Glossary | Periscøpe Docs

Action: A value your strategy returns from an event handler: place or cancel an order, register a security, schedule a timer, or adjust cash.
AI handoff: The transition from a run's Issues & Logs tab into the strategy editor's AI assistant panel with run context attached.
Asset type: The kind of security an event or action refers to (EQUITY, FUTURE, OPTION, etc.). Symbol parameters in config_schema.json currently support only EQUITY and FUTURE.
Backtest: Execution mode that replays historical market data with simulated fills, over a configurable time window.
Bar: An OHLC candle delivered as a BarEvent once you register a symbol and timeframe.
Bar Frequency: A strategy parameter type for bar aggregation periods (second, minute, hour, day). The author typically pins one value, so the run form shows it as read-only. (In raw JSON: x-periscope-type: "bar_time_span". Code reads it with require_bar_time_span.)
Choice parameter: A strategy parameter type that constrains a value to a dropdown of allowed options in the run form. (In raw JSON: a string property with an enum array. Code reads it with require_str.)
Data coordinator: An async handle passed to __init__ with read only queries for positions and contract symbols.
Diagnostics: A run's classified issues and strategy logs, surfaced on the Issues & Logs tab.
Event: A message the framework dispatches to your strategy: bar, quote, timer, expiration, or order update.
Execution mode: The environment a run executes in: Backtest, Paper, or Live.
Issue: A structured failure or warning observed during a run, with a component, classification, code, and message.
Ledger: The record of cash movements tied to a run; used to compute net trading cash.
Live: Execution mode that sends real orders to a broker account. Gated by default.
Order intent: The user facing intent of a PlaceOrderAction: BUY, SELL, CLOSE, BUY_TO_CLOSE, SELL_TO_CLOSE.
Order state: The execution state of an order: WORKING, FILLED, CANCELLED, REJECTED, EXPIRED.
Paper: Execution mode that uses the real time data feed but simulates fills. Nothing reaches a broker.
Portfolio: The snapshot of cash, open positions, portfolio value, and unrealized P&L for a run.
Quote: A bid and ask snapshot delivered as a QuoteEvent. Currently disabled.
Run: One execution of a specific strategy version, with one config, in one execution mode.
Run status: new, starting, running, complete, stopped, or error.
Simulation time: self.simulation_time, the clock the framework advances before each handler call. Use this instead of wall clock time.
Strategy: The strategy.py, config_schema.json, and helper files that define your trading logic.
Strategy parameters: The settings shown in the run config form: symbol, size, thresholds, lookback window, or anything else the strategy author defines. Authors create them in the Strategy Parameters panel; Periscøpe validates the values before the strategy starts.
Strategy version: A published, immutable snapshot of a strategy. Runs bind to a version id for reproducibility.
StrategyBase: The abstract base class your Strategy extends. Defines the lifecycle hooks.
Study: A parameter-sweep job that runs many backtest trials against one base run. See Optimize.
Symbol (event field): The string identifier for a traded security as it appears on events and actions. For futures, use full contract symbols (for example ESH26).
Symbol (parameter type): A strategy parameter type for instrument references. The run form validates the ticker against the security master and shows the asset type as a badge next to the field. (Authors pick Symbol in the Strategy Parameters Type picker; in raw JSON, x-periscope-type: "symbol". Strategy code reads it with require_symbol, which returns a Symbol dataclass with .symbol and .asset_type.)
Timer: A recurring tick scheduled with RegisterTimeStepAction, delivered as a TimerEvent.
Trial: One backtest execution inside a study. Sweep trials vary one parameter value; the baseline trial uses the base config unchanged. See Optimize.