Position Helpers

Position helpers are properties on the symbol slot, not on self.

self.trade.is_flat           # position == 0
self.trade.is_long           # position > 0
self.trade.is_short          # position < 0
self.trade.has_position      # position != 0
self.trade.position          # current quantity (decimal)

Common bug

self.is_flat does not exist. Always use self.trade.is_flat. This is the #1 mistake new RaamCode users make.

Why on the symbol slot?

A strategy can hold positions in multiple symbols in principle (multi-symbol trading is on the roadmap), and the position is a property of the symbol, not the strategy. Even in single-symbol strategies, the API is consistent.

Reading position quantity

self.trade.position is a decimal — the current signed quantity. Positive = long, negative = short, zero = flat. To remember it in state, seed the slot as a decimal (last_qty = 0.0); an int slot cannot take it (RC2_STATE_TYPE_REASSIGN).

if self.trade.position > 100:
    self.sell(self.trade, self.trade.position - 100)   # reduce to 100

Common patterns:

# Full exit
self.sell(self.trade, self.trade.position)

# Partial exit
self.sell(self.trade, self.trade.position / 2)

# Scale out by thirds
if self.trade.is_long and rsi.value > 75:
    self.sell(self.trade, self.trade.position / 3)

Data-feed restriction

Position helpers exist only on the trading symbol. On a data feed they emit RC2_DATAFEED_HELPER:

spy = Symbol(ticker="SPY")
if self.spy.is_flat:                # ❌ — SPY is a data feed
    ...

That’s a feature: data feeds are read-only by design. If you need a position helper on a data feed, you actually want to make it your trading symbol.

Common diagnostics

Code	What it means
RC2_DATAFEED_HELPER	Position helper used on a data feed.