Help with Very Basic First Code (Python) by Jared Vetto

Jared Vetto INVESTOR

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Hi - totally new here. I'm familiar with the basics of python but a bit out of my depth here. I am trying to create a sample first trading bot to learn. I want to:

Starting at 9:45am EST
Get the price of an Equity, store in variable
Add $5.00 to the that price
Make a Market Purchase Order if that price is reached (checking every minute)

I've initialized the equity as such:

        self.amzn = self.AddEquity("AMZN", Resolution.Minute)

Is that all I need to initialize? (other than start-end date and setCash)

Does everything else happen in the OnData method? Or Do I need to create a separate MarketOrder method? I can do the logical operations, I'm just confused what the final code might look like in terms of what goes where. I've tried looking at the Demonstration Algorithms but couldn't quite follow.

Any help is appreciated, thank you.

Update Backtest

Jared Vetto

Accepted Answer

Update Backtest

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AK M

75.1k ,

I haven't run this code but this might help you:

class Borg(QCAlgorithm):



    def Initialize(self):

        self.SetStartDate(2019, 1, 1)  # Set Start Date

        self.SetEndDate(2020, 4, 3)  # Set End Date

        self.SetCash(100000)  # Set Strategy Cash

        

        self.amzn = self.AddEquity("AMZN" Resolution.Minute)

        self.orderPrice = -1 

   



    def OnData(self, slice):

      

        if self.Time.hour  == 9 and self.Time.minute == 45: # at 9:45

            self.orderPrice = self.amzn.Close + 5.00 # or Last, or Open, or w/e you want

            

        if self.Time.hour  == 9 and self.Time.minute > 45:

            if not self.Portfolio.Invested and self.amzn.Close > self.orderPrice:

                #quantity = self.CalculateOrderQuantity("AMZN", 1.0)

                #self.MarketOrder("AMZN", quantity)

                #OR

                self.SetHoldings("AMZN", 1.0)

A better way to do what you want to do is just use a limit order set to the price you want to buy at. It'll automatically execute when the price reaches that value so don't have to manually check the price every minute.

Also try some of the Boot Camp tutorials and check out the Documentation, it's worth it in the long run.

Jared Vetto

71 ,

Thank you so much! I've been going through the bootcamps but this really helps me get an feel for the structure of code and execution to complete a task. (I'm not using limit orders because I want to do more logic with the price value.) Appreciate the help.

Jared Vetto

71 ,

It seems this code is executing only once across my start-end dates of a month (there is one trade made in the backtest). How do I have it run every day?

AK M

75.1k ,

It's only running once because it only makes an investement if nothing has yet been invested yet. It also invests the entire portfolio.

If you wanted to make more than one trade, you need to modify the "not self.Portfolio.Invested" and change it to your liking. You may also want to invest a fraction of your porfolio, so do something like "self.SetHoldings("AMZN", 0.05)" to invest 5% of your portfolio every time you want to make a trade.

Jared Vetto

71 ,

Right, I missed that condition. I'll try running it without it.

Having read the "Understanding Time" document, trying to verify my understanding:

The "slice" of time in the onData event refers to the resolution I set for the equity or currency pair? I can trust the algorithm within OnData will automatically run again for the next period (9:45, 9:46, 9:47... etc.)?

Thanks again!

Jared Broad

Hi JV! I highly recommend completing Boot Camp. Most of your questions are covered in Boot Camp and you'll be given a step by step tutorial to learn the API and how to the data moves through QuantConnect.

Jared Vetto

71 ,

After going through the Forex Boot Camp a few more times, I think I'm starting to get it. Thanks! Learning the API and finance conventions at the same time is quite the task!

Jared Vetto INVESTOR

Update Backtest

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