Assign Quick-Action Hot Keys

Assigning actions to specific keys and key combinations helps you rapidly create and transmit orders to the marketplace. You can assign any keystroke, or a combination of the "Ctrl" and "Shift" keys with one of the 26 keyboard letters, to map specific order creation and order transmission commands, such as buy, sell, transmit and cancel.

To record hot keys

1. On the Configure menu, select Global Configuration, then select Hot Keys from the left pane.

2. In the Possible Actions area, choose an action to which you want to assign a hot key and click Create Shortcut.

3. In the Keyboard area, click Record. If you already have a hot key recorded for the selected action, it is displayed in the Current Key Shortcut  field.

4. Press the actual keystroke or keystroke combination you will use to complete this action. The system records your keystroke and displays it in the Current Key Shortcut field.

NOTE: If the Customize tab is visible, you can customize your hot key to be more specific. For example, after you record a Buy hot key, customize it to create a bracket or trailing stop limit order.

After you record the desired hot keys and click Close, the mapped keys are displayed on the status line at the bottom of the screen. To re-record a hot key assignment, follow steps 1-4 above. To remove a hot key assignment from an action, click Clear.

Specific Hot Key Procedures and Information

• Create a Buy/Sell hot key for a specific order type (i.e. Buy Limit Order, Sell Stop Order)

  1. On the Configure menu click Hot Keys

  2. Select Buy or Sell as the Action and click Create Shortcut.

  3. Click the Customize tab.

  4. In the Order Type drop-down select the order type for which you want to create a hot key.

  5. Populate any necessary order type-related fields.

  6. Click the Shortcuts tab.

  7. Click Record and press the keystroke combination that will represent the order type hot key.

  8. Verify that the hot key has been properly recorded in the Shortcuts section.

• Create a Buy/Sell hot key for a specific contract (i.e. Buy Limit Order for XYZ)

  1. On the Configure menu click Hot Keys

  2. Select Buy or Sell Specific Product as the Action and click Create Shortcut.

  3. Click the Customize tab.

  4. In the Underlying field, enter an underlying symbol.

  5. Populate the Order related fields.

  6. Click the Shortcuts tab.

  7. Click Record and press the keystroke combination that will represent the order type hot key.

  8. Verify that the hot key has been properly recorded in the Shortcuts section.

• Instantaneous transmission

  When you create a buy or sell hot key for any order type, you can elect to "Transmit the order instantaneously" by checking this feature at the bottom of the Customize page.  When you activate instantaneous transmission, using the hot key combination creates and transmits the order without giving you time to review and modify order parameters.

  Leave this feature unchecked to have the hot key combination create an order and leave it on the trading screen for you to manually transmit.

• Attach bracket orders

  1. On the Configure menu, select Hot Keys

  2. Select Buy or Sell as the Action and click Create Shortcut.

  3. Click the Customize tab.

  4. In the Attached Orders area, check Add Simple Bracket.

  5. In the Bracket Orders area:

  6. • In the Lmt Price (+/- offset) field select Bid, Ask, Last or None as the basis for the Limit Price portion of the bracket order, and enter an offset amount if desired.

     • Select a Stop Type.

     • Set the Stop price and offset for the stop trigger price.

     • For Stop Limit orders, set the Stop Limit price and offset.

  6. On the Shortcuts page record the hot key combination, and click OK.

• Create Increase (Decrease) Order Size hot key

  1. On the Configure menu select Hot Keys.

  2. Select Increase (Decrease) price or size and click Create Shortcut.

  3. On the Customize tab select Size in the Field drop-down.

  4. Set the Num Ticks value to represent the increment by which to increase (decrease) the default order size.

  5. On the Shortcuts page, click Record and press the hot key combination to represent Increase (Decrease) order size.

  6. Close the dialog box.

• Create Increase (Decrease) Limit (Aux.) Price hot key

  1. On the Configure menu select Hot Keys.

  2. Select Increase (Decrease) price or size and click Create Shortcut.

  3. On the Customize tab select Limit Price (Aux. Price) in the Field drop-down.

  4. Enter the Num Ticks increment by which you want the hot key to increase (decrease) the price value.

  5. On the Shortcuts page, click Record and press the hot key combination to represent Increase (Decrease) Limit (Aux.) Price.

  6. Close the dialog box.

   

• Use All Available for Buy/Sell Order Quantity

  1. On the Configure menu click Hot Keys

  2. Select Buy or Sell as the Action and click Create Shortcut.

  3. Click the Customize tab.

  4. In the Size field, select Available, then click OK.

  Now when you use the Buy or Sell hotkey, the order quantity will be determined by the number of available contracts as shown in the Ask Size or Bid Size field.

   

• Change order type/time in force

  1. On the Configure menu select Hot Keys.

  2. In the Modify/Transmit Order section, select Modify Order Type orModify Time in Force and click Create Shortcut.

  3. On the Shortcuts page, click Record and press the hot key combination.

  4. Close the dialog box.

   

• Open the Alerts box to view/set alerts

  1. On the Configure menu select Hot Keys.

  2. In the Real-time Activity Monitoring section, select View Alerts and click the Create Shortcut button.

  3. On the Shortcuts page, click Record and press the hot key combination, for example Ctrl + A.

  4. Close the dialog box.

  5. Click OK.

  When you use Ctrl + A from the TWS, the Alerts box opens displaying your current alerts. To create an alert, click the New button.

   

• Set Auto Stop

  1. On the Configure menu select Hot Keys.

  2. In the Real-time Activity Monitoring section, select Add Auto Stop Order.

  3. Click Record and press the hot key combination, for example Ctrl + A.

  4. Close the dialog box.

  5. Click OK.

  Now when you use Ctrl + A from the TWS, you will attach a Stop order to the selected order.

   

• Set Auto Trailing Stop

  1. On the Configure menu select Hot Keys.

  2. In the Real-time Activity Monitoring section, select Add Auto Trailing Stop Order.

  3. Click Record and press the hot key combination, for example Ctrl + T.

  4. Close the dialog box.

  5. Click OK.

  Now when you use Ctrl + T from the TWS, you will attach a Trailing Stop order to the selected order. The trailing amount used is the value defined in the order defaults.

   

Several keyboard keys cannot be used as hot keys, including: Alt, Page Up, Page Down, Print Screen, Home, Backspace, and the Windows key. We reserve the right to activate these keys or to remove hot key functionality from a key at any time without notice. Attempted use of invalid keys invokes the message "The hot key you selected is not valid. Please select another hot key combination."

NOTE: The standard hot keys do not function within the Rapid Order Entry panel. When you record a hot key for one of the rapid order entry actions, you must use "Ctrl" plus a character key, or the Escape key.

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