Add bot basics documentation

docs/bot-basics.md

@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+# Freqtrade basics
+
+This page will try to teach you some basic concepts on how freqtrade works and operates.
+
+## Freqtrade terminology
+
+* Trade: Open position
+* Open Order: Order which is currently placed on the exchange, and is not yet complete.
+* Pair: Tradable pair, usually in the format of Quote/Base (e.g. XRP/USDT).
+* Timeframe: Candle length to use (e.g. `"5m"`, `"1h"`, ...).
+* Indicators: Technical indicators (SMA, EMA, RSI, ...).
+* Limit order: Limit orders which execute at the defined limit price or better.
+* Market order: Guaranteed to fill, may move price depending on the order size.
+
+## Fee handling
+
+All profit calculations of Freqtrade include fees. For Backtesting / Hyperopt / Dry-run modes, the exchange default fee is used (lowest tier on the exchange). For live operations, fees are used as applied by the exchange (this includes BNB rebates etc.).
+
+## Bot execution logic
+
+Starting freqtrade in dry-run or live mode (using `freqtrade trade`) will start the bot and start the bot iteration loop.
+By default, loop runs every few seconds (`internals.process_throttle_secs`) and does roughly the following in the following sequence:
+
+* Fetch open trades from persistence.
+* Calculate current list of tradable pairs.
+* Download ohlcv data for the pairlist including all [informative pairs](strategy-customization.md#get-data-for-non-tradeable-pairs)  
+  This step is only executed once per Candle to avoid unnecessary network traffic.
+* Call `bot_loop_start()` strategy callback.
+* Analyze strategy per pair.
+  * Call `populate_indicators()`
+  * Call `populate_buy_trend()`
+  * Call `populate_sell_trend()`
+* Check timeouts for open orders.
+  * Calls `check_buy_timeout()` strategy callback for open buy orders.
+  * Calls `check_sell_timeout()` strategy callback for open sell orders.
+* Verifies existing positions and eventually places sell orders.
+  * Considers stoploss, ROI and sell-signal.
+  * Determine sell-price based on `ask_strategy` configuration setting.
+  * Before a sell order is placed, `confirm_trade_exit()` strategy callback is called.
+* Check if trade-slots are still available (if `max_open_trades` is reached).
+* Verifies buy signal trying to enter new positions.
+  * Determine buy-price based on `bid_strategy` configuration setting.
+  * Before a buy order is placed, `confirm_trade_entry()` strategy callback is called.
+
+This loop will be repeated again and again until the bot is stopped.
+
+## Backtesting / Hyperopt execution logic
+
+[backtesting](backtesting.md) or [hyperopt](hyperopt.md) do only part of the above logic, since most of the trading operations are fully simulated.
+
+* Load historic data for configured pairlist.
+* Calculate indicators (calls `populate_indicators()`).
+* Calls `populate_buy_trend()` and `populate_sell_trend()`
+* Loops per candle simulating entry and exit points.
+* Generate backtest report output
+
+!!! Note
+    Both Backtesting and Hyperopt include exchange default Fees in the calculation. Custom fees can be passed to backtesting / hyperopt by specifying the `--fee` argument.

docs/hyperopt.md

@@ -498,8 +498,3 @@ After you run Hyperopt for the desired amount of epochs, you can later list all
 Once the optimized strategy has been implemented into your strategy, you should backtest this strategy to make sure everything is working as expected.
 
 To achieve same results (number of trades, their durations, profit, etc.) than during Hyperopt, please use same set of arguments `--dmmp`/`--disable-max-market-positions` and `--eps`/`--enable-position-stacking` for Backtesting.
-
-## Next Step
-
-Now you have a perfect bot and want to control it from Telegram. Your
-next step is to learn the [Telegram usage](telegram-usage.md).

docs/strategy-advanced.md

@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 # Advanced Strategies
 
 This page explains some advanced concepts available for strategies.
-If you're just getting started, please be familiar with the methods described in the [Strategy Customization](strategy-customization.md) documentation first.
+If you're just getting started, please be familiar with the methods described in the [Strategy Customization](strategy-customization.md) documentation and with the [Freqtrade basics](bot-basics.md) first.
+
+[Freqtrade basics](bot-basics.md) describes in which sequence each method defined below is called, which can be helpful to understand which method to use.
 
 !!! Note
     All callback methods described below should only be implemented in a strategy if they are also actively used.

docs/strategy-customization.md

@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 # Strategy Customization
 
-This page explains where to customize your strategies, and add new indicators.
+This page explains how to customize your strategies, and add new indicators.
+
+Please familiarize yourself with [Freqtrade basics](bot-basics.md) first.
 
 ## Install a custom strategy file
 
@@ -385,6 +387,7 @@ if self.dp:
 ```
 
 #### *current_whitelist()*
+
 Imagine you've developed a strategy that trades the `5m` timeframe using signals generated from a `1d` timeframe on the top 10 volume pairs by volume. 
 
 The strategy might look something like this:

mkdocs.yml

@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ nav:
     - Home: index.md
     - Installation Docker: docker.md
     - Installation: installation.md
+    - Freqtrade Basics: bot-basics.md
     - Configuration: configuration.md
     - Strategy Customization: strategy-customization.md
     - Stoploss: stoploss.md