most important is to understand scripting, and how the code works. This just takes time and experimentation.

    That is just the way I picked up my knowledge, maybe it can help some following behind. One other thing, I always have a goal for weekly profit. If I tell you that I making 20 points a day on the ES futures, well this may be, but if I am making 700 trades, that is not much use to me. I always shoot for no more than 20 trades a day if I am trading rapidly, and a profit of 20 points a day. I have never attained this reliably, but I will keep trying. I am close, but I never attain more than 13 points reliably, per day, averaged over 5 days.

    Well, I hope this helps, I will keep reading, keep sharing. Good luck all,

    Thomas.

  • #2
    Thomas - great post...

    Thomas,

    Great post. Thanks for all the links to all the good stuff.

    I know there are people here who are trying to develop a trading system and/or are exploring the features of EFS and love to hear from the people who have completed systems. We are kind of like the first explorers of the west - we hunt and find the solutions that other are still searching for.

    I'm wondering about something... If I opened up and new resource where professional coders (developers) would provide system development abilities and the ability to explore new ideas for trading systems - all very inexpensively - how many of you would be interested in this...??

    It would basically be a "think tank" where all of us could get together, share ideas, build/test/revise code and share in the wealth of experience from the group. I can bring the coding and system design ability to this offer, but it would not work well unless a good number of people wanted to participate.

    Any thoughts??

    Brad
    Brad Matheny
    eSignal Solution Provider since 2000

    Comment


    • #3
      Thomas Great post.....

      Brad & Thomas

      I share Brad opinion on Thomas post & tks for the link about TS Support . Iknwe the Woody community already.. They are nice but much too driven on CCI ........

      Brad your Idea is good . I have Ideas (some) but not programming knowledge: instead you got both....... The think thank should work pretty well.......!

      Just give it some "protection" : I mean be in someway sheltered by a friendly "big guy".

      Ciao
      Fabrizio L. Jorio Fili

      Comment


      • #4
        A while back I had a few email conversions about gerating generic trading modules, including but not limited to GoLong(); Exit(); CheckIfLong(); SetStop(); AddToPosition(); etc On top of this logic, the trader would add the entry/exit signals.

        If this could be included in your plans, count me in.

        Really a trade is very simple -

        is it time to go long? y/n
        if y, buy
        is it time to exit? y/n
        if y, close position

        Comment


        • #5
          Greetings,

          I too, have been stumbling down the automated trading systems path.

          I have been putting together an object oriented EFS approach for handling my orders. I use dynaorder.

          This is a little example (please keep in mind that this is not complete, but illustrates my point) of object oriented EFS code. The idea is that we can have an array of 'order' objects, each with seperate/different profit targets and stop points. This is good for trading with multiple contracts; which we all know is the way to trade.

          Those with programming experience (and especially those that have worked with dynaorder in EFS) should see the value in this approach, I believe.

          Here is the link to the code for the 'class'. (this code is a little out of date, I'll have an updated one available soon.) Please keep in mind it is not completed. This should not be used in production trading systems.

          http://www.w4ll.st/code/object.efs

          I'd like your input.

          Thanks,
          Joshua C. Bergeron

          Comment


          • #6
            The collective effort

            To this day, I am still wrestling with small correction on my existing code when the program does something in direct contrary nature to what I know is sound, but the overall rules I am happy with even though debugging and repair is EXTREMELY time sonsuming and painstaking working a regular job as well. Long live the week-end coder.

            I wrote some pretty plain stuff to handle DO, and my inspiration is what would I do as a trader, and then code that in. Everything just stays in one loop until I have met the right conditions.

            As for sharing ideas, and code, I am all over that, but this makes one thing difficult. No one likes to share their code, and I understand why . . . Honestly, I rather share trading ideas, then let everyone make a chart off the idea, and code the EFS themselves.

            I can never understand another coders logic, but if I write my own, it takes me less time. I have no problem in sharing trading systems as long as it is not in EFS format, like a word copy of go long here, short there, stay long, stay short . . . I will be more than happy to share EFS portions that accomplish functions.

            I am curious, how many of us are out there with a viable program trading 100% hands off? I know Brad is running some stuff, and I am more than happy to be included in any tight knit group that can help me advance faster than slower.

            Right now the EFS is not my problem, nor is DO, it is just time to debug and performance tune the whole EFS. My code has many switches and is about 2500 lines of intricacy, so debugging takes time.

            If anyone has ideas just suggest it, and I am more than willing to follow suit.

            Regards,

            Thomas.

            Comment


            • #7
              The collective effort

              To this day, I am still wrestling with small correction on my existing code when the program does something in direct contrary nature to what I know is sound, but the overall rules I am happy with even though debugging and repair is EXTREMELY time sonsuming and painstaking working a regular job as well. Long live the week-end coder.

              I wrote some pretty plain stuff to handle DO, and my inspiration is what would I do as a trader, and then code that in. Everything just stays in one loop until I have met the right conditions.

              As for sharing ideas, and code, I am all over that, but this makes one thing difficult. No one likes to share their code, and I understand why . . . Honestly, I rather share trading ideas, then let everyone make a chart off the idea, and code the EFS themselves.

              I can never understand another coders logic, but if I write my own, it takes me less time. I have no problem in sharing trading systems as long as it is not in EFS format, like a word copy of go long here, short there, stay long, stay short . . . I will be more than happy to share EFS portions that accomplish functions.

              I am curious, how many of us are out there with a viable program trading 100% hands off? I know Brad is running some stuff, and I am more than happy to be included in any tight knit group that can help me advance faster than slower.

              Right now the EFS is not my problem, nor is DO, it is just time to debug and performance tune the whole EFS. My code has many switches and is about 2500 lines of intricacy, so debugging takes time.

              If anyone has ideas just suggest it, and I am more than willing to follow suit.

              Regards,

              Thomas.

              Comment

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