We will start with an explanation of what exactly is an API, it is an Application Programming Interface is an interface or communication protocol between a client and a server intended to simplify the building of client-side software. What this means in layman terms for the cTrader API is that it is a gateway into the data and functions of the trading platform which will allow requests to either retrieve data like the current price of a symbol or commands to submit an order and manage trades.
Learn the cTrader API
Spotware has provided an API to allow access to both indicators and cBots, at the time of writing the API is well-written and clean, but not extensive, so it should not be difficult even for a beginner to understand in a short period of time.
- Learn The Trading API
- cTrader Automate API 3.01
- Learn The Indicator API
- API Object Reference
- How to Protect Your Source Code
Prerequisites
In order to be able to create your own automated trading systems (ATS) or cBots as they are known with cTrader or custom indicators, you will need a few skills in your toolbox.
- A basic understanding of Microsoft C# and the .NET Framework.
- An understanding of the cTrader API.
- Knowledge of trading the markets.
- How to design your algorithms
How to Learn C#
It is possible to learn the basics of C# and apply this to building your automated trading systems quickly, not everyone has the aptitude to program and sometime sit is easier to contact a professional development company. Microsoft C# is a modern object-oriented programming language developed in 2000 by Anders Hejlsberg at Microsoft as a rival to Java and the syntax is very similar. It was created because Sun, (later bought by Oracle) did not want Microsoft to make changes to Java, so Microsoft chose to create their own language instead.
Learn How to Design
Many self-taught programmers miss out on one of the most important steps of building their trading system and that is the design, good design provides clean maintainable code and reduces the total development time.
If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.
Our Algorithmic Trading School
We put together some educational material to help traders, we offer Free training videos to help you learn Microsoft C# using Visual Studio for the cTrader trading platform.
Looking for a Developer?
We offer a professional development service to our customers to help them build automated trading systems (cBots) and custom indicators.