Canvas and interface

Lona combines a navigation sidebar, chat workspace, and backtest canvas. The canvas is the right-side panel used to inspect strategy rules, code, reports, and optimization work.

Application layout


┌──────────────┬────────────────────┬──────────────────┐
│ Sidebar      │ Chat               │ Backtest panel   │
│ Navigation   │ Conversation       │ Rules, code,     │
│              │                    │ reports, runs   │
└──────────────┴────────────────────┴──────────────────┘

The sidebar links to New Chat, Strategies, Reports, Optimization, Data, My Indicators, Billing, and Settings. On desktop, collapse or expand it to change the available workspace width.

Chat workspace

Use chat to describe a trading strategy, answer clarifying questions, and iterate on the strategy. The chat input contains the model selector and supports text and image input. An available model is selected by default. When Lona has enough information, it automatically records the identified rules and generates the strategy code.

Backtest panel

The canvas header identifies the panel as Backtest Panel and shows the strategy name or Backtest report. Depending on the current state, it contains:

Identified rules, which summarizes extracted strategy requirements;
generated strategy code and its explanation;
New Backtest to configure another run;
Optimize to open the parameter-sweep flow; and
reports and optimization results associated with the strategy.

The Code action opens the code in an editable side sheet. Editing code there changes the working strategy draft; save or create a new strategy version through the supported strategy workflow before relying on a change.

Configure a backtest

Selecting Run Backtest or New Backtest opens the run configuration. The flow asks for:

a strategy name and optional run name;
one or more data sources;
bar frequency, backtest period, and extracted strategy parameters; and
simulation parameters.

The frequency list is limited to frequencies common to the selected data sources. The date inputs are limited to their overlapping coverage. The simulation fields are:

Initial cash;
Commission, expressed as a percentage of trade value, where zero means no commission;
Leverage; and
Buy on close.

When global data is selected, the flow displays Tiingo attribution. Free/basic users can select only end-of-day global data.

Reports and optimization

Completed backtest reports can be opened from the canvas or Reports. The optimization view is available from Optimize or the Optimization page. It shows progress while a sweep is running and provides a results table plus a 2D chart for one varying parameter or a 3D surface for two varying parameters.