Pine Script Mastery

> What this skill does: Activates elite-level Pine Script capability.

> Not just code generation — complete trading system architecture.

> Strategy logic, indicator design, risk management, backtesting integrity,

> publication-ready structure, and Pine Script v5/v6 mastery in one skill.

Reference Architecture

Standard task: Read language-mastery.md + relevant reference.

Full strategy build: Read all five files.

Execution Protocol

STEP 1 — Classify the Request

TYPE:
  [ ] Indicator only     — visualizes data, no trades
  [ ] Strategy           — generates buy/sell signals with backtesting
  [ ] Library            — reusable functions for other scripts
  [ ] Debug / Fix        — existing code has errors
  [ ] Optimize           — improve existing script performance or logic
  [ ] Explain            — teach how something works
  [ ] Convert            — port from another language or v4→v5/v6

VERSION TARGET:
  [ ] v5  (most compatible, massive community)
  [ ] v6  (latest — dynamic requests, strict bool, new features)
  Default: v5 unless user specifies v6 or needs v6-only features

COMPLEXITY:
  [ ] Simple   — single concept, <50 lines
  [ ] Medium   — multi-component, 50-200 lines
  [ ] Advanced — full system, 200+ lines, multiple interacting systems

STEP 2 — Pre-Code Intelligence Gathering

Before writing a single line, extract:

ASSET CLASS    : Forex / Crypto / Stocks / Futures / Index
TIMEFRAME      : Scalp (1-5m) / Intraday (15m-4h) / Swing (D) / Position (W+)
MARKET TYPE    : Trending / Ranging / Volatile — which does the strategy target?
ENTRY LOGIC    : What signals trigger entries? (momentum / reversal / breakout / mean reversion)
EXIT LOGIC     : Fixed SL/TP / Trailing / Indicator-based / Time-based?
RISK APPROACH  : Fixed % / ATR-based / Kelly / Fixed lot?
FILTERS        : Trend filter? Volume filter? Time session filter?
VISUAL NEEDS   : What should appear on chart? Signals? Levels? Dashboard?

If information is missing for a strategy build → ask before coding.

If request is clear → proceed immediately.

STEP 3 — Architecture Design (Strategy Builds)

Read references/strategy-design.md and design before coding:

SIGNAL STACK
  Primary signal   : [Main entry trigger]
  Confirmation 1   : [First filter — reduces false signals]
  Confirmation 2   : [Second filter — optional but recommended]
  Trend filter     : [Macro direction context]
  Volume filter    : [Participation confirmation — optional]

RISK STACK
  Stop Loss        : [Method + calculation]
  Take Profit 1    : [First target — partial exit]
  Take Profit 2    : [Second target — full exit]
  Trailing Stop    : [Activation level + trail distance]
  Max Drawdown     : [Emergency shutdown condition]

POSITION SIZING
  Method           : [Fixed % / ATR-based / Kelly]
  Risk per trade   : [% of equity]
  Max open trades  : [Concurrent position limit]

STEP 4 — Write Production-Grade Code

Read references/language-mastery.md before writing.

Read references/quality-standards.md to apply all standards.

Every script must have:

// ============================================================
// [SCRIPT NAME] — [one-line description]
// Version    : v1.0
// Pine Script: v5 (or v6)
// Author     : [name]
// Description: [2-3 sentence explanation of what it does,
//               what makes it useful, how to use it]
// ============================================================

Code structure order:

1. Version declaration + header comment
2. indicator() or strategy() declaration with all parameters
3. Input groups (organized, labeled, with tooltips)
4. Core calculations
5. Signal logic
6. Risk management
7. Strategy entries/exits (if strategy)
8. Plots and visuals
9. Alerts
10. Dashboard table (if needed)

STEP 5 — Validate Before Delivering

Run this checklist on every output:

SYNTAX
[ ] Correct version declaration
[ ] No deprecated v4 functions (study(), security(), etc.)
[ ] All variables declared before use
[ ] No repainting logic unless intentional and disclosed
[ ] request.security() used correctly (barmerge settings)

LOGIC
[ ] Entry and exit conditions are mutually consistent
[ ] No division by zero risk
[ ] Array bounds checked if arrays used
[ ] na values handled (na() checks where needed)
[ ] Lookahead bias absent from strategy

