Implement the addon messaging API used by virtually every multiplayer
addon (DBM, BigWigs, EPGP, RC Loot Council, WeakAuras, etc.):
- SendAddonMessage(prefix, text, chatType, target) sends an addon
message encoded as "prefix\ttext" via the appropriate chat channel
- RegisterAddonMessagePrefix(prefix) registers a prefix for filtering
incoming addon messages
- IsAddonMessagePrefixRegistered(prefix) checks registration status
- C_ChatInfo table with aliases for the above functions (newer API compat)
Without these functions, all inter-addon communication between players
fails, breaking boss mods, loot distribution, and group coordination.
Implement friend and ignore list query functions for social addons:
- GetNumFriends() returns friend count from contacts list
- GetFriendInfo(index) returns 7-value tuple: name, level, class, area,
connected, status (AFK/DND), note
- GetNumIgnores() returns ignore count
- GetIgnoreName(index) returns ignored player's name
Data sourced from the contacts list populated by SMSG_FRIEND_LIST and
SMSG_CONTACT_LIST. Area names resolved from AreaTable.dbc.
Add ItemIconPathResolver that lazily loads ItemDisplayInfo.dbc to map
displayInfoId → icon texture path. This fixes three Lua API functions
that previously returned nil for item icons:
- GetItemInfo() field 10 (texture) now returns the icon path
- GetActionTexture() for item-type action bar slots now returns icons
- GetLootSlotInfo() field 1 (texture) now returns proper item icons
instead of incorrectly using the spell icon resolver
Follows the same lazy-loading pattern as SpellIconPathResolver. The DBC
is loaded once on first query and cached for all subsequent lookups.
Add commonly called frame methods as no-ops or with basic state tracking
on the frame metatable, so any CreateFrame result supports them:
Layout: SetFrameLevel/Get, SetFrameStrata/Get, SetScale/Get/GetEffective,
ClearAllPoints, SetID/GetID, GetLeft/Right/Top/Bottom, GetNumPoints,
GetPoint, SetHitRectInsets
Behavior: EnableMouse, EnableMouseWheel, SetMovable, SetResizable,
RegisterForDrag, SetClampedToScreen, SetToplevel, Raise, Lower,
StartMoving, StopMovingOrSizing, RegisterForClicks, IsMouseOver
Visual: SetBackdrop, SetBackdropColor, SetBackdropBorderColor
Scripting: HookScript (chains with existing SetScript handlers),
SetAttribute/GetAttribute, GetObjectType
Sizing: SetMinResize, SetMaxResize
These prevent the most common addon errors when addons call standard
WoW frame methods on CreateFrame results.
Add commonly used WoW global utility functions that many addons depend on:
Table: tContains, tInvert, CopyTable, tDeleteItem
String: strupper, strlower, strfind, strsub, strlen, strrep, strbyte,
strchar, strrev, gsub, gmatch, strjoin
Math: Clamp, Round
Bit ops: bit.band, bit.bor, bit.bxor, bit.bnot, bit.lshift, bit.rshift
(pure Lua implementation for Lua 5.1 which lacks native bit ops)
These prevent nil-reference errors and missing-function crashes in
addons that use standard WoW utility globals.
Add the UIDropDownMenu compatibility framework used by virtually every
addon with settings or selection menus: UIDropDownMenu_Initialize,
CreateInfo, AddButton, SetWidth, SetText, GetText, SetSelectedID, etc.
Add global font object stubs (GameFontNormal, GameFontHighlight, etc.)
referenced by CreateFontString template arguments.
Add UISpecialFrames table, InterfaceOptionsFrame for addon panels,
InterfaceOptions_AddCategory, and common font color constants
(GRAY_FONT_COLOR, NORMAL_FONT_COLOR, etc.).
These globals prevent nil-reference errors in most popular addons.
Implement 5 talent-related WoW Lua API functions:
- GetNumTalentTabs() returns class-specific talent tree count (usually 3)
- GetTalentTabInfo(tab) returns name, icon, pointsSpent, background
- GetNumTalents(tab) returns talent count in a specific tree
- GetTalentInfo(tab, index) returns full 8-value tuple with name, tier,
column, current rank, max rank, and availability
- GetActiveTalentGroup() returns active spec (1 or 2)
Data sourced from Talent.dbc, TalentTab.dbc, and the server-sent talent
info packet. Enables talent addons and spec display addons.
