Plots or drawings: which to use

Use a plot for a series with a value on every bar that you want drawn as a line, histogram or area: an average, an oscillator. A plot call stands at the top level and its look (width, style, title) is fixed for the run. Use a drawing for everything else: marks on some bars, text built from data, levels or zones that follow data, anything created in a condition or a loop.

You want	Refused form	Use
a plot on some bars only	`plot` inside `if`	`plot(cond ? value : na)`, or a drawing
text from data on a mark	`plotshape(..., text=str.tostring(x))`	`label.new`
a level that moves with data	`hline(close)`	`plot(value)` for a line on every bar; `line.new` for a segment
a zone between two prices	`fill` of series	`box.new`, or `fill` of two `plot`s
a title or width from data	non-const `title`, computed `linewidth`	a label; or one plot per case
a different shape or size by bar	`shape=` or `size=` from a condition	one `plotshape` per case

The refused forms

The messages for most rows are on other pages: a plot in a condition on Plotting, a title from data on const, input, simple and series, a computed hline price and a fill of a plot with a level on Fills and levels. A mark whose shape or size depends on the data:

//@lipi=2
indicator("Size by bar")
plotshape(close > open, size=close > open ? size.small : size.large)

The compiler says: Cannot call plotshape with argument size=close>open?size.small:size.large. An argument of series size type was used but a input size is expected.

What to use instead

Text from data, and a zone, as drawings. Both may sit inside a condition:

//@lipi=2
indicator("Breakout labels and zone", overlay=true)
top = talib.highest(high, 20)
bottom = talib.lowest(low, 20)
if close > top[1] {
    label.new(bar_index, low, "Breakout " + str.tostring(close), style=label.style_label_up, color=color.green, textcolor=color.white)
}
if barstate.islast {
    box.new(bar_index - 20, top, bar_index, bottom, border_color=color.gray, bgcolor=color.new(color.gray, 0.9))
}

A drawing is not a series: it has no value on each bar, cannot be read back by other code as a series and counts against the limits on Lines, labels, boxes and polylines.

Manual

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Reference

Plots or drawings: which to use

The refused forms

What to use instead

​The refused forms

​What to use instead

The refused forms

What to use instead