Brokerage connection

[TobyB]

Hello community,

I just signed up for QuantNet as I want to program my first algorithm. I'm still an economics Bachelor student at a German university, but I learned how to program in Java for 4 years. However, I have absolutely no clue how to connect my code with an online broker (that's basically where I want to start - setting up the connection). I would like to program in Java and maybe switch later to C++, but for now I just want to get the ball rolling. I read Rishi Narang's "Inside the Black Box" and had some fine ideas that I'd like to try out.

Can anyone offer me some insights on the connection between the Java code on my computer to my online brokerage account? And secondly, where do you get your data from? I want to start off trading US equities. I think I read that many use Yahoo Finance, but I am not sure how to extract the information into my program.

A big thanks to everybody for taking the time. We all started at some point

Toby

 

[Yike Lu]

Your broker must offer an API. If they don't, you'll have to find one that does or do some kind of hack around driving a browser or other front end using code.

 

[evan guggenheim]

Great question, I was actually wondering the same thing. @Yike Lu thanks for the input. I hope more people can extend on this!

 

[Kann]

What about using quantopian and write in python? Thats probably the easiest way to start.

If you already is good at java, you can pick python op in a week or so.

 

[pingu]

What about using quantopian and write in python? Thats probably the easiest way to start.

If you already is good at java, you can pick python op in a week or so.

but don't write Python like Java.

 

[Kann]

but don't write Python like Java.

Ofcause not, but python is a quite easy language to pick up.

 

[Andy Nguyen]

Interactive Brokers do offer data/API. You can ask your instructor to contact IB and open students account for you.
https://www.interactivebrokers.com/en/index.php?f=1593

 

[TobyB]

That's a great idea @Andy Nguyen thanks for that input! I was actually wondering where to get a free paper account as I obviously don't have the money to invest several thousand dollars in order to open up an account. Is the data from IB reliable? Probably enough for training purposes...

@Kann does Python have any advantages compared to Java in algo trading? Is it used by professionals in the industry?

 

[pingu]

That's a great idea @Andy Nguyen thanks for that input! I was actually wondering where to get a free paper account as I obviously don't have the money to invest several thousand dollars in order to open up an account. Is the data from IB reliable? Probably enough for training purposes...

@Kann does Python have any advantages compared to Java in algo trading? Is it used by professionals in the industry?

less verbose, faster time to market