TradingView's if/else statement: make code decisions between two options

TradingView’s if/else statement: make code decisions between two options

TL;DR
if evaluates a condition; if it’s true, run one block of code, otherwise run the else block. Use else if for additional branches.

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("If/Else demo", overlay=false)

priceColor = if close > open
    color.green
else if close < open
    color.red
else
    color.gray

plot(close, "Close", color=color.new(priceColor, 0))

Tip. Indentation matters: Pine associates indented lines with the nearest `if`, `else if`, or `else` block.

Why It Matters

Whether you’re colouring plots, switching between stop-loss styles, or triggering different orders, branching logic is essential. Without if/else, every bar would follow the same path regardless of market context.

What You’ll Learn

• The basic if/else structure and indentation rules.
• Nesting and chaining conditions with else if.
• Assigning values from if/else statements for cleaner code.
• Practical examples for indicators and strategies.

Quick Reference

Pattern	Description	Example
`if condition

// code` | Run code when condition is true. | `if high > hh
breakout := true` |

| if ... else | Choose between two blocks. | if isLong strategy.close("Long") else strategy.close("Short") | | if ... else if ... else | Multiple branches. | if rsi > 70 ... else if rsi < 30 ... else ... | | Assignment | Capture the value returned by each branch. | color = if trendUp then color.green else color.red |

Implementation Blueprint

1. Start with a simple branch
   Evaluate a boolean expression and run one block when it’s true.

   if close > open
       label.new(bar_index, high, "Bullish")

2. Add the alternative path
   Use else to handle the opposite case.

   if close > open
       label.new(bar_index, high, "Bullish")
   else
       label.new(bar_index, low, "Bearish")

3. Return values directly
   Assign the outcome to a variable for later use.

   direction = if close > open
       1
   else
       -1

Example Playbook

//@version=5
indicator("If/Else signal demo", overlay=true)

rsiLen = input.int(14, "RSI length")
overbought = input.int(70, "Overbought")
oversold   = input.int(30, "Oversold")

rsiValue = ta.rsi(close, rsiLen)

signalLabel = if rsiValue > overbought
    "Sell"
else if rsiValue < oversold
    "Buy"
else
    "Hold"

plot(rsiValue, "RSI", color=color.new(color.blue, 0))
hline(overbought, "OB", color=color.new(color.red, 60))
hline(oversold, "OS", color=color.new(color.green, 60))

if barstate.islast
    label.new(bar_index, rsiValue, signalLabel,
        style=label.style_label_left,
        textcolor=color.white,
        bgcolor=signalLabel == "Sell" ? color.new(color.red, 70) : signalLabel == "Buy" ? color.new(color.green, 70) : color.new(color.gray, 70))

Why this works.

• `signalLabel` holds a different string for each condition, making it easy to reuse in labels, alerts, or strategy logic.
• Chained `else if` keeps all RSI states in one tidy block.
• Background colours reflect the decision, providing instant visual feedback.

Pro Tips & Pitfalls

• Complex logic becomes hard to read quickly—extract repeated expressions into variables or helper functions.
• For “value only” decisions, consider the ternary operator condition ? value1 : value2 to keep code concise.
• The else branch is optional; omit it when you only need to act on the true condition.
• In strategies, guard against duplicate orders by combining if/else with state flags (var bool inPosition).

Troubleshooting & FAQ

I get an “Undeclared identifier” error inside else

Double-check indentation: if the else block isn’t indented, Pine thinks you’re declaring a new global variable.

How do I skip assignment entirely when a condition is false?

Use na to represent the absence of a value: result = if condition value else na.

Can I nest if statements?

Yes, but keep readability in mind. Often, else if is clearer than nesting multiple if blocks.

Key Takeaways

• if/else is the primary branching tool in Pine Script, letting you run different code paths per bar.
• Keep indentation consistent and leverage assignments to return values directly from conditions.
• Use else if and ternaries to handle multiple branches without deeply nested blocks.
• Combine with plots, labels, or orders to make decisions visible and actionable.

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Keep Going

• Open AI Editor to experiment interactively
• Browse How-To Guides to apply control flow in real scripts
• Connect to Live Trading when you’re ready to automate decisions

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