Pine Script Converter: Complete Guide to Converting Pine Script Code

So you've got some Pine Script code that's giving you headaches? Maybe it's an old script that won't run anymore, or you want to move your TradingView strategy to Python. Trust me, I've been there. Converting Pine Script can feel like trying to translate ancient hieroglyphs sometimes, but it's totally doable once you know the tricks.

Why You'd Want to Convert Pine Script in the First Place

Look, Pine Script is TradingView's own little programming language for building indicators and strategies. It's pretty neat, but here's the thing - they keep updating it. We're up to version 6 now, and if you've got old scripts lying around, they might not play nice with the newer features.

You might need to convert because:

• Your old script is throwing errors and you want to use the cool new stuff
• You want to take your strategy outside of TradingView and run it in Python
• You've got an indicator that you want to turn into a proper backtestable strategy

The Easy Way: Let TradingView Do the Heavy Lifting

Here's a secret that'll save you hours of frustration - TradingView actually has a built-in converter for v4 to v5 scripts. It's like having a translator that speaks both old and new Pine Script.

Here's how to use it:

1. Open up your old script (the one with //@version=4 at the top)
2. Look for those three dots in the top-right corner of the Pine Editor
3. Click "Convert to v5"
4. Cross your fingers and hope it works perfectly (spoiler: it usually does pretty well)

The converter handles most of the annoying syntax changes automatically. Sometimes you'll still need to fix a few things manually, but it beats rewriting everything from scratch.

What Actually Changes Between Versions?

When you're upgrading Pine Script versions, you'll run into a few common headaches:

Version Numbers - Obviously, you need to change that version line at the top. But that's just the beginning.

Function Names Got Fancy - In newer versions, a lot of functions moved into "namespaces." So highest() became ta.highest(). It's like they decided to organize their toolbox better.

Study vs Indicator - If you're coming from older versions, study() got renamed to indicator(). Same thing, different name.

Input Functions Got Specific - Instead of just input(), now you have input.bool(), input.int(), etc. It's more typing, but it's clearer what you're expecting.

Boolean Values Got Stricter - In v6, booleans are either true or false. No more weird in-between states.

Turning Indicators into Strategies

This is something I get asked about a lot. You've got this awesome indicator, and you want to see how it would perform as a trading strategy. Here's the process:

1. Find your indicator on the chart and click those curly brackets next to its name to see the code
2. Copy that code into the Pine Editor
3. Change indicator() to strategy() at the top
4. Figure out when you want to buy and sell based on your indicator's signals
5. Add the actual trading commands like strategy.entry() and strategy.close()

The tricky part is step 4 - deciding when your indicator is telling you to trade. That's where your trading knowledge comes in handy.

Going from Pine Script to Python

Now this is where things get interesting. Maybe you want to run your strategy outside of TradingView, or you want to connect it to a broker's API, or you just prefer Python. I get it.

Tools That Can Help

There's a Python package called PyneScript that can actually parse Pine Script code. It's pretty cool, though it might not handle every single Pine Script function perfectly.

Doing It By Hand

If you're going the manual route (which honestly might be easier for simple scripts), here are some tips:

• Use pandas_ta or ta-lib for your technical indicators
• Pine's nz() function is just null handling - Python has plenty of ways to deal with that
• Those lookback periods in Pine Script? Think rolling windows in pandas

Here's a quick example. In Pine Script, you might have something like this for deviation:

dev_value = ta.dev(close, 10)

In Python, you'd do something like:

df["SMA"] = ta.sma(df["Close"], 10)
df["dev_abs"] = (df["Close"] - df["SMA"]).abs()
df["dev_cumsum"] = df["dev_abs"].rolling(window=10).sum()
df["DEV_SMA"] = df["dev_cumsum"] / 10

It's more verbose, but you have way more control over what's happening.

Tools That Make Life Easier

Pineify

I've got to mention Pineify here because it's actually pretty handy if you're not into coding. It lets you build indicators and strategies without writing code:

Website: Pineify

Check out all the features here if you're curious.

What's cool about it:

• You can build stuff without knowing how to code
• It lets you put unlimited indicators on one chart (TradingView normally limits you)
• Has this condition editor where you can combine different indicators
• Spits out Pine Script v6 code when you're done

When Things Go Wrong (And They Will)

Converting code is never perfectly smooth. Here are the usual suspects when things break:

Namespace Issues - Remember those function names that moved? If you're getting "function not found" errors, try adding ta. or math. in front.

Input Problems - If your inputs aren't working, make sure you're using the new specific input functions.

Boolean Weirdness - In v6, if you're trying to use na as a boolean, that won't fly anymore.

Dynamic Request Headaches - The way Pine Script handles dynamic requests changed between versions. This one can be tricky to debug.

My Take on All This

Look, converting Pine Script doesn't have to be a nightmare. Start with the automatic converter if you can, then fix the bits that break. If you're going to Python, think about whether you really need to convert everything or if you can just rebuild the core logic.

The main thing is not to get overwhelmed. Pine Script keeps evolving because they're trying to make it better, not to annoy us. And honestly, the newer versions are usually worth the upgrade hassle.

Whether you're just trying to get an old script working again or you're planning to build the next great trading system, take it one step at a time. The Pine Script community is pretty helpful too, so don't be afraid to ask for help when you get stuck.

Happy coding, and may your backtests be ever profitable!