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Code migration guide

cTrader to Pine Script converter

cTrader indicator calculations can be reworked as Pine series, but a cBot must be reduced to chart signals, broker-emulator strategy orders, or alerts because Pine cannot carry over a C# robot runtime or live position callbacks.

Open the Pine Script Coding AgentReview Pine Script AI Coding Agent

Generate a Pine Script draft, then validate it in TradingView Pine Editor and on the intended chart.

Conversion map

What changes between cTrader and TradingView

The migration is a model translation. Use this map to decide where the source behavior belongs before writing target syntax.

Source and target platform conversion map
ConcernSource modelTarget modelMigration decision
LifecycleRobots use lifecycle methods including OnStart, OnTick, OnBar, OnStop, and OnException; indicators calculate by index.Code runs sequentially across chart bars. Realtime behavior depends on script type and calculation settings.Choose when each cTrader calculation should run in TradingView; matching syntax alone does not preserve timing.
Market data and historyBars and DataSeries expose typed C# collections, while multi-timeframe data is requested explicitly.Built-in series values such as close carry bar history and use history references such as close[1].Recheck bar indexing, warm-up requirements, timeframe requests, and behavior on an unfinished bar.
Indicators and chart outputIndicator classes expose output series and use the cTrader Algo indicators API.indicator(), plot(), drawing objects, alerts, and the ta.* namespace define chart output.Map calculations before recreating plots, labels, colors, and platform-specific drawing objects.
Orders and positionsRobot methods submit and manage trades through Symbol, Positions, PendingOrders, and volume measured in units.strategy.* commands create broker-emulator orders for TradingView strategy tests.Define fill timing, sizing, pyramiding or hedging, stops, and position ownership for the target platform.
Native validationBuild the C# project in cTrader Algo, resolve build output, attach it to the intended symbol, and run a cTrader backtest.Save in Pine Editor, resolve compiler errors, add to a chart, then inspect plots, alerts, and Strategy Tester behavior.Treat generated Pine Script as a draft until it passes the target editor, chart, and backtest workflow.

Code example

Moving-average cross: cTrader C# to Pine Script

These fragments show where the same signal starts in each API. They are not complete standalone programs; lifecycle setup, inputs, plots, and order handling still depend on the selected artifact.

cTrader C# source fragment
var fast = Indicators.SimpleMovingAverage(Bars.ClosePrices, 10);
var slow = Indicators.SimpleMovingAverage(Bars.ClosePrices, 20);
bool longSignal = fast.Result.Last(2) <= slow.Result.Last(2)
    && fast.Result.Last(1) > slow.Result.Last(1);
Pine Script target fragment
//@version=6
indicator("MA cross", overlay = true)
fast = ta.sma(close, 10)
slow = ta.sma(close, 20)
longSignal = ta.crossover(fast, slow)
plot(fast)
plot(slow)

Workflow

A four-step migration path

Keep generation, target-platform validation, and behavior comparison as separate stages.

  1. 1

    Inventory the source behavior

    Separate calculations, plots, alerts, orders, external dependencies, and assumptions in a C# cBot or custom indicator project.

  2. 2

    Choose the target artifact

    Decide whether the result is a Pine Editor indicator or strategy source file. This choice controls lifecycle methods and available APIs.

  3. 3

    Rewrite through target APIs

    Translate state, series, indicators, drawings, and orders into TradingView concepts instead of replacing function names.

  4. 4

    Validate behavior natively

    Save in Pine Editor, resolve compiler errors, add to a chart, then inspect plots, alerts, and Strategy Tester behavior.

Manual decisions

Decisions code replacement cannot make

  • Choose which cBot behavior becomes Pine strategy simulation and which remains external execution.
  • Replace OnTick, OnBar, and position events with Pine bar and realtime calculation settings.
  • Remove C# services, asynchronous work, files, and broker-specific APIs that have no Pine runtime equivalent.

Limitations

What the draft cannot prove

  • cTrader and TradingView do not share one execution, data, or order model, so behavior can change even when both versions compile.
  • Broker, symbol, session, timezone, history, and fill settings can change signals and backtest results on TradingView.
  • Pineify can generate and revise a Pine Script draft, but the target platform remains the authority for compilation, loading, backtesting, and runtime behavior.

Use cases

When this conversion is useful

  • Publish cTrader indicator logic as a TradingView study.
  • Compare cBot entry signals in Pine Strategy Tester.
  • Create Pine alerts from portable cTrader calculations while keeping execution elsewhere.

FAQ

cTrader C# to Pine Script questions

Official references

Build the Pine Script draft with its native model in view

Bring the complete source and your artifact, timing, data, and order requirements. Validate the result in TradingView.

Open the Pine Script Coding AgentProduct details