QUALITY
[ ] All inputs have tooltips
[ ] All plots have titles and colors
[ ] Alert conditions defined
[ ] Strategy uses commission and slippage parameters
[ ] Code is readable — no magic numbers, named constants used

PERFORMANCE
[ ] No unnecessary calculations inside loops
[ ] Heavy calculations use var or varip where appropriate
[ ] request.security() calls minimized

STEP 6 — Deliver With Context

Every code delivery includes:

1. What it does — plain English, 2-3 sentences

2. How to use it — specific settings, what to look for

3. Optimization hints — which inputs to tune first

4. Known limitations — honest about what it doesn't handle

5. Risk warning — always include for strategies:

> ⚠️ *Backtest results do not guarantee future performance.

> Always validate on out-of-sample data and demo trade before going live.*

Strategy Design Principles

These apply to every strategy output regardless of complexity:

The Signal Quality Hierarchy

Tier 1 — Price action (most reliable, no lag)
Tier 2 — Volume confirmation (validates moves)
Tier 3 — Momentum oscillators (RSI, MACD — confirm, don't lead)
Tier 4 — Moving averages (trend context only — laggy for entry)

Never use Tier 4 alone for entries. Always combine tiers.

The Repainting Rule

Scripts must never repaint without explicit disclosure.

Common repainting causes:

• request.security() without lookahead=barmerge.lookahead_off
• Using high[0] or low[0] in real-time bar calculations
• ta.pivothigh() / ta.pivotlow() — these inherently repaint

Always use barstate.isconfirmed for alert conditions.

The Overfitting Warning

If a strategy has >5 optimizable inputs and shows >70% win rate in backtest:

flag this explicitly. Recommend walk-forward validation.

Real edges produce 52-60% win rates with good R:R, not 80%+.

Pine Script v6 Key Differences (vs v5)

Pine Script v6 was released December 2024. Future updates apply exclusively to v6.

Key changes from v5:

Dynamic requests  : request.*() now accepts series string arguments
                    Can change data feed dynamically on historical bars
                    Can be called inside loops and conditional structures

Strict booleans   : bool type is now strictly true or false, never na
                    Eliminates entire class of silent logic bugs

Better strategy   : Improved handling of complex order logic

2025 updates: Scope limit removed (was 550, now unlimited). String length increased 10x to 40,960 characters. Pine Editor moved to side panel with word wrap support.

When to use v6: new scripts that need dynamic request.*() calls,

or when scope/string limits were previously a constraint.

When to stay on v5: maximum community compatibility needed.

Quick Reference — Most Used Patterns

Multi-Timeframe Analysis

// Always use barmerge.lookahead_off to prevent repainting
htf_close = request.security(syminfo.tickerid, "D", close,
     lookahead=barmerge.lookahead_off)
htf_trend = request.security(syminfo.tickerid, "D",
     ta.ema(close, 50) > ta.ema(close, 200),
     lookahead=barmerge.lookahead_off)

ATR-Based Dynamic Levels

atr = ta.atr(14)
sl_distance  = atr * sl_mult
tp1_distance = atr * tp1_mult
tp2_distance = atr * tp2_mult

Strategy Entry with Risk Management

if long_signal and strategy.position_size == 0
    strategy.entry("Long", strategy.long)
    strategy.exit("Long Exit", "Long",
         stop   = close - sl_distance,
         limit  = close + tp1_distance,
         comment= "SL/TP1")

Dashboard Table

var table dash = table.new(position.top_right, 2, 5,
     bgcolor=color.new(color.black, 80),
     border_color=color.gray, border_width=1)

if barstate.islast
    table.cell(dash, 0, 0, "Signal",
         text_color=color.gray, text_size=size.small)
    table.cell(dash, 1, 0, long_signal ? "LONG ▲" : "–",
         text_color=long_signal ? color.green : color.gray,
         text_size=size.small)

Confirmed Alerts (No Repainting)

alertcondition(long_signal and barstate.isconfirmed,
     title="Long Signal",
     message="{{ticker}} — Long signal on {{interval}}")

Teaching Mode

When the user asks to learn or understand something:

1. Explain the concept — plain English first, no jargon
2. Show minimal example — smallest possible code that demonstrates it
3. Show real-world application — how it's actually used in a strategy
4. Common mistakes — what trips people up
5. Next step — what to learn after this

Never dump the full Pine Script manual. Teach the specific concept needed,

with just enough context to make it click.