Pine Script v6 Cheat Sheet: Operators, Functions, and Data Types

Pine Script v6 is TradingView's scripting language for building custom indicators and trading strategies. I've been writing Pine Script for about two years, and this cheat sheet collects the operators, data types, and built-in functions I reference most. Whether I'm coding an RSI divergence scanner for AAPL or a trailing stop for ES futures, these are the fundamentals.

If you're wondering what language is Pine Script, it's TradingView's domain-specific scripting language for financial analysis and automated strategies.

The Basic Building Blocks

Math Operators

Just basic arithmetic:

Symbol	What It Does
+	Adds numbers (2 + 3 = 5)
-	Subtracts numbers (5 - 2 = 3)
*	Multiplies numbers (3 * 4 = 12)
/	Divides numbers (10 / 2 = 5)
%	Returns the remainder (10 % 3 = 1)

Comparison Operators

Symbol	What It's Asking
==	Are these exactly the same?
!=	Are these different?
>	Is the first one bigger?
<	Is the first one smaller?
>=	Is the first one bigger or equal?
<=	Is the first one smaller or equal?

Logic Operators

Word	What It Means
and	Both things must be true
or	At least one thing must be true
not	Flip it -- if it was true, make it false
?:	Shorthand for "if this, then that, otherwise this other thing"

Assignment Operators

Symbol	What It Does
=	Store this value
:=	Update the value
+=	Add to what's already there
-=	Subtract from what's already there
*=	Multiply what's already there
/=	Divide what's already there
%=	Store the remainder

Words That Mean Something Special

The Important Ones

Pine Script has reserved keywords that do specific things:

Word	What It Does
import	Borrow functions from someone else's script
export	Let others use your functions
method	Create a function that belongs to your custom data type
type	Make your own custom container for data
matrix	Work with data in rows and columns (like Excel)
var	Create a variable that remembers its value across bars
varip	Like var, but updates on every tick

Reserved Words (Don't Use These)

These are set aside for future use:

catch, class, do, ellipse, in, is, polygon, range, return, struct, text, throw, try

Just don't name your variables after any of them and you'll be fine.

How to Store Your Data

Think of these as different types of containers:

Container Type	What It's Like
Matrix	A spreadsheet with rows and columns
Array	A shopping list -- items in order
String[]	Older way to say "list of text items"
String	A single piece of text

Types of Information You Can Work With

Type	What It Holds	Example
String	Text and words	"Apple stock is rising"
Integer (int)	Whole numbers	42, 100, -5
Float	Numbers with decimals	3.14, 99.9, -0.5
Boolean (bool)	True or false	true, false
Color	Colors for your charts	red, blue, custom colors
Line	Lines you can draw	Trend lines, support lines
Linefill	Colored areas between lines	Shaded regions
Box	Rectangles on your chart	Price ranges
Label	Text labels on your chart	"Buy here!"
Table	Organized data display	Info tables

Creating Your Own Data Types

Sometimes you need to group related information -- like a trading setup with entry price, direction, and targets:

Part	What It Is	Example
Basic Idea	Group related data together	Like a trading setup with entry price, direction, and signals
How to Make One	Use the type keyword	type MyTradingSetup
What Goes Inside	Different pieces of related information	Price levels, trade direction, stop loss
Simple vs Complex	Simple types can have default values, complex ones can't	Numbers and text can have defaults, lists can't
Making a Copy	Use .new() to create an instance	MyTradingSetup.new()
Getting Data Out	Use a dot to access the information	mySetup.entryPrice

Here's a simple example:

type TradingIdea
    float buyPrice = 0.0      // This can have a default
    string direction          // This can too
    array<float> targets      // This can't have a default

Variables and Constants

Pine Script is pretty good at figuring types out on its own:

Concept	What It Means
Loosely Typed	You don't have to declare what type of data you're storing
Type Inference	Pine Script figures it out from what you assign
Immutable Type	Once determined, the type can't change later

Examples

What You Write	What Pine Script Thinks
price = 100	"This is a whole number"
price = 100.50	"This is a decimal number"
symbol = "AAPL"	"This is text"
isRising = true	"This is true/false"

Built-in Functions

Pine Script ships with dozens of pre-built functions so you don't have to code everything from scratch. Here are the ones I actually use:

Technical Analysis

What You Want	Function	What It Does
RSI indicator	ta.rsi()	Shows if something is overbought or oversold -- learn how to code RSI from scratch
Moving averages	ta.sma(), ta.ema()	Smooths out price movements -- check out this EMA coding guide
Bollinger Bands	ta.bb()	Shows price channels -- here's a complete guide to coding them
Volume analysis	ta.obv, ta.pvt	Tracks volume patterns -- master volume indicators in Pine Script
Money flow	ta.mfi()	Shows if money is flowing in or out

