ib-tws-api

Another node.js API client for Interactive Brokers TWS / IB Gateway. ES6 module this time and supports async/await syntax. No dependencies.

Code is based on official API, python version which can be found here.

Installation

$ npm install ib-tws-api

Explore examples here.

Usage

Request/response methods:

import { Client } from 'ib-tws-api';

let api = new Client({
  host: '127.0.0.1',
  port: 4001
});

let time = await api.getCurrentTime();
console.log('current time: ' + time);

Streaming methods:

let contract = Contract.forex('EURUSD');

let e = await api.streamMarketData({
  contract: contract
});

e.on('tick', (t) => {
  console.log(t.ticker);
});

e.on('error', (e) => {
  console.log('error');
  console.log(e);
});

setTimeout(() => {
  e.stop();
  console.log('shut down streaming');
}, 10000);

Logging / debugging

Define

• NODE_DEBUG=ib-tws-api for debug info at logic level
• NODE_DEBUG=ib-tws-api-bytes for debug info at byte level

Commands

Not all commands provided by API are implemented since I use it for myself and I like to work only on something I use. But most essential are.

Feel free to PR if you want to support more commands.

async connect(parameters) Connects to TWS/IB Gateway application

• host
• port
• clientId defaults to 1
• timeoutMs timeout in msec for request/response calls

async getCurrentTime() Asks the current system time on the server side

streamMarketData(parameters) Starts to stream market data.

async getMarketDataSnapshot(p) Returns market data snapshot.

async reqMarketDataType(marketDataType) The API can receive frozen market data from Trader Workstation. Frozen market data is the last data recorded in our system. During normal trading hours, the API receives real-time market data. If you use this function, you are telling TWS to automatically switch to frozen market data after the close. Then, before the opening of the next trading day, market data will automatically switch back to real-time market data.

• marketDataType 1 for real-time streaming market data or 2 for frozen market data

streamTickByTickData(p) Starts tick-by-tick streaming.

• contract
• tickType
• numberOfTicks: int
• ignoreSize

placeOrder(p) Place new order

• contract
• order

async cancelOrder(orderId) Cancel order

async getOpenOrders() Request the open orders that were placed from this client. The client with a clientId of 0 will also receive the TWS-owned open orders. These orders will be associated with the client and a new orderId will be generated. This association will persist over multiple API and TWS sessions

async reqAutoOpenOrders(bAutoBind) Call this function to request that newly created TWS orders be implicitly associated with the client. When a new TWS order is created, the order will be associated with the client.

Note:  This request can only be made from a client with clientId of 0.

• bAutoBind: If set to TRUE, newly created TWS orders will be implicitly associated with the client. If set to FALSE, no association will be made.

async getAllOpenOrders() Call this function to request the open orders placed from all clients and also from TWS. No association is made between the returned orders and the requesting client.

async reqGlobalCancel() Cancel all open orders globally. It cancels both API and TWS open orders.

reqAccountUpdates(p) Start getting account values, portfolio

• subscribe:bool - If set to TRUE, the client will start receiving account and Portfoliolio updates. If set to FALSE, the client will stop receiving this information.
• accountCode:str -The account code for which to receive account and portfolio updates.

async getPositions() Returns real-time position data for all accounts.

async cancelPositions() Cancels real-time position updates.

async getContractDetails(contract) Download all details for a particular underlying.

• contract:Contract - The summary description of the contract being looked up.

async getHistoricalData(p) Requests contracts' historical data. When requesting historical data, a finishing time and date is required along with a duration string.

• requestId:TickerId - The id of the request. Must be a unique value. When the market data returns, it whatToShowill be identified by this tag. This is also used when canceling the market data.

• contract:Contract - This object contains a description of the contract for which market data is being requested.

• endDateTime:str - Defines a query end date and time at any point during the past 6 mos. Valid values include any date/time within the past six months in the format: yyyymmdd HH:mm:ss ttt

  where "ttt" is the optional time zone.
  

• duration:str - Set the query duration up to one week, using a time unit of seconds, days or weeks. Valid values include any integer followed by a space and then S (seconds), D (days) or W (week). If no unit is specified, seconds is used.

• barSizeSetting:str - Specifies the size of the bars that will be returned (within IB/TWS listimits). Valid values include: 1 sec 5 secs 15 secs 30 secs 1 min 2 mins 3 mins 5 mins 15 mins 30 mins 1 hour 1 day

• whatToShow:str - Determines the nature of data beinging extracted. Valid values include: TRADES MIDPOINT BID ASK BID_ASK HISTORICAL_VOLATILITY OPTION_IMPLIED_VOLATILITY useRth:int - Determines whether to return all data available during the requested time span, or only data that falls within regular trading hours. Valid values include:

  0 - all data is returned even where the market in question was outside of its
  regular trading hours.
  1 - only data within the regular trading hours is returned, even if the
  requested time span falls partially or completely outside of the RTH.
  

• formatDate: int - Determines the date format applied to returned bars. validd values include:

  1 - dates applying to bars returned in the format: yyyymmdd{space}{space}hh:mm:dd
  2 - dates are returned as a long integer specifying the number of seconds since
      1/1/1970 GMT.`
  

async getHeadTimeStamp(p) Note that formatData parameter affects intraday bars only 1-day bars always return with date in YYYYMMDD format.

• whatToShow: str
• useRth: int
• formatDate: int

async reqHistogramData(p)

• contract: Contract,
• useRth: bool,
• timePeriod: str

async getHistoricalTicks(p)

• contract: Contract,
• startDateTime: str,
• endDateTime: str,
• numberOfTicks: int,
• whatToShow: str,
• useRth: int,
• ignoreSize: bool,
• miscOptions: TagValueList

async reqScannerParameters() Requests an XML string that describes all possible scanner queries.

async getSecDefOptParams(p) Requests security definition option parameters for viewing a contract's option chain requestId the ID chosen for the request underlyingSymbol futFopExchange The exchange on which the returned options are trading. Can be set to the empty string "" for all exchanges.

• contract: contract of the underlying security. conId has to be specified
• futFopExchange: str
• exchange: client-side filter of exchange of option's, since futFopExchange returns empty result when specified)

Events

• error (error) on error
• close on connection closed
• tick on market data tick

Contract shortcuts

• Contract.forex('EURUSD')
• Contract.stock('AAPL')
• Contract.stock({symbol: 'AMD', conId: 4391}) - with extra fields

Order shortcuts

• Order.limit({action: 'BUY', totalQuantity: 1, lmtPrice: 0.01})
• Order.market({action: 'BUY', totalQuantity: 1})
• Order.stop({action: 'BUY', totalQuantity: 1, auxPrice: 0.01})

Consultancy & Development

I had to write that piece of code since I couldn't find acceptable Node.js client for IB but it wasn't desirable to add python to the project stack. Hope you won't have to repeat the same.

Feel free to contact me if you need some extra (paid) help with your software.

Disclaimer

The software is provided on the conditions of the MIT license.

Best Regards, Max Shaposhnikov [e-mail]