I am trying to get my feet wet in Automated Trading. I want to know what platforms / markets / instruments are most conducive for this purpose?

You can try out NinjaTrader ( NinjaTrader stock, futures and forex charting software and online trading platform.) which is free in simulation mode. Although, if you read some of the posts on this forum, most people believe that automating a trading strategy is a futile effort.

I wish you the best of luck though, as I think that some people do succeed at it.

If you want to learn about Automatic trading, watch this webinar on Big Mikes:

10 May 2012 Automated Trading and Backtesting
Presented by: Manesh Patel @ E.I.I. Capital

Platform: any one of several depending on the features you want. As the above poster mentioned, NT is free as a development platform.

Markets/instruments: something that suits your personal style, the style of the bot you build, and has enough liquidity to meet your needs.

The questions you asked have no right answer, I would just plan on doing a lot of personal research until you are satisfied with your choices.

Hi,

You can also use MultiCharts ( Trading Software for Automated Trading and Backtesting | MultiCharts Trading Platform ) which proposes a 30-day free trial.

Nicolas