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Code migration guide

cTrader to thinkScript converter

cTrader indicator math may fit a thinkScript study, but a cBot has a much broader C# runtime; trade execution, services, asynchronous work, and position events must be removed or represented only as chart signals.

Open the thinkScript Coding AgentReview thinkorswim AI Coding Agent

Generate a thinkScript draft, then save and test it in the thinkorswim editor as the intended study or strategy.

Conversion map

What changes between cTrader and thinkorswim

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.Declarative expressions are evaluated over chart data; studies, strategies, scans, and watchlist columns have different contexts.Choose when each cTrader calculation should run in thinkorswim; matching syntax alone does not preserve timing.
Market data and historyBars and DataSeries expose typed C# collections, while multi-timeframe data is requested explicitly.Definitions and plots form time series and access prior values with bracket indexing or recursive definitions.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.Studies use def, plot, painting, and built-in study functions to render chart analysis.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.Strategies use AddOrder to add simulated orders to charts; platform conditional orders are a separate workflow.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.Paste into thinkScript Editor, save it as the correct study or strategy, add it to a chart, and inspect plots or the strategy report.Treat generated thinkScript as a draft until it passes the target editor, chart, and backtest workflow.

Code example

Moving-average cross: cTrader C# to thinkScript

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);
thinkScript target fragment
def fast = Average(close, 10);
def slow = Average(close, 20);
plot longSignal = fast crosses above 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 thinkScript study or strategy definition. This choice controls lifecycle methods and available APIs.

  3. 3

    Rewrite through target APIs

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

  4. 4

    Validate behavior natively

    Paste into thinkScript Editor, save it as the correct study or strategy, add it to a chart, and inspect plots or the strategy report.

Manual decisions

Decisions code replacement cannot make

  • Select the cTrader calculations that can run as declarative chart series.
  • Replace C# objects, collections, and event state with supported thinkScript definitions.
  • Convert cBot trades only to simulated AddOrder markers when that comparison is useful.

Limitations

What the draft cannot prove

  • cTrader and thinkorswim 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 thinkorswim.
  • Pineify can generate and revise a thinkScript draft, but the target platform remains the authority for compilation, loading, backtesting, and runtime behavior.

Use cases

When this conversion is useful

  • Move a cTrader indicator into a thinkorswim chart study.
  • Visualize cBot signals without porting its execution runtime.
  • Adapt supported plots and alerts for thinkorswim users.

FAQ

cTrader C# to thinkScript questions

Official references

Build the thinkScript draft with its native model in view

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

Open the thinkScript Coding AgentProduct details