kScript v1 vs v2 — Key Differences — kScript

This document highlights the major improvements and design changes between kScript v1 and kScript v2. The goal of v2 is to make scripting more intuitive, powerful, and performant for indicator developers.

1. Execution Model

Execution was line-by-line and evaluated expressions directly
Developers had to manually assemble time-aligned series using:
- buildTimeseries(...)
- mergeTimeseries(...)
- matchTimestamp(...)
- timeseries(...) constructor
This was unintuitive and often led to performance bottlenecks

2. Keyword Arguments (kwargs)

Functions accepted only positional arguments, making scripts harder to read and maintain.

v1 Positional Arguments

plotLine(rsiTs, 3, ["red", "green"])


{% endtab %}



{% tab title="v2 (Current)" %}

All functions now support **keyword arguments** (`kwargs`). More readable and order-independent.

v2 Keyword Arguments

plotLine(value=rsiTs, width=3, colors=["red", "green"])


{% endtab %}


{% endtabs %}

3. Compiler Improvements

Most errors surfaced only at runtime
Developers had to debug by trial and error

4. Data Subscriptions

All data sources handled via the generic source(...) function.

Dedicated functions for specific data types:

ohlcv(symbol, exchange)
trades(symbol, exchange)
orderbook(symbol, exchange)

Improves readability and ensures correct schema handling.

Dedicated Data Subscription

timeseries ohlcvTs = ohlcv(symbol="BTCUSDT", exchange="BINANCE")


{% endtab %}


{% endtabs %}

5. Technical Indicator Functions

Functions like rsi, ema returned a full timeseries
Developers often misunderstood how to work with them, leading to redundant or incorrect code

Each technical function returns a scalar value per bar
Much simpler to use directly in expressions and plots

Scalar Technical Indicator

var r = rsi(source=ohlcvTs.close, period=14)
plotLine(value=r, width=2, colors=["#3fa9f5"], label=["RSI"], desc=["Relative Strength Index"])


{% endtab %}


{% endtabs %}

6. Field Accessors

Accessing fields from data was clunky and inconsistent.

Clean accessors for multi-field series like OHLCV:

ohlcvTs.close
ohlcvTs.open
ohlcvTs.high
ohlcvTs.low
ohlcvTs.volume

Field Accessors

var diff = ohlcvTs.close - ohlcvTs.open


{% endtab %}


{% endtabs %}

7. Reverse Index Access

Forward-style indexing only (oldest first)
Hard to get the latest values directly

Reverse indexing: ts[0] → latest bar, ts[1] → one bar before last, etc.

Reverse Index Access

var lastClose = ohlcvTs[0].close
var prevClose = ohlcvTs[1].close


{% endtab %}


{% endtabs %}

8. Function Definitions

No support for custom functions.

User-defined functions via func. Enables modular, reusable code.

User-Defined Function

func safeDiv(a, b) {
  return b == 0 ? 0 : a / b
}


{% endtab %}


{% endtabs %}

9. Loops

No support for looping constructs.

Full support for for and while loops (restricted to var variables).

For Loop

for (var i = 0; i < 5; i = i + 1) {
  print(text=i)
}


{% endtab %}


{% endtabs %}

10. Plot Functions

Limited plotting functions (plotLine, plotBar).

11. Standard Library

Minimal helper set.

Summary

kScript v2 delivers major improvements over v1:

Per-bar execution

Eliminates manual time alignment—the engine advances bar-by-bar for you.

Keyword arguments

Functions read clearly with named parameters instead of brittle positional-only calls.

Compile-time checking

Syntax, scope, and many type issues surface before you run against live data.

Dedicated subscriptions

Use ohlcv(...), trades(...), and orderbook(...) instead of a generic source(...) catch-all.

Scalar indicators

Built-in indicators return values for the current bar—no whole-series juggling for typical plots.

Field accessors

OHLCV fields like ohlcvTs.close are first-class paths instead of ad-hoc structures.

Reverse indexing

series[0] reads the latest bar; older bars use higher indexes—matching how traders think.

Functions and loops

Author reusable helpers with func and constrained for/while loops.

Plots and standard library

Candles, shapes, more kwargs—and a wider math/indicator/debug toolkit out of the box.

Overall, v2 is more intuitive, safer, and expressive — while maintaining performance for real-time charting.