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The Simple-Chart UI

Simple Chart

Simple Chart is a desktop stock charting application for swing traders. It comes with an extensible API for custom indicators built using your AI agent of choice (see Building Custom Indicators).

Included indicators:

  • Simple Moving Average
  • Exponential Moving Average
  • Anchored VWAP
  • Pivot Points
  • Fibonacci Retracement
  • RSI

The repository is structured for source-based local installation on Linux, macOS, and Windows. The intended flow is:

  1. Clone the repo.
  2. Create a Python 3.13 virtual environment.
  3. Install with pip install -e ..
  4. Launch with simplechart.

No hard-coded personal paths are required.

Requirements

  • Python 3.13
  • pip
  • A desktop environment capable of running PyQt6 applications
  • Internet access if dependencies need to be downloaded during install

Fast Path

Linux and macOS

python3.13 -m venv .venv
. .venv/bin/activate
python -m pip install --upgrade pip
python -m pip install -e .
simplechart

If python3.13 is not available, use whichever command on the machine resolves to Python 3.13 and verify with:

python --version

Windows PowerShell

py -3.13 -m venv .venv
.venv\Scripts\Activate.ps1
python -m pip install --upgrade pip
python -m pip install -e .
simplechart

If py -3.13 is unavailable, install Python 3.13 first or use an equivalent launcher that targets Python 3.13.

What Gets Installed

pip install -e . installs:

  • Python dependencies from pyproject.toml
  • the simplechart command defined by the project entry point

The application stores its local SQLite database in a per-user location by default:

  • Linux and macOS: ~/.simplechart/simplechart.db
  • Windows: %USERPROFILE%\.simplechart\simplechart.db

You can override that location:

simplechart --db /path/to/simplechart.db

Linux Desktop Launcher

Running from a terminal after pip install -e . is enough to use the app.

If you also want a desktop launcher and icon in Linux application menus:

python scripts/install_linux_desktop.py

That script installs:

  • io.simplechart.SimpleChart.desktop
  • assets/simple-chart.svg

into the current user's XDG data directories. It also rewrites the installed desktop file so Exec and TryExec point at the simplechart executable from the environment where the script was run.

Platform Notes

Linux

  • Use the fast path above.
  • If a launcher icon does not appear immediately after installing the desktop entry, log out and back in or restart the shell session for the desktop.

macOS

  • Use the fast path above.
  • This repo currently targets source-based execution, not a native .app bundle.
  • If a future release needs a native app bundle, use PyInstaller or py2app.

Windows

  • Use the PowerShell fast path above.
  • This repo currently targets source-based execution, not a native installer.
  • If a future release needs a native installer or shortcut setup, use PyInstaller or another Windows packaging tool.

Troubleshooting

simplechart command not found

The virtual environment is probably not active, or the editable install did not complete successfully. Activate the venv and rerun:

python -m pip install -e .

Wrong Python version

This project requires Python 3.13. Check with:

python --version

GUI does not launch

Common causes:

  • running in a headless environment
  • missing desktop GUI support
  • dependency install failure earlier in the setup flow

Try launching from the same terminal where the install was performed so any Python traceback remains visible.

Building Custom Indicators

SimpleChart has a stable public API for indicator authors and is designed to be extended with the help of an AI agent. Indicators come in two flavors:

  • Compute — chart overlays or panel indicators that convert OHLCV data into arrays (SMA, EMA, RSI).
  • Interactive — indicators with context-menu actions, drag handles, persistent drawing state, or custom render output (Anchored VWAP).

To build one:

  1. Use the development install so tests, type checks, and compiled kernels work:

    python -m pip install -e ".[dev]"

    Full environment setup details are in AGENT-SETUP.md.

  2. Tell your AI agent which kind of indicator you want, then prompt:

    Read AGENTS.md and the appropriate file in docs/skills/ before building this indicator.

    The agent will read the project conventions, ask the right questions, and guide the work step by step.

Project conventions, the simplechart.api contract, and the full indicator-building entry point live in AGENTS.md.