World of Warcraft Programming: A Guide and Reference for Creating WoW Addons [Paperback]

James Whitehead II (Author), Rick Roe (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0470481285 | ISBN-13: 978-0470481288 | Publication Date: February 8, 2010 | Edition: 2

The #1 bestselling programming book is back with updated and expanded coverage of the newest release of WoW!

World of Warcraft (WoW) is currently the world's largest massively multiplayer online role-playing game. The newest release, "Wrath of the Lich King," has created a demand for updated information on writing addons. This eagerly anticipated edition answers that request and is an essential reference for creating WoW addons.

Written by a duo of authors who have each contributed a number of successful WoW addons, the book offers an overview of Lua and XML (the programming languages used to write addons) and includes coverage of specific pitfalls and common programming mistakes-and how to avoid them. Valuable examples show you detailed aspects of writing addons for WoW and demonstrate how to implement addon concepts such as variables, slash commands, secure templates, and more.

• World of Warcraft insiders share their techniques for writing addons for both the latest version of WoW as well as the new Wrath of the Lich King expansion set
• Guides you through the specific nuances of the WoW API with the use of detailed examples
• Discusses ways to distribute and host your WoW addons so others can download and use them
• Explains how to respond to events, create frames, and use the WoW API to interact with the game

You'll be well on your way to creating exciting WoW addons with this comprehensive reference by your side.

Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Your secret weapon against the Lich King's wrath

World of Warcraft has entered a new dimension. Take command of it by modifying the interface with your own unique addons. Whether your goal is to enhance addons you already use, to enlarge your arsenal by creating some all-new features, or to immerse yourself in the programming as well as the game, this book will be your oracle. Learn the arcane languages of Lua and XML and master the craft of addon creation!

• Understand the anatomy of an addon

• Work with frames, widgets, and other graphical elements

• Explore basic and advanced functions and control structures

• Track damage with CombatTracker, and respond to the combat log and threat informationTrack, filter, and sort your inventory by writing BagBuddy, a fully functional addon

• Create slash commands, custom graphics, scroll frames, and dropdown menus

Who are you?

Apprentice programmers with no prior experience — learn Lua and XML in Part I

Journeymen who have done some programming — skim Part I and start with the details about addon creation in Part II

Master programmers with addons already in their arsenal — dive right into Advanced Addon Techniques in Part III

About the Author

James Whitehead II, aka Cladhaire, is the creator of PerfectRaid, Clique, TomTom, and LightHeaded, and coauthor of Hacking World of Warcraft.

Rick Roe, aka the crazy goblin tinker Gazmik Fizzwidget, created Feed-O-Matic, FactionFriend, and some other addons so awesome that Blizzard rolled their functionality into its new UI.

Product Details

• Paperback: 1440 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 2 edition (February 8, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470481285
• ISBN-13: 978-0470481288
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #88,150 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #77 in Books > Computers & Technology > Programming > Game Programming

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent addon resource, February 12, 2010

By 

Bernie Fritts "a.k.a. Bouvi" (Knoxville, TN) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: World of Warcraft Programming: A Guide and Reference for Creating WoW Addons (Paperback)

James has been in the WoW addon field for years and his addons are second to none. Back a few years ago he took the time to help me with my first addon and I appreciated the help. I owned the first book and happy to add this one to my library.

The books are well written and contain the information you need to begin writing your own addons and more. They are excellent reference books that will keep you writing addons for a long time. They also have a website to cover any changes made to the API by Blizzard.

Plus the cover is by Scott Johnson, what more could you want.

Bouvi (Earthen Ring - AIE)

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book on Lua and WoW mods, April 10, 2010

By 

Kendall "new movie maker" (TN United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: World of Warcraft Programming: A Guide and Reference for Creating WoW Addons (Paperback)

This is a huge book covering all the details of writing a mod in lua. The elements are presented in a logical method and show an actual mod being designed and programmed from the ground up (BagBuddy). This is an excellent book that takes you from a beginner mod programmer to being able to design and create whatever mod you want. If you don't want to create your own mods, the book will show you how to tweak your existing mods to make them work the way you want them to. Even after you have read the book, you will use it as a reference for quite some time as you work on your own mods. I honestly had no idea that the WoW API provided so much of the foundation for building mods. My hat is off to both Blizzard for creating such an environment that welcomes mods and definitely this book for presenting mod building to me in such a great way. The cover art is great too.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book for programmer with a little prior experience, July 10, 2010

By 

Isaac T. Knowles - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: World of Warcraft Programming: A Guide and Reference for Creating WoW Addons (Paperback)

I needed to design a few different addons for some research I'm doing, and this book had everything I needed. You may have difficulty if you've never programmed before, but if you already have a little knowledge of programming fundamentals, this is a great tool. Highly recommended.