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Date/Time: Sun, 08 Sep 2024 00:44:19 +0000



IB Symbol naming in Sierra for Ftse100 options

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[2014-11-26 17:01:06]
User24804 - Posts: 19
Please can you provide me with the correct Sierra symbol for use with IB for Ftse100 options.
I have tried many combinations and get error messages mainly improperly formed symbol types

I should advise you that the exchange LIFFE has been acquired by ICE and renamed and the correct exchange symbol is ICEEU (replacing LIFFE)
As examples
the underlying index FTSE100 works correctly as Z-I-ICEEU
the future for this FTSE100 (december next) works correctly as Z-201412-ICEEU

My question is
What symbol would work in Sierra for December 2014 CALL options with a strike of 6800 European style

Interactive brokers reports the description information for this security as follows
FTSE 100 Index
Security Type  OPT
Underlying  Z IND
Contract Month  DEC14
Expiration  DEC 19 '14 10:15 GMT
Strike    6800
Right    Call
Currency  GBP
Multiplier  1000
Exchange  ICEEU
Trading Class  ESX
Symbol    ESX DEC14 68 C
Product Type  Equity Index
Settlement Method  Cash
Exercise Style  European

Thank you in advance trusting that the supporting information is useful (error log attatched)
Private File
[2014-11-26 17:55:42]
Sierra Chart - Max - Posts: 5657
Refer to the Interactive Brokers symbol formats here:
Interactive Brokers Symbols

Try:


Z-OPT-20141219-6800-C-ICEEU-1000-GBP




Sierra Chart Support
Date Time Of Last Edit: 2014-12-17 23:54:13
[2014-11-26 18:51:54]
Sierra Chart Engineering - Posts: 104368
This would be the symbol to try:

Z-OPT-20141219-6800-C-ICEEU-1000-GBP
Sierra Chart Support - Engineering Level

Your definitive source for support. Other responses are from users. Try to keep your questions brief and to the point. Be aware of support policy:
https://www.sierrachart.com/index.php?l=PostingInformation.php#GeneralInformation

For the most reliable, advanced, and zero cost futures order routing, *change* to the Teton service:
Sierra Chart Teton Futures Order Routing
[2014-11-27 10:18:16]
User24804 - Posts: 19
Thank you
Using Z-OPT-20141219-6800-C-ICEEU-1000-GBP
I have tried opening intraday and historic charts during market hours and during closed hours without success

The symbol format appears to comply with the rules and doesn't throw up errors refering to symbol format but fails to find any data to download.

For information I have also tried (and failed)
replacing OPT with O
replacing 20141219 with 201412
also leaving off the currency and multiplier parts of the symbol in case a default existed

I should add that during these trials, charts are available within IB's TWS app so the data does exist somewhere
I have attatched Sierra log files for both scid and dly charts for you info

There seems to be an interface problem somewhere, I hope you can advise how to get these charts but meanwhile enjoy thanksgiving
attachmentZ-OPT-20141219-6800-C-ICEEU-1000-GBP-scid.txt - Attached On 2014-11-27 10:14:02 UTC - Size: 2.46 KB - 496 views
attachmentZ-OPT-20141219-6800-C-ICEEU-1000-GBP-dly.txt - Attached On 2014-11-27 10:14:37 UTC - Size: 1.46 KB - 496 views
[2014-11-28 03:19:16]
Sierra Chart Engineering - Posts: 104368
First, we do not know the exact answer to this.

Only Interactive Brokers will know.

