Candle Pattern Functions
This section describes a number of functions built into BullScript designed to identify candle patterns. Unless otherwise stated, each function returns true if the pattern is completed on the current bar.
It is important to realize that all of our reversal candle patterns must be preceded by an up or down trend. The WebLink definition of a trend follows that given in the Securities Institute Technical Analysis course notes section 3, page 9.
This states briefly that:
- An uptrend is a succession of higher highs and higher lows. An uptrend is only ended when a candle with a lower high AND a lower low than the previous candle is encountered.
- A downtrend is a succession of lower lows and lower highs. A downtrend is only ended when a candle with a higher high AND higher low than the previous candle is encountered.
Abandoned Baby Bottom
Usage
BULLABANDONEDBABY
Description
This a very rare Morning Doji Star varation where the star’s upper shadow does not overlap the first or third candles lower shadows.
An Abandoned Baby Bottom is a bottom reversal pattern and as such should be preceded by a downtrend.
Reference
Japanese Candlestick Charting Techniques Second Edition – Steve Nison, p70.
Example
See Also
Abandoned Baby Top | Candle Patterns | Doji | Morning Doji Star
Abandoned Baby Top
Usage
BEARABANDONEDBABY
Description
This a very rare Evening Doji Star varation where the star’s lower shadow does not overlap the first or third candles upper shadows.
An Abandoned Baby Top is a top reversal pattern and as such should be preceded by an uptrend.
Reference
Japanese Candlestick Charting Techniques Second Edition – Steve Nison, p70.
Example
See Also
Abandoned Baby Bottom | Candle Patterns | Doji | Evening Doji Star
Bearish Harami
Usage
BEARHARAMI
Description
A small real body of either colour which is contained within the prior large white body.
This is a top reversal pattern and as such should be preceded by an uptrend.
Reference
Japanese Candlestick Charting Techniques Second Edition – Steve Nison, p82.
Example
See Also
Bear Harami Cross | Bull Harami | Bull Harami Cross | Candle Patterns
Bearish Harami Cross
Usage
BEARHARAMICROSS
Description
A Doji which is contained within the prior large white body.
This is a top reversal pattern and as such should be preceded by an uptrend.
Reference
Japanese Candlestick Charting Techniques Second Edition – Steve Nison, p83.
Example
See Also
Bear Harami | Bull Harami | Bull Harami Cross | Candle Patterns | Doji
Bearish Belt Hold
Usage
BEARBELTHOLD
Description
A strong black candle that opens on the high of the session and closes on the low of the session.
This is a top reversal pattern and as such should be preceded by an uptrend.
Reference
Japanese Candlestick Charting Techniques Second Edition – Steve Nison, p93.
Example
See Also
Bullish Belt Hold | Candle Patterns
Bearish Counter Attack
Usage
BEARCOUNTERATTACK
Description
A large white candle followed by a black candle which opens sharply higher but closes at the prior white candle’s close.
A Bearish Counter Attack is a top reversal pattern and as such should be preceded by an uptrend.
Reference
Japanese Candlestick Charting Techniques Second Edition – Steve Nison, p109.
Example
See Also
Candle Patterns | Bullish Counter Attack
Bearish Separating Line
Usage
BEARSEPARATINGLINE
Description
A white candle followed by a black candle with the same opening.
Bearish Separating Lines are a bearish continuation pattern and as such should be preceded by a downtrend.
Reference
Japanese Candlestick Charting Techniques Second Edition – Steve Nison, p150.
Example
See Also
Candle Patterns | Bullish Separating Line
Big
Usage
BIG
Description
Returns true on bars where the candle is big. BullCharts considers a candle to be big if the Close price is difference to the Open price by 1.5% or greater. (The candle can be black or white).
Example
Big returns true on a day that opens at $3.00 and closes at $2.50.
Big Black
Usage
BIGBLACK
Description
A large black body, where the open is near the high, and the close is near the low.
Example
See Also
Big White
Usage
BIGWHITE
Description
A large white body, where the open is near the low, and the close is near the high.
Example
See Also
Black Body
Usage
BLACK
Description
A candlestick which has a black body.
Example
See Also
Bull Harami
Usage
BULLHARAMI
Description
A small real body of either colour which is contained within the prior large black body.
This is a bottom reversal pattern and as such should be preceded by an downtrend.
Reference
Japanese Candlestick Charting Techniques Second Edition – Steve Nison, p82.
