Programming/Coding on Betfair

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Euler
Posts: 24700
Joined: Wed Nov 10, 2010 1:39 pm
Location: Bet Angel HQ

I was going to learn Python to help my kids and encourage them into coding. What is the best IDE for it, in the informed wisdom of the forum?

As in, I want something that they could get on with, having never coded before.
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northbound
Posts: 737
Joined: Mon Mar 20, 2017 11:22 pm

Euler wrote:
Thu Nov 14, 2019 4:02 pm
I was going to learn Python to help my kids and encourage them into coding. What is the best IDE for it, in the informed wisdom of the forum?
My take: you don't need an IDE, especially at the beginning. All you need is a text editor with syntax highlighting.

My editor of choice is Sublime Text which is not free. A free one I could recommend is Atom.
LinusP
Posts: 1871
Joined: Mon Jul 02, 2012 10:45 pm

Euler wrote:
Thu Nov 14, 2019 4:02 pm
I was going to learn Python to help my kids and encourage them into coding. What is the best IDE for it, in the informed wisdom of the forum?

As in, I want something that they could get on with, having never coded before.
PyCharm, combined with an anaconda distribution it will give you all the libraries you need whilst you learn. Great debugger and interactive console as well.


Yes I am on the extreme end when it comes to infrastructure costs but I have worked with teams where 5 figures per month are normal. But then I know one guy who spends £25 a month and is very profitable! For my first year I created an AWS account and never went more than £5 above the free tier for a year.
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ShaunWhite
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Joined: Sat Sep 03, 2016 3:42 am

Wow you guys have some sophisticated setups. In comparison mine seems quite straightforward. Visual studio/C#, SQL... That's it.

Like LinusP I store the entire api stream but I move the data to my local machine daily (2gb?) so I don't need much server capacity. 2 servers costs me about 80 quid a month, each running multiple instances of my exe with parameters passed in via config files to control the various tasks it can perform, Collection only/Sim mode(from live or stored api data) /Live mode/strategy type/strategy params etc. All scheduled using TaskScheduler.

No UI, and I monitor progress & status etc using text logs which get pulled into Excel and viewed via RDP. If I did any scrapping or had a web app for monitoring it might be be more complex, but I don't, so it isn't.
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ShaunWhite
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Joined: Sat Sep 03, 2016 3:42 am

IDE? Visual Studio community edition. (free)
Everything in one place and a vast amount of available info/samples etc. KISS.
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George Bets
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Joined: Tue Jul 23, 2019 5:16 pm
Location: UK

Quite an interesting topic this. I regularly consider using the API as well, but never actually took this step.

All my strategies are run in Python, and this Python program communicates with the Excel sheets from BetAngel. Although this works for a limited number of markets at the same time, it is not an ideal situation. Especially if I want my trading system to be fast.

This topic makes me think about the API again. I know the it will eventually be the best decision, but it takes time to develop everything from scratch.
PeterLe
Posts: 3715
Joined: Wed Apr 15, 2009 3:19 pm

Euler wrote:
Thu Nov 14, 2019 4:02 pm
I was going to learn Python to help my kids and encourage them into coding. What is the best IDE for it, in the informed wisdom of the forum?

As in, I want something that they could get on with, having never coded before.
Peter
Check out the udemy course on the first post of the thread; very good and cheap (£13)
Ive started to sublime text on their recommendation; not sure how long Ill be able to use it without registering though..
PeterLe
Posts: 3715
Joined: Wed Apr 15, 2009 3:19 pm

LinusP wrote:
Thu Nov 14, 2019 7:17 am
I was lucky that I started learning when the new API was being rolled out..................
Bloody Hell Liam that is impressive :D
No wonder my profits have gone down over the years :D
Inspirational though as to what can be achieved and thanks for sharing the code
Regards
Peter
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johnsheppard
Posts: 283
Joined: Mon Feb 04, 2019 6:00 am
Location: Cairns Australia

ShaunWhite wrote:
Thu Nov 14, 2019 4:27 pm
No UI, and I monitor progress & status etc using text logs which get pulled into Excel and viewed via RDP. If I did any scrapping or had a web app for monitoring it might be be more complex, but I don't, so it isn't.
IMO, this the way to do it...at least in Microsoft world...simple is best...otherwise you spend your life engineering instead of making money...

My own app is partly the way it is because I came to trading last...I started out thinking I could make an edge from staking plans and abusing online casinos, then started automating matched betting, and a little bit of arbing before I realised there's no way I can scale that stuff......that's why I have a UI...and it's useful, but has overheads...

But I presume this is the path many go through when they are raised by parents to be risk averse non gamblers...
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mcgoo
Posts: 898
Joined: Thu Jul 18, 2013 12:30 pm

LinusP wrote:
Thu Nov 14, 2019 7:17 am
In my option in python is the best language to learn as a beginner, there are so many brilliant open source libraries available, requests / pandas / scipy / Django. It allows you to do a lot but with minimal experience, this of course comes at a cost due to it being a high level language it is never going to be as quick as C.

