Stock Contract Search

Starting in API v973.02 and TWS v964, a function IBApi::EClient::reqMatchingSymbols is available to search for stock contracts. The input can be either the first few letters of the ticker symbol, or for longer strings, a character sequence matching a word in the security name. For instance to search for the stock symbol 'IBKR', the input 'I' or 'IB' can be used, as well as the word 'Interactive'. Up to 16 matching results are returned.

• There must be an interval of at least 1 second between successive calls to reqMatchingSymbols

•             client.reqMatchingSymbols(211, "IBM");

•         client.reqMatchingSymbols(211, "IB");

•         client.reqMatchingSymbols(218, "IBM")

•     m_pClient->reqMatchingSymbols(11001, "IBM");

•         self.reqMatchingSymbols(218, "IBM")

Matching stock contracts are returned to IBApi::EWrapper::symbolSamples with information about types of derivative contracts which exist (warrants, options, dutch warrants, futures).

•         public void symbolSamples(int reqId, ContractDescription[] contractDescriptions) 
          {
              string derivSecTypes;
              Console.WriteLine("Symbol Samples. Request Id: {0}", reqId);
  
              foreach (var contractDescription in contractDescriptions)
              {
                  derivSecTypes = "";
                  foreach (var derivSecType in contractDescription.DerivativeSecTypes)
                  {
                      derivSecTypes += derivSecType;
                      derivSecTypes += " ";
                  }
                  Console.WriteLine("Contract: conId - {0}, symbol - {1}, secType - {2}, primExchange - {3}, currency - {4}, derivativeSecTypes - {5}, description - {6}, issuerId - {7}", 
                      contractDescription.Contract.ConId, contractDescription.Contract.Symbol, contractDescription.Contract.SecType, 
                      contractDescription.Contract.PrimaryExch, contractDescription.Contract.Currency, derivSecTypes, contractDescription.Contract.Description, contractDescription.Contract.IssuerId);
              }
          }

•     @Override
      public void symbolSamples(int reqId, ContractDescription[] contractDescriptions) {
          System.out.println(EWrapperMsgGenerator.symbolSamples(reqId, contractDescriptions));
      }

•         Public Sub symbolSamples(reqId As Integer, contractDescriptions As ContractDescription()) Implements EWrapper.symbolSamples
              Dim derivSecTypes As String
  
              Console.WriteLine("Symbol Samples. Request Id: " & reqId)
  
              For Each contractDescription In contractDescriptions
                  derivSecTypes = ""
                  For Each derivSecType In contractDescription.DerivativeSecTypes
                      derivSecTypes += derivSecType
                      derivSecTypes += " "
                  Next
                  Console.WriteLine("Contract conId: " & contractDescription.Contract.ConId & ", symbol: " & contractDescription.Contract.Symbol &
                                    ", secType: " & contractDescription.Contract.SecType & ", primExchange: " & contractDescription.Contract.PrimaryExch &
                                    ", currency: " & contractDescription.Contract.Currency & ", derivativeSecTypes: " & derivSecTypes &
                                    ", description: " & contractDescription.Contract.Description & ", issuerId: " & contractDescription.Contract.IssuerId)
              Next
          End Sub

• void TestCppClient::symbolSamples(int reqId, const std::vector<ContractDescription> &contractDescriptions) {
      printf("Symbol Samples (total=%lu) reqId: %d\n", contractDescriptions.size(), reqId);
  
      for (unsigned int i = 0; i < contractDescriptions.size(); i++) {
          Contract contract = contractDescriptions[i].contract;
          std::vector<std::string> derivativeSecTypes = contractDescriptions[i].derivativeSecTypes;
          printf("Contract (%u): conId: %ld, symbol: %s, secType: %s, primaryExchange: %s, currency: %s, ", i, contract.conId, contract.symbol.c_str(), contract.secType.c_str(), contract.primaryExchange.c_str(), contract.currency.c_str());
          printf("Derivative Sec-types (%lu):", derivativeSecTypes.size());
          for (unsigned int j = 0; j < derivativeSecTypes.size(); j++) {
              printf(" %s", derivativeSecTypes[j].c_str());
          }
          printf(", description: %s, issuerId: %s", contract.description.c_str(), contract.issuerId.c_str());
          printf("\n");
      }
  }

•     def symbolSamples(self, reqId: int,
                        contractDescriptions: ListOfContractDescription):
          super().symbolSamples(reqId, contractDescriptions)
          print("Symbol Samples. Request Id: ", reqId)
  
          for contractDescription in contractDescriptions:
              derivSecTypes = ""
              for derivSecType in contractDescription.derivativeSecTypes:
                  derivSecTypes += " "
                  derivSecTypes += derivSecType
              print("Contract: conId:%s, symbol:%s, secType:%s primExchange:%s, "
                    "currency:%s, derivativeSecTypes:%s, description:%s, issuerId:%s" % (
                  contractDescription.contract.conId,
                  contractDescription.contract.symbol,
                  contractDescription.contract.secType,
                  contractDescription.contract.primaryExchange,
                  contractDescription.contract.currency, derivSecTypes,
                  contractDescription.contract.description,
                  contractDescription.contract.issuerId))