Example
See Also
Bear Harami | Bear Harami Cross | Bull Harami Cross | Candle Patterns
Bullish Harami Cross
Usage
BULLHARAMICROSS
Description
A Doji which is contained within the prior large black body.
This is a bottom reversal pattern and as such should be preceded by a downtrend.
Reference
Japanese Candlestick Charting Techniques Second Edition – Steve Nison, p83.
Example
See Also
Bear Harami | Bear Harami Cross | Bull Harami | Candle Patterns | Doji
Bullish Belt Hold
Usage
BULLBELTHOLD
Description
A strong white candle that opens on the low of the session and closes on the high of the session.
This is a bottom reversal pattern and as such should be preceded by a downtrend.
Reference
Japanese Candlestick Charting Techniques Second Edition – Steve Nison, p93.
Example
See Also
Bearish Belt Hold | Candle Patterns
Bullish Counter Attack
Usage
BULLCOUNTERATTACK
Description
A large black candle followed by a white candle which opens sharply lower but closes at the prior black candles close.
A Bullish Counter Attack is a bottom reversal pattern and as such should be preceded by a downtrend.
Reference
Japanese Candlestick Charting Techniques Second Edition – Steve Nison, p109.
Example
See Also
Candle Patterns | Bearish Counter Attack
Bullish Separating Line
Usage
BULLSEPARATINGLINE
Description
A black candle followed by a white candle with the same opening.
Bullish Separating Lines are a bullish continuation pattern and as such should be preceded by an uptrend.
Reference
Japanese Candlestick Charting Techniques Second Edition – Steve Nison, p150.
Example
See Also
Candle Patterns | Bearish Separating Line
Dark Cloud Cover
Usage
DARKCLOUDCOVER
Description
A strong white candle followed by a black candle that opens above the high of the white candle and closes at least 50 percent into the white candle’s real body.
Note that if the black candle completely engulfs the white candle’s real body then this is not Dark Cloud Cover but a Bearish Engulfing Pattern.
Dark Cloud Cover is a top reversal pattern and as such should be preceded by an uptrend.
Reference
Japanese Candlestick Charting Techniques Second Edition – Steve Nison, p49.
Example
See Also
Candle Patterns | Engulfing Bear
Doji
Usage
DOJI
Description
A candlestick where the open and close are the same. Doji can be powerful reversal lines when preceded by a trend.
Reference
Japanese Candlestick Charting Techniques Second Edition – Steve Nison, p155.
Example
See Also
Doji Star
Usage
DOJISTAR
Description
A Doji which gaps above a white candlestick, or below a black candlestick.
Example
See Also
Candle Patterns | Doji | Evening Doji Star | Morning Doji Star | Shooting Star
Doji Star Down
Usage
DOJISTARDOWN
Description
Returns true when a doji gaps below the large black real body preceeding it.
Reference
Japanese Candlestick Charting Techniques Second Edition – Steve Nison, p155.
Example
See Also
Doji | Doji Star | Doji Star Up | Gap Down From Black | Star Down
Doji Star Up
Usage
DOJISTARUP
Description
Returns true when a doji gaps above the large white real body preceeding it.
Reference
Japanese Candlestick Charting Techniques Second Edition – Steve Nison, p155.
Example
See Also
Doji | Doji Star | Doji Star Down | Gap Up From White | Star Up
Downward Gapping Tasuki
Usage
TASUKIDOWN
Description
A falling window formed by a black candle followed by a white candle of similar size which opens inside the black candles real body and closes above the black candles open. The white candle should not close the falling window for this pattern to be considered valid.
Note that we follow the strict definition (see the reference) that the falling window remains open until there is a close above the high of the window.
The Downward Gapping Tasuki is a downward continuation pattern and as such should be preceded by a downtrend.
Reference
Japanese Candlestick Charting Techniques Second Edition – Steve Nison, p135.
Example
See Also
Candle Patterns | Upward Gapping Tasuki
Dragonfly Doji
Usage
DRAGONFLYDOJI
Description
A Doji where there is no upper shadow and an extremely long lower shadow.
Dragonfly doji are used as bottom reversal lines and as such should be preceded by an downtrend.
Reference
Japanese Candlestick Charting Techniques Second Edition – Steve Nison, p162.
Example
See Also
Engulfing Bear
Usage
ENGULFINGBEAR
Description
A large black real body that contains a small real white body that precedes it. Also known as the Bearish Engulfing Pattern.