This is the relevant Error Message:
Message from IB: No security definition has been found for the request. IB Error Code: 200

The only other thing we can recommend is to try this symbol format:
ESX DEC14 68 C-OPT-ICEEU


After this you will need to contact Interactive Brokers:
http://www.sierrachart.com/index.php?page=doc/IBSymbols.html#ContactingIBForSymbolSpecifications
Sierra Chart Support - Engineering Level

Your definitive source for support. Other responses are from users. Try to keep your questions brief and to the point. Be aware of support policy:
https://www.sierrachart.com/index.php?l=PostingInformation.php#GeneralInformation

For the most reliable, advanced, and zero cost futures order routing, *change* to the Teton service:
Sierra Chart Teton Futures Order Routing
[2014-12-15 21:28:40]
User24804 - Posts: 19
Now solved
I have contacted IB re this issue.
They do not comment on symbol format regarding Third Party software since there are hundreds of TP's and each gathers symbols in their own proprietary way.

So its down to Sierra software engineering mostly to tell us the format Sierra requires
Regarding options IB require the API to feed the following (and in this order I have found)
Root ticker Z
Expiry 201412 see note at end
Strike 68 (for 6800)
Right C
Exchange ICEEU
Multiplier 1000
Currency GBP
Trading class ESX see note at end

Because Ftse100 options only have one expiry day per month YYYYMM data is sufficient.
Multiplier and Trading class can be provided on an either/or basis

After massive experimentation I have found that the following format seems succesful, the final key was to enter the strike as (say)68 for 6800, 66.5 for 6650

It may help others to use the





[2014-12-15 21:35:25]
User24804 - Posts: 19
oops k/bd error
commentary continued

It may help others to use the formats below

for 6800 Calls for example
Z-OPT-201412-68-C-ICEEU-1000-GBP

or for 6650 Puts
Z-OPT-201412-66.5-P-ICEEU-1000-GBP

Both seem to give sensible data but no intraday data seems available outside market hours whether historic or otherwise

Regards
Martin
[2014-12-17 23:06:43]
Sierra Chart Engineering - Posts: 104368
The Sierra Chart symbol format for Interactive Brokers is a hyphen separated text string consisting of the different parts of an Interactive Brokers contract structure. So each part of the symbol, is passed to a different contract member and these are all documented here:
Interactive Brokers Symbols

Therefore, this is not really true:

They do not comment on symbol format regarding Third Party software since there are hundreds of TP's and each gathers symbols in their own proprietary way.

So its down to Sierra software engineering mostly to tell us the format Sierra requires

It is fully Interactive Brokers responsibility to help you with this and then you take the information that they give you, and look at the Sierra Chart Interactive Brokers symbol format and assemble the symbol on your own. So in the end, this difficulty was the result of Interactive Brokers not giving you good proper information assuming they were giving you the wrong strike price.


If you need help with the information from Interactive Brokers and how to create a Sierra Chart formatted symbol from it, we can do that.
Sierra Chart Support - Engineering Level

Your definitive source for support. Other responses are from users. Try to keep your questions brief and to the point. Be aware of support policy:
https://www.sierrachart.com/index.php?l=PostingInformation.php#GeneralInformation

For the most reliable, advanced, and zero cost futures order routing, *change* to the Teton service:
Sierra Chart Teton Futures Order Routing
Date Time Of Last Edit: 2014-12-17 23:07:27
[2014-12-17 23:38:25]
User24804 - Posts: 19
I refer you to the post 18942 when Sierra said:-

>>First, we do not know the exact answer to this.

Only Interactive Brokers will know.<<

Anyway the problem is solved and I consider the matter closed
[2014-12-17 23:55:09]
Sierra Chart Engineering - Posts: 104368
Yes, this is correct.

The problem is the strike price they gave was not correct:

Strike 6800

It does not correspond to what you actually need to use through the Interactive Brokers API. Do they specify that somewhere? How is anyone to know this?
Sierra Chart Support - Engineering Level

Your definitive source for support. Other responses are from users. Try to keep your questions brief and to the point. Be aware of support policy:
https://www.sierrachart.com/index.php?l=PostingInformation.php#GeneralInformation

For the most reliable, advanced, and zero cost futures order routing, *change* to the Teton service:
Sierra Chart Teton Futures Order Routing

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