FXCM Strategy Trader Random Entry Systems

[Jim]

Here is a new version of our first example robot, ported to the beta version of FXCM's new Strategy Trader automated trading platform. FXCM refer to "robots" as "Strategy Advisors", no doubt influenced by MetaTraders "Expert Advisors"!

If you want to experiment with it at the moment you'll need to need to apply to FXCM to become a beta tester first. You'll also need to open an FXCM demo account, and make sure hedging is disabled.

We actually had quite a lot of trouble getting this initial port working properly. One essential thing you need to do beforehand is to set up a dual one minute bar chart, showing the ask price at the top, and the bid price at the bottom. It should finish up looking something like this:

GuruEx01-ST-1min.jpg

Once you've done that, compile our source code in the Strategy Language Editor, drag it onto the chart from the "Strategy Advisors" section of the "Navigation" pane, and start playing!

[Jim]

Stop Press!

FXCM now allow you to download Strategy Trader direct from their website, and they now provide walkthrough videos too.

Also they appear to have renamed Strategy Advisors as "stEAs"!

Read all about it over on our blog.

[Jim]

P.S. I just discovered that you don't seem to be able to use Strategy Trader to do backtests at weekends:

http://forexforums.dailyfx.com/strat...tml#post554742

One more Irritating Issue to add to the list

Further backtest results will have to wait

Sorry,

Jim

[Jim]

To persuade Strategy Trader to run stEAs in a similar fashion to MetaTrader 4 (and most other platforms come to that) you need to ensure that the strategy auto trading properties are set up as follows.

ST-AutoMarket-2.jpg

Note that (as of Strategy Trader build 282 at least) this is NOT the default configuration. Make sure those boxes are NOT checked.

You can access that screen by right clicking on your chart, then selecting "Format Strategy Advisor" -> "Properties" -> "Auto Trading" tab.

[Jim]

FXCM Strategy Trader doesn't by default work in the same way as MetaTrader 4 when it comes to feeding quotes to your strategy (stEA as opposed to EA!).

MT4 feeds every tick to your "robot", whatever time frame chart it is attached to. By default Strategy Trader only lets your "strategy advisor" know when a new bar has started. To persuade it to work the same way as MetaTrader you need to turn on Intra-Bar Order Generation. Here's how:

ST-IntraBar-1.jpg

You can access that screen by right clicking on your chart, then selecting "Format Strategy Advisor" -> "Format" -> "Intra-Bar Order Generation" tab.