Example
See Also
Candle Patterns | Engulfing Bull
Engulfing Bull
Usage
ENGULFINGBULL
Description
A large white real body that contains a small real black body that precedes it. Also known as the Bullish Engulfing Pattern.
This is a bottom reversal pattern and as such should be preceded by an downtrend.
Reference
Japanese Candlestick Charting Techniques Second Edition – Steve Nison, p42.
Example
See Also
Candle Patterns | Engulfing Bear
Evening Doji Star
Usage
EVENINGDOJISTAR
Description
An Evening Star where the second candlestick is a Doji.
This is a top reversal pattern and as such should be preceded by an uptrend.
Reference
Japanese Candlestick Charting Techniques Second Edition – Steve Nison, p70.
Example
See Also
Candle Patterns | Doji | Doji Star | Evening Star | Morning Doji Star
Evening Star
Usage
EVENINGSTAR
Description
A large white candlestick followed by a small real body of either colour that gaps up from the previous candles real body. This is followed by a third candlestick that is black and has a close lower than the half way point of the first candlesticks real body.
The ideal evening star pattern’s third candle will gap below the preceding candles small real body but in practice (as described by Nison) this is somewhat rare. We specifically allow the case of the third candle engulfing the second to also satisfy the evening star pattern.
This is a top reversal pattern and as such should be preceded by an uptrend.
Reference
Japanese Candlestick Charting Techniques Second Edition – Steve Nison, p66.
Example
See Also
Candle Patterns | Evening Doji Star | Morning Star
Falling Three
Usage
BEAR3FORMATION
Description
This is a strong black candle in a falling window, followed by three candles of any colour that fall within the high/low range of the strong black candle, followed by another strong black candle that closes below the close of the first black candle.
This is a bearish continuation pattern and as such should be preceded by a downtrend.
Reference
Japanese Candlestick Charting Techniques Second Edition – Steve Nison, p142.
Example
See Also
Candle Patterns | Rising Three
Falling Window
Usage
FALLINGWINDOW
Description
A gap between the low of the first candlestick and the high of the second candlestick.
Reference
Japanese Candlestick Charting Techniques Second Edition – Steve Nison, p126.
Example
See Also
Candle Patterns | Rising Window
Gap Down From Black
Usage
GAPDOWNFROMBLACK
Description
Returns true when the current candle gaps below the downtrending large black real body preceeding it.
Reference
Japanese Candlestick Charting Techniques – Steve Nison
Example
See Also
Gap Up From White
Usage
GAPDOWNFROMBLACK
Description
Returns true when the current candle gaps above the uptrending large white real body preceeding it.
Reference
Japanese Candlestick Charting Techniques – Steve Nison
Example
See Also
Gravestone Doji
Usage
GRAVESTONEDOJI
Description
A Doji where there is no lower shadow and an extremely long upper shadow.
Gravestone doji are used as a top reversal line and as such should be preceded by an uptrend.
Reference
Japanese Candlestick Charting Techniques Second Edition – Steve Nison, p162.
Example
See Also
Hammer
Usage
HAMMER
Description
A small real body of either colour with a lower shadow at least twice the real body size, which closes nears the high.
In practice there is some latitude for what constitutes ‘a small real body’. The most important aspect of this pattern is the long lower shadow with a minimal upper shadow.
The Hammer is a bottom reversal pattern and as such should be preceded by a downtrend.
Reference
Japanese Candlestick Charting Techniques Second Edition – Steve Nison, p34.
Example
See Also
Candle Patterns | Hanging Man | Inverted Hammer
Hanging Man
Usage
HANGINGMAN
Description
A small real body of either colour with a lower shadow at least twice the real body size, which closes nears the high. The main difference between this pattern and the Hammer is the prior trend direction. The Hammer requires a prior uptrend but the Hanging man requres a prior downtrend.
Note that because of the bullish nature of the long lower shadow additional confirmation may be required before this pattern is considered bearish.
The Hanging Man is a top reversal pattern and as such should be preceded by an uptrend.
Reference
Japanese Candlestick Charting Techniques Second Edition – Steve Nison, p39.
Example
See Also
Inverted Hammer
Usage
INVHAMMER
Description
An upside-down Hammer that is either white or black.
This is a bottom reversal line and as such should be preceded by a decline.
Reference
Japanese Candlestick Charting Techniques Second Edition – Steve Nison, p74.
