cond

Evaluates a condition and returns one of two values based on the result. This is the ternary operator for StonQL, enabling if-then-else logic within expressions. Use it to create conditional calculations, classify price action, and build complex decision logic.

Parameters

• condition (expression): Boolean expression to evaluate
• if_true (expression): Value returned when condition is true
• if_false (expression): Value returned when condition is false

Formula

cond(A, B, C) → B when A is true, otherwise C

Examples

Bullish/Bearish Bar Indicator

Convert price action into numeric values for analysis:

// 1 for up days, 0 for down days
cond(close > open, 1, 0);

Conditional Distance Calculation

Calculate distance from moving average only when price is above it:

// distance above MA (zero when below)
cond(close > sma(close, 20), close - sma(close, 20), 0);

Multi-Level Classification with Nesting

Classify RSI into zones by nesting multiple cond() calls:

// -1 = overbought, 1 = oversold, 0 = neutral
cond(rsi(close, 14) > 70, -1,
     cond(rsi(close, 14) < 30, 1, 0));

Safe Division

Protect against divide-by-zero errors in ratio calculations:

// body-to-range ratio, safe when range is zero
cond(bar_range != 0, bar_change / bar_range, 0);

Returns

Value of if_true or if_false depending on condition evaluation

Notes

• Can be nested for multi-level classification (if-else-if chains)
• Arguments can be any expression: fields, functions, or constants
• Both branches are evaluated, so use for calculations not side effects