TradingView's nested if statement: if inside another

TradingView’s nested if statement: if inside another

TL;DR
Check the broad condition first, then evaluate a second if inside it. Both must be true before your nested logic runs.

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("Nested if demo", overlay=false)

var int count = 0

if close > ta.ema(close, 50)                       // higher-level filter
    if volume > ta.sma(volume, 20) and close > high[1]  // nested requirement
        count += 1

plot(count, "Qualified signals")

Tip. Pine relies on indentation to determine block scope. Nested `if` blocks must be indented one level deeper than the outer block.

Why It Matters

Nested if statements let you model tiered logic—first confirm trend, then confirm trigger; first check session, then check indicator. Clear nesting prevents duplicate code and keeps requirements explicit.

What You’ll Learn

• The basic pattern for nesting if statements (including else if).
• When to prefer nesting versus combining conditions with and.
• How to return values from nested branches cleanly.
• Practical indicator and strategy examples that benefit from multi-step checks.

When to Nest vs. Chain

Use nesting when…	Use else if / logical operators when…
You need to execute additional code inside the outer branch (e.g., bookkeeping, logging).	You simply want mutually exclusive branches that return a value.
Later checks rely on state created in the outer block.	Conditions are independent and can be combined with and / or.

Example: Highlight strong breakouts

//@version=5
indicator("Breakout highlighter", overlay=true)

fastLen = input.int(20, "Fast Donchian")
slowLen = input.int(60, "Slow Donchian")
volumeLen = input.int(30, "Volume SMA")

upperFast = ta.highest(high, fastLen)
upperSlow = ta.highest(high, slowLen)
volAvg    = ta.sma(volume, volumeLen)

if high > upperFast[1]
    if high > upperSlow[1] and volume > volAvg
        label.new(bar_index, high, "Strong breakout",
            style=label.style_label_down,
            textcolor=color.white,
            bgcolor=color.new(color.green, 70))

plot(upperFast, "Fast high", color=color.new(color.green, 40))
plot(upperSlow, "Slow high", color=color.new(color.orange, 40))

Example: Strategy filter

//@version=5
strategy("Nested filter entry", overlay=true)

emaFast = ta.ema(close, 21)
emaSlow = ta.ema(close, 55)
rsiVal  = ta.rsi(close, 14)

if emaFast > emaSlow
    if rsiVal < 60 and close > emaFast
        strategy.entry("Long", strategy.long)
else
    if rsiVal > 40 and close < emaFast
        strategy.entry("Short", strategy.short)

Pro Tips & Pitfalls

• Keep nesting shallow. If you find yourself three or four levels deep, extract helper functions or early-return guards for clarity.
• Initialise state outside. Set variables (e.g., var bool triggered = false) before the if block so nested code can update them safely.
• Combine with logical operators wisely. Sometimes a single condition like if a and b is cleaner than nesting—choose the option that reads best.
• Beware of repeated triggers. Use barstate.isnew or store flags when nested checks can fire multiple times on the realtime bar.

Troubleshooting & FAQ

The inner block runs unexpectedly

Verify indentation. The nested block must be indented relative to the outer block; otherwise Pine treats it as a separate statement.

Should I nest inside else?

Yes—placing an if inside else is a common pattern when you want alternative checks only after the primary condition fails.

How do I return values from nested branches?

Use assignments: result = if condition if nested value1 else value2 else value3.

Key Takeaways

• Nested if statements enforce multi-step requirements in Pine Script.
• Indentation controls scope—double-check spacing to avoid surprises.
• Use nesting when later checks depend on earlier ones; otherwise consider else if or logical operators.
• Visualise nested logic with labels/plots to confirm behaviour before deploying to live charts.

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Keep Going

• Open AI Editor to experiment interactively
• Learn more control flow tools
• Connect to Live Trading when your decision logic is production ready

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