How to build a live, visual chart of in-play odds?

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arbitrage16
Posts: 532
Joined: Tue Feb 14, 2017 7:27 pm

I know nothing about building my own software, but am trying to understand how simple (or not) it would be and what knowledge I would require (either my own or of someone I know) to build a little piece of software that I can have open as I trade, that charts the movement of in-play horse racing odds.

I understand BA and most other software offers something similar, but for various reasons I'd like my own that I can have designed to my exact specifications.

What language would I need to learn to build this? Would I have to pay a fee to betfair to access their API for the data?

Many thanks
CallumPerry
Posts: 575
Joined: Wed Apr 19, 2017 5:12 pm
Location: Wolverhampton

Yes you can pay BF for use of their API if you google it, it is pretty easy to find. However at this stage, could you not simply just create moving charts using excel and customise your own simple dashboard with a spreadsheet? Unless you're doing something very advanced, VBA can be very powerful.

I may be wrong but, without checking, I think access to the API costs about a ton??
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ShaunWhite
Posts: 9731
Joined: Sat Sep 03, 2016 3:42 am

CallumPerry wrote:
Mon Nov 12, 2018 4:45 pm
I may be wrong but, without checking, I think access to the API costs about a ton??
£299
CallumPerry
Posts: 575
Joined: Wed Apr 19, 2017 5:12 pm
Location: Wolverhampton

ShaunWhite wrote:
Mon Nov 12, 2018 4:49 pm
CallumPerry wrote:
Mon Nov 12, 2018 4:45 pm
I may be wrong but, without checking, I think access to the API costs about a ton??
£299
There you go. Sounds worthwhile in the future.
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jimibt
Posts: 3641
Joined: Mon Nov 30, 2015 6:42 pm
Location: Narnia

CallumPerry wrote:
Mon Nov 12, 2018 4:45 pm
VBA can be very powerful.
AGREED!!. depending on your language of choice, you can also use .net dlls referenced from VBA. this is what i do and only use core VBA/Excel to orchestrate requests and paint pretty charts etc. ;)

In short, without going to the extreme of learning to code both the BF API and build widgets etc, you can leverage the best of both worlds (initially).

There are of course trade-offs in terms of the width of the data that is available via the BA/Excel interop vs the native API. However, if you are canny, you can build all your .net components using the officiAL API Interfaces (software interfaces to allow direct injection of classes) and could then HOT-SWAP the live API version into place as and when you are ready for it. all the while, you would be creating your bespoke implementation which can be used today whilst you await your API key etc (if indeed you decided to go down that path also).
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