Introduction to TradingView's operators

Introduction to TradingView’s operators

TL;DR
Pine Script ships with arithmetic (+, -, *, /, %), comparison (>, ==, etc.), logical (and, or, not), and assignment/ternary operators—combine them to calculate values and control flow in a single expression.

At a Glance

Difficulty	Beginner
Time to implement	10-15 min
Category	Language Basics

Quick Actions

• Open in AI Editor
• Browse PineScript Examples
• Connect to Live Trading

Quick Start

//@version=5
indicator("Operator sampler", overlay=false)

priceChange = close - close[1]                // arithmetic
aboveEMA    = close > ta.ema(close, 20)        // comparison
longSignal  = aboveEMA and ta.rsi(close, 14) < 70  // logical

plot(priceChange, "ΔClose")
plotshape(longSignal ? 1 : na, title="Signal", location=location.top)

Tip. Pine uses the keywords `and`, `or`, and `not` for logical operations—there is no `&&`/`||` shorthand.

Why It Matters

Operators are the glue of Pine Script: every condition, calculation, and assignment runs through them. Knowing which operator to reach for keeps your code concise, readable, and free from off-by-one or precedence mistakes.

What You’ll Learn

• Arithmetic, comparison, logical, and ternary operators with Pine-specific syntax.
• Operator precedence and how parentheses help you control evaluation order.
• Practical patterns for chaining operators in trading conditions.
• Ways to combine operators with built-in functions (e.g., ta.*).

Quick Reference

Operator	Purpose	Notes
+, -, *, /, %	Arithmetic	% returns the remainder of division.
>, <, >=, <=, ==, !=	Comparison	Return true/false series.
and, or, not	Logical	Operate on booleans; short-circuit evaluation.
:=	Reassignment (mutable)	Works with var variables.
? :	Ternary operator	condition ? valueIfTrue : valueIfFalse.
+=, -=, *=, /=	Compound assignment	Modify variables in place.

Implementation Blueprint

1. Start with arithmetic building blocks
   Use standard arithmetic to derive values from series.

   spread = high - low
   midpoint = (high + low) / 2
   percentageMove = (close / close[1] - 1) * 100

2. Add comparisons for decision-making
   Use comparison operators to transform numeric results into booleans.

   isBreakout = close > ta.highest(high, 20)
   isPullback = close <= ta.ema(close, 34)

3. Chain logical operators and ternaries
   Combine multiple booleans to define entries, exits, and filter criteria.

   allowLong = isBreakout and not isPullback
   labelText = allowLong ? "Go" : "Wait"

Example Playbook

//@version=5
indicator("Operator-powered regime filter", overlay=true, max_labels_count=500)

fastEMA = ta.ema(close, 21)
slowEMA = ta.ema(close, 55)
atr     = ta.atr(14)

trendUp    = fastEMA > slowEMA
volatility = atr / close

volFilterLow  = volatility < 0.015
volFilterHigh = volatility > 0.04

tradeState = trendUp and volFilterLow ? "Trending" : not trendUp and volFilterHigh ? "Chop" : "Neutral"

bgcolor(tradeState == "Trending" ? color.new(color.green, 85) : tradeState == "Chop" ? color.new(color.red, 85) : na)
plot(fastEMA, "Fast EMA", color=color.new(color.blue, 0))
plot(slowEMA, "Slow EMA", color=color.new(color.orange, 0))

if barstate.islast
    label.new(bar_index, close, tradeState, style=label.style_label_left,
        textcolor=color.white,
        bgcolor=tradeState == "Trending" ? color.new(color.green, 60) : tradeState == "Chop" ? color.new(color.red, 60) : color.new(color.gray, 60))

Why this works.

• Arithmetic derives key metrics (EMA spread, ATR percentage).
• Comparisons and logical operators classify the environment.
• Ternaries convert boolean decisions into chart-ready labels and colours.

Pro Tips & Pitfalls

• Pine evaluates multiplication/division before addition/subtraction—use parentheses when expressions get long.
• Comparing floats can yield unexpected results due to precision; use tolerances when necessary (math.abs(value) < 1e-6).
• Compound assignment (+=, -=) only works with mutable (var) variables.
• Ternary chains are powerful but can hurt readability—consider storing intermediate booleans instead of nesting too deeply.

Troubleshooting & FAQ

My logical condition never returns true

Print intermediate booleans (e.g., with plotshape or the Console) to ensure each comparison behaves as expected before combining them.

:= gives an error

Only var variables can be reassigned. Declare the variable with var type name = initialValue before using :=.

% returns negative numbers

The remainder carries the sign of the dividend. Wrap with math.abs if you need a positive result.

Key Takeaways

• Operators are fundamental to every Pine Script calculation and condition.
• Combine arithmetic and comparisons to generate actionable booleans.
• Logical operators and ternaries let you express complex trading rules succinctly.
• Parentheses and helper variables keep multi-operator expressions readable and maintainable.

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Keep Going

• Open AI Editor to apply the pattern with guided assistance
• Browse Strategy Examples for ready-to-run templates
• Connect to Live Trading when you are ready to automate

Adapted from tradingcode.net, optimised for Algo Trade Analytics users.