Example
See Also
Long Legged Doji
Usage
LONGLEGGEDDOJI
Description
A Doji that has particularly long upper and lower shadows.
Reference
Japanese Candlestick Charting Techniques Second Edition – Steve Nison, p161.
Example
See Also
Long Lower Shadow
Usage
LONGLOWERSHADOW
Description
A candlestick, either black or white, that has a lower shadow that is more than twice as long as the upper shadow and body.
Example
See Also
Candle Patterns | Long Upper Shadow
Long Upper Shadow
Usage
LONGUPPERSHADOW
Description
A candlestick, either black or white, that has an upper shadow that is more than twice as long as the lower shadow and body.
Example
See Also
Candle Patterns | Long Lower Shadow
Morning Doji Star
Usage
MORNINGDOJISTAR
Description
A Morning Star where the second candlestick is a Doji.
This is a bottom reversal pattern and as such should be preceded by an downtrend.
Reference
Japanese Candlestick Charting Techniques Second Edition – Steve Nison, p70.
Example
See Also
Candle Patterns | Doji | Doji Star | Evening Doji Star | Morning Star
Morning Star
Usage
MORNINGSTAR
Description
A large black candlestick followed by a small real body of either colour that gaps down from the previous candles real body. This is followed by a third candlestick that is white and has a close higher than the half way point of the first candlestick’s real body.
The ideal morning star pattern’s third candle will gap above the preceeding candle’s small real body but in practice (as described by Nison) this is somewhat rare. We specifically allow the case of the third candle engulfing the second to also satisfy the morning star pattern.
This is a bottom reversal pattern and as such should be preceded by an downtrend.
Reference
Japanese Candlestick Charting Techniques Second Edition – Steve Nison, p62.
Example
See Also
Candle Patterns | Evening Star | Morning Doji Star
Piercing Pattern
Usage
PIERCINGLINE
Description
A stong black candle followed by a white candle that opens below the low of the prior black candle but closes more than halfway into the black candles real body. Also known as a Piercing Line.
Note that if the real body of the white candle engulfs the prior black candles real body then this is not a Piercing Pattern but a Bullish Engulfing Pattern.
The Piercing Pattern is a bottom reversal pattern and as such should be preceded by a downtrend.
Reference
Japanese Candlestick Charting Techniques Second Edition – Steve Nison, p55.
Example
See Also
Real Body Gap Down
Usage
REALBODYGAPDOWN
Description
This function returns true when the body of the current candle has gapped down below the body of the previous candle. That is, both the Open and Close are lower than both the previous Open and Close.
Reference
Japanese Candlestick Charting Techniques – Steve Nison
Example
See Also
Real Body Gap Up
Usage
REALBODYGAPUP
Description
This function returns true when the body of the current candle has gapped up from the body of the previous candle. That is, both the Open and Close are higher than both the previous Open and Close.
Reference
Japanese Candlestick Charting Techniques – Steve Nison
Example
See Also
Rising Three
Usage
BULL3FORMATION
Description
This is a strong white candle in a rising window, followed by three candles or any colour that fall within the high/low range of the strong white candle, followed by another strong white candle that closes above the close of the first white candle.
This is a bullish continuation pattern and as such should be preceded by an uptrend.
Reference
Japanese Candlestick Charting Techniques Second Edition – Steve Nison, p142.
Example
See Also
Candle Patterns | Falling Three
Rising Window
Usage
RISINGWINDOW
Description
A gap between the high of the first candlestick and the low of the second candlestick.
Reference
Japanese Candlestick Charting Techniques Second Edition – Steve Nison, p126.
Example
See Also
Candle Patterns | Falling Window
Shaven Bottom
Usage
SHAVENBOTTOM
Description
A candlestick, either white or black, which has no lower shadow.
Reference
Japanese Candlestick Charting Techniques Second Edition – Steve Nison, p25.
Example
See Also
Shaven Head
Usage
SHAVENHEAD
Description
A candlestick, either white or black, which has no upper shadow.
Reference
Japanese Candlestick Charting Techniques Second Edition – Steve Nison, p85.
Example
See Also
Candle Patterns | Shaven Bottom
Shooting Star
Usage
SHOOTINGSTAR
Description
A small real body that closes near the bottom of its range and has a long upper shadow. There must be a real body gap up from the previous sessions candle.
This is a top reversal line and as such should be preceded by a rally.
