# Help please with SPI trading



## edtryingtomakeit (2 July 2014)

Hello,

Im very new to this game and was wondering if any of you fine people had traded SPI Futures (APSPOT) on IB, or somewhere else?
I have a simple system in mind that would stop out and then reverse a trade e.g. turn a long into a short after a swing, I cannot find anywhere that mentions how to code something like this and back test it, Would I use Excel, Java or the program (IB, Metatrader), where should I start, also I think I would be happy to pay someone to write it

thank you for taking the time and any help would be great

Cheers


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## karmaD (7 July 2014)

edtryingtomakeit said:


> Hello,
> 
> Im very new to this game and was wondering if any of you fine people had traded SPI Futures (APSPOT) on IB, or somewhere else?
> I have a simple system in mind that would stop out and then reverse a trade e.g. turn a long into a short after a swing, I cannot find anywhere that mentions how to code something like this and back test it, Would I use Excel, Java or the program (IB, Metatrader), where should I start, also I think I would be happy to pay someone to write it
> ...




Hi Ed, 
First of all, I need to make you aware that this is NOT a game (assuming you have a real trading account with IB, therefore risking your real money).
IB does not offer automated trading. However, you can buy API offered by third party - read info on the IM Marketplace pages. 
For testing/backtesting purposes, I suggest to open a demo account with a CFD provider and potentially use MT4 platform which is very popular. You can learn yourself how to code using MQL4 or find some one to do it for you (if you're willing to pay, ofcourse).
Depending on how complicated your system is, another option is to find a broker that offers back trading using a number of already defined indicators. These are much easier to use as all you have to do is to configure your variables for backtesting (which indicators, what timeframe, etc) and then run it.

Hope that these will help (actually your question gave me the idea to cover this topic on my blog: Aussie Day Trader 

cheers 
karmaD


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## John Swift (9 July 2014)

IB does have APIs: https://www.interactivebrokers.com/en/?f=/en/software/ibapi.php

A little complicated... I have Excel programming experience, so the Excel API was not that hard to get used to. I tried my hand at Java and C++ but didn't have the patience to learn an entirely new language.

I ended up paying someone from Elance to write MT4 programs. Cost me about $300 per EA, depending on complexity of the system. I understand the code, but there is no hope in the world that I could have written it from scratch.

Here are some CFD brokers that are MT4 enabled offering ASX200 CFDs: https://www.aussiestockforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=28602

Good luck.


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## edtryingtomakeit (9 July 2014)

karmaD said:


> Hi Ed,
> First of all, I need to make you aware that this is NOT a game (assuming you have a real trading account with IB, therefore risking your real money).
> IB does not offer automated trading. However, you can buy API offered by third party - read info on the IM Marketplace pages.
> For testing/backtesting purposes, I suggest to open a demo account with a CFD provider and potentially use MT4 platform which is very popular. You can learn yourself how to code using MQL4 or find some one to do it for you (if you're willing to pay, ofcourse).
> ...




Thank you very much Karma D, your help is much appreciated

I completely understand its not a game 

I was hoping to stay away from CFD as id imagine I would be trading quite often throughout the day (as I understood it their fees are quite high), but maybe that wouldn't matter too much, also most CFD providers didn't have the ability to do what I wanted though their normal system but as you mentioned, I maybe able to design/ get some to design a program that would run though their systems, thanks again at least it will help me get started

Cheers

Ed


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## edtryingtomakeit (9 July 2014)

John Swift said:


> IB does have APIs: https://www.interactivebrokers.com/en/?f=/en/software/ibapi.php
> 
> A little complicated... I have Excel programming experience, so the Excel API was not that hard to get used to. I tried my hand at Java and C++ but didn't have the patience to learn an entirely new language.
> 
> ...




Thanks John

I noticed plenty have Excel APIs that can work with IB, how do you get someone to write the code, what I have in mind is a stop loss reversal system? do you just spell every step out. i.e. if the market opens at 10am falls 3 points short 10 contracts..... so on and so on??

Thanks again

Cheers

Ed


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