Every iteration in Periscøpe is the same cycle: write, publish, run, observe, refine. Develop in Backtest, rehearse in Paper, promote to Live once the strategy behaves as expected.
Write
A strategy is a Python class named Strategy that extends
StrategyBase. It lives in strategy.py, alongside
a config_schema.json file that defines the settings you can
change from run to run without editing the code, plus any optional helper
.py files.
The editor gives you a file tree, a code editor, a visual parameters
panel, and an AI assistant panel. Use the visual parameters panel to
add parameters one at a time, choosing between generic types (Text,
Integer, Decimal, Boolean, Choice) and system types (Symbol, Bar
Frequency). If you need full control over config_schema.json,
you can also edit the raw JSON.
Publish
Clicking Publish turns your current edits into a new strategy version: an immutable snapshot that runs can bind to. Each Publish increments the version number. If validation fails, errors surface as toasts; fix them and click again.
Versions exist so that runs are reproducible. A run pins the exact strategy version it used, so editing the strategy later does not change what a past run did. If you need a different version for a future run, Publish again and point the new run at the new version.
Run
A run is one execution of a specific strategy version under one config, in one execution mode. You create a run by selecting a strategy version, choosing an execution mode, and filling in the parameters the strategy declared.
Runs start in new status. Clicking Start moves them to
starting, then running. A run ends in
complete, stopped, or error.
Observe
Each run has three tabs.
- Configuration shows the exact inputs the run was created
with. While the run is
newyou can edit it. After Start it is read only. - Performance shows portfolio value, cash, unrealized P&L, open positions, and order metrics. It auto refreshes while the run is running.
- Issues & Logs shows classified failures and a tail of
strategy logs. If a run moves into
errorstatus, the app switches you to this tab automatically.
Refine
Two different changes, two different places.
- Change the config only. Use Copy on a run to create a new run with the same strategy version and edit the config. This keeps the code identical and varies the inputs.
- Change the strategy code. Open the strategy, edit it, Publish to create a new version, then create a run against the new version. Past runs are untouched.
Same code, three modes
The same strategy version runs in backtest, paper, and live without code changes. Only the data feed and the broker change between modes. Develop in Backtest, rehearse in Paper, then promote to Live when you are satisfied. See Execution Modes for what changes and what stays the same.
Where the AI fits
The AI assistant lives in the strategy editor. It can help you draft a first version, review existing code, and diagnose a failed run when you hand off from a run's Issues & Logs tab. It works from the files you have open and, on handoff, the selected run's issues and a log excerpt. See AI Assistant for what it is grounded in and when to use it.