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Widget methods

Overview

After you create a widget with Widget Constructor, you can control the widget object using the methods defined in the IChartingLibraryWidget interface. This article describes the most commonly used methods. Refer to the IChartingLibraryWidget page to see the full list of methods.

Advanced Charts methods

onChartReady

The onChartReady method calls a callback when all data is loaded and the widget is ready. Therefore, you should call other widget methods only after the onChartReady callback.

const widget = new TradingView.widget(/* Widget properties */);

widget.onChartReady(function() {
widget.getChartLanguage();
});

chart

The chart method returns an instance of the IChartWidgetApi interface that provides an extensive API for controlling the specific chart. For example, you can handle chart events, create indicators and drawings, change chart properties on the fly, and more. Consider the code sample below that adds the Bollinger Bands indicator at the launch.

widget.onChartReady(() => {
const chart = widget.chart();
chart.createStudy(
"Bollinger Bands", // Indicator's name
true, // forceOverlay
false, // lock
{
in_0: 25, // length
in_1: 1, // 'mult' indicator setting
}
);
});

The chart method has an optional index parameter. If you want to interact with a certain chart on the multiple-chart layout, you should call the chart method with the corresponding index as a parameter.

activeChart

The activeChart method retrieves IChartWidgetApi to interact with the currently selected chart. For example, the code sample below draws a vertical line on the chart.

widget.activeChart().createMultipointShape(
[{ price: 168, time: Date.UTC(2017, 10, 13) / 1000 }],
{ shape: 'vertical_line'}
);

You can also subscribe to events on the active chart, such as onIntervalChanged.

widget.activeChart().onIntervalChanged().subscribe(null, (interval, timeframeObj) =>
timeframeObj.timeframe = {
value: "12M",
type: "period-back"
});

Note that the library does not manage the event subscriptions when users switch between the charts on the multiple-chart layout. If necessary, you should manually unsubscribe from the previous chart and subscribe to the newly selected one using the corresponding methods. To track the currently active chart, use the activeChartChanged event.

You can also find out the active chart's index using the activeChartIndex method and subscribe to this chart using the chart method.

const index = widget.activeChartIndex();
const chart = widget.chart(index);

subscribe / unsubscribe

The subscribe method allows you to subscribe to the widget's events and handle them. For example, the code sample below handles an event when an indicator is added to the chart and prints the indicator's name to the console.

widget.subscribe('study', (event) => { console.log(`A ${event.value} indicator was added`) });

You should use the unsubscribe method to unsubscribe from events.

applyOverrides

The applyOverrides method allows you to change Overrides on the fly. The code sample below hides the main series.

widget.applyOverrides({ "mainSeriesProperties.visible": false });

applyStudiesOverrides

The applyStudiesOverrides method allows you to change Overrides that affect indicators (studies) on the fly. The code sample below changes the color of the Bollinger Bands indicator.

widget.applyStudiesOverrides({
'bollinger bands.median.color': '#33FF88'
});

Note that this method only changes the indicator's properties before the indicator is created. You should use the applyOverrides method in IStudyApi to change an indicator that is already on the chart.

setSymbol

The setSymbol method sets a symbol and resolution of the active chart.

widget.setSymbol('IBM', '1D', () => {
// Your callback function
});

Note that a callback is evoked when the data for the new symbol is loaded.

changeTheme

The changeTheme method allows you to change the theme on the fly. This method returns a promise that is resolved once the theme is applied. You can apply other style modifications after the promise is fulfilled.

widget.changeTheme('Dark').then(() => {
widget.chart().applyOverrides({ 'paneProperties.backgroundGradientStartColor': 'red' });
});

onShortcut

The onShortcut method allows you to specify an action that happens when a user clicks on the certain buttons. To do this, you should pass a keyboard shortcut and a callback function as parameters. The shortCut parameter depends on the key types:

  • If a shortcut consists of a modifier and alphabet keys, you should pass a string and use + as a separator.

    // Alt+Q
    widget.onShortcut("alt+q", function() {
    widget.chart().executeActionById("symbolSearch");
    });
  • If a shortcut consists of a non-alphabet key, you should pass the key code. You can refer to the keycode.info and MDN pages to find out a key code.

    // F1
    widget.onShortcut(112, function() {
    widget.chart().executeActionById("symbolSearch");
    });
  • If a shortcut consists of modifier and non-alphabet keys, you should pass an array that contains strings and key codes.

    // Ctrl+Shift+\
    widget.onShortcut(['ctrl', 'shift', 220], function() {
    widget.chart().executeActionById("symbolSearch");
    });

takeClientScreenshot

The takeClientScreenshot method creates a snapshot of the chart and returns it as a canvas. You can then take the canvas element and create an image from it. The code sample below saves a screenshot as PNG.

async function saveChartToPNG() {
const screenshotCanvas = await widget.takeClientScreenshot();
const linkElement = document.createElement('a');
linkElement.download = 'screenshot';
linkElement.href = screenshotCanvas.toDataURL(); // Alternatively, use `toBlob` which is a better API
linkElement.dataset.downloadurl = ['image/png', linkElement.download, linkElement.href].join(':');
document.body.appendChild(linkElement);
linkElement.click();
document.body.removeChild(linkElement);
}
saveChartToPNG(); // Call the screenshot function

customThemes

The customThemes method retrieves ICustomThemesApi that allows you to manage custom themes. For example, you can reset the applied themes to the default values.

let customThemesAPI = (await widget.customThemes());
customThemesAPI.resetCustomThemes();

Trading Platform methods

The methods below are available in Trading Platform only.

widgetbar

The widgetbar method retrieves IWidgetbarApi that allows you to interact with the widget bar.

widget.onChartReady(() => {
widget.widgetbar().then(widgetbarApi => {
widgetbarApi.isPageVisible('data_window');
});
});

watchList

The watchList method retrieves IWatchListApi that allows you to interact with the Watchlist widget.

const watchlistApi = await widget.watchList();
const activeListId = watchlistApi.getActiveListId();
const currentListItems = watchlistApi.getList(activeListId);
// Adds a new section and item to the current Watchlist
watchlistApi.updateList(activeListId, [...currentListItems, '###NEW SECTION', 'AMZN']);

news

The news method retrieves INewsApi that allows you to interact with the News widget.

widget.onChartReady(() => {
widget.news().then(newsApi => {
// newsApi is ready to use
});
});

chartsCount

The chartsCount method counts a number of charts on the multiple-chart layout. In the code sample below, this method is used to interact with all the charts on the layout one by one.

for (let i = 0; i < widget.chartsCount(); i++) { console.log(widget.chart(i).symbolExt().symbol) }