Run IB Trader Workstation℠ Application

Ensure the IB Trader Workstation℠ application is running, and that API connections are enabled. Follow these steps in IB Trader Workstation℠.

Connect to IB Trader Workstation℠

Connect to the IB Trader Workstation℠ and create connection ib using the local host and default port number 7496.

ib = ibtws('',7496);

When the Accept incoming connection attempt message appears in the IB Trader Workstation℠, click Yes.

Retrieve Historical and Current Data

Create the IB Trader Workstation℠ IContract object ibContract. This object specifies the security. Retrieve data for Microsoft® stock. Specifying SMART as the exchange lets Interactive Brokers® determine which venue to use for data retrieval. To clarify any ambiguity, set the primary exchange for the destination to NASDAQ. To retrieve dollar-denominated stock, set the currency type to USD. Setting currency type is useful when stocks are dual-listed or multi-listed across different jurisdictions.

ibContract = ib.Handle.createContract;
ibContract.symbol = 'MSFT';
ibContract.secType = 'STK';
ibContract.exchange = 'SMART';
ibContract.primaryExchange = 'NASDAQ';
ibContract.currency = 'USD';

Define the date range for the last 20 business days, excluding today. To calculate the appropriate start and end dates, this code uses the daysadd function from Financial Toolbox™.

bizDayConvention = 13; % i.e. BUS/252
currentdate = today;
startDate = daysadd(currentdate,-20,bizDayConvention);
endDate = daysadd(currentdate,-1,bizDayConvention);

Retrieve historical data for the last 20 business days.

histTradeData = history(ib,ibContract,startDate,endDate);

The history function accepts additional parameters that let you obtain other historical data such as option-implied volatility, historical volatility, bid prices, ask prices, or midpoints. If you do not specify anything, last traded prices return by default.

Retrieve current price data from the contract.

currentData = getdata(ib,ibContract)

currentData = 

  struct with fields:

    LAST_PRICE: 62.8500
     LAST_SIZE: 1
        VOLUME: 41273
     BID_PRICE: 62.8400
      BID_SIZE: 17
     ASK_PRICE: 62.8600
      ASK_SIZE: 12

Create Trade Market Order

The IB Trader Workstation℠ supports various order types, including basic types such as limit orders, stop orders, and market orders.

Create the IB Trader Workstation℠ Iorder object ibMktOrder. This object specifies the order. To buy shares, specify the action BUY. To specify buying 100 shares, set totalQuantity to 100. To create a market order, specify the order type as MKT.

ibMktOrder = ib.Handle.createOrder;
ibMktOrder.action = 'BUY';
ibMktOrder.totalQuantity = 100;
ibMktOrder.orderType = 'MKT';

Set a unique order identifier and send the order to Interactive Brokers®.

id = orderid(ib);

result = createOrder(ib,ibContract,ibMktOrder,id)

result = 

  struct with fields:

             STATUS: 'Submitted'
             FILLED: 0
          REMAINING: 100
     AVG_FILL_PRICE: 0
            PERM_ID: '1621177315'
          PARENT_ID: 0
    LAST_FILL_PRICE: 0
          CLIENT_ID: 0
           WHY_HELD: ''

Specify Different Instrument

You can trade various instruments using the IB Trader Workstation℠ API, including equities, futures, options, futures options, and foreign currencies.

ibFutures is the E-mini Standard and Poor's 500 futures contract on the CME Globex with a December 2013 expiry. Specify the symbol as ES, the security type as a futures contract FUT, the expiry as a YYYYMM date format, the exchange as GLOBEX, and the currency as USD.

ibFutures = ib.Handle.createContract;
ibFutures.symbol = 'ES';
ibFutures.secType = 'FUT';
ibFutures.expiry = '201312'; % Dec 2013
ibFutures.exchange = 'GLOBEX';
ibFutures.currency = 'USD';

Retrieve futures data and send orders using the getdata and createOrder functions.

Close IB Trader Workstation℠ Connection

close(ib)