I was lucky that I started learning when the new API was being rolled out, I had 2/3 strategies running on BA that I migrated across to python in a month (from zero programming experience) I then soon realized that the open source wrappers available were a load of crap and not maintained so wrote my own. I have then just kept on top of changes and was one of the first to develop streaming which opened up a lot of doors!



This is my web app which I use to monitor things whilst lying on the beach ;)

55740446-C6B3-4AF1-9A2E-D008C8A869BD.png
Damn that's impressive.Congrats. :ugeek: You are what I want to be when I grow up :lol: ..maybe in the next life :)
Seriously well done...inspirational stuff
LinusP
Posts: 1871
Joined: Mon Jul 02, 2012 10:45 pm

What are you all waiting for? :D

In my view the markets combined with the betfair API (streaming) have never been so good for automation, get started! Worst case is you learn the basics in programming and walk into a new job, I work PT for a consultancy (helps with the mortgage ;) ) and we find it extremely difficult to hire people with applied technical skills like trading / automation teaches you.

Edit: if anyone wants their app key authorised let me know and feel free to join the slack group if you want specific python API help (over 300 people now including some very big players)

https://github.com/liampauling/betfair
SweetLyrics
Posts: 207
Joined: Sat Jun 16, 2018 7:57 pm

Hi Simon,

Maybe I can add some input here, having started a software development MSc conversion course a couple of months ago.

A lot of the people on my course had no prior programming experience. They are intelligent people, with everyone on the course having a 2:1 or a first (except me - I managed to get in with a 2:2, but I digress! :lol: ). However, many are humanities graduates, and having maths ability wasn't a prerequisite for joining the course. In 12 months' time, everyone on the course should have enough programming ability to get a junior programming job (although that is kind of like passing your driving test - you are still very much a beginner at that point). So, yeah, it can be done.

And if you have a mate who knows Java (or whatever language you're learning) who doesn't mind giving you occasional help, then that can ease the journey, but it's not necessary in my opinion. If you study from a book and do the exercises in it, you'll get there (and the compiler will give you a lovely red cross every time you make a silly error, to keep you focused and on track!).

The positives:

- It's a great skill to have.

- It can be very rewarding (especially when you find a creative solution or crack a problem that you thought was beyond your abilities).

The negatives:

- It can be a lonely and frustrating journey at times (much like becoming a trader). There have been times when I've been plagued with self-doubt and wondering if this course was for me. As with any new skill, you're going to suck before you're any good, and that doesn't sit well with the ego.

- To get any good at programming, you need to practice, practice, practice. That requires a level of self-discipline. You won't get good by buying a programming book. Only work will make you good.

So if you are a bit of a procrastinator or dislike the prospect of doing something that can be emotionally draining and where success isn't guaranteed, then maybe programming isn't for you. However, I have no regrets about the journey I've embarked upon - quite the opposite - and I intend to see if through.

Good luck, whatever you decide to do.
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johnsheppard
Posts: 283
Joined: Mon Feb 04, 2019 6:00 am
Location: Cairns Australia

I have no idea how they measure the popularity of a language but this is interesting to watch;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EifKIF ... e=youtu.be

It shows the changing popularity over the years in a chart...python is at the top recently.... but lol so is PHP a lot of the way...gah...I'd kill myself if I had to use that on daily basis...

Found at;
https://www.reddit.com/r/csharp/comment ... 2004_2019/

The comments are biased cause its a csharp reddit... :)
spreadbetting
Posts: 3140
Joined: Sun Jan 31, 2010 8:06 pm

PeterLe wrote:
Thu Nov 14, 2019 6:53 pm
Euler wrote:
Thu Nov 14, 2019 4:02 pm
I was going to learn Python to help my kids and encourage them into coding. What is the best IDE for it, in the informed wisdom of the forum?

As in, I want something that they could get on with, having never coded before.
Peter
Check out the udemy course on the first post of the thread; very good and cheap (£13)
Ive started to sublime text on their recommendation; not sure how long Ill be able to use it without registering though..
Have you done/doing that course, Peter? How did or are you finding it , also is it this one https://www.udemy.com/course/the-modern ... -bootcamp/ as this one is £19.99 so dunno if it's the same one but guessing it is. Think it's time I stopped procrastinating and finally switched from php :(

Never done one of these online courses before can you go back and to modules and how log do you have to access them, thanks
spreadbetting
Posts: 3140
Joined: Sun Jan 31, 2010 8:06 pm

Went back to look to buy it and they'd dropped the price to £12 :o Little to lose at that price so bought it, just have to find the time to actually do it now.
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