Guide / Scripts

Language basics

The syntax follows Pine v5. Indentation matters: four spaces or a tab.

x = 1                    // declare
x := x + 1               // change (also += -= *= /= %=)
var total = 0.0          // keeps its value from bar to bar
float f = na             // type words are accepted and ignored
[a, b, c] = ta.macd(close, 12, 26, 9)    // tuples

prev = close[1]          // earlier bars: close[0] is now
ta.sma(close, 5)[1]      // works on any expression

if close > open
    plot(close)
else if close < open
    plot(open)

for i = 0 to 9 by 2      // inclusive; break / continue work
while cond
switch kind              // or a bare `switch` on conditions
    "A" => 1
    => 0

f(a, b = 2) => a * b     // functions; a body can be indented

Series

Every variable is a series: it has a value on every bar. close is today's close, close[1] is the previous bar's, and close[20] is twenty bars back. The first bars of a long lookback have no value yet, which shows as na (a gap on the chart).

var keeps state

A plain total = 0.0 starts again on every bar. var total = 0.0 is set once and keeps whatever you assign to it, so you can count, accumulate, or remember a level.

Operators

+ - * / %, == != < > <= >=, and or not, and ? :. Strings join with +.

• Dividing by zero gives na.
• A comparison with na is false, except !=, which is true (as with NaN). So ta.change(x) != 0 is true on the first bar.

Line wrapping

A statement can continue on the next line if you indent it by something that is not a multiple of four, or end the line with an operator or comma.

Prices are decimals

Candles are stored as integer points, and a script sees close = 1.08432. Float arithmetic can make two moves that are exactly equal in points differ in the last digit.