Math Helpers

What You Need	Function	What It Does
Remove negative signs	math.abs()	Makes -5 become 5
Round numbers	math.round()	Makes 3.7 become 4
Square root	math.sqrt()	Mathematical square root
Random numbers	math.random()	Gives you random values
Find extremes	math.max(), math.min()	Finds highest/lowest values

Time and Data

What You Want	Function	What It Does
Current year	time.year	Gets the current year
Current month	time.month	Gets the current month
Other market data	request.security()	Gets data from other symbols
Company financials	request.financial()	Gets fundamental data

Arrays

What You Want	Function	What It Does
Make a new list	array.new()	Creates an empty list
Add to list	array.push()	Adds item to the end
Remove from list	array.pop()	Takes item from the end
Find something	array.indexof()	Finds where something is
Sort the list	array.sort()	Puts items in order

Matrices

What You Want	Function	What It Does
Make a table	matrix.new	Creates a new data table
Put data in	matrix.set	Adds a value
Get data out	matrix.get	Retrieves a value
Add up values	matrix.sum	Calculates totals
Flip the table	matrix.transpose	Swaps rows and columns

Things to Remember

Topic	What You Need to Know
Storing Data	Single values are simple. Arrays are lists. Matrices are like spreadsheets.
Custom Types	Must have at least one field. Can't start names with numbers. Only simple types can have default values.
Functions	Need a name and at least one input. Can return values. Can be shared with others.
Comments	Start with "//" for notes. Use "//@" for documentation.

My Tips for Writing Pine Script

After working with Pine Script for a while, here's what I've learned:

• Start simple: I tried building a multi-timeframe strategy on day one and it was a mess. Start with basic indicators. If you're new, this beginner's tutorial walks through the fundamentals step by step.
• Use descriptive names: buyPrice and sellPrice beat x and y every time. Your future self will thank you.
• Comment everything: I regularly forget what my own code does two weeks later. Leave yourself notes.
• Test with simple examples: Before running complex logic on live data, backtest with basic scenarios. Learn how to backtest properly to validate your ideas.
• One thing at a time: Don't try to learn arrays, matrices, and custom types all in one session. I spread it across a weekend.

Website: Pineify

I code most of my Pine Scripts by hand, but I've also used Pineify for quick experiments. It's a visual tool that generates Pine Script from dropdowns and forms -- no syntax to memorize. I've found it useful when I need to prototype an idea fast, especially for standard indicators like moving average crosses or RSI-based signals. That said, the generated scripts can include more boilerplate than I'd write manually, and I wouldn't rely on it for very custom logic or niche indicator combinations. It's best as a starting point, not a replacement for understanding the language.

Check out all of Pineify's features here

Frequently Asked Questions

▶What is Pine Script v6 and how is it different from earlier versions?

Pine Script v6 is TradingView's latest scripting language for creating custom indicators and strategies. The key additions are custom data types with the type keyword, improved matrix and array operations, and var/varip declarations for memory management. It's mostly backward-compatible with v5 but offers more flexibility for complex trading logic.

▶How do I use comparison operators in Pine Script v6?

Same as standard math. == for equality, != for inequality, > and < for comparisons, >= and <= for inclusive checks. Combine them with and, or, and not to build multi-condition signals.

▶Is Pine Script v6 beginner-friendly for traders with no coding experience?

It's designed to be accessible -- loosely typed variables, clear syntax, and plenty of built-in functions for technical analysis. If coding's not your thing, Pineify's visual script generator creates indicators through a point-and-click interface without writing code.

▶How can I create custom data types in Pine Script v6?

Use the type keyword. For example, type TradingIdea groups fields like entry price, direction, and targets into one structure. Instantiate with .new() and access fields with dot notation. One limitation: only simple types (int, float, string, bool) can have default values -- arrays and nested types can't.

▶What built-in functions does Pine Script v6 offer for technical analysis?

Pine Script v6 includes ta.rsi() for RSI, ta.sma() and ta.ema() for moving averages, ta.bb() for Bollinger Bands, ta.obv for volume analysis, and ta.mfi() for money flow. Plus math helpers (math.abs(), math.round(), math.sqrt()) and full array and matrix manipulation libraries.

▶What words and keywords are reserved in Pine Script v6?

Reserved for future use: catch, class, do, ellipse, in, is, polygon, range, return, struct, text, throw, try. Active keywords you shouldn't use as variable names: import, export, method, type, matrix, var, varip.

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If you're curious about other approaches to Pine Script development, check out how AI is changing Pine Script coding and some real Pine Script v6 strategy examples to see what's possible.