Programming language

[Lorganthesorn]

I am currently researching TA and am in the very beginnings of the development of a trading strategy. One thing I do know is that I want the ability to manipulate large amounts of data in a relatively live environment.

My work is sponsoring me to learn a programming language and I have pretty much free choice of which. I was wondering if any experts have advice on which would be the best choice.

I have some basic VBA knowledge atm and am pretty strong in excel but no real programming experience. I am thinking VBA and/or Python?

 

[scose-no-doubt]

most jobs ask for C or java.

must be a reason

 

[amnonco]

c#
definitely not java.

 

[DDI]

For career purposes obviously a widely used language such as those mentioned already.

However I never had any programming experience and managed to program my strategies with Tradestations "easy language" in a matter of 3 -4 weeks after starting from scratch.

 

[arabianights]

You sound too intelligent for TA. Try to develop a strategy that actually works instead. Then you can come back and laugh at these losers

 

[DionysusToast]

C# for sure.

Java is a dead duck.

 

[amnonco]

For career purposes obviously a widely used language such as those mentioned already.

However I never had any programming experience and managed to program my strategies with Tradestations "easy language" in a matter of 3 -4 weeks after starting from scratch.

easy langaugae forces you to execute through tradestation.

that's 1 disadvantage.
it's a reasonable way to start, but it has many faults

 

[DDI]

easy langaugae forces you to execute through tradestation.

that's 1 disadvantage.
it's a reasonable way to start, but it has many faults

True but I think with multicharts you can connect to other brokers.

I cant comment on it as I have no experience with any other program but with tradestation forum, and their handbooks, it was not too hard to learn - even for novices.

I have also heard those that use quantitative methods say easy language cannot handle complex mathematical formulas,

 

[Lorganthesorn]

C# sounds like the way to go. I don't like the idea of easy language as its too limited + cant imagine work sponsoring it

 

[Lorganthesorn]

You sound too intelligent for TA. Try to develop a strategy that actually works instead. Then you can come back and laugh at these losers

lol - thats the plan

 

[Hotch]

If you're starting from scratch, might as well "take" cs50.

This is CS50 OpenCourseWare

 

[juniorh]

I use NinjaTrader so my vote is with c#.

 

[DT]

why do you need your work to sponsor it?

If you just want to build a TA system then go buy some off the shelf package - tradestation, ninja trader whack in some indicators and hope that you get lucky...

Otherwise try this:

( the author is kind enough to share it for free on his website)

Bruce Eckel's MindView, Inc: Thinking in C++ 2nd Edition by Bruce Eckel

(tis also available to buy on amazon):

Thinking in C++: Introduction to Standard C++ v.1: Introduction to Standard C++ Vol 1: Amazon.co.uk: Bruce Eckel: Books