# Request (request) (/developers/pinets/architecture/namespaces/request)



## PineTS Request (`request`) Namespace [#pinets-request-request-namespace]

This directory contains the implementation of Pine Script's `request.*` functions, primarily `request.security` for multi-timeframe analysis.

## Architecture [#architecture]

Functions are factory functions accessing the `context`.

## The `param()` Method [#the-param-method]

The `request.param()` method is highly specialized. It performs two critical tasks:

1. **Tuple Detection**: It distinguishes between a **tuple of expressions** (e.g., `[open, close]`) and a **time-series array**.
   * If inputs are `Series` objects, it extracts their current values.
   * If inputs are scalars, it preserves them.
   * Heuristic: `hasOnlySeries` or `hasOnlyScalars` check.

2. **ID Return**: Unlike other param methods, it returns a tuple **`[value, name]`**.
   * `value`: The extracted value(s).
   * `name`: The unique ID (`p0`, `p1`...) assigned by the transpiler.

```typescript
return [val, name];
```

### Why Return the Name? [#why-return-the-name]

The `request.security` function relies on caching secondary contexts (HTF contexts). To do this efficiently, it constructs a cache key using the parameter ID (`name`). Without this ID, it wouldn't know which expression corresponds to which cached context.

## Implementation Specifics [#implementation-specifics]

### 1. Secondary Contexts [#1-secondary-contexts]

`request.security` creates a **new PineTS instance** (a secondary context) to evaluate the expression in the requested timeframe.

* It prevents recursion: Secondary contexts have a flag `isSecondaryContext = true`.
* If `request.security` is called within a secondary context, it returns the expression directly (no new context).

### 2. Tuple Handling [#2-tuple-handling]

When `request.security` returns a tuple (e.g., from `[open, close]`), it wraps the result in a **2D array** `[[val1, val2]]`. This signals to `Context.init()` that the result is a tuple to be destructured, not a history array.

## Generating the Barrel File [#generating-the-barrel-file]

To regenerate the `request.index.ts` file:

```bash
npm run generate:request-index
```