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An automated trading platform that eliminates daily chart routines
We developed a trading platform that allows users to create their own rules to trigger alerts and automate orders.
Too much time on manual tasks
A privately held trading software company from South Africa offers technical analysis, trading strategies, initiatives, and business opportunities to brokers, private investors, family trusts, financial houses, and hedge funds. Working with large trading volumes, the team used to rely on charts and indicators that they had to set up manually every day. It was tedious, error-prone, slow, and far from agile. That’s why the business’s leaders started exploring ways to automate the process.
Domain
Trading
Solution
Desktop app
Service
Custom software development
Duration
Approx. 2800 man-hours
Team
A project manager, 2 .Net developers, 2 QA specialists
Technology
.NET, C++, ASP.NET, MS Visual Studio, WPF
Defining the solution
The initial concept was clear: a system that lets users automate trades using custom rules. But the details—how the rules would be created, what the interface would look like, and how it would connect to live market data—were still undecided. At this stage, the company engaged EffectiveSoft.
In a series of discovery sessions, we dove into the organization’s processes, particularly their daily interactions with charts, trading tools, and market data. That insight helped us define clear requirements and a step-by-step development plan. To enable users to build trading logic without relying on code, we proposed to base rule creation on visual logic. Our idea was to let traders define conditions and actions using chart elements and indicators. This approach was well received, and we began the implementation phase.
Implementation and challenges
Our team designed the architecture, built both the back end and front end, and created the user interface (UI) from scratch. A critical part of the implementation was the integration with Interactive Brokers—a globally established and trusted brokerage firm. This allowed us to deliver real-time market data and execute trading orders precisely and reliably. We also built a modular architecture that enables seamless integration with additional brokers or data providers upon request.
Solution architecture
The system consists of two main components: the server side and the client side.
Server side
The platform, hosted on Windows Azure, is integrated with Interactive Brokers through a dedicated proxy module. Receiving live streaming quotes for all active currency pairs, the server evaluates user-defined trading rules and executes orders when conditions are met. It also broadcasts market data to all connected client apps and handles user actions such as creating, editing, and deleting rules, indicators, and chart tools.
Client side
The client side is a Windows-based desktop app built with WPF, Microsoft’s framework for building rich and responsive user interfaces. Compatible with all modern versions of Windows, the app provides traders with real-time interactive charts, access to indicators, and drawing tools. Users can create and manage trading rules, monitor rule execution, review trade history, and adjust account and strategy settings.
For fast and responsive real-time charting, we used the SciCharts library, optimized for high-frequency financial data.
Key platform capabilities
To automate trading decisions without sacrificing control, the solution enables the following:
- Multiaccount support. Users can work with several accounts and brokers in one place. All rules and execution logic are consistent and centralized.
- Always-on trading automation. Once rules are set, the server keeps strategies running, with no need for constant monitoring.
- Independent logic per trading pair. Each trading pair can be managed independently, with its own indicators, chart tools, and rules.
- Operational time configuration. Users define when the system is allowed to place orders, aligning activity with market hours or personal preferences. Outside of those hours, the system blocks new orders but continues processing modification-related rules.
- Customizable charts. The platform supports different chart types, such as candlestick, line, and OHLC.
- Backtesting support. Programmed rules can be backtested on historical data.
See also:
Trading Platform Development
As a renowned provider of trading platform development services with 20+ years of IT experience, EffectiveSoft offers unparalleled solutions to various businesses in the financial sector.
What changed for the business
The company moved from a slow, manual trading process that required hours spent drawing levels and control charts to a system that automatically tracks conditions and instantly triggers actions or alerts. This reduced the daily workload, minimized the risk of human error, and freed up time for higher-level decisions.