Pine Script v6 Cheat Sheet - Everything You Need to Know

What's This All About?

So you want to learn Pine Script? Great choice! Pine Script is basically TradingView's way of letting you create your own custom indicators and trading strategies. Think of it like having a conversation with your charts - you tell them what to look for, and they'll highlight it for you.

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

This guide covers everything from the basic building blocks to more advanced stuff. Don't worry if you're completely new to this - I'll explain everything in plain English, just like I would to a friend who's getting started.

Here's what we'll cover:

• The basic math and logic operators (the simple stuff)
• Keywords you need to know (and ones to avoid)
• How to store your data
• Different types of information you can work with
• Variables and constants (sounds scary, but it's not)
• Built-in functions that do the heavy lifting
• Some practical tips I've learned along the way
• How to skip the coding altogether with Pineify (more on this later!)

The Basic Building Blocks

Math Operators (The Simple Stuff)

These are just like the calculator on your phone - nothing fancy here, just the basic math you learned in school:

Symbol	What It Does
+	Adds numbers (2 + 3 = 5)
-	Subtracts numbers (5 - 2 = 3)
*	Multiplies numbers (3 * 4 = 12)
/	Divides numbers (10 / 2 = 5)
%	Gives you the leftover after division (10 % 3 = 1)

Comparison Operators (Asking Questions)

These help you ask "is this bigger than that?" kind of questions:

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 (Making Decisions)

These help you combine conditions:

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
?:	A quick way to say "if this, then that, otherwise this other thing"

Assignment Operators (Storing Stuff)

These help you save and update values:

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 some special words 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 storage box that remembers its value
varip	Like var, but updates more often

Words You Can't Use for Your Own Stuff

Pine Script has reserved some words for future use. It's like they've put a "Do Not Touch" sign on them:

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

Just avoid using these as names for your variables and you'll be fine.

How to Store Your Data

Think of these like 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[]	An old-school way to say "list of text items"
String	Just a single piece of text

Types of Information You Can Work With

Pine Script understands different kinds of information:

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 want to group related information together. It's like creating your own custom container:

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 (Don't Panic!)

Pine Script is pretty smart about figuring out what type of information you're working with:

Concept	What It Means
Loosely Typed	You don't have to tell Pine Script what type of data you're storing
Type Inference	It figures it out from what you put in
Immutable Type	Once it decides, you can't change the type 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 (The Heavy Lifters)

Pine Script comes with tons of pre-built functions that do the heavy lifting for you. These functions are what make Pine Script so powerful - instead of coding complex mathematical calculations from scratch, you can just call these ready-made functions. Here are the most useful ones you'll actually use:

Technical Analysis Stuff

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

Working with Lists (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

Working with Tables (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

Here are some important points that'll save you headaches:

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 • Help explain your code

My Tips for Writing Pine Script

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

• Start simple: Don't try to build a complex strategy on day one. Start with basic indicators and work your way up. If you're just getting started, this beginner's tutorial walks you through the fundamentals step by step.
• Use descriptive names: Instead of x and y, use buyPrice and sellPrice. Your future self will thank you.
• Comment everything: Trust me, you'll forget what that clever bit of code does in a week.
• Test with simple examples: Before applying complex logic, test with basic scenarios. Learn how to backtest properly to see if your ideas actually work.
• One thing at a time: Don't try to learn arrays, matrices, and custom types all at once.

The key is to be patient with yourself. Pine Script might look intimidating at first, but it's actually pretty logical once you get the hang of it.

Skip the Coding with Pineify

Website: Pineify

Here's the thing - not everyone wants to learn coding, and that's totally fine! If you just want to create trading indicators and strategies without getting into the technical stuff, Pineify might be exactly what you need.

Check out all of Pineify's features here

What's Pineify?

Think of Pineify as a translator between your trading ideas and Pine Script code. You describe what you want (using dropdowns, checkboxes, and simple forms), and it writes the code for you.

How It Works

1. Point and Click: Instead of typing code, you select options from menus and fill out forms.
2. Customize Everything: Even though it's simple to use, you can still fine-tune everything to match your exact strategy.
3. Instant Results: Once you've set everything up, it generates the Pine Script code immediately. Copy, paste into TradingView, and you're done.

Why People Love It

• No learning curve: If you can use a website, you can create Pine Scripts - no need to learn syntax or debug code errors
• Fast results: Create and test strategies in minutes, not hours
• Focus on trading: Spend time on strategy development, not debugging syntax errors
• Perfect for beginners: Great way to get started without feeling overwhelmed

Getting Started

Just head over to their website, create an account, and start exploring. They usually have guides and examples to help you get started.

The bottom line? If you want to create custom trading tools but don't want to become a programmer, Pineify bridges that gap perfectly. You get all the power of Pine Script without needing to learn all the technical details.

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Whether you choose to learn Pine Script the traditional way or use a tool like Pineify, the important thing is to start somewhere. Your trading strategies are unique to you, and having the ability to create custom indicators that match your approach can be a real game-changer.

If you're curious about other approaches to Pine Script development, you might also want to check out how AI is revolutionizing Pine Script coding or explore some real Pine Script v6 strategy examples to see what's possible.

Good luck, and happy trading!