Thinking in Pine - Study References Too Many Bars In the History

Welcome to "Thinking in Pine" short video series on the topics of Pine Script.

Today's topic is handling the error - "The study references too many candles in the history" and other bar_index related issues.

If you are not familiar with Pine Script time series concepts, please go through our previous videos.

• Thinking in Pine - Time Series
• Thinking in Pine - Special Cases of Time Series

🎲 Points Discussed

• When do we get the error "Study references too many candles in the history" and how to overcome this issue.
  
• bar_index limitations with drawing objects on the chart.
  

🎯 Example Program - Historical Reference Alternative Implementation

Pine Script®

// When we are trying to refer to history more than or equal to 10000 bars older
// float value = close[10000]
// plot(value)

// Alternative implementation
var values = array.new<float>()
values.unshift(close)
// Throws error on first bar since the number of items is less than 10000
// float valueFromArray = values.get(10000)
// plot(valueFromArray)

//Option 1 - Get the last available value when the number of bars available is less than 10000
float valueFromArray1 = values.get(math.min(bar_index, 10000))
plot(valueFromArray1)

// Option 2 - If number of available bars less than 10000, then set value to na else get the value of 10000 bars back
float valueFromArray2 = values.size() <= 10000? na : values.get(10000)
plot(valueFromArray2)

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🎯 Example Program - Drawing Object Limitations with Bar Index

Pine Script®

// Trying to create a line too far in history or in future
// if(barstate.islast)
//     Throws error as can only draw upto 9999 bars before
//     ln1 = line.new(bar_index, high, bar_index-10000, high)

//     Throws error as we can only draw upto 500 bars in the future.
//     ln2 = line.new(bar_index, high, bar_index+501, high)

startingPoint = ta.valuewhen(bar_index == last_bar_index-10000, time, 0)
float price = 0.0
if(barstate.islast)
    // However, we can draw more than 10000 bars back or more than 500 bars in the future using time instead of bar _index
    ln = line.new(time, high, startingPoint, high, xloc=xloc.bar_time)
 
    // Cannot use line.get_price when the line is drawn using xloc = xloc.bar_time
    // price := ln.get_price(last_bar_index-5000)

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