I've tried to setup Interactive Broker's C++ API in Visual Studio 2008, but I know very limited C++ and I keep getiing errors. :<

1) Is there any way to use some kind of light scripting language to connect to Interactive Brokers and make trade. F.E.

login.('username','password')
>>>'Connected'
makeTrade('GOOG','550')
>>>'Trade Completed'

Something light like Python would be just fine, and yes I have looked into IBPY, but I do not understand how the java2python system works.

2) How did you setup your automated system, or how would you set up your automated trading system with Interactive Brokers?

• python
• interactive-brokers

The "DDE for Excel" API is by far the easiest of the API's to get up and running, and IB provides a sample program with instructions as to how to get it working. Also, the provided Java sample program is well documented as to how to get it working.

http://institutions.interactivebrokers.com/php/apiUsersGuide/apiguide.htm

They don't provide a Python API.

While there's no officially supported Python API, I've been using ibpy successfully for months now, and it's quite easy. No need to concern oneself with java2python etc. All I had to do was clone ibpy somewhere:

git clone https://github.com/blampe/IbPy

install from there:

cd IbPy
python setup.py install

And voila, it's done. I got this originally from http://www.quantstart.com/articles/Using-Python-IBPy-and-the-Interactive-Brokers-API-to-Automate-Trades

Once you've got that installed, the interface in python is pretty much identical to the Java API interface: IB API pdf

I found it useful to look at the TWS Test Client Java code included with the IB API.

Edit: IB has now had their own python API for a while, so not much more need for ibPy unless you're on python 2.

Or you can use R with IBrokers package.Example:

tws <- twsConnect()
id <- reqIds(tws)
placeOrder(tws, twsSTK("AAPL"), twsOrder(id))
cancelOrder(id)