Reference
Japanese Candlestick Charting Techniques Second Edition – Steve Nison, p74.
Example
See Also
Small Real Body
Usage
SMALLREALBODY
Description
The difference between open and close is less than 0.3 percent of the opening price.
Reference
Japanese Candlestick Charting Techniques – Steve Nison
Example
See Also
Star Down
Usage
STARDOWN
Description
A small real body that gaps below the large black real body preceeding it.
Reference
Japanese Candlestick Charting Techniques – Steve Nison
Example
See Also
Doji Star Down | Gap Down From Black | Small Real Body | Star Up
Star Up
Usage
STARUP
Description
A small real body of either colour that gaps above the large white real body preceeding it.
Reference
Japanese Candlestick Charting Techniques – Steve Nison
Example
See Also
Doji Star Up | Gap Up From White | Small Real Body | Star Down
Three Black Crows
Usage
THREEBLACKCROWS
Description
Three long black candlesticks that each have lower close prices than the last. They generally close at or near their low prices.
This is a top reversal pattern and as such should be preceded by an uptrend.
Reference
Japanese Candlestick Charting Techniques Second Edition – Steve Nison, p97.
Example
See Also
Candle Patterns | Three White Soldiers
Three White Soldiers
Usage
THREEWHITESOLDIERS
Description
Three long white candlesticks that each have higher close prices than the last. They generally close at or near their high prices.
Reference
Japanese Candlestick Charting Techniques Second Edition – Steve Nison, p99.
Example
See Also
Candle Patterns | Three Black Crows
Tri-Star Bottom
Usage
TRISTARBOTTOM
Description
The Tri-Star Bottom is a very rare pattern comprised of three doji where the second is lower than the first and third.
The Tri-Star Bottom is a bottom reversal pattern and as such should be preceded by a downtrend.
Reference
Japanese Candlestick Charting Techniques Second Edition – Steve Nison, p170.
Example
See Also
Candle Patterns | Doji | Tri-Star Top
Tri-Star Top
Usage
TRISTARTOP
Description
The Tri-Star Top is a very rare pattern comprised of three doji where the second is higher than the first and third.
The Tri-Star Top is a top reversal pattern and as such should be preceded by an uptrend.
Reference
Japanese Candlestick Charting Techniques Second Edition – Steve Nison, p170.
Example
See Also
Candle Patterns | Doji | Tri-Star Bottom
Tweezer Bottoms
Usage
TWEEZERBOTTOMS
Description
A large black candle followed by a candle with the same low.
Tweezer Bottoms are a bottom reversal pattern and as such should be preceded by a downtrend.
Reference
Japanese Candlestick Charting Techniques Second Edition – Steve Nison, p87.
Example
See Also
Candle Patterns | Tweezer Tops
Tweezer Tops
Usage
TWEEZERTOPS
Description
A large white candle followed by a candle with the same high.
Tweezer Tops are a top reversal pattern and as such should be preceded by an uptrend.
Reference
Japanese Candlestick Charting Techniques Second Edition – Steve Nison, p87.
Example
See Also
Candle Patterns | Tweezer Bottoms
Upside Gap two Crows
Usage
UPSIDEGAPTWOCROWS
Description
A large white candle followed by a small black candle whose real body gaps above the prior white candles real body. This is followed by another black candle which engulfs the prior black candle.
It is important to note that our definition allows for the third black candle to close into the first white candle. This follows the definition given in the reference more closely where the ‘upside gap’ refers to the gap between the first two real bodies only.
The Upside Gap Two Crows is a top reversal pattern and as such should be preceded by an uptrend.
Reference
Japanese Candlestick Charting Techniques Second Edition – Steve Nison, p95.
Example
See Also
Upward Gapping Tasuki
Usage
TASUKIUP
Description
A rising window formed by a white candle followed by a black candle of similar size which opens inside the white candles real body and closes below the white candles open. The black candle should not close the rising window for this pattern to be considered valid.
Note that we follow the strict definition (see the reference) that the window remains open until there is a close under the low of the window.
The Upward Gapping Tasuki is a upward continuation pattern and as such should be preceded by an uptrend.
Reference
Japanese Candlestick Charting Techniques Second Edition – Steve Nison, p135.
Example
See Also
Candle Patterns | Downward Gapping Tasuki
White Body
Usage
WHITE
Description
A white candlestick. That is, where the close was higher than the open.
Example
See Also