Why .abx

A trading language built for how people trade now.

The older trading languages were each made for one platform, many years ago. AlgoBarsX was made later, with their lessons in hand. Here is where it is better, and where it is not.

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Five ideas the others do not have.

It reads itself back

The compiler turns every script into plain English. You check the words, not just the code.

Units are real

1%, 25 pips, 2R and $200 are different types. Mixing them up is an error, not a surprise.

Risk is in the grammar

The risk, the stop and the target are on the order line. Position size follows from them.

One script, four jobs

Chart, backtest, alerts and live orders all read the same file. Nothing is rewritten.

The rules are written down

How every order fills is set out in 24 numbered rules, and 678 tests must pass on every build.

It welcomes your old code

It imports from six other languages and tells you what it did to every line.

Side by side.

This table sticks to things you can check. Names belong to their owners.

What to compareAlgoBarsXPine ScriptMQL4 / MQL5NinjaScriptEasyLanguagePython
Style of codePlain words, short linesIts own script styleLike C++C#English-like, older styleGeneral purpose
Where it runsAlgoBars, linked to your broker accountTradingViewMetaTraderNinjaTraderTradeStationAnywhere you set it up
Reads back in plain EnglishYes, built inNoNoNoNoNo
Percent, pips, R and money as real typesYesPlain numbersPlain numbersPlain numbersPlain numbersPlain numbers
Size a trade by risk on the order lineYesYou work it outYou work it outYou work it outYou work it outDepends on your library
Stop, target and management under the orderYesSeparate callsSeparate codeSeparate callsSeparate statementsDepends on your library
One file for chart, test, alerts and liveYesChart, test and alertsSeparate program typesSeparate script typesSeparate study typesYou build it
Imports code from other trading languagesYes, sixNoNoNoNoNo
Share without showing the codeYes. A sealed file still says what it doesYesYesYesYesNot built in
Free to useYes, $0 a monthFree and paid plansComes with the platformFree and paid licencesComes with the platformYes

Based on each product's public documentation at the time of writing. Check the vendor's own site before you decide.

Where the others are stronger.

You should hear this from us.

Bigger communities

Pine Script and MQL have huge libraries of shared scripts and many years of forum answers. AlgoBarsX is new, and its community is small.

Python can do anything

For machine learning, odd data sources or custom research, nothing beats a general language. AlgoBarsX is for trading rules, on purpose.

Tied-in platforms

If your whole desk lives inside one platform, its own language fits that platform best.

It is still in beta

Syntax and features may still change. There is no public API yet. Plan for both.

Why this matters.

Trading code moves real money, so the most useful thing a language can do is make mistakes hard to write and easy to see. That is what the read-back, the typed units and the written fill rules are for.

The file type is .abx. An open file carries its code. A sealed file runs without showing its code, yet still states its name, what it trades, its inputs and what it does in plain English. Closed about how it works, never about what it does.

Good questions.

Is AlgoBarsX better than Pine Script?

For reading code back, typed units, risk sizing and running one file everywhere, yes. For community size and shared scripts, Pine Script is far ahead. Many people will use both.

Can I keep my old scripts?

Yes. Paste them and AlgoBarsX rewrites them with a note on every line. See Convert.

What does beta mean for us?

The language works and passes 678 tests on every build. It is still being improved, so some syntax and features may change. Plan for that.

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Trading is risky. You can lose money. It is not right for everyone.