NxCore Jeffrey Donovan Review

NxCore User Review ~ Jeffrey Donovan

I am a developer who has been writing applications for the financial markets since 1986. I am not a trader. Trading would distract me. I write applications for professional traders and they pay me extremely well to do so. Since 1986, I have coded for almost every imaginable ticker plant - feed stream - api system known….From the early DTN cable boxes, ESignal boxes, PCQuote Satellite systems, Hyperfeed and Comstock servers, Quote.Com, Spryware servers and more (hey it's been 20 years I've probably forgotten a few). I have also spent many years in the trenches of real-time 3d graphics programming and have honed a variety of optimization skills which are equally applicable to coding for financial markets. I have worked (as a contractor) for numerous Fortune 500 companies as a senior developer and have in the past found enough time to have several technical articles/books published. I currently work as the Senior Software Developer for Exx.com LLC. I tell you this so that you may know where my experience lies how to better interpret my views.

I have only recently been made aware of NxCore (March 2007) and what I can tell you right up front is that, quite simply, NxCore is by far the most powerful and robust piece of Ticker Plant software I have come across in my coding career. Regarding the speed and throughput of the actual NxCore application and data stream, I'm going to keep this simple and tell you that it is everything it is advertised to be and more. For the first time in a long time (in my career) the software is exactly what it claims to be. Read the spec sheet from Nanex….it is 100% accurate.

As for coding NxCore, the problem is really where to start? The structures are the cleanest I have seen in ticker plant software. Easy to understand, easy to access and every data type has been thought through completely. Say goodbye to string compares entirely for symbol lookup with several mechanisms ready for you to utilize for lightning fast access and issue lookups. Say hello to having data for the ENTIRE market ready to access immediately. And say hello (maybe for the first time) to consistency within a system that has been thought through from every angle.

NxCore is fundamentally different than other applications of the same nature. I strongly urge you to read through the documentation and tutorials. By doing so you will quickly come to grips with the NxCore philosophy and once you do, lights start going off and you can say goodbye to any social life for awhile. Additionally, I strongly urge you to spend time with the Viewer that is imbedded in the actual NxCore application. This viewer is one of the most powerful tools for learning the data structures and event flow of NxCore. Expand everything, become knowledgeable on the filters and step modes. There is a wealth of knowledge for you in the Viewer

If you have been (or are) developing applications for financial markets, how many times have you wished for a replay server? With NxCore this is an inherent feature of the software. Ready for the replay server of your dreams? Read on…

Want to know where bottlenecks in your applications might lie or how responsive it will remain with increased volume levels? With NxCore's tape playback you have the ability to push an entire days tape through an application in approx 10 minutes (or less depending on your machines performance). Try your application while pushing a tape down it's throat at full throttle. If it app can remain responsive during this playback you're golden in real time.

Want to pinpoint exactly what your application processes and when? With a couple lines of coding this is a trivial task to do in NxCore. Step through the trading tape one message at a time and make those determinations with ease.

Wish you could work during off market hours? Ok this may be a curse to some (your wife and kids may never see you again) but if you love the work (as I do), having the ability to utilize real market data during off-market hours is a godsend. By far the easiest way to boost productivity is to increase the amount of hours you have to work, or to have the ability to work when inspiration hits. With NxCore make that 24x7.

How about installations on client sites? The amount of time it takes to set up NxCore on a single machine is approx. one minute. The amount of time to set up a multicasting configuration is about 2 minutes (if you're slow). While there are a number of options for configuration (like where to save daily tapes etc) NxCore runs perfect straight from installation. I have spent days trying to properly configure other Ticker Plant software that is less sophisticated than NxCore and to Eric the author I would just like to say "Thank You!"

My final comment regarding NxCore is that I almost don't want to tell you about it. You heard me. With NxCore I have an edge that other developers do not (several actually) and it has become my "secret weapon" so to speak. By telling you of NxCore and giving you this gift, I expect you to send me royalties on all your future applications. Thanks!

Jeffrey Donovan
Santa Barbara, California

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