Implement skill line API functions that profession and tradeskill addons
need to display player skills:
- GetNumSkillLines() returns count of player skills
- GetSkillLineInfo(index) returns full 12-value tuple: name, isHeader,
isExpanded, rank, tempPoints, modifier, maxRank, isAbandonable, etc.
Data comes from SMSG_SKILLS_INFO update fields and SkillLine.dbc names.
Implement LibStub — the universal library version management system that
virtually every WoW addon framework depends on (Ace3, LibDataBroker,
LibSharedMedia, etc.). Without LibStub, most popular addons fail to load.
Also implement CallbackHandler-1.0 — the standard event callback library
used by Ace3-based addons for inter-module communication. Supports
RegisterCallback, UnregisterCallback, UnregisterAllCallbacks, and Fire.
These two libraries unlock the entire Ace3 addon ecosystem.
Implement 3 critical gameplay Lua API functions:
- UseAction(slot) activates an action bar slot (spell/item), enabling
action bar addons like Bartender/Dominos to fire abilities
- CancelUnitBuff("player", index) cancels a buff by index, enabling
auto-cancel and buff management addons
- CastSpellByID(id) casts a spell by numeric ID, enabling macro addons
and spell queuing systems
Fix GetScreenWidth/GetScreenHeight/GetNumLootItems/GetFramerate being
overridden by hardcoded Lua stubs that ran after the C functions were
registered. Now the real C implementations correctly take effect.
Add GameTooltip global frame with 20+ methods (SetOwner, ClearLines,
AddLine, AddDoubleLine, SetText, NumLines, GetText, SetHyperlink, etc.)
and ShoppingTooltip1/2 — critical for virtually all WoW addons.
Add frame:CreateTexture() and frame:CreateFontString() methods returning
stub objects with common API methods, enabling UI creation addons.
Add real GetFramerate() returning actual FPS from ImGui.
Support compound unit IDs that resolve an entity's current target via
UNIT_FIELD_TARGET_LO/HI update fields. This enables addons to query
target-of-target info (e.g., UnitName("targettarget"), UnitHealth("focustarget"))
which is essential for threat meters and unit frame addons.
Implement 10 new WoW Lua API functions for addon compatibility:
- GetComboPoints, UnitReaction, UnitIsConnected for unit frames/raid addons
- HasAction, GetActionTexture, IsCurrentAction, IsUsableAction, GetActionCooldown
for action bar addons (Bartender, Dominos, etc.)
- UnitMana/UnitManaMax as Classic-era aliases for UnitPower/UnitPowerMax
Add "mouseover" as a valid unit ID in resolveUnitGuid so Lua API functions
like UnitName("mouseover"), UnitHealth("mouseover") etc. work for addons.
Fire UPDATE_MOUSEOVER_UNIT event when the mouseover target changes, and
PLAYER_FOCUS_CHANGED event when focus is set or cleared.
Formats copper amounts into "Xg Ys Zc" strings for addon display.
GetCoinText is aliased to GetCoinTextureString. Used by money display
addons (Titan Panel, MoneyFu) and auction/vendor price formatting.
Returns (class, englishClass, race, englishRace, sex, name, realm) for a
GUID string. Resolves player name from entity cache. Returns class/race
info for the local player. Used by Details!, Recount, and Skada to
identify players in COMBAT_LOG_EVENT_UNFILTERED data.
Returns WoW-format quality-colored item link for any item ID from the
item info cache. Used by loot addons, tooltip addons, and chat formatting
to create clickable item references.
Returns WoW-format spell link string "|cff71d5ff|Hspell:ID|h[Name]|h|r"
for a spell ID or name. Used by damage meters, chat addons, and WeakAuras
to create clickable spell references in chat messages.
Previously returned (0, remaining) which broke addons computing remaining
time as start + duration - GetTime(). Now returns (GetTime(), remaining, 1)
when on cooldown and (0, 0, 1) when off cooldown, plus the third 'enabled'
value that WoW always returns. Fixes cooldown display in OmniCC and similar.
GetXPExhaustion() returns rested XP pool remaining (nil if none).
GetRestState() returns 1 (normal) or 2 (rested) based on inn/city state.
Used by XP bar addons like Titan Panel and XP tracking WeakAuras.
Returns (usable, noMana) tuple. Checks if the spell is known and not on
cooldown. Accepts spell ID or name. Used by action bar addons and
WeakAuras for conditional spell display (greyed out when unusable).
IsInInstance() returns whether player is in an instance and the type.
GetInstanceInfo() returns map name, instance type, difficulty index/name,
and max players. GetInstanceDifficulty() returns 1-based difficulty index.
Critical for raid/dungeon addons like DBM for instance detection.
Returns WoW-standard classification strings: "normal", "elite", "rareelite",
"worldboss", or "rare" based on creature rank from CreatureCache. Used by
nameplate addons (Plater, TidyPlates) and boss mods (DBM) to detect elite/
boss/rare mobs for special handling.
GetGameTime() returns server game hours and minutes from the day/night
cycle. GetServerTime() returns Unix timestamp. UnitXP("player") and
UnitXPMax("player") return current and next-level XP values. Used by
XP tracking addons and time-based conditionals.
The expirationTime field (7th return value of UnitBuff/UnitDebuff/UnitAura)
was hardcoded to 0. Now returns GetTime() + remaining seconds, matching
WoW's convention where addons compute remaining = expirationTime - GetTime().
Enables buff/debuff timer addons like OmniCC and WeakAuras.
The caster field (8th return value) was always nil. Now returns the
caster's unit ID ("player", "target", "focus", "pet") or hex GUID
string for other units. Enables addons to identify who applied a
buff/debuff for filtering and tracking purposes.
The debuffType field (5th return value) was always nil. Now resolves
dispel type from Spell.dbc via getSpellDispelType(): returns "Magic",
"Curse", "Disease", or "Poison" for debuffs. Enables dispel-focused
addons like Decursive and Grid to detect debuff categories.
Add GetNumQuestLogEntries(), GetQuestLogTitle(index), GetQuestLogQuestText(index),
and IsQuestComplete(questID). GetQuestLogTitle returns WoW-compatible 8 values
including title, isComplete flag, and questID. Enables quest tracking addons
like Questie and QuestHelper to access the player's quest log.
Add UnitAura() that accepts WoW-compatible filter strings: "HELPFUL" for
buffs, "HARMFUL" for debuffs. Delegates to existing UnitBuff/UnitDebuff
logic. Many addons (WeakAuras, Grid, etc.) use UnitAura with filter
strings rather than separate UnitBuff/UnitDebuff calls.
Remove unused getPlayerUnit() helper in lua_engine.cpp (-Wunused-function).
Increase countStr buffer from 8 to 16 bytes in action bar item count
display to eliminate -Wformat-truncation warning for %d with int32_t.
Build is now warning-free.
Add zone name query functions using worldStateZoneId + getAreaName lookup.
GetRealZoneText is aliased to GetZoneText. These are heavily used by boss
mod addons (DBM) for zone detection and by quest tracking addons.
Add UnitAffectingCombat, GetNumRaidMembers, GetNumPartyMembers, UnitInParty,
UnitInRaid, UnitIsUnit, UnitIsFriend, UnitIsEnemy, and UnitCreatureType.
These are commonly used by raid/group addons for party composition checks,
combat state queries, and mob type identification. Total API count now 55.
IsMounted, IsFlying, IsSwimming, IsResting, IsFalling, and IsStealthed
now query actual GameHandler state (mount display ID, movement flags,
resting flag, aura list) instead of returning false. Add GetUnitSpeed
for player run speed. Fixes addon conditionals that depend on player
movement/mount/combat state.
Extend resolveUnit() to support party1-4, raid1-40, and use resolveUnitGuid
for UnitGUID/UnitIsPlayer/UnitBuff/UnitDebuff (including unitAurasCache for
party member auras). Fire UNIT_HEALTH, UNIT_POWER, UNIT_AURA, UNIT_SPELLCAST_START,
UNIT_SPELLCAST_SUCCEEDED, GROUP_ROSTER_UPDATE, and PARTY_MEMBERS_CHANGED events
to Lua addons from the corresponding packet handlers.
- hooksecurefunc(tblOrName, name, hook) — hook any function to run
additional code after it executes without replacing the original.
Supports both global and table method forms.
- UIParent, WorldFrame — standard parent frames that many addons
reference as parents for their own frames.
- Noop stubs: SetDesaturation, SetPortraitTexture, PlaySound,
PlaySoundFile — prevent errors from addons that call these
visual/audio functions which don't have implementations yet.
Many WoW addons use DEFAULT_CHAT_FRAME:AddMessage(text, r, g, b) to
output colored text to chat. Implemented as a Lua table with AddMessage
that converts RGB floats to WoW color codes and calls print().
Also aliased as ChatFrame1 for compatibility.
Example: DEFAULT_CHAT_FRAME:AddMessage("Hello!", 1, 0.5, 0)
- GetNumAddOns() — returns count of loaded addons
- GetAddOnInfo(indexOrName) — returns name, title, notes, loadable
Addon info is stored in the Lua registry from the .toc directives
and populated before addon files execute. Useful for addon managers
and compatibility checks between addons.
Total WoW API: 33 functions.
Implement the most commonly used buff/debuff query functions:
- UnitBuff(unitId, index) — query the Nth buff on a unit
- UnitDebuff(unitId, index) — query the Nth debuff on a unit
Returns WoW-compatible 11-value tuple: name, rank, icon, count,
debuffType, duration, expirationTime, caster, isStealable,
shouldConsolidate, spellId.
Supports "player" and "target" unit IDs. Essential for buff tracking
addons (WeakAuras-style), healer addons, and combat analysis tools.
Total WoW API: 31 functions.
Addons can now persist data across sessions using the standard WoW
SavedVariables pattern:
1. Declare in .toc: ## SavedVariables: MyAddonDB
2. Use the global in Lua: MyAddonDB = MyAddonDB or {default = true}
3. Data is automatically saved on logout and restored on next login
Implementation:
- TocFile::getSavedVariables() parses comma-separated variable names
- LuaEngine::loadSavedVariables() executes saved .lua file to restore globals
- LuaEngine::saveSavedVariables() serializes Lua tables/values to valid Lua
- Serializer handles tables (nested), strings, numbers, booleans, nil
- Save triggered on PLAYER_LEAVING_WORLD and AddonManager::shutdown()
- Files stored as <AddonDir>/<AddonName>.lua.saved
Updated HelloWorld addon to track login count across sessions.
- UnitRace(unitId) — returns race name ("Human", "Orc", etc.)
- UnitPowerType(unitId) — returns power type ID and name ("MANA", "RAGE", etc.)
- GetNumGroupMembers() — party/raid member count
- UnitGUID(unitId) — returns hex GUID string (0x format)
- UnitIsPlayer(unitId) — true if target is a player (not NPC)
- InCombatLockdown() — true if player is in combat
Total WoW API surface: 29 functions.
Implement WoW's C_Timer API used by most modern addons:
- C_Timer.After(seconds, callback) — fire callback after delay
- C_Timer.NewTicker(seconds, callback, iterations) — repeating timer
with optional iteration limit and :Cancel() method
Implemented in pure Lua using a hidden OnUpdate frame that
auto-hides when no timers are pending (zero overhead when idle).
Example:
C_Timer.After(3, function() print("3 sec later!") end)
local ticker = C_Timer.NewTicker(1, function() print("tick") end, 5)
Frames can now set an OnUpdate script that fires every frame with
the elapsed time as an argument. This enables addon timers, polling,
and animations.
local f = CreateFrame("Frame")
f:SetScript("OnUpdate", function(self, elapsed)
-- called every frame with deltaTime
end)
OnUpdate only fires for visible frames (frame:Hide() pauses it).
Tracked in __WoweeOnUpdateFrames table, dispatched via
LuaEngine::dispatchOnUpdate() called from the Application main loop.
Implement the core WoW frame system that nearly all addons use:
- CreateFrame(type, name, parent, template) — creates a frame table
with metatable methods, optionally registered as a global by name
- frame:RegisterEvent(event) — register frame for event dispatch
- frame:UnregisterEvent(event) — unregister
- frame:SetScript(type, handler) — set OnEvent/OnUpdate/etc handlers
- frame:GetScript(type) — retrieve handlers
- frame:Show()/Hide()/IsShown()/IsVisible() — visibility state
- frame:GetName() — return frame name
Event dispatch now fires both global RegisterEvent handlers AND
frame OnEvent scripts, matching WoW's dual dispatch model.
Updated HelloWorld to use standard WoW addon pattern:
local f = CreateFrame("Frame", "MyFrame")
f:RegisterEvent("PLAYER_ENTERING_WORLD")
f:SetScript("OnEvent", function(self, event, ...) end)
