In the FAQ, zipline is on the whitelist of Python libraries we can use in our algorithms. Zipline has a lot of functionality that isn't documented in the Quantopian API, a fact that strikes me as a double-edged sword. On the one hand, a lot of this functionality seems useful for writing algorithms. What if, for example, you want your algo to take the federal funds rate into account when making decisions? But on the other hand, if features like that are likely to change, I wouldn't want to rely on one of them and then have a change to zipline break my algo. Also, we're not allowed to use fetcher in the contest, so if we rely on a feature of zipline that in turn relies in fetcher, will the algo be disqualified from the contest?
Zipline is our open-sourced backtester, and the Quantopian IDE runs on top of this engine. Majority of the features are already pre-imported and available in the IDE such as ordering, logging, transformations, and more. The differences come down to the data source.
Using Zipline on your local machine, you'll need your own data feed. Most people use Yahoo Finance or their own data source (i.e. if they're backtesting international equities).
In Quantopian, the IDE runs using our native price, fundamental, and custom data. We've had minute-level pricing available since our platform's inception, and earlier this year added fundamental data from Morningstar. Last month we launched the [Quantopian Store][1], offering 22 custom datasets including earnings calendar, buybacks, dividends, and more. And we're far from done! Currently, we're working to add over 50 additional datasets. Interest rates are part of this group. Once available, they'll be seamlessly integrated into the platform and you can import the data into your algo. You can also use this data in your contest entry.
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The material on this website is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell, a solicitation to buy, or a recommendation or endorsement for any security or strategy, nor does it constitute an offer to provide investment advisory services by Quantopian.
In addition, the material offers no opinion with respect to the suitability of any security or specific investment. No information contained herein should be regarded as a suggestion to engage in or refrain from any investment-related course of action as none of Quantopian nor any of its affiliates is undertaking to provide investment advice, act as an adviser to any plan or entity subject to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, individual retirement account or individual retirement annuity, or give advice in a fiduciary capacity with respect to the materials presented herein. If you are an individual retirement or other investor, contact your financial advisor or other fiduciary unrelated to Quantopian about whether any given investment idea, strategy, product or service described herein may be appropriate for your circumstances. All investments involve risk, including loss of principal. Quantopian makes no guarantees as to the accuracy or completeness of the views expressed in the website. The views are subject to change, and may have become unreliable for various reasons, including changes in market conditions